I've only played a bass once, but really enjoyed it. The hardest thing for me was the spacing between strings. I found myself trying to play strings that weren't there. As for purchasing a bass, I'll more than likely go with a peavey 4 or 5 string, but for the amp...I'm clueless. I wan't something that I can play along with a cd but also loud enough to sit well in a full band. Any suggestions?