I don't know much about bass guitars, because I only have one cheap no name bass (but it feels and sounds fantastic).

I think a decent amp is really important, too. Bass was my first instrument, and my first amp was really shite. It was so frustrating and it took ages to get halfway ok sounds... So I mostly played without amp, and it felt boring after a short time.

 

You are correct.

Yes you are correct, the only difference that I could notice between the two was the active passive switch, the pickups on the 304 are a little hotter and more barky while the 504s are a little lower output, more responsive dynamically and a bit smoother and the active pre-amp EQ has a mid control.


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The Resolution:

So we made the rounds of music instrument stores yesterday and tried every brand on the list except Cort, there were no models on display in any of the stores we visited in that were within parameters. I've never been one to buy blind unless I really know what I am getting.

In the end she chose her own bass guitar I just put some guidance (limits) on some things so that looking cool didn't override an actual playable instrument.

Dean basses are a good deal, for the money I think you get a lot but I wasn't a fan of the fan of the range of tones coming out of it, Maybe just a pickup change would do but for a starter that is only going to have one instrument and not really looking to take it apart might not be ideal. I think it's a great platform for modifying. Good for dark, hot with lots drive but it has limits.

The Squire range I actually liked a lot, they've stepped up their game it seems, and they all had decent sound and decent finish. She on the other hand seemed to be against them, she labelled them "old creeper guitars" and said the top looks like a dick head. I don't know where that came from but whatever I am not trying to get into discussions about dicks with 15 year old niece. The proper Fender range regardless of where they are made started at $850 but even if they were considered I think they would have been put in the "old creeper guitar" category.

There was a blue sky burst metallic HH Squire where she liked the body but couldn't get over the other image issues she was having. I am not going to try to understand what makes young women say the things they do, I am not that crazy or dumb enough to even try. She probably will change her mind later but no use in making someone on learn on something they don't like.

The LTD I liked was very zingy yesterday compared to Thursday when I last played it, which to me says the neck moves around a lot and for that reason I don't think it would have suited as beginner instrument. She didn't seem to be too hot on it anyway, though she had no negative things to say about it. So it's all a moot point. Maybe she was getting tired but she just put back and started walking around to other ones.

The Sterling MMs got the "dick head" top stamp, which I think must have something to do with inline tuners and the Fender style circular top paddle.

The Yamaha got the OK not too bad stamp a little bit more than the LTD.

She picked 3 and her finalists were the Jackson JS3Q, Blue burst, the Orange O-Bass in Orange, the Yamaha TRBX 504 in blue metallic.

She ended up choosing the Yamaha because of the blue with sparkles, though it was real close with the orange Orange. When I told her that the 304 and 504 were the same for the most part she was OK to swap them but they didn't have blue 304 so that was the end of that. When I asked if blue was that important she asked if I was trying to cheap out on her, I offered to give her the difference in cash but she still wanted blue.

She also bough a THR-10 II Amp and got in the bundle a not terrible but not great Gator branded gig bag and an EB branded Jaccard strap with a really cheap looking Snark clip on tuner.

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Thank you for your help and suggestions.

Cheers.

 

I like her.

 

So she's more of a Prog Metal girl than we tought,
you're a great uncle, and we all learned a lesson..

And with that Bass in no time she's playin on Dreama Theatera or smth.. lol

Nice amp too

 

"I'm looking for a bass for a teen--"

So yeah, really the more things change the more they stay the same; it's got to look cool first and if it happens to play and sound decent on top of that that's just a bonus

"Old creeper bass with a head that looks like a dick" should go down in meme history somewhere that's awesome.

 

Here's a talented young lady playing a Corea piece on a Fender jazz bass. Age, gender, culture or creed, or even the bass, has nothing to do with being a good bassist. If her action is not set up well nobody would ever know by how she plays