Is it? It looks like a righty one to me. Anyway, I’d get the right-handed version.
Huh, this time I clicked and got a righty. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Anyway, Yamaha has a great rep and it’s a pretty guitar. Pull the pin if you like it.
Wow, I was name checked twice! I’m flattered. I usually don’t like threads like these because you get an awful lot of what I consider bad advice and people wanting to spend other people’s money, recommending super expensive stuff, obscure makers, etc. It happens on a Tuba forum I frequent, too.
My opinion is that you get a Fender Jazz Bass. There’s a reason that they’re the standard. You will be able to play any style music with it. It’s easy to get upgraded parts and accessories for it. Don’t like the pickguard? Replace it. Same with the pickups, tuners, etc.
My main bass is a Yamaha 5 string. Yamaha flies under the radar a bit, but they make great basses. I still recommend the Fender. If I had to have only one bass, that would be it.
Did you see that Yamaha that I’m interested in? They don’t have the color I like the best, but I like that matte amber one, too. I’ve never had anything with active pickups – seem like it could be a fun way to get some interesting sounds out of it.
My problem with the Fenders is that I just don’t like the look of a pickguard on a bass. I was thinking about the Aerodyne, but that seems like an oddball of a bass.
Is there such a thing as a bass that’s easier to play? I’ve had a couple of pianos, and played more, and some are definitely easier that others, even if the easier ones are not as good for dynamic control, for example.
I’m going to use this thread to brag about my bass. 
Here it is - an Ovation Magnum III. Bought it used in 1988 for $170. Probably made in 1979. Weighs 10.1 pounds, hence can also be used to defend yourself in a bar fight :D.
But seriously, it’s the only base I’ve ever owned. Love the feel of it. And when played through an Ampeg SVT, nothing sounds quite like it, either. 
It’s in beautiful shape! Did you refinish it or something?
If you’re on a tight budget, a Squier will do just about as well as a Fender. No shit, their quality control is excellent. Fender would NOT allow their designs and headstock to be sold under the Squier name if they didn’t stand behind the quality of that line. The Squier versions of Fender basses are a spectacular value.
Nope; completely original. Have never done anything to it. I’ve never even changed the strings - I think they’re the original 1979 strings.
When someone complains about the weight of their guitar, I say, “Cool story, bro.” And then I strap this thing on them. 
WTF is up with that gigantic neck pickup? A quadruple humbucker? Anyway, cool looking instrument!
No idea. But from what I’ve read, it’s the most favorite feature among Ovation Magnum fans. Whatever it is, the neck pickup just sounds awesome.
I’m hip about how you feel about pickguards. How it looks is definitely part of the appeal of an instrument. I’m not a big fan of the white ones, but if I got a Fender, I’d replace the pickguard with a different one. Aesthetics aside, they’re one of the best all around basses. As someone else said, the Squires are pretty good, too. Didn’t used to be, they are now.
I like that Yamaha. Active pickups are pretty cool. You can definitely get more tones out of an instrument. Most of my basses have active electronics. Yeah, the battery can die, but they last a long time if you don’t keep the cable plugged in. I always have a spare battery available if mine decides to let go. The tone will start getting fuzzy for about half a song, then you better get a new one in there fast. The battery compartment on my Yamaha is easy to get to and change it out. ETA: I see that bass has an LED warning light for the battery. Wish I had that. It also can switch between activa and passive electronics, giving even more tone choices. My Warwick fretless does that. The woods in that bass seem perfect for slap and pop playing.
Ease of playing a bass usually comes down to the neck thickness and the setup. The Ibanez Soundgear basses have nice thin necks. Speed metal guys like them. I think the lower priced ones are a good value, but definitely a “beginner’s bass”. You can outgrow them and need a better instrument. I’m sure the higher end ones are pretty good.
As far as setup goes, I use a low action with the pickups raised to just under the strings to get a hot signal. If I dig in a little too hard I can create quite a clatter, But I still have enough room to dig in pretty good if I need to. It’s a balance point. I’m also a strictly fingerstyle player. I can’t use a pick to save my life, but I’m working on it. A pickstyle player may have a different setup. Even a fat neck instrument can play easier and with better response with a good setup.
I’d recommend taking any new instrument to a good luthier and have them give it a good going over. The ones done at the factory or online store won’t be customized to how you want to play. (Plus shipping will bang it around and knock it out of whack.) The luthier will give you what you want or need. Plus having a working relationship with a local professional is a good thing. You’ll probably need him in the future, too.
