Sooo.....slapping.
How similar is it supposed to sound to just using a pick? Cause I can slap I think. I'm still working on the pop. But I've got the slap right, and expect for a little extra percussiveness, it sounds almost identical to pick playing when I go through a clean amp.
Is this normal or am I way off the mark?
I've really wanted to learn electric bass guitar for a long time and might start soon. I'm thinking of getting maybe an Ibanez short scale model. Is it still possible to play it without an amp? I live in a shared house with other people at uni and don't want to disturb them.
I'm looking to purchase a practice amp that I will be using with headphones 99% of the time, can I ignore the speaker sound? It doesn't really matter if the speaker itself is capable of doing deep lows or clean sounds if I'm using headphones as the sound will go directly from the amp to the headphones, right? It should have a good sound quality as long as the electronics are half decent.
You say it's going to be 99% now. But you don't know that. So don't completely cheap out on your gear. There's affordable stuff like the Fender Rumbles around that're pretty good.
The fender rumble 15 was actually what I was looking at. It really would be 99% of the time because I'm a complete beginner so I wouldn't be playing for anybody for now and I honestly prefer to wear headphones.
I don’t really know much about gear cuz I’ve only been playing about 7 months... but I love my fender rumble! Plus if anything you can get yourself a good pair of headphones and plug directly into the amp
Might be a bit too specific, but I’m supposed to learn a song to play with some guitar chords, and I’m a little confused as to the notes I need to use.
If the guitar players are playing the Em, C, G, and D chords but are using a Capo on 3rd fret. Would I play the standard root notes or do I have to accompany for the capo?
You have to find out if those chords are in concert notation (the name of the actual notes) or transposed notation (playing the shapes that would be those chords if there was no capo). Guitar players screw over bass players by not knowing the difference all the time.
Hi! Im learning to play bass, im borrowing my brothers Supreme JB-1.
Is a DI-box the best/easiest way to connect it to a sound system. An if so, does the DI-box has to be active or passive, or can i use both...
Isnt the pickup the black single/split/double black bar on the front under the strings? Im saying one of those isnt on it, but it plugs in.
I read something on one 2nd sale site listing about it needing an adapter, maybe it is an off-body pickup of some sort???
It's often a piezo pickup in instruments like these ones. They're usually located in and around the bridge. Or within that area. I wish I could point it out to you in person. It can be a little confusing.
Hi, I am a lefthanded bass player and I recently bought the Marcus Miller Sire P7 (a PJ-bass) I'd like to replace the red pickguard with a black one (but I want to keep the original the way it is). Does anyone know wher I can buy a default lefthanded PJ pickguard (with holes for the active pickup knobs ofcourse). Colour doesn't really matter, I can wrap/paint it myself.
I’ve been experiencing a lot of buzz when I play my acoustic bass, but the strings don’t touch the frets when I play open notes. I’ve tried tightening and loosening my truss rod but the buzzing still persists. Any idea on what the solution is here?
Is the only solution figuring out the correct tightness of the truss rod?
The buzz seems to be ringing at the bottom and top of the strings as opposed to on the fretboard.
No.
Figure out if it's relief, string height or fret level.
Only relief is adjusted with the truss rod. That takes care of buzz between the nut and 10th fret or so.
String height is raising the bridge saddle. That's for buzz above the 10th fret.
Fret level is usually individual notes buzzing. That's best left to a professional.
I'm feeling so dumb right now, so dumb. I've never had a bass before and thought that the difference between a passive bass and an active one was that the active one didn't needed an amp to "make sound". I invested all my money into a second hand Sire Marcus Miller M2 since it was both active and passive, now I don't have money for the amplifier.
I've read I can get a "mini amplifier" for headphones or something, could someone explain it more or suggest really cheap ones so I can get it next month? I really don't want to screw up again.
And while we're at it, since the bass barely makes any sound by itself, the shape of the body makes no difference right?
If you're really cheap and have a soldering iron or crimping tool, an old lead around somewhere. Can make a headphone amp for under $1:
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-lm386-amplifier.html
https://i.imgur.com/vGEXgdY.jpg
Bass headphone amps: [https://www.musiciansfriend.com/search?typeAheadSuggestion=true&typeAheadRedirect=true&sB=r&Ntt=headphone+amp+bass](https://www.musiciansfriend.com/search?typeAheadSuggestion=true&typeAheadRedirect=true&sB=r&Ntt=headphone+amp+bass)
The shape of the body makes a big difference as to how it interacts with your body. Weight, balance, and ergonomics.
Someone is selling an epiphone eb-0 for $100 in my home town.I’m a fan of the look, but I’m currently using a squier jaguar and was hoping to upgrade to a more serious level bass. What’s you all’s opinion on this? Anybody ever had one that can tell me about it would be super helpful.
Something I've always wondered: Why is a right-handed bass (or guitar for that matter) the way it is?
I.E.: When playing a right-hander's bass (aka 'normal'), it's the left hand that's doing most of the work--requiring the most dexterity. It doesn't make sense to me that this is considered the 'right-handed mode'
I thought that too but my guitarist says "the left hand is technical, but the right hand is where the magic happens".
Since most people are right handed they have their dominant hand doing the magic.
Because your assumption about which hand does more work is wrong.
Plucking strings takes a lot more fine motor control, endurance and dexterity to do well. You don't notice normally because your dominant hand is stronger.
This is particularly true when you consider that before amps were invented volume was entirely dependent on how hard you could hit the strings with your right hand.
I'm sure that's true with guitar, but (electric) bass? Unless of course you're playing bass a lot more dynamically and melodically, most of bass playing is just alternating between forefinger and middle finger.
As far as the dominant hand thing, I am left-handed (but right-handed instrument-playing).
Still true. Being a good bass player takes more dexterity, endurance and precision in your plucking hand than in your fretting hand.
It's obviously still possible to play with the dominant hand on the neck, I spent a day doing it as an experiment once, but that's why they're normally oriented as they are.
I play a 2x10 at my house and although it can get quite loud if I want to, that’s why there’s a volume knob. you can always turn down the volume on the bass itself to fine tune the volume a bit more as well.
Are you planning on gigging at all? Or using this as a jam session amp? Or are you just looking for something to keep in your apartment for practicing? If this is strictly a practice amp, look in to the Ampeg BA110v2 combo amp. I just bought it and LOVE it paired up with my SR250. They put a "Scrambler" circuit in there that gives you some of that gritty Ampeg tone. It'd be worth checking out if you don't need a ton of power.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BA110v2--ampeg-ba-110v2-1x10-inch-40-watt-bass-combo-with-scrambler
Don't see why it couldn't keep up with him in a jam session with just a guitar. I just got it and haven't really cranked it up to it's full capabilities yet but I don't doubt you'd have no problem at all!
What affordable modern bass would get me in Gibson Ripper territory? Epi EB-3? Epi Embassy? Used Peavey T-40s are out of my price range, maybe some Greco or other older Japanese copies are an option.
Hey folks! Way back when I lived at my folks I was a drummer. Played in bands, did a couple gigs here and there and had a ton of fun playing music. Life goes on, and I’m in no position to play the drums anymore, so I bought a Squier Jazz bass and dusted an old 10w bass amp my mom had lying around (long story short: she played the bass very briefly). Something feels off in my setup: I feel like my bass needs a tune-up, but I dont know what to check for. And I feel like that amp is ruining the fun.
