Guitar question?

[Sentimental]

I have a question for those of you that know about guitars. I have a 13yr old that has been playing bass guitar for almost a year. He bought it used for $60 and has been a good begginer guitar.

He has been saving his money (he has a paper route) and now wants to buy a better guitar. He has his heart set on a Fender Standard Precision Bass guitar, starburst. I hope I'm saying that right. I just wonder if this is a decent guitar for him and if $480 is a decent price. He's getting pretty good at playing and he and a friend practice endlessly every day.

Are there any good web sites that offer great prices on guitars or are we better off to buy local and have the follow up service? I just don't want him to spend all that money and then find out it's not that great. TIA

[Iron]

Senti,
Someday would be the one to check with in regards to Bass guitars.
I can tell you that if your are not in a big hurry and want to get a great deal for whatever brand you might be interested in,Go to E-bay and do a little shopping.If your not familiar with this experiance,check with someone you trust that is and they should give You the do's and don'ts of E-bay.
I have bought hundreds of things on E-bay,including my last Martin,and as of yet have not had one bad experiance.
To me,it sounds like your son has some genuine interest in what He is doing,and speeking from some experiance{tngrs},I would definatly make the investment to accomadate the young man.If he truelly has an interest in music,your investment will be worth more than any amount of money could ever repay.....
Again,check with our resident probassgall Someday,on the make and model scene,and take it from there.....
Just something to consider- If you have a local music store,it might be worth a try to check with them,even if you don't get a great price the first time around,if you/your son establish a relationship with them,they tend to give some pretty good deals as time goes on.Something to consider in the long run..
IMO,13 years old and interested,get him the guitar,FAST........

[Sentimental]

Thanks Iron for the great advice. I've tried to get him to trust the ebay experience but he's so afraid that he won't get what he wants. We have a local music shop that he has bought several things at. That's where the $ quote came from. I know they would help him make good choices too but they are also wanting a sale.

He loves Green Day and can play most of their songs. Haven't been successful with the Gord experience but he has started listening to The Doors a bit. He certainly loves to play.

I guess I just want reassurance that the guitar he wants is a quality product. I know it's no where near the top of the line but will it last for several years? Can you tell I know nothing about these things? :)

[Iron]

Sentimental,
Fender,as with other manufacturere's have their high and low end products,even Martin have a selection of "lower end " foreign choices to pick from.The thing is ,if this is the instrument the lad has in his sights,for now,it will be "Top Of The Line"for Him,for now...and You will be the one that got it for him.You will not get more top of the line than that....As for several years,don't even worry about that..If he keeps at it,He will have another one in His sight's before You know it,and He will have to cross that bridge on his own.
For now,whether it is a Fender,Makduble,or a used Henway,get it....don't ask no more questions,go get it,give it to Him,enjoy the sunshine.It will warm You for the rest of your days....

[Sentimental]

Thanks Iron and Someday. I feel much better about his choice now. I guess if he rode horses, it would be a new saddle every few years. If he rode motorcycles, well, we won't go there. So a $500 guitar (btw, his own money) isn't so bad an investment in something he's likely to enjoy for many years.

We are going to take a look on ebay again, but have found that they are even more expensive than new ones sometimes.

[Jim Nasium]

Sentimental, try www.elderly.com (http://www.elderly.com) I have found their site to be pretty good.

[Cathy]

Put Fender Standard Precision Bass into a
Google search and compare prices on the top sites that come up. If I remember correctly, the prices start around $350 and increase, depending on the guitar you select, but at least it will give you a price guide to go by, and who knows... you may find a deal online that you just can't turn down.

My 21 year old son has one and loves it.

[The Rez]

My Pardner in Crime & Music still has his original P-Bass (c. 1961) from The Rumblers days (Burffa!)

I don't know how the newer P-Bass sounds personally, but I've been told it doesn't measure up to the original. But, then folks say that about a lot of stuff, too.

Leo made good stuff here where I grew up (Fullerton, CA.) All we teenage stars-in-waiting (LOL) would hang around his shop for proverbial hours. Leo told good stories.

Fascinating place and time to be alive and a musician. So, the name P-Bass is still precious to me - even though I'm a Piano Guy.

One thing for sure, no matter the brand or cost it'll customize itself to him and won't play the same for other people.

Give the Bassman some . . . and have him listen with good ears to the kick drum.

The Rez

[The Rez]

PS: To generate a bit of Bass interest in the Gord side of things, play him Ode to Big Blue to show the melodic/harmonic colors there for the taking in the right Bassman's hands.

Follow up w/ Sit Down Young Stranger to show the
absolute power of simlicity - when not to play - and point out how vastly the song takes new life
at the key change w/ the enterance of the Bass.
See if he noticed it was missing up till then.

Jack & Meg White do wonders as a duo, but when he plays piano he adds an old Fender Keyboard Bass (just like Ray Manzarack in the Doors Days)

Bassman is good . . .

Rez

[Sentimental]

Thanks everyone for your replies. We looked at several sites and it seems the going price is $434, which is what the local music shop quoted. But if you add $30 for the Starburst color and tax, it crawls up to almost $500.

He's really excited about it and has decided to get it locally. He's reading these replies with great interest so maybe he'll take heart and listen to a few of Gord's songs. :)

[talbot10]

Originally posted by Sentimental:
Thanks Iron and Someday. I feel much better about his choice now. I guess if he rode horses, it would be a new saddle every few years. If he rode motorcycles, well, we won't go there. So a $500 guitar (btw, his own money) isn't so bad an investment in something he's likely to enjoy for many years.

We are going to take a look on ebay again, but have found that they are even more expensive than new ones sometimes. Best of luck Sentimental to your son with his new bass! Happy new year!
Bill Hall