[Kip Carter]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

If you're a newbie to bass I'd recommend a set of light-gauge (45-100 or something similar) flatwounds for several reasons:

• Easier on both right- and left-hand fingers
• Action can be set lower than with roundwounds
• Less edgy/twangy, more traditional bass tone, makes an entry-level bass sound more expensive than it really is
• Advances in string-making technology have for the greater part eliminated the "thuddiness" formerly associated with flatwounds (Pyramid/Hofner strings being the notable exception)
• Neck/bridge should need little or no adjustment for action/relief (plan on tweaking the intonation, though)

FWIW I'm also a converted guitarist who has spent much of the last 35 years as a bass player in a variety of genres, so I'm speaking from personal experience here (YMMV). I'm also quite familiar with your instrument as it's the one our school band uses, and if you were going to pick a 34" instrument for your first bass (I would've gone with a short-scale myself) IMO it's one of the better choices out there: lightweight, slim neck, simple control layout, reasonably consistent factory QC, two-octave neck (I use it, you might not for a while yet), and capable of a variety of tones - use it well...

BTW, what are you thinking in terms of an amp...?

Quoting Steve's original reply...not my reason's because I have no experience to go by but his.