Choosing the Best Beginner Bass Guitar – The Neck

The bass guitar neck is a vital part of the instrument and should be chosen with care. Get it right and playing your new bass will be an enjoyable experience. Get it wrong and you may find yourself fighting with the instrument and it will hinder your progress. A little neck knowledge will help you make a better decision when choosing a beginner bass guitar.

Bass guitar necks consist of several parts. Starting at the end farthest from the body is the headstock. This is where the tuning pegs are located. Their function is to anchor the strings and allow them to be adjusted to keep them in tune.

Next is the nut. The nut contains grooves that position the strings correctly at the top of the neck. The strings must be spaced correctly and be the correct height from the neck. The nut can be made from various materials including plastic, bone, brass or graphite.

Extending from the nut to the body is the fretboard. The fretboard will usually be glued to the neck contains the frets. This is where the fingers are placed to change the pitch of the strings. Each fret is a thin metal strip mounted along the top of the fretboard. Made of brass, or nickel alloy, they are positioned so that each one will raise the pitch of the string exactly one semitone from the previous fret. Most bass guitars will have between 20 and 24 frets.

The type of wood used to make the neck will influence the sound of the instrument. These days there are dozens of different wood types of wood and each will add its own distinctive color to the tone. Generally speaking, a hard wood such as maple will give a very bright tone and dark woods such as rosewood will produce a warmer sound. Of course, the sound will be colored by the type of wood used for the body and the type of pickups fitted, but the neck wood does play its part in shaping the sound.

Worth mentioning is the truss rod which, although hidden, performs an important role. Because wooden necks cannot withstand the tension of steel strings, a steel rod running the length of the neck is used. The truss rod is placed inside the neck, one end anchored and the other adjustable. Tightening the truss rod will straighten the neck, countering the string tension. Adjusting the truss rod requires some knowledge and should not be attempted by a beginner.

Bass guitar necks are available in various shapes and sizes and some will feel more comfortable than others. The only way to really know which shape is best for you is to visit your local music store and get your hands on several different instruments. As everyone is different, the best one for you will depend upon many things such as the size of you hands, finger length, thumb length, etc. So, try out as many as you can to help you decide what type of neck your ideal beginner bass guitar will have.