Looking to buy a bass guitar

[morelia]

Just go to nearest music shop and try different basses.

This is always the best advice.

And tell all sales people to f**k off, especially if they tell you "that's the one I use".

[jens]

Hi all,
I make Contemporary R&B music mostly, and I want to get a bass guitar that have more rounded, soft, and darker tones. I'll use it to record directly to the DAW with DI and then amp it with guitar rig.

I don't want anything that sounds bright or present in mid-frequencies. I will most likely cut everything above 1khz to make it sound darker anyway.

My budget is around $600. This will be my first bass guitar; I have been playing acoustic and electric guitar for years.

Thanks.

I recently was in quite a similar boat (even though I already have a number of bass-guitars), and after quite a bit of research I decided to get myself an Epiphone Embassy and I don't regret it one tiny bit - quite the contrary: it's a wonderful and gorgeous bass. That was easily one of my best purchases.

Ir you decide to get one of those bright (in comparison) Precisions however which people keep recommending: by all means, use flats!

[Fornicras]

Thanks everyone, for the messages. I got myself a Squier Affinity P-bass PJ and already recorded some bass lines with it, and it's exactly the sound I'm looking for, especially after applying a lowpass filter.

I also must say that playing bass is much more fun than playing electric and acoustic guitar. I'm really enjoying it.

[Scoops]

I would absolutely avoid a fretless unless you know what you are looking for and getting in to.

I totally disagree and I don’t understand why people think a fretless bass is such a difficult thing to play. I’ve been a bassist (former pro and instructor) for about 45 years and have taught myself and other people to play fretless. People learn to play violin, cello, and other fretless instruments every day, but fretless electric bass is somehow more difficult or unachievable by a beginner? No, it’s not and it doesn’t require any divine intervention from a higher power, just practice. Besides, many (most?) fretless basses come with lines nowadays, which makes it even easier. You play the same strings, same scales, and use the same hand positions and fingering as a fretted bass. Everything else is just nuance that comes with practice.

Agreed.

Yep
Once you go fretless, you never go back.
We'll I haven't!