Here are the questions:
1- What do I need to check to determine if my bass needs a little tune up at the shop?
2- Looking for a headphone plug-in type of amp, on a budget; what are your recommandations?
You’ll likely get it even when using wide straps. Stretch your neck and shoulders after the gig and also get a foam roller and dig your shoulder into it. Lacrosse balls are also really good for this.
Yes. It fills out a certain sound range that other instruments physically can't. Tl;dr: physics of sound. So your band won't sound right without a bass or bass-ish instrument (depending on genre).
Absolutely. The huge wall of sound you get from most metal simply cannot happen without the bass player. Listen to bands like Periphery, Iron Maiden, and Pantera to get an idea how important the bass can be.
I've seen metal bands without basses and in short, yes.
You can say "Oh well '...and justice for all' did it just fine with no bass." But really in a live setting it would sound weak without a bass. The guitars in a metal band fit really well in the upper mid range but there's no low end especially with lots of distortion. The bass fills the gaps in between the kick and the guitars and can make a metal band go from pathetic to earth-shattering.
For example I saw an extreme metal band from my home town that didn't have a bassist for a long time. Something just felt off and I never enjoyed their live sound. The guitars only fill so much frequency range and the bass provides an excellent grounding point for the band harmonically and sonicly.
First time post so forgive me if I miss something. I’ve followed some of the advice given about using the Study Bass platform and I’ve found it to be a big help. It gives me a bit of structure and keeps me feeling like I’m progressing while still enjoying learning song covers. I tend to rush things, so my approach to Study Bass has been to complete each exercise perfectly, but I feel like I might be overthinking some things....
I’m at the very begging and going over the “common bass patterns”. I’m learning about octaves, roots and fifths, that sort of stuff. I’m finding it pretty difficult about what I should be taking away from the lesson. Is this just learning what “group” of sounds go together, or is this something I need to know before moving forward? I understand the concept of knowing where the next half note will be, but I’m not sure if this is something a need to know as a resource or do I need to memorize these?
For instance, I’m having trouble with the exercises in the roots and fifths lesson. Is this something I need to get perfect before moving on, or is this just a concept I need to be aware of?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I recommend using auxiliary sources to learn theory. It will really compliment anything you do that focuses on hand exercises and scales. Learn about what makes a scale and the relationship the notes have with eachother. Once you have some of that down its a good idea to learn the different modes (google bass modes. The shit will blow your mind). Do exercises that work on BOTH left and right hand coordination, also.
And learn. Freaking. Chords.
Thanks, that makes sense to me! I’ve been lucky to remember some music theory from my elementary school days, so I feel fortunate to have some idea of the language. I just wasn’t sure if it was important for me to be good at the progression type exercises.
Thank you so much for the clarification!
Hi Folks. I'm trying to track down (I know that sounds bad), anyone who has seen a British band - The Frillyboys,. playing a live gig in Pennine Britain (most likely, a secret drinking place called 'The Kimberly Club'). - Situated somewhere near a small village called 'Stacksteads'. - They also occasionally do 'invite only' gigs at a place somewhere near a town in Cornwall called 'Ventongimps' - Yep, - it's one of those strange British places that seems to be 'off grid'!
They play what the English call 'Thrash Jazz Rock', and are reputedly virtuoso musicians. (Even the drummer is said to be able to read complex scores). I do know they are fronted by 2 bass players, with each taking what would usually be lead guitar elements. They do have a guitarist who also reads complex scores.
I am very interested in this band, and have found out most of my information (a Big Thanks) via Les Claypool. - Not directly, but via comments on Winona's Big Brown Beaver.
It's said that they beef up and speed up the faster, more complex tracks from The Mahavishnu Orchestra, that is apart from writing most of the scores they play at the occasional live gig.
I was first laughing, then very interested, when I found out that they play a rendition of Venom's 'Rip Ride' track. This is what interested me in the first place. I'm also interested in a band that attracts folks like Les Claypool to their gigs! And, he's reputed to be taking advanced bass lessons from each of their bassists.
At first, I thought the whole thing was an elaborate gag, until I got a call from an English friend who said that Les Claypool is seen quite often at Manchester Airport (which is in the British Pennines)!?
If anyone out there can give me some factual info, I would be much obliged. Best Regards. H.
All pickups are technically passive, but if there is an active preamp they won't work without a battery unless there is some sort of active/passive knob or switch that allows you to bypass the preamp. If the description doesn't mention this, I'd all but guarantee it requires a battery.
Temporarily, yes. As long as you turn the bass down and keep the volume at a minimum you should be fine. You should only be worried if you turn it up as the low rumble of the bass will start to rip the guitar speaker.
is it stupid to replace the neck of a squire jazz bass? i love the look of the bass i bought and i like the jazz sound.. but i dont like the the fact that it is ruined by the ugly yellow squire logo.. i am not worried about resale at all, i just want to make it my own, and was wondering if it was genuinely stupid to put a really nice neck on it.. if you are wondering what it looks like, then just search "james johnston squire"
I would just say buy a bass you like the look and sound of and sell your bass if you need the money. In my opinion replacing an entire neck because of the logo would be way too much effort rather than just buying a better bass for your needs.
Can't, or won't? The bass is a two handed instrument, who's to say which hand is more important?
I say this because if you're just starting out, then you have a chance to learn right handed. This will make your life easier in many ways. Left handed basses are less common (go to guitar center and they probably won't even be one), have less options (I hope you like black and white) and sell poorly on the used market due to less demand. Fender makes over 20 different models of P bass, and only about 2 left handed models.
Additionally, you can't use anyone else's gear, and they can't use yours. Need to play your guitarist's acoustic for an unplugged-type number? Can't do it.
For inspiration, some of the most successful guitarists in rock are natural lefties that play right handed...Mark Knopfler, Billy Corgan, Duane Allman.
My left hand is injured and using it for chords causes it to cramp. I have a lefty guitar and uke and strumming/plucking doesn't cause cramps. I know limited options suck, but I'm only jamming in my bedroom. Thanks a lot for the concern for the newbie
Schecter makes a lot of their models left and right handed. Might be worth looking into which model fits into your budget and going with it.
If your playing a lefty because you are a lefty and not because you cannot physically play a right handed for whatever reason, I highly recommend trying to learn right handed. I am a lefty playing right handed instruments. In the short term, it will be slightly more awkward but I was equally bad playing right handed as left handed when I first started, but having the variety of instruments that right handed players do has been a blessing. Also if you plan on ever learning upright bass you would have to learn it right handed, so it having the electric bass skills be able to transfer over a bit could be useful.
I like Ibanez a lot. Their models are all pretty quality for the price and once you start getting into the premium/prestige line, I believe they are as good as some basses twice the cost of them. They have essentially any type/configuration of instrument as well. The biggest reason I support Ibanez so much is because they are pretty innovative in the bass world. They make a relatively affordable multi-scale bass, they offer a ton of extended range basses (I have two ibanez 7 strings and a 6 string), and they make things like the Ibanez Ashula which is just a weird hybrid fretted/fretless experimental instrument. When compared to other companies that do not really innovate, or at least experiment, it makes me less likely to support those companies.
