Welcome @michaelwestergaard and thanx for the photo. Plan on missing a few more full workout tempos. Here I am , 5 years later , still miss a note or two. But the great VW reminded me that I am not missing notes , I am just playing leading notes correctly.
Enjoy Your Journey ,
Cheers
Hi and Welcome along @cb2me and @michaelwestergaard !
Welcome!!!
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening.
I’m new to all of this and grateful to have this forum as a place to start. Last year I came across Charles Berthoud and was hugely inspired to get back into having music in my life. Went to Guitar Center on Saturday to try out my first bass and my first amp. Eventually got overwhelmed and went home. As I reflect on the experience I’m going to return and check out a Precision Bass for simplicity (too many knobs and options on a Jazz Bass) and a Fender Rumble 25 for the same simplicity.
Once I’ve got that dialed in I’ll sign up as a Beginner.
Thanks,
Nolyn
Welcome @EdwardM
Have fun!
Great choice on the P bass. Simple and easy to dial in great sounds with it. One suggestion on the amp, if you can swing the cost difference a rumble 40 is a much better amp for bass. Used is a great option for basses and amps too, it might be worth your while to dig around locally and see what’s out there on the 2nd hand market. I was patient and eventually got a 500W amp for probably close to what you’d be paying for that rumble 25.
Welcome @EdwardM !
Ho @nolan.valenti , nice to meet ya!
Hi and welcome along @EdwardM !
Thanks Guys!
At first I wanted to go with the Rumble 100 which I can find used for about $200. It was pointed out that that’s too much amp for a beginner, that I won’t grow into it for at least two years, and that I ought to “earn my gear”. That’s why I thought to embrace some humility and go for the Rumble 25. So between the Rumble 100 and Rumble 40 for a beginner… thoughts?
Also, is there an easy explanation for what the tone control on the P-Bass does? Volume, I assume, is self-explanatory. There’s no center on the tone control so does it add or subtract depending on what direction it’s in. Or does it merely add tone from an off position or vice versa?
Nolyn
No such thing
Seriously, I’d go for the 100 if you can. They weigh virtually the same (weight is a big factor for me), and the 100 has the 12 inch speaker.
Welcome @michaelwestergaard and @EdwardM and enjoy!
First of all, welcome to the forums!
I think “earn your gear” is mostly nonsense. On the one hand, if you’re gonna buy a replica of Bootsy Collins’ bass then you better be able to bring the funk. But when it comes to practical things like practice amp vs giggable amp? I prefer “buy once, cry once.”
Get the Rumble 100 if you can afford it and have the space for it. Sure, you might never turn the volume up past 1. Or you might get offered a gig in 8 months (or 16 months or 3 years) from now, and you’ll already have the amp you need for it.
It’s up to you of course. I have a Rumble 25 myself. I will say though, I wish I’d gotten at least a Rumble 40 for the larger speaker cone, and for the XLR out just to have the option. But I mostly play through headphones and rarely play for others, so it hasn’t been a big deal to me.
When it’s turned up all the way (fully clockwise) you get the full tone from the pickup. As you turn it down, it reduces the high end. Can be nice for dialing in a real old-school tone, especially with roundwound strings. For the most part, at the beginning, just keep it turned all the way up. But don’t be afraid to play with it.
Incidentally I also did the same thing as you here, decided I wanted to start with the simplest possible option and bought a p-bass. No regrets. I have a Stingray now too for a different tone option. But that p-bass isn’t gathering dust. It’s a workhorse, and has a great tone for lots of music where the Stingray’s sound might be a bit much.
If you buy a reasonable quality p-bass in a color you like, you might just have that bass forever.
Any suggestions on a reliable affordable P Bass? I’ve been looking at the Squier Classic Vibe Precision Bass.
Can one comfortably practice at home with the Rumble 100? It’s not a matter of bothering the household. I live alone in a standalone house so there’s no one to bother.
Sure. That’s what the volume knob is for. 
That’s what I’ve got, a Squier Classic Vibe 70’s P-Bass (in Surf Green). It was relatively inexpensive, sturdy, it sounds good, it has some slight neck dive but nothing that can’t be solved with a decent strap. It got me through the entire B2B course plus a few months of playing past that before I started lusting after a Stingray for its slap tone.
I will tell you up front that any precision-style bass from any maker, or any passive bass without humbucking pickups, will pick up an electric hum/buzz just from ambient EMI in your house. Adding shielding is easy and will reduce how much that happens. And keeping your body in contact with any metal (like the strings) should stop it. Totally normal stuff. Just wanted you to be aware before you buy one, so you know what to expect.
Thanks for letting me know. Much appreciated.