There are some other essential products that you will need to buy before you can get started. First and foremost, you need a guitar cable (sometimes referred to as a guitar cord). The cable is what connects the electric bass to the amplifier. Simply connect the two male ends of the guitar cable to the female inputs on the bass guitar and amplifier.

Unless you want to get real fancy, the type of cable that is needed for an electric bass is the same as the one you would use for an electric guitar or keyboard. The dimensions at the end, or tip, of the cable (referred to as the jack) are ¼ inch. Sometimes the cable is also referred to as a quarter-inch jack. These cables are readily available at any music store for anywhere from $5 to $50 (and up) depending on the quality. Unless you are recording electric bass for a really high-end project, you can probably make do with a relatively cheap but well-made cable.

You will also need to purchase strings and a strap. When you purchase your electric bass, it should come with strings already on it. If it is a brand new instrument, the strings may or may not be new or fresh. New strings tend to sound brighter and more alive, whereas older ones may sound dull and muted. Apart from the sound, one indication of old strings is that they may be lacking the shiny metallic look that fresh strings have. This may be due to corrosion or debris deposited on the strings from people playing or testing out the bass. If this is the case, then you may want to consider restringing the bass with a fresh set of strings (see Chapter 2). Also, because strings can break from time to time, you might want to purchase a backup set from which to replace a single string should it break.

Strings can cost anywhere from $5 to $30 and up depending on issues such as metal composition and machine versus hand winding. The thickness of the string is referred to as the gauge of the string. For electric basses, these gauges can range from rather thick, or heavy-gauge, strings to medium-or light-gauge strings. Generally, the heavier the string the more solid is the sound. Heavier strings also tend to hold pitch better when struck and don't waiver as much over the course of a note's sustain. Lighter strings, although easier on the fingers and hands, tend to hold pitch more tenuously. Lighter gauges can have a snappier sound that may be better for certain types of music. Again, it all depends on what kind of ensemble and genre you intend to perform in or what sound suits your particular vision.

One common choice when purchasing strings is the decision to go with round-wound or flat-wound strings. The most popular choice is the round-wound string, which gets its name from the fact that the windings that are wrapped around the core of the string are round in shape. Round-wounds tend to have a brighter, more metallic sound when struck. An alternative is the flat-wound string that, as you might imagine, is wound with a flat winding. These strings have a more muted, less bright sound that somewhat mimics an upright acoustic bass. Because of this, the flat-wound sound may be optimal in styles such as bluegrass and straight-ahead jazz.

As for a strap, this is a very personal choice in which your sense of individual style can really come into play. As long as the strap can be adjusted to a length that suits your body size, the style is up to you. Leather is a common material that is used to manufacture straps, but synthetics are also popular and can be less expensive.