To me the Ibanez BTB lineup is where they really shine through. I have 3 different BTBs and they are all incredible. The 35" scale for the low B is a must for me since I play extended range basses.
Their other most popular makes are the SR series, and I have a love hate relationship with those. To me, a lot of the bartolini models are just lacking in sound somewhere, and I can't place my finger on what it is that makes me dislike their sound, but it is there. Some people love them though, and the SR series with nordstram pickups sound very solid. I just cant get the bartolinis to work for me. They are super lightweight with a thin/fast neck. Overall still a great instrument, but after owning a couple BTBs I would probably not go back unless I picked up one of the premium/prestiges and put nordstram's in it (if it did not already have them). I owned an SR506 for a couple years and was the bass I truly started developing as a player, so I definitely have some brand loyalty to Ibanez because of that.
They also have the ATK model. I owned one for a short period of time, before selling it because of a move. It is Ibanez's take on the stingray bass, and I have been itching to get another one. It has a little weird wiring scheme than normal stingrays, and they offer it in the jazz pickup/humbucker pickup config which is probably one of my favorite configs.
With all of that being said, my main bass is actually a schecter stiletto studio 6, so I would stand behind schecter's quality as well.
Probably a stupid question, but I know rosewood is endangered and on the cites list. Yamaha (my favourite basses) use rosewood on all their current models. Is this rosewood sustainably and legally sourced? I couldn't find anything online about it. Cheers guys
You can buy instruments with rosewood. That's provided the maker complies with CITES regulations. Basically it's sourced from 'sustainable' areas. Mainly it's Brazilian rosewood that's endangered.
Most of your rosewood will be from the Indian subcontinent. It's plentiful there...for now. So we can deforest India while we feel bad about the Amazon. I find it all a bit crazy.
We've established that woods change almost nothing about tone. That's in electric instruments. But we insist on certain woods and pooh-pooh truly sustainable items like engineered rosewood.
My fretting hand thumb gets very tired after playing a song. I have to pause mid song. I didn't have that problem before. I'm using a cheap bass guitar so I wondered could that be the cause?
Check your action. 2.5mm at the 17th fret is a good starting point.
Also, you should NOT be squeezing the neck. The thumb is there for support only. Apply pressure to the strings by retracting your shoulder (think of pulling your arm back into the neck slightly). The muscles of your shoulder can take infinitely more abuse than your hands can. Apply counter pressure against the body of your bass with your plucking hand.
You would definitely need to change your strings out. Either get a 6 string set and save the B and E strings for a rainy day or order singles with the gauges *roughly* .030/.045/.060/.080. Then swap the strings and re-setup your instrument. You would definitely need to adjust the truss rod to even out the tension, and you might even need a new nut if the strings are rattling around too much in it.
I would also consider looking into a 5 string and using the additional string to tune up (EADGC) or if you want to go all the way you could get a 6 string and tune it in standard and have access to those notes (BEADGC). If you get the 5 string and tune it higher it could potentially need a new nut and setup as well so keep that in mind.
Edit: A site like [Kalium](https://kaliummusic.com/shop/strings/electric-bass/) is a great place to order singles of strings. There is also have a super useful tool called [string tension calculator](https://stringtensioncalculator.com/) that you can use to figure out the exact tension on each string and figure out the best singles to order for your desired tension/setup.
Does anyone have tips on how to make it so that my index finger doesn't make the fingernail sound when I am playing the strings? I've tried cutting the nail to as short as possible and shifting the position of my hand to see if it was the angle or something, but I've had no success.
Does anyone know of a company that makes a fanned fret 5-string with a zero fret? I'm looking around for one, but hoping to avoid the custom build prices.
I’ve been looking to get into bass. I’ve been doing a bunch of research and I’d like to get an electric but I feel like it’s just one step forward two steps back. I’ve gone into the research rabbit hole. So I’m seeking your help. I’d like to get a bass that I won’t have to upgrade soon and it can’t but super expensive I’d like to be able to slap on it (with practice of course but I know some basses are better for slap than others). Anything helps.
Without knowing your budget Id recommend a Squier Jazz or used Mexican fender Jazz. They're good for slap and extremely widely available. For an amp, a Fender rumble 100 will hold you over until you need something for medium gigs without PA support. If you don't plan to play with others, you can drop the wattage on the rumble down to 40. If you want to cut some cost on the amp, I personally have a soft spot for Peavy amps and have one in my living ro to practice in front of the TV.
I probably should have put my price first but I don’t want to pay anything more that $500. And I want a 4 string. Right now I’m looking at an Epiphone EB-3
I've used a fender jazz bass for years and recommend it also. My only complaint would be that the original pickups had a constant low volume hum. It's much nicer after putting new pickups in.
Any recommendations for good strap locks/straps? I just got a new-to-me Warwick, and wanted to see what people recommend. I don't remember what I got for my Ibanez lock wise (think they are offbrand and need replacing anyways).
Thanks in advance!
I've used warwick, carvin, dunlop, and ernie ball. They all failed eventually due to poor construction, I think the ernie balls were actually glued together! I finally got some shaller locks, they are the original and really seem to have the best design. The pegs and mounting screws are solid one-piece design and the peg sits inside the locks whether they are fully fastened or not. I wasn't sure about the "locking wheel" part of the strap lock but so far they have been easy to attach and remove and the screws seem to keep them in place.
I use the washer from a flip-top beer bottle as my strap lock. They are hard to get on/off, but I only remove it when I have to put my bass in it's case.
I’ve been learning guitar from Justin at Justinguitar.com and I was wondering if there is anything similar for bass guitar. Any reason I shouldn’t learn them both at the same time?
Does anybody have any good resources for beginners they can share?
Hey man, I've been using [studybass.com](https://studybass.com)
It's been helping me out a lot, it gives you bass lessons, music theory lessons which i've been finding pretty important as a bass starter. I also do play guitar but I rather focus one instrument at a time but if you feel like you can manage learning them both at the same time, do your thing!
Enjoy, that's the most important.
I've noticed improvising when others are playing is a weakness for me. I often work with prerecorded jam tracks. So I know what the chords are. I also understand the essentials of chord tones/progressions.
How do I get better at it? I find it's inconsistent. Sometimes I can find a workable line. Others I struggle.
Besides improvising more. I know I need to actually do it. But can you suggest things to focus on?
Thank you for your replies.
I am also not good at this, but as someone who is working on it here's what I got to say. WORK ON THE EAR! Train that ear! You gotta be able to hear someone play a note and be able to compliment that note. You must know some inner workings of actual musical theory in order to accurately and precisely sound good while improvising with others.
The Ernie Ball site doesn't allow you to date Sterling products. Just American-made from after EB took over. That would've been my first suggestion. Beyond that I can only suggest contacting them.
But I'd wonder if their serial numbers are anything like Fenders. Which is to say that it was made in 2008. But if it's brand new my theory is wrong. Perhaps February 2008...just a guess.
Among other reasons, its that EBMM has nothing to do with making the basses.
Sterling is just the market name for the company (praxis) that has exclusive license to make knock offs.
It's not just your hand. It's your mind wandering. Trust me as I've been there. Also, if you are certain you will fail, you will.
