Hahahaha! It won’t be lonely for long. 
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I like!
It’s in fact a PJ (humbucker a la the Precision bass) and a bridge element as found on the jazz bass. Looks like it has the neck width of a P.
I also like the headstock, which would probably make it less prone to neck dive. I have a somewhat similar headstock on my Gregg Bennett Fairlane… let me dig up a picture…
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Thanks, I know so little at this point. Good local music store near me, I went to them and they suggested this as a good starter as it has both P and J pickups so I can get a taste of both. Clueless right now but ready and willing to learn. Honestly as a kid who only tinkled the ivories a little stringed instruments always intimidated me. My ear is not great and I can’t tune by ear, broken strings, restrings, new setups, they seem so complicated. Oh well, time to get some complication in my life. I know things will change with experience but hearing people talk about what strings they like and what pickups is so foreign right now.
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Haha - I sense that you are correct.
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My Gretsch…love the short scale. Also have a Peavey Millenium and a Squier Bronco (made the pickguard myself)
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You worry too much. 
The good local music store is the best friend of any starting musician. Make sure that, even though buying strings and other accessories at mail order operations may seem like a good idea, you bring your money there. It helps in establishing and maintaining a good relationship. The advice for getting a PJ as a starter is definitely good. I wish I had a good local music store near me…
Tuning these days is a lot easier than it was – good clipon tuners are ridiculously cheap, and if you don’t have one yet, there are even free tuner apps for your phone that’ll help you out there. But I seem to remember that, early in the course, one of the lessons concentrates on tuning by ear – and it may prove to be easier than you think. When I started to play the bass in the seventies, we had nothing else.
The first thing you would need to sort out is what TYPE of strings you want: roundwound, flat wound, or one of the varieties. Again, your local music store can explain and demo the differences in five minutes. But as long as you’re still early on in the course, work with what you have; as long as you can get the notes right in the workouts, you’re good, and any string will do that.
I have yet to see a bass string actually break. These things are quite sturdy – I think they’ll be dead and gone, sound-wise, before they’ll break.
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Thanks Pete, not really worried, I know it’s just time. As a failed piano player, I have a good grip on what it takes to get where I want with the bass. I just know that right now on Day 5, reading things about string preferences or pick up placements is not what I’m concerned about. If I stick with it, someday I know I will have my own preferences. I’m friends with the local music store, long time ago when I was 30 I went there to pick up piano again, then years later my son took both piano and violin there. I’ve known the owner since I was a teenager, he used to jam with friends of mine. I trust them a lot which is good, good staff.
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Killer pickguard - and I LOVE those short scale Gretsch basses.
Such a smooth, warm sound.
Welcome!
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Discovered that my local music store is significantly cheaper than amazon for strings. Also nice people.
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Love the Gretsch. My best friend has a Gretsch hollow-body guitar that sounds incredible, he’s totally sold on the brand. Their basses look super interesting to me.
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I have a Fender Cabronita which is a Telecaster with Gretsch pickups. sounds incredible.
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I played in local punk bands when I was younger and decided to start playing again. my last base was a silver tone that I found in a dumpster and I usually borrowed bases from other people. so I decided to buy my first base as a responsible adult hahaha. I really wanted the Epiphone Thunderbird vintage pro but couldn’t really afford it.
I found this Epiphone Thunderbird classic pro IV, online used, for 300 wit hardcase. It has Gibson pickups. The tone sounds good to me.
And I might change the tuners to a clover tuner if that’s even possible to make it look a little more my style. Did you guys review this bass by chance?
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Welcome aboard, @BrianWolf . . . 
I can’t recall any specific review on the Pro IV here; I tried one once at our local Guitar Center and although I’m a fan of the Gibson T-bird, I personally didn’t like the Epi because of the bolt on neck.
Others may chime in with their opinions, though . . . 
Cheers, Joe
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This one is through neck
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They have seemed to fix that issue with the classic pro IV. No neck dive that I’ve noticed. I would rather it have clover tuners.
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