Bass for teen/tween learner?

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TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7350
My youngest is 11 and wants to learn bass.

I’ve got a Squier CV P Bass but it might be a bit of a beefy neck for a youngster? (He’s a big unit - think more like 13yo size) 

Any suggestions for something beginner friendly and that I am likely to find secondhand? I’ll be flogging/trading a guitar or pedals to fund but be good to keep to a "he might not keep at it" budget 

Cheers for any suggestions
Red ones are better. 
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Comments

  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    Yamaha RBX basses, cheap, playable and The active electronics have plenty of ooomph 
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  • steamabacussteamabacus Frets: 1258
    Thomann do a Harley Benton short scale P Bass (762mm, whatever that is in old money?) for £79 new.

    If it's half as good as the Musicman-style a friend bought for busking, it'll play fine. I did a bit of set-up/fettling on my mate's one (didn't need a lot really) and I was REALLY impressed with what he got for around £150. He thought it was better than his MM 'SUB' bass.
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  • I had a HB Shortie P. Still has a fat neck like a regular P. I'm a sucker for a J-type. Easier to play.
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  • MattBansheeMattBanshee Frets: 1498
    TimmyO said:
    My youngest is 11 and wants to learn bass.

    I’ve got a Squier CV P Bass but it might be a bit of a beefy neck for a youngster? (He’s a big unit - think more like 13yo size) 

    Any suggestions for something beginner friendly and that I am likely to find secondhand? I’ll be flogging/trading a guitar or pedals to fund but be good to keep to a "he might not keep at it" budget 

    Cheers for any suggestions
    CV P bass will be perfect.

    Don't listen to anyone who suggests a short-scale child's bass, he'll outgrow it far too quickly and they usually sound and feel crap. Get him started on a proper bass now, and as he grows into it he'll just have an easier time, rather than having to then change to another instrument later on and re-adjust.
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23948
    It's a 32 inch scale but I have been massively impressed with the Ibanez Mezzo basses.

    I've got the 5 string and the Low B is as good as my Stingray 5. It was £299 brand new. The 4 string is cheaper still.


    But if you want long scale then as an alternative to the Squiers and regular Ibanez models see if you can find a Sandberg Electra series.
    The Electra Series is Sandberg's budget range and they are excellent value and well worth a later pickup upgrade if he wants.
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23948
    TimmyO said:
    My youngest is 11 and wants to learn bass.

    I’ve got a Squier CV P Bass but it might be a bit of a beefy neck for a youngster? (He’s a big unit - think more like 13yo size) 

    Any suggestions for something beginner friendly and that I am likely to find secondhand? I’ll be flogging/trading a guitar or pedals to fund but be good to keep to a "he might not keep at it" budget 

    Cheers for any suggestions
    CV P bass will be perfect.

    Don't listen to anyone who suggests a short-scale child's bass, he'll outgrow it far too quickly and they usually sound and feel crap. Get him started on a proper bass now, and as he grows into it he'll just have an easier time, rather than having to then change to another instrument later on and re-adjust.
    Because an EB-O is not a "proper" bass.
    Neither is a Rickenbacker
    Neither is a Gretsch
    Or the Short scale Stingray (and budget Sterling model)
    Or Guilds
    Or the Sandberg Lionel
    Or the Fender Japan 32 inch scale jazz and p basses.



    They can sound different to 34 scale basses, but they don't actually have to, and more importantly different does not mean worse. Just different. By the same measure, extra long scale does not mean it will sound better. My old 34 scale Marleaux had the best B string I'd ever heard and that was even up against the Dingwall I had (Canadian one).

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    I also disagree that a Mustang Bass is a child's bass, despite having a 30.5" scale and a small thin body. Plenty of pros - admittedly not all of them big people - have used them and got good sounds. You can get them with a variety of more powerful pickups these days too.

    That said, a reasonably-sized 11-year-old boy is probably about as big as Suzi Quatro, and she used a Telecaster Bass with no apparent difficulty, so I think scale length is largely irrelevant.

    An actual *child's* bass - with a scale shorter than 30" - is a different thing and not really a good idea unless you have a specific need for something that short.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    What about a Jazz so the neck is less chunky?

    I'd start him off on the P though and only find something smaller if he continues to struggle past the normal learning period.

    From what I've heard about the CV P he'll be the envy of most tween beginners.

    P.s. Very cool that he's interested in bass at that age
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    A 32" Jazz Bass might be ideal (think they're Japanese?). The slimmer Jazz neck will be easier to manage and changing later on to 34" shouldn't be too much of a leap.
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    Think tht 32" necks are only smaller to girly guitar players - if you start with a full size then it's normal.

    Probably the slimmer J neck would be easier
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  • I bought my first bass this year, an ESP Ltd B-10.
    Was expecting it to be crap but it's actually really good.
    It has a skinny neck suitable for shorter fingers...... and it's cheap.
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    Jalapeno said:
    Think tht 32" necks are only smaller to girly guitar players - if you start with a full size then it's normal.

    Probably the slimmer J neck would be easier

    32" is easier than full scale J.  I've owned both.

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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7350
    I got him a Yamaha BB 224 in the end - full scale, PJ, Jazz-ish neck - seems to be doing the trick 
    Red ones are better. 
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    A tween? What the heck is that!?!?


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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7350
    edited October 2020
    axisus said:
    A tween? What the heck is that!?!?


    Typically used to refer to children 10-12yo. An age group characterised by (among other things) their ability to look things up on the internet ;-) 
    Red ones are better. 
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    axisus said:
    A tween? What the heck is that!?!?


    They're be-tween children and teenagers.10-12 as TimmyO said.
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