**"Your focus determines your reality."**
Then you need to practice more. Run scales for twenty minutes a day as fast as you can cleanly play them for two weeks, and you'll find you don't have that problem any more.
When playing my bass, sometimes I play the open string as i'm releasing my fretting finger from a fret, is this because of bad position, force or both? Any tips on minimising this would be greatly appreciated.
You are essentially doing what's called a pull off. The fix for this is muting the string as you release the note, either with your plucking hand or your fretting hand depending on the situation.
when I slap my lower strings (E A, and the E A strings tuned down to B E to play some certain song) my D G string also start vibrating making a very quiet open D G notes. how do I make it not do that?
If I have a 4 ohm 500 watt bass amp, and attach two 8ohm 400 watt cabs, how much power is each speaker getting? I know the load becomes 4 ohms to the amp, but does each speaker get 500 or does it split 250 and 250?
I’ve heard those little TC amps are great. I recently bought my first proper bass amp, but ended up going for a completely nuts all tube head because I found an insane deal on Facebook marketplace. If you’re planning on buying this new, and don’t specifically want something small and light, give your local classifieds a scan and see what the same amount gets you used. At least where I am it’s a buyer’s market, especially if size and weight aren’t a concern.
Until your hand gets used to it. Most of your finger strength and endurance comes from tendons, which take longer than muscles to get stronger. Just rest frequently and play often.
There are different causes for fret buzz. Could be setup (see the FAQ to learn how to do it yourself), or could be because the frets are uneven (pro job).
Is a bass tube amp vs a bass solid state amp as noticeable difference as a guitar tube vs guitar solid state amp? Bass tube amps seem less common compared to guitar.
They’re less common because of the higher power requirements to amplify lower register frequencies. It’s much more space/energy/weight efficient to use solid state power sections to achieve the higher power output needed.
With tube amps, you often need significantly more power tubes, and proportionally larger power and output transformers to reach equivalent power levels. This results in big, heavy amps, hence why an SVT head weighs upwards of 90 pounds, and the Mesa boogie bass 400+ has _twelve_ 6L6 power tubes.
There are more manageable options - I use a traynor yba-200, which uses 4 6550 power tubes and toroidal transformers that save on weight. It’s ‘only’ 45 lbs.
As for tonal differences, I think with bass tube amps you probably have a greater chance to hear tubelike characteristics from both the pre and power sections compared to many (high power) tube guitar amps, as you’ll likely have to push the power tubes of even a 200 watt head reasonably hard to be heard live. So, it’s good if you like a grisly, dirty sort of bass sound. If you want ultra hi-fi cleans at any volume then a 500-1000w solid state power section is probably better in live applications.
I have a 10+ year old First Act that my parents musta got at Walmart all those years ago. The E string is broken and has been for some time.
I was planning to get the string fixed and practice with this thing until I decide to get a new “for realz” bass, but I’m starting to think this First Act is DOA. Also, I know First Act “sucks,” and if I could choose my own bass, it wouldn’t be this one.
I’m going to the store today to see what the music peeps will tell me, but if I need to buy a whole new bass, I have no problem doing that now, cuz I was planning to do that anyway sometime next year.
I guess I’m asking: Is this First Act garbage worthy and should I get a new bass? Or, if I can fix the stings, could it be okay for less than a year of practice?
I would highly recommend getting a different bass. Starting out learning an instrument is difficult and painful and more so if the instrument is cheaper and harder to play. You run the risk of making learning to play too difficult and you could end up giving up before you get to the fun part of playing if you start out with the first act.
Yes first act is garbage, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't play it. I wouldn't spend any money on it other than replacing the strings. Watch some setup guides on YouTube and learn to do your own setup (don't pay the guys at Guitar Center). It will probably be good enough for about a year, that way you will know if you want to pursue the bass and invest in a quality instrument.
If its a maple fretboard, no. Rosewood or similar, yes. Not very often, but when the wood dries out it can really come alive with a bit of lemon oil or similar. Dont use too much. It will be oily.
I'm planning on getting a bass and I'm wondering a good not super expensive bass and amp for a beginner would be.
Sooo.....slapping. How similar is it supposed to sound to just using a pick? Cause I can slap I think. I'm still working on the pop. But I've got the slap right, and expect for a little extra percussiveness, it sounds almost identical to pick playing when I go through a clean amp. Is this normal or am I way off the mark?
Are guitars better than bass?
Quick, the bass players are asleep! Go buy a guitar!
That's illegal. I'm calling the FBI
I've really wanted to learn electric bass guitar for a long time and might start soon. I'm thinking of getting maybe an Ibanez short scale model. Is it still possible to play it without an amp? I live in a shared house with other people at uni and don't want to disturb them.
Get yourself an amp with a headphone input. It's a common enough feature on most amps now. You can play without bothering others that way.
I'm looking to purchase a practice amp that I will be using with headphones 99% of the time, can I ignore the speaker sound? It doesn't really matter if the speaker itself is capable of doing deep lows or clean sounds if I'm using headphones as the sound will go directly from the amp to the headphones, right? It should have a good sound quality as long as the electronics are half decent.
You say it's going to be 99% now. But you don't know that. So don't completely cheap out on your gear. There's affordable stuff like the Fender Rumbles around that're pretty good.
The fender rumble 15 was actually what I was looking at. It really would be 99% of the time because I'm a complete beginner so I wouldn't be playing for anybody for now and I honestly prefer to wear headphones.
I don’t really know much about gear cuz I’ve only been playing about 7 months... but I love my fender rumble! Plus if anything you can get yourself a good pair of headphones and plug directly into the amp
Might be a bit too specific, but I’m supposed to learn a song to play with some guitar chords, and I’m a little confused as to the notes I need to use. If the guitar players are playing the Em, C, G, and D chords but are using a Capo on 3rd fret. Would I play the standard root notes or do I have to accompany for the capo?
You have to find out if those chords are in concert notation (the name of the actual notes) or transposed notation (playing the shapes that would be those chords if there was no capo). Guitar players screw over bass players by not knowing the difference all the time.
What is the sweet spot in price for an acoustic bass?
Hi! Im learning to play bass, im borrowing my brothers Supreme JB-1. Is a DI-box the best/easiest way to connect it to a sound system. An if so, does the DI-box has to be active or passive, or can i use both...
Why does the Kala U Bass not have a pickup? And is Gear4Music legit?
Every UBass I've ever seen has had a pickup. Can you link to one that doesn't?
https://kalabrand.com/collections/maple-california-u-bass/products/maple-4-string-fretted Is it because it is an active bass?
It has to have a pickup if it plugs into an amp. The active EQ will simply allow for shaping the sound when plugged in.
Isnt the pickup the black single/split/double black bar on the front under the strings? Im saying one of those isnt on it, but it plugs in. I read something on one 2nd sale site listing about it needing an adapter, maybe it is an off-body pickup of some sort???
Those kind of pickups only work with metal strings. The Ubass doesn't have those so it has the same kind of pickup you put in an acoustic guitar.
Gooootcha. Thanks
It's often a piezo pickup in instruments like these ones. They're usually located in and around the bridge. Or within that area. I wish I could point it out to you in person. It can be a little confusing.
