Hello guys,
I’m a new player. Just started few weeks ago. I have a Ibanez mikro short scale. But I want to learn with a long scale baas. I was thinking about getting a squier affinity jazz bass. Will it be a good option for a beginner like me? And can I use it for a long time?
TIA
Hello and welcome to the community! Short answer is yes - that is a good bass for a beginner.
Another answer could be to go to your local music shop and try a few out. Find one within your budget that feels good in your hands and makes you wanna play it when you look at it.
Yet another answer is to shop a reputable online store and find one in your price range that makes you wanna play it when you look at it. I chose this route. My very first bass was a Yamaha TRBX174 from Amazon. I did my research and I was happy with my purchase.
An advantage of buying from your local store is that they can help set it up for you. A good setup makes it easier to play.
An advantage of purchasing online is that you can get a model in the exact color you want without leaving your comfy chair. You can still take your new purchase to the local shop to set it up. Although they may charge a small fee.
@sunny.1585 welcome, ignore my old post I just did, I messed up, its a good thread, but the one I was actually looking for is
Thanks a lot! 
Thanks!! This helps 
There are many threads in the forum that deal with this question. Here’s one:
^^^^ 1000%
If you’re going Squier, why not go with their best?
Either one of these would be a perfect lifetime bass.
Squire Crafted In China Classic Vibe or Squire 40th-Anniversary Vintage Jazz.
These are way above my budget 
What is your budget? What country are you in?
Are your hands big, small, or medium?
At the absolute lowest budget end, I think Yamaha does the best quality. For under the price of a new Squire Affinity, you can easily get a BB234 or TRBX304. These will stomp all over an Affinity or a Gio trim. With a bit of shopping around, you can probably find a used BB434 for under $400 - which is basically pro quality.
When you get up into the $500-$800 range, there are lots of options and personal preferences are personal. You can argue the merits and quality differences of Squier, Sterlin, Yamaha, Sire, Schechter, Ibanez, etc. all day in that range. But at the <$400 and especially <$300 range, Yamaha cuts the fewest corners.
Harley Benton arguably is also a great choice at that lowest price tier… if you live in Europe. I do not think they’re as consistent with quality control as Yamaha is.
I’m from Bangladesh. The music industry is not very good here, and we don’t have many options when buying any instrument.
I’m going to visit Thailand next month and planning to buy a bass from there. But as I’ll have to carry it to Bangladesh as a checked-in item, I’m gonna have to spend a big amount on a good quality hard case. And that’s what is limiting my budget for the bass. My total budget is $500. The case will cost around $200. So, that leaves me with $300 for the bass.
I’m not a tall person. 5’2” with small hands. That’s why I bought the Ibanez mikro bass. But I at that point, I didn’t know that a short scale bass sounds different than a long scale. I still have the short scale, but as I’m starting to learn seriously, I‘m thinking it’ll be better to learn with a long scale.
Thanks for the advice about Yamaha basses. But I don’t like the brand. I know it’s really good. It’s just not my type. I love the jazz bass sound, the look, and feel of Fender basses. But don’t want to spend that much. That’s why I was thinking about Squier Affinity Series.
For your first instrument I would really not sweat it that much, what matters the most is if it feels good to you and is easy to play, followed by the looks (it has to motivate you to pick it up). So while the Affinity won’t really stack up to the Yamahas overall, it would be fine for starting out.
However it sounds like you already have an Ibanez Mikro? Why not just stick with that? It’s fine, just (very) short scale. The Affinity is unlikely to sound better, just maybe a little different.
What would be different is if you went with an Affinity Jazz (J/J) instead of the P/J on the Mikro.
Again though, don’t sweat it too much. You will almost assuredly (like 99% chance) be ending up with different instruments in the future, regardless.
I’ll second the above, that there is nothing wrong with the Mikro.
I’d put in more time on that, and save money to have a higher budget later. Even if it’s just a couple hundred more. Your options for good basses will jump massively if you’re able to stretch your budget by just another $200.