It will be difficult to find someone to set up the bass while we’re all locked down. Maybe I should wait until I can get my hands on a few, but that defeats the purpose of giving myself something to do during the lockdown.
I’m also thinking about this one:
Do you know anything about these? Apparently session musicians love them – maybe they’re relatively cheap and sturdy?
I’ve never heard of Spector, though there’s lots of makers. The website says Spector was founded in 1972 and apparently went extinct one or two times, now owned by Korg, a maker of synthesizers.
Yamaha has been making musical instruments since 1897, and guitars since 1942, cite. Their pianos are some of the best regarded on the planet, though Steinway kicks their ass mindshare-wise.
For what any of that is worth.
I’d say just suck it up and get a Squier JB bass. A black with white pickguard is a Geddy bass and looks like it’s wearing a tuxedo, v cool. And Squier basses have ‘fast’ necks* to hook beginners.
*fast in the sense of ‘not thick from font to back’, which is what people mean when they say “fast neck”, not really the fingerboard width.
I’ve never played one, nor do i know anybody with one. It looks pretty good and it’s a reputable brand. Good price. Looks like kind of a smallish body which makes it a little easier to handle either on a strap or in your lap. The one thing I noticed is that it doesn’t have a dedicated battery compartment which means you’d need to use a screwdriver to open the rear control compartment to change the battery. It certainly is pretty.
I think you may be able to find someone to set it up for you. An awful lot of players do their own setups, ask around. I’ll bet someone can put it into shape. You could try some of it yourself. Just stay away from the truss rod adjustment. There’s potential for disaster there. You can adjust the intonation and string height pretty easily. It may actually be just fine when you get it, who knows?
Thinking about it, that Spector is probably set up already. It’s a floor model, so it had been played.
And Leo Fender invented the solid body electric bass. Squier is a Fender company.
Sweetwater has a very good repair/custom shop. I always get them to do a setup for me. The cost is discounted with a purchase.
The newest service they offer is a PLEK machine. These machines use computer sensors to map the high spots on the Frets. Then it will grind them down level and polish.
Why do this? It allows you to setup the action very low without buzzing strings. High spots on the neck create the buzz.
A PLEK machine does what a very experienced Luthier does by hand with files. It’s labor intensive. Probably 2 to 3 hours of shop time and a good Luthier gets $75 and hour. Good luck finding a experienced guy that you can trust to do the work. Your average guitar tech is ok to file & dress damaged frets. But, a brand new instrument? You want a very experienced guy.
It’s an amazing process. Very few guitar shops can afford to buy one of these machines. IIRC they’re over $10k. Sweetwater has enough sales to make it cost effective to buy one and offer this service for $250. (the last time I checked)
If you’re interested in learning about PLEK. A professional musician I follow on YouTube took his instrument to Rightous Guitars, a big guitar shop in Atlanta. This store is one of Sweetwater’s competitors.
How a PLEK machine works. The guitar tech at Rightous Brothers guitar explains it.
Rhett came back later and had his main guitar PLEK’d.
I found it interesting that a PLEK machine is still just a tool. It requires a trained guitar tech to use it correctly.
I have a vintage Strat with damaged Frets. Lot of nicks from decades of playing before I bought it. I plan to ship it to a shop in Nashville that has a PLEK machine.
I’d seriously consider getting a PLEK job on my next new purchase from Sweetwater. I like the idea of upgrading a modesty priced instrument. I can’t afford to blow 3k on a high end guitar.
I’m not sure if they’re doing that right now. The guy I’m working with there keeps mentioning how understaffed they are – they are keeping people home as much as possible, so, for example, there’s no one there weighing guitars and basses like they usually have. They’re also having problems with inventory – I guess all inventory everywhere is lacking, due to disruptions in shipping.
We’re lucky Sweetwater is still open during this virus. I forgot they’re running with less staff.
They emailed me a month ago that my sales rep had changed. I had been assigned to the first guy for over seven years.
You have given me the thinnest excuse to post photos of my Bass Project.
Specifically, here’s the custom thumbrest, made out of 1018 steel, polished, jeweling applied, and then heat blued.
And here’s a gallery of all of the machine shop workwhen I made the thumb rest, knobs, and bridge.
Why yes, I did post a thread about it, of course!
ETA: And for the OP, though I always say you can’t go wrong with a P-bass (my favorite), try out some different woods…try Alder…you might find one that is much lighter and easier on your back. Buying new bass guitars is fun!