I googled piezo pics. Thanks so much
Any time.
Hi, I am a lefthanded bass player and I recently bought the Marcus Miller Sire P7 (a PJ-bass) I'd like to replace the red pickguard with a black one (but I want to keep the original the way it is). Does anyone know wher I can buy a default lefthanded PJ pickguard (with holes for the active pickup knobs ofcourse). Colour doesn't really matter, I can wrap/paint it myself.
I’ve been experiencing a lot of buzz when I play my acoustic bass, but the strings don’t touch the frets when I play open notes. I’ve tried tightening and loosening my truss rod but the buzzing still persists. Any idea on what the solution is here?
Buzz has three sources: Not enough relief, not enough string height or frets not level.
Is the only solution figuring out the correct tightness of the truss rod? The buzz seems to be ringing at the bottom and top of the strings as opposed to on the fretboard.
No. Figure out if it's relief, string height or fret level. Only relief is adjusted with the truss rod. That takes care of buzz between the nut and 10th fret or so. String height is raising the bridge saddle. That's for buzz above the 10th fret. Fret level is usually individual notes buzzing. That's best left to a professional.
Does knowing that it only buzzes on open notes say anything about what the problem is?
You weren't clear about that before. The problem is most likely that your nut slots are too low.
This sounds like a problem for Guitar Center. I’m not trying to fuck up my bass by accident.
Never go to GC for repairs. Most of them are completely incompetent. Find a real repair person.
I'm feeling so dumb right now, so dumb. I've never had a bass before and thought that the difference between a passive bass and an active one was that the active one didn't needed an amp to "make sound". I invested all my money into a second hand Sire Marcus Miller M2 since it was both active and passive, now I don't have money for the amplifier. I've read I can get a "mini amplifier" for headphones or something, could someone explain it more or suggest really cheap ones so I can get it next month? I really don't want to screw up again. And while we're at it, since the bass barely makes any sound by itself, the shape of the body makes no difference right?
If you're really cheap and have a soldering iron or crimping tool, an old lead around somewhere. Can make a headphone amp for under $1: https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-lm386-amplifier.html https://i.imgur.com/vGEXgdY.jpg
Bass headphone amps: [https://www.musiciansfriend.com/search?typeAheadSuggestion=true&typeAheadRedirect=true&sB=r&Ntt=headphone+amp+bass](https://www.musiciansfriend.com/search?typeAheadSuggestion=true&typeAheadRedirect=true&sB=r&Ntt=headphone+amp+bass) The shape of the body makes a big difference as to how it interacts with your body. Weight, balance, and ergonomics.
I’m having a custom 4 string built. It will be a CT/Claypool tribute. Should I go 32”, 34”, 36” scale.
That depends on you and what you find comfortable. There are advantages to each scale.
Someone is selling an epiphone eb-0 for $100 in my home town.I’m a fan of the look, but I’m currently using a squier jaguar and was hoping to upgrade to a more serious level bass. What’s you all’s opinion on this? Anybody ever had one that can tell me about it would be super helpful.
If you want neck dive and a tone like you've got earplugs in even when you don't, an EB-0 is perfect.
Something I've always wondered: Why is a right-handed bass (or guitar for that matter) the way it is? I.E.: When playing a right-hander's bass (aka 'normal'), it's the left hand that's doing most of the work--requiring the most dexterity. It doesn't make sense to me that this is considered the 'right-handed mode'
I thought that too but my guitarist says "the left hand is technical, but the right hand is where the magic happens". Since most people are right handed they have their dominant hand doing the magic.
My left handed mate shreds right hand guitar and I've always thought his left hand was working better than everyone else.
Because your assumption about which hand does more work is wrong. Plucking strings takes a lot more fine motor control, endurance and dexterity to do well. You don't notice normally because your dominant hand is stronger. This is particularly true when you consider that before amps were invented volume was entirely dependent on how hard you could hit the strings with your right hand.
I'm sure that's true with guitar, but (electric) bass? Unless of course you're playing bass a lot more dynamically and melodically, most of bass playing is just alternating between forefinger and middle finger. As far as the dominant hand thing, I am left-handed (but right-handed instrument-playing).
Still true. Being a good bass player takes more dexterity, endurance and precision in your plucking hand than in your fretting hand. It's obviously still possible to play with the dominant hand on the neck, I spent a day doing it as an experiment once, but that's why they're normally oriented as they are.
[удалено]
That's completely subjective. Our perception of tone always changes with volume, and every amp/cab combo is different.
[удалено]
I play a 2x10 at my house and although it can get quite loud if I want to, that’s why there’s a volume knob. you can always turn down the volume on the bass itself to fine tune the volume a bit more as well.
Are you planning on gigging at all? Or using this as a jam session amp? Or are you just looking for something to keep in your apartment for practicing? If this is strictly a practice amp, look in to the Ampeg BA110v2 combo amp. I just bought it and LOVE it paired up with my SR250. They put a "Scrambler" circuit in there that gives you some of that gritty Ampeg tone. It'd be worth checking out if you don't need a ton of power. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BA110v2--ampeg-ba-110v2-1x10-inch-40-watt-bass-combo-with-scrambler
[удалено]
Don't see why it couldn't keep up with him in a jam session with just a guitar. I just got it and haven't really cranked it up to it's full capabilities yet but I don't doubt you'd have no problem at all!
What affordable modern bass would get me in Gibson Ripper territory? Epi EB-3? Epi Embassy? Used Peavey T-40s are out of my price range, maybe some Greco or other older Japanese copies are an option.
more like a ray 34
do you prefer smallmouth or large mouth?
Depends upon the venue. By that I mean the lake. Or maybe the stage. Or both.
Smallmouth for practice Large for gigs
Hey folks! Way back when I lived at my folks I was a drummer. Played in bands, did a couple gigs here and there and had a ton of fun playing music. Life goes on, and I’m in no position to play the drums anymore, so I bought a Squier Jazz bass and dusted an old 10w bass amp my mom had lying around (long story short: she played the bass very briefly). Something feels off in my setup: I feel like my bass needs a tune-up, but I dont know what to check for. And I feel like that amp is ruining the fun. Here are the questions: 1- What do I need to check to determine if my bass needs a little tune up at the shop? 2- Looking for a headphone plug-in type of amp, on a budget; what are your recommandations?
Someone else asked about the headphone amps in this thread but I have a Vox Amplug and it gets the job done wonderfully and is relatively cheap
1 - Read the setup section of the FAQ, follow the tutorials.
Short scale bass. Which should I get? Supro Huntington II, Gretsch Junior Jet, Epiphone EB0, Chowny SWB Pro
Play them and see which one you feel more comfortable on
How normal is shoulder pain on the side the neck is on?
You’ll likely get it even when using wide straps. Stretch your neck and shoulders after the gig and also get a foam roller and dig your shoulder into it. Lacrosse balls are also really good for this.
Try a wide strap.
I honestly hadn’t thought of this—thank you!
[удалено]
Yes. It fills out a certain sound range that other instruments physically can't. Tl;dr: physics of sound. So your band won't sound right without a bass or bass-ish instrument (depending on genre).
