When you have played long enough to know that you want to stay at it, ask your teacher to help you choose the right instrument to facilitate your continued development. This usually means you will be moving up in quality and, of course, price. But, this does not mean the most expensive bass it the one for you at this point. What is important is that you seek advice from someone you trust, and who has your best interests at heart.

I have seen many students purchase new equipment in an effort to sound better. In most of these cases, new equipment did nothing to improve the quality of their music. I once heard a gentleman illustrate this point to a large audience by telling a story. "I agreed to play a round of golf with some college buddies whom I had not seen in many years. In my effort to impress my old chums, I bought a new set of clubs for $700, and took a lesson, which cost $120. By the end of the day I realized that I should have spent the $700 on lessons and the $120 on a tune-up of my old clubs."

This said, however, there is a time in each student's development when a better instrument will allow the student to experience more productive practice. A higher quality instrument will respond better, sound more in tune, play easier, and just be more fun.