A good instrument is extremely important for developing finger dexterity and proper technique on the bass guitar.

If you are considering a bass guitar purchase, please talk to me before you do so.  There is a wide variety of quality in each price range.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BASSES

There are several features of bass guitars that you need to choose between:

4 vs 5 string

For beginners I strongly recommend a 4 string bass.  They are easier to learn on than 5 strings are, and the necks are a lot narrower and easier to play.

Single Coil vs Humbucker Pickups

Single coils are generally brighter and sound great for slapping but they pick up all sorts of noise from fluorescent lights, cell phones, etc.  Humbuckers are quieter and fatter sounding.  For beginners I generally recommend humbuckers.

Passive vs Active Electronics

Passive means you can turn down the volume and treble but you can’t boost anything.  Active has a battery powered electronic circuit that gives you more powerful tone controls.  Active doesn’t cost much more than passive, so I generally recommend active.

Neck Width

I personally prefer a narrow neck, but some people prefer a wider neck.  You should select a neck width that feels good to your hands and fingers.

Scale (neck length)

I’m not a big fan of short scale basses except for young children.  All the basses I play and recommend are 34” scale.

Fretted or Fretless

For beginners I recommend fretted basses.

Weight and Balance

This is a personal preference.  How does the bass feel to you?

Acoustic Electric vs Electric

"Electric" bass guitars look like electric guitars (solid body with pickups).  They sound better for most styles of music: rock, jazz, country, etc.  "Acoustic electric" bass guitars look like acoustic guitars (bulky hollow body with a spruce top with a hole in the middle.)  They are useful for folk and acoustic music, and they have the advantage that you can hear the sound without plugging them into an amp, so they are nice for practicing.  I generally recommend electric’s because of the quality / price ratio is higher.

RECOMMENDED BASSES

There are several good basses in the $300-400 price range.  The three brands in this range most recommended on bass forums are the Ibanez SR series, Yamaha TRBX series, and Cort Action series.  All three of these basses are four string, 34" scale, with humbucker pickups, active electronics, and narrow necks.  If you want a Fender Jazz style bass (single coil, passive electronics, wider neck, punchy sound) in this price range, the Squier Classic Vibe (CV) 60’s Jazz bass is supposed to be pretty good.  Personally, however, my favorites are the Ibanez SR300 (or SR300M) (below left) and the Yamaha TRBX304 (below right).  Both of these basses feature a slim laminated 5-piece neck, good sounding humbucker pickups, active electronics with excellent tone controls, nice looking solid hardwood bodies with sculpted edges and deep cutaways, straight string pulls between the nut and the tuners, die cast tuners, and die cast bridges.  The Ibanez is a little lighter and sleeker, and is great for women and young players.  The Yamaha has excellent balance and excellent quality.  With decent strings on them, both of these basses sound great and play like butter.  (Irv owns the Yamaha and uses it as his primary bass.  Several of my students own the Ibanez, and it looks and sounds fantastic.)

In higher price ranges, there are a lot of options.  Some of the best basses I've ever played are brands I'd never heard of before.  Go to Guitar Center and play a bunch of them and see which ones "speak" to you. Talk to Irv before buying anything.