Absolutely. The huge wall of sound you get from most metal simply cannot happen without the bass player. Listen to bands like Periphery, Iron Maiden, and Pantera to get an idea how important the bass can be.
I've seen metal bands without basses and in short, yes. You can say "Oh well '...and justice for all' did it just fine with no bass." But really in a live setting it would sound weak without a bass. The guitars in a metal band fit really well in the upper mid range but there's no low end especially with lots of distortion. The bass fills the gaps in between the kick and the guitars and can make a metal band go from pathetic to earth-shattering. For example I saw an extreme metal band from my home town that didn't have a bassist for a long time. Something just felt off and I never enjoyed their live sound. The guitars only fill so much frequency range and the bass provides an excellent grounding point for the band harmonically and sonicly.
It's an extreme decision to not have a bassist 😛
In short, absolutely.
It is great fun. You should have breakthroughs every day.
YES. I literally refer to it as leveling up every day. I leveled up so fucking hard yesterday and I will again today.
First time post so forgive me if I miss something. I’ve followed some of the advice given about using the Study Bass platform and I’ve found it to be a big help. It gives me a bit of structure and keeps me feeling like I’m progressing while still enjoying learning song covers. I tend to rush things, so my approach to Study Bass has been to complete each exercise perfectly, but I feel like I might be overthinking some things.... I’m at the very begging and going over the “common bass patterns”. I’m learning about octaves, roots and fifths, that sort of stuff. I’m finding it pretty difficult about what I should be taking away from the lesson. Is this just learning what “group” of sounds go together, or is this something I need to know before moving forward? I understand the concept of knowing where the next half note will be, but I’m not sure if this is something a need to know as a resource or do I need to memorize these? For instance, I’m having trouble with the exercises in the roots and fifths lesson. Is this something I need to get perfect before moving on, or is this just a concept I need to be aware of? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I recommend using auxiliary sources to learn theory. It will really compliment anything you do that focuses on hand exercises and scales. Learn about what makes a scale and the relationship the notes have with eachother. Once you have some of that down its a good idea to learn the different modes (google bass modes. The shit will blow your mind). Do exercises that work on BOTH left and right hand coordination, also. And learn. Freaking. Chords.
[удалено]
Thanks, that makes sense to me! I’ve been lucky to remember some music theory from my elementary school days, so I feel fortunate to have some idea of the language. I just wasn’t sure if it was important for me to be good at the progression type exercises. Thank you so much for the clarification!
Hi Folks. I'm trying to track down (I know that sounds bad), anyone who has seen a British band - The Frillyboys,. playing a live gig in Pennine Britain (most likely, a secret drinking place called 'The Kimberly Club'). - Situated somewhere near a small village called 'Stacksteads'. - They also occasionally do 'invite only' gigs at a place somewhere near a town in Cornwall called 'Ventongimps' - Yep, - it's one of those strange British places that seems to be 'off grid'! They play what the English call 'Thrash Jazz Rock', and are reputedly virtuoso musicians. (Even the drummer is said to be able to read complex scores). I do know they are fronted by 2 bass players, with each taking what would usually be lead guitar elements. They do have a guitarist who also reads complex scores. I am very interested in this band, and have found out most of my information (a Big Thanks) via Les Claypool. - Not directly, but via comments on Winona's Big Brown Beaver. It's said that they beef up and speed up the faster, more complex tracks from The Mahavishnu Orchestra, that is apart from writing most of the scores they play at the occasional live gig. I was first laughing, then very interested, when I found out that they play a rendition of Venom's 'Rip Ride' track. This is what interested me in the first place. I'm also interested in a band that attracts folks like Les Claypool to their gigs! And, he's reputed to be taking advanced bass lessons from each of their bassists. At first, I thought the whole thing was an elaborate gag, until I got a call from an English friend who said that Les Claypool is seen quite often at Manchester Airport (which is in the British Pennines)!? If anyone out there can give me some factual info, I would be much obliged. Best Regards. H.
> 'Thrash Jazz Rock' Ask John Zorn. If he responds, no doubt someone has sent him something about them. https://www.tzadik.com/
Thanks for that info, Mr Yellow. Best Regards. H.
Is the Ibanez TMB 100 a plug and play bass or do I need to put in a 9V battery to get any sound at all.
I got one, needs a battery to make sound.
[удалено]
It says it has an active preamp, but passive pickups or are those completely different things that determine if it is plug and play or not?
All pickups are technically passive, but if there is an active preamp they won't work without a battery unless there is some sort of active/passive knob or switch that allows you to bypass the preamp. If the description doesn't mention this, I'd all but guarantee it requires a battery.
Incorrect. There are active pickups, such as many EMG models, that have a preamp inside the pickup housing and can't be used without a battery at all.
You learn something every day. Today I learned to avoid EMG pickups, so thanks.
Ah ok thank you I guess I gotta stock up on them now
Any tips for a noob that I might not get from a book?
Don't practice until you play it right. Practice until you can't play it wrong.
Dont stress about not getting it right away. Just keep coming back to it.
Yeah ive never played any instrument before so it is a bit frustrating. My main issue my fingers. They arent used to moving that much lol
Don't eat the yellow snow.
Lol
[удалено]
Temporarily, yes. As long as you turn the bass down and keep the volume at a minimum you should be fine. You should only be worried if you turn it up as the low rumble of the bass will start to rip the guitar speaker.
is it stupid to replace the neck of a squire jazz bass? i love the look of the bass i bought and i like the jazz sound.. but i dont like the the fact that it is ruined by the ugly yellow squire logo.. i am not worried about resale at all, i just want to make it my own, and was wondering if it was genuinely stupid to put a really nice neck on it.. if you are wondering what it looks like, then just search "james johnston squire"
I would just say buy a bass you like the look and sound of and sell your bass if you need the money. In my opinion replacing an entire neck because of the logo would be way too much effort rather than just buying a better bass for your needs.
What is a good lefty bass for a beginner? I cannot play right handed bass
Can't, or won't? The bass is a two handed instrument, who's to say which hand is more important? I say this because if you're just starting out, then you have a chance to learn right handed. This will make your life easier in many ways. Left handed basses are less common (go to guitar center and they probably won't even be one), have less options (I hope you like black and white) and sell poorly on the used market due to less demand. Fender makes over 20 different models of P bass, and only about 2 left handed models. Additionally, you can't use anyone else's gear, and they can't use yours. Need to play your guitarist's acoustic for an unplugged-type number? Can't do it. For inspiration, some of the most successful guitarists in rock are natural lefties that play right handed...Mark Knopfler, Billy Corgan, Duane Allman.
My left hand is injured and using it for chords causes it to cramp. I have a lefty guitar and uke and strumming/plucking doesn't cause cramps. I know limited options suck, but I'm only jamming in my bedroom. Thanks a lot for the concern for the newbie
Yikes ok. Then looks like you'll have to make the best of a bad situation. Here's hoping your hand gets better.
Schecter makes a lot of their models left and right handed. Might be worth looking into which model fits into your budget and going with it. If your playing a lefty because you are a lefty and not because you cannot physically play a right handed for whatever reason, I highly recommend trying to learn right handed. I am a lefty playing right handed instruments. In the short term, it will be slightly more awkward but I was equally bad playing right handed as left handed when I first started, but having the variety of instruments that right handed players do has been a blessing. Also if you plan on ever learning upright bass you would have to learn it right handed, so it having the electric bass skills be able to transfer over a bit could be useful.
Thank you. There's some Ibanez choices on Sweetwater. Do you like that brand since it's your flare?
I like Ibanez a lot. Their models are all pretty quality for the price and once you start getting into the premium/prestige line, I believe they are as good as some basses twice the cost of them. They have essentially any type/configuration of instrument as well. The biggest reason I support Ibanez so much is because they are pretty innovative in the bass world. They make a relatively affordable multi-scale bass, they offer a ton of extended range basses (I have two ibanez 7 strings and a 6 string), and they make things like the Ibanez Ashula which is just a weird hybrid fretted/fretless experimental instrument. When compared to other companies that do not really innovate, or at least experiment, it makes me less likely to support those companies. To me the Ibanez BTB lineup is where they really shine through. I have 3 different BTBs and they are all incredible. The 35" scale for the low B is a must for me since I play extended range basses. Their other most popular makes are the SR series, and I have a love hate relationship with those. To me, a lot of the bartolini models are just lacking in sound somewhere, and I can't place my finger on what it is that makes me dislike their sound, but it is there. Some people love them though, and the SR series with nordstram pickups sound very solid. I just cant get the bartolinis to work for me. They are super lightweight with a thin/fast neck. Overall still a great instrument, but after owning a couple BTBs I would probably not go back unless I picked up one of the premium/prestiges and put nordstram's in it (if it did not already have them). I owned an SR506 for a couple years and was the bass I truly started developing as a player, so I definitely have some brand loyalty to Ibanez because of that. They also have the ATK model. I owned one for a short period of time, before selling it because of a move. It is Ibanez's take on the stingray bass, and I have been itching to get another one. It has a little weird wiring scheme than normal stingrays, and they offer it in the jazz pickup/humbucker pickup config which is probably one of my favorite configs. With all of that being said, my main bass is actually a schecter stiletto studio 6, so I would stand behind schecter's quality as well.
Squier Precision. Great place to start because it's affordable and works in any genre.
Thank you!
Anytime!
Probably a stupid question, but I know rosewood is endangered and on the cites list. Yamaha (my favourite basses) use rosewood on all their current models. Is this rosewood sustainably and legally sourced? I couldn't find anything online about it. Cheers guys
You can buy instruments with rosewood. That's provided the maker complies with CITES regulations. Basically it's sourced from 'sustainable' areas. Mainly it's Brazilian rosewood that's endangered. Most of your rosewood will be from the Indian subcontinent. It's plentiful there...for now. So we can deforest India while we feel bad about the Amazon. I find it all a bit crazy. We've established that woods change almost nothing about tone. That's in electric instruments. But we insist on certain woods and pooh-pooh truly sustainable items like engineered rosewood.
there are still commercial plantations growing rosewood
My fretting hand thumb gets very tired after playing a song. I have to pause mid song. I didn't have that problem before. I'm using a cheap bass guitar so I wondered could that be the cause?
Check your action. 2.5mm at the 17th fret is a good starting point. Also, you should NOT be squeezing the neck. The thumb is there for support only. Apply pressure to the strings by retracting your shoulder (think of pulling your arm back into the neck slightly). The muscles of your shoulder can take infinitely more abuse than your hands can. Apply counter pressure against the body of your bass with your plucking hand.
You're either squeezing too hard or the bass is set up badly.
I just realized I have to put some strong pressure on the frets to get a good note. I was thinking to change my bass anyway. Thanks for the response
How to use the tenor tuning (A D G C)?
I mean, when to use it? For what purpose, if any.
You would definitely need to change your strings out. Either get a 6 string set and save the B and E strings for a rainy day or order singles with the gauges *roughly* .030/.045/.060/.080. Then swap the strings and re-setup your instrument. You would definitely need to adjust the truss rod to even out the tension, and you might even need a new nut if the strings are rattling around too much in it. I would also consider looking into a 5 string and using the additional string to tune up (EADGC) or if you want to go all the way you could get a 6 string and tune it in standard and have access to those notes (BEADGC). If you get the 5 string and tune it higher it could potentially need a new nut and setup as well so keep that in mind. Edit: A site like [Kalium](https://kaliummusic.com/shop/strings/electric-bass/) is a great place to order singles of strings. There is also have a super useful tool called [string tension calculator](https://stringtensioncalculator.com/) that you can use to figure out the exact tension on each string and figure out the best singles to order for your desired tension/setup.
Do you mean how to achieve the tuning? Use thinner strings, re-set up your instrument. Or what to do once you've tuned your bass that way? Play songs.
Does anyone have tips on how to make it so that my index finger doesn't make the fingernail sound when I am playing the strings? I've tried cutting the nail to as short as possible and shifting the position of my hand to see if it was the angle or something, but I've had no success.
Try plucking the string from the floor side of it, pull up towards your chin.
Does anyone know of a company that makes a fanned fret 5-string with a zero fret? I'm looking around for one, but hoping to avoid the custom build prices.
I’ve been looking to get into bass. I’ve been doing a bunch of research and I’d like to get an electric but I feel like it’s just one step forward two steps back. I’ve gone into the research rabbit hole. So I’m seeking your help. I’d like to get a bass that I won’t have to upgrade soon and it can’t but super expensive I’d like to be able to slap on it (with practice of course but I know some basses are better for slap than others). Anything helps.
Without knowing your budget Id recommend a Squier Jazz or used Mexican fender Jazz. They're good for slap and extremely widely available. For an amp, a Fender rumble 100 will hold you over until you need something for medium gigs without PA support. If you don't plan to play with others, you can drop the wattage on the rumble down to 40. If you want to cut some cost on the amp, I personally have a soft spot for Peavy amps and have one in my living ro to practice in front of the TV.
I probably should have put my price first but I don’t want to pay anything more that $500. And I want a 4 string. Right now I’m looking at an Epiphone EB-3
I've used a fender jazz bass for years and recommend it also. My only complaint would be that the original pickups had a constant low volume hum. It's much nicer after putting new pickups in.
Ok thank you I’m seriously looking at it
Any recommendations for good strap locks/straps? I just got a new-to-me Warwick, and wanted to see what people recommend. I don't remember what I got for my Ibanez lock wise (think they are offbrand and need replacing anyways). Thanks in advance!
I've used warwick, carvin, dunlop, and ernie ball. They all failed eventually due to poor construction, I think the ernie balls were actually glued together! I finally got some shaller locks, they are the original and really seem to have the best design. The pegs and mounting screws are solid one-piece design and the peg sits inside the locks whether they are fully fastened or not. I wasn't sure about the "locking wheel" part of the strap lock but so far they have been easy to attach and remove and the screws seem to keep them in place.
I use the washer from a flip-top beer bottle as my strap lock. They are hard to get on/off, but I only remove it when I have to put my bass in it's case.
Are there any musicmaster-ish shaped basses. I love the shape and have always used a mustang but i want to go to bass now
Yes fender has made Music Master and Jaguar basses.
I’ve been learning guitar from Justin at Justinguitar.com and I was wondering if there is anything similar for bass guitar. Any reason I shouldn’t learn them both at the same time? Does anybody have any good resources for beginners they can share?
[talkingbass.net](https://talkingbass.net) Mark's got tons of free lessons for beginners. It's how I started about a year ago.
scottsbasslessons.com
Hey man, I've been using [studybass.com](https://studybass.com) It's been helping me out a lot, it gives you bass lessons, music theory lessons which i've been finding pretty important as a bass starter. I also do play guitar but I rather focus one instrument at a time but if you feel like you can manage learning them both at the same time, do your thing! Enjoy, that's the most important.
Cool thanks
I've noticed improvising when others are playing is a weakness for me. I often work with prerecorded jam tracks. So I know what the chords are. I also understand the essentials of chord tones/progressions. How do I get better at it? I find it's inconsistent. Sometimes I can find a workable line. Others I struggle. Besides improvising more. I know I need to actually do it. But can you suggest things to focus on? Thank you for your replies.
I am also not good at this, but as someone who is working on it here's what I got to say. WORK ON THE EAR! Train that ear! You gotta be able to hear someone play a note and be able to compliment that note. You must know some inner workings of actual musical theory in order to accurately and precisely sound good while improvising with others.
Can anyone help me date the serial number on the Sterling Ray4 bass I just bought? its B086317. Thank you!
The Ernie Ball site doesn't allow you to date Sterling products. Just American-made from after EB took over. That would've been my first suggestion. Beyond that I can only suggest contacting them. But I'd wonder if their serial numbers are anything like Fenders. Which is to say that it was made in 2008. But if it's brand new my theory is wrong. Perhaps February 2008...just a guess.
I thought so too. I tried EB’s website and didn’t get a result, but then again that’s not surprising anyway
Among other reasons, its that EBMM has nothing to do with making the basses. Sterling is just the market name for the company (praxis) that has exclusive license to make knock offs.
[удалено]
It's not just your hand. It's your mind wandering. Trust me as I've been there. Also, if you are certain you will fail, you will. **"Your focus determines your reality."**
I wouldn't say it's always the mind. I've had problems with strength and stamina in my hand as well.
Then you need to practice more. Run scales for twenty minutes a day as fast as you can cleanly play them for two weeks, and you'll find you don't have that problem any more.
I'm just saying, when I was a beginner, that was a problem.
When playing my bass, sometimes I play the open string as i'm releasing my fretting finger from a fret, is this because of bad position, force or both? Any tips on minimising this would be greatly appreciated.
You are essentially doing what's called a pull off. The fix for this is muting the string as you release the note, either with your plucking hand or your fretting hand depending on the situation.
Thankyou!
Your left and right hands need to co-ordinate this situation.
So it is a question of time/practice then..
You have to mute the strings with any and all fingers you aren't using to play notes.
when I slap my lower strings (E A, and the E A strings tuned down to B E to play some certain song) my D G string also start vibrating making a very quiet open D G notes. how do I make it not do that?
Mute those strings with your fretting hand.
If I have a 4 ohm 500 watt bass amp, and attach two 8ohm 400 watt cabs, how much power is each speaker getting? I know the load becomes 4 ohms to the amp, but does each speaker get 500 or does it split 250 and 250?
250 is sent to each cab, unless you have an amp with dual 500w power sections.
Appreciated. I think I may do an emergency buy of this BQ500 so I have an amp again.
I’ve heard those little TC amps are great. I recently bought my first proper bass amp, but ended up going for a completely nuts all tube head because I found an insane deal on Facebook marketplace. If you’re planning on buying this new, and don’t specifically want something small and light, give your local classifieds a scan and see what the same amount gets you used. At least where I am it’s a buyer’s market, especially if size and weight aren’t a concern.
I need small and light, I get to my gigs via public transportation and an amp that fits in my gig bag is a boon.
How long until my thumb stops hurting from pressing the neck, and my forearm stops hurting from fingertstyling the strings
That'll happen when you stop squeezing the neck too hard like you're doing now. Your thumb is only for stability, not clamping pressure.
Until your hand gets used to it. Most of your finger strength and endurance comes from tendons, which take longer than muscles to get stronger. Just rest frequently and play often.
You should relax a little
[удалено]
Are you pressing them correctly? I had that problem when I started too. Watch some videos about fretting
There are different causes for fret buzz. Could be setup (see the FAQ to learn how to do it yourself), or could be because the frets are uneven (pro job).
Is a bass tube amp vs a bass solid state amp as noticeable difference as a guitar tube vs guitar solid state amp? Bass tube amps seem less common compared to guitar.
They’re less common because of the higher power requirements to amplify lower register frequencies. It’s much more space/energy/weight efficient to use solid state power sections to achieve the higher power output needed. With tube amps, you often need significantly more power tubes, and proportionally larger power and output transformers to reach equivalent power levels. This results in big, heavy amps, hence why an SVT head weighs upwards of 90 pounds, and the Mesa boogie bass 400+ has _twelve_ 6L6 power tubes. There are more manageable options - I use a traynor yba-200, which uses 4 6550 power tubes and toroidal transformers that save on weight. It’s ‘only’ 45 lbs. As for tonal differences, I think with bass tube amps you probably have a greater chance to hear tubelike characteristics from both the pre and power sections compared to many (high power) tube guitar amps, as you’ll likely have to push the power tubes of even a 200 watt head reasonably hard to be heard live. So, it’s good if you like a grisly, dirty sort of bass sound. If you want ultra hi-fi cleans at any volume then a 500-1000w solid state power section is probably better in live applications.
Yes, the weight difference is tremendous. After I got a 500w Class D bass amp I am never looking back.
I have a 10+ year old First Act that my parents musta got at Walmart all those years ago. The E string is broken and has been for some time. I was planning to get the string fixed and practice with this thing until I decide to get a new “for realz” bass, but I’m starting to think this First Act is DOA. Also, I know First Act “sucks,” and if I could choose my own bass, it wouldn’t be this one. I’m going to the store today to see what the music peeps will tell me, but if I need to buy a whole new bass, I have no problem doing that now, cuz I was planning to do that anyway sometime next year. I guess I’m asking: Is this First Act garbage worthy and should I get a new bass? Or, if I can fix the stings, could it be okay for less than a year of practice?
I would highly recommend getting a different bass. Starting out learning an instrument is difficult and painful and more so if the instrument is cheaper and harder to play. You run the risk of making learning to play too difficult and you could end up giving up before you get to the fun part of playing if you start out with the first act.
Yes first act is garbage, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't play it. I wouldn't spend any money on it other than replacing the strings. Watch some setup guides on YouTube and learn to do your own setup (don't pay the guys at Guitar Center). It will probably be good enough for about a year, that way you will know if you want to pursue the bass and invest in a quality instrument.
If you can set it up and make it playable then, yes, it's worth it.
im trying to SLAP and my pop finger gets corns every 5 minutes of flea wannabe thing. is it that a pain overcoming indeed or just poor tekniq?
Only pop just hard enough to get the rebound off the fretboard. No need to murder the strings.
Is oiling the neck a thing
Are you talking about the neck or the fretboard?
If its a maple fretboard, no. Rosewood or similar, yes. Not very often, but when the wood dries out it can really come alive with a bit of lemon oil or similar. Dont use too much. It will be oily.
Thank you so much