Pages: 1 2

 

2008-07-07 19:54:53
GodFather
Blademaster's bottom bitch
+387|6683|Phoenix, AZ
https://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/images/cruiser5stringbass.jpg

https://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/brand,zzounds/fit,400by400/max_158_front-b6cfa1443e0b238e7ac7195581ab3def.jpg


So I was thinking about it today, I mean I play some bass songs on my guitar (sounds stupid but I just make everything on the amp/guitar bass and its eh.) and I figured, what the hell, why not just buy a bass guitar and dick around on it? It cant hurt...


I have been playing guitar for about 3 years, electric and acoustic, I probably have 2k worth of musical instruments/paraphernalia (amps, cords, pedals) but I don't play in a band, none of my friends are musical, but I still enjoy learning songs and playing by myself, and when I think about it, Bass is really a band instrument, I cant say I know anyone that plays bass as a hobby, I know guitar players by hobby but no bass...



So does anyone here play Bass [guitar] for a hobby? Is it worth it?

What would a mid range, nothing special electric bass guitar + a good quality cord + a solid amp (nothing huge im not playing in a band) cost?

I dont want a shit starting bass, im looking for something equal to the quality of a $300-$400 (USD) guitar  (I ask because I dont know shit about Bass brands and prices)


thanks
2008-07-07 20:03:53
13rin
Member
+977|6943
Hmmm. I have a fender squire? Lemme check... Squire Precision.  I played for a few years (fucking around in the livingroom).  My friends had instruments too and we had jam sessions.  It was fun.  I think I picked mine up for 275 and the amp is a frontman 25b (fender) 200, years ago I killed those particular brain cells.  I remember drooling about getting a warwick one day.. It never came.  My advice is to get a decent amp and 5 string warwick -play it in drop d, baby.
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
2008-07-07 20:07:42
Parker
isteal
+1,452|6858|The Gem Saloon
unless its a four string banjo, i cant help.
but good luck on learning.
2008-07-07 20:32:38
GodFather
Blademaster's bottom bitch
+387|6683|Phoenix, AZ
Another question, how many strings? Are they different tones or are they the same strings with strings added?


edit: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-Mill … 1146983.gc

that looks VERY sexy for the price... sort of the look of bass I would want, flat, simple, nothing too freaky...

but 4 strings?

Last edited by GodFather (2008-07-07 21:02:01)

2008-07-07 21:14:44
13rin
Member
+977|6943

GodFather wrote:

Another question, how many strings? Are they different tones or are they the same strings with strings added?


edit: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-Mill … 1146983.gc

that looks VERY sexy for the price... sort of the look of bass I would want, flat, simple, nothing too freaky...

but 4 strings?
E, A, D, G off the top of my head.  The fattest is the lowest sounding.  I learned at tabcrawler.com the music I liked from that.  The problem is that I could belt out the Sublime "date rape" or SoundGarden and unless there was a lead, you really couldn't identify the song.  Now if you're into reggae or the blues.... I can play some great blues.
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
2008-07-07 21:14:52
oChaos.Haze
Member
+90|6902
If you are looking to go cheap, Frender just released a new Squire Jazz bass that's made in Indonesia that is getting rave reviews.  I know, it's squire, I hate squire, but I was in the shop one day, heard a guy playing one, and my first question was "What amp is he playing out of?'  It was some low level peavey amp so I asked if I could play it through a couple more amps.  Turns out it's the bass.  I don't know what they did, but the shit sounds so smooth.  I don't even play bass that much, and definitely hadn't set out to buy on that day, but I had to buy one.  The sound is far worth the price.  If you aren't serious yet, but want a playable, great sounding bass, then this is it.

See if I can't find a link.  Read the customer reviews on it.  I play music for a living, so this isn't just some random advice...

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Squier-by-F … 1166457.gc

Last edited by oChaos.Haze (2008-07-07 21:19:37)

2008-07-07 21:42:54
Ty
Mass Media Casualty
+2,398|7238|Noizyland

I don't know how Bass would be as a hobby. If you like playing the Bass with a song and you're a guitarist you may want to try learning fingerstyle guitar. That's what I did, I was tired with only being able to play one part of a song on my guitar, (i.e. the guitar part,) so learned some Ffngerstyle songs where you play the bass, melody and percussion at the same time on the same instrument. Tricky to learn but awesome to play. Good fingerstyle artists are Tommy Emmanuel, Don Ross, Andy McKee and Antoine DuFour among others. I made a thread on Antoine DuFour a while ago, it's somewhere in the "Music, Movies and Pictures" subforum.
[Blinking eyes thing]
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
2008-07-07 22:22:55
GodFather
Blademaster's bottom bitch
+387|6683|Phoenix, AZ

Ty wrote:

I don't know how Bass would be as a hobby. If you like playing the Bass with a song and you're a guitarist you may want to try learning fingerstyle guitar. That's what I did, I was tired with only being able to play one part of a song on my guitar, (i.e. the guitar part,) so learned some Ffngerstyle songs where you play the bass, melody and percussion at the same time on the same instrument. Tricky to learn but awesome to play. Good fingerstyle artists are Tommy Emmanuel, Don Ross, Andy McKee and Antoine DuFour among others. I made a thread on Antoine DuFour a while ago, it's somewhere in the "Music, Movies and Pictures" subforum.
Yeah I know what your talking about, I knew a few songs like that a while back, wasnt crazy about them

The thing im looking at in a bass is that rich bass sound you only get with an electric bass


edit: this is what im currently looking at


http://www.guitarcenter.com/Behringer-U … 1166248.gc

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-Mill … 1146983.gc (in the dark color)


and then like a Line 6 Cable, and shit ass stand for it...

= $624.95 with shipping (free) and 80 bucks worth of warranties, dont know if its worth it but ill see what it includes (free strings and shit im down.)

Last edited by GodFather (2008-07-07 22:25:31)

2008-07-07 22:53:46
Ty
Mass Media Casualty
+2,398|7238|Noizyland

Peavy make good basses, it's a good choice. Looks like a solid amp too.
[Blinking eyes thing]
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
2008-07-08 03:13:30
Braddock
Agitator
+916|6754|Éire
Here's my axe...

https://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/images/55U/55U-3822_front.jpg

It's a six string Washburn bass and I can tell you if you want to put in the effort to learn you can do everything you can do on a guitar plus a whole lot more on a bass. I've played in bands for over ten years now and I play chords, rhythm, slap, tap, percussion and lead solos (up in the upper octaves) in my current band's setup. I also have an FX unit which allows me to get pretty much any sound I want. You can get good 'guitar style' sounds on a bass but I've found you'll never get truly good bassy slap slap sounds on a guitar.

I tune the bass in 5ths all the way up, which is pretty much the norm; so I have the basic 4 strings of a normal bass plus one higher on one side and one lower on the other as follows..

high C
G
D
A
E
Low B

I got my six string 2nd hand for about half the original retail price so buying second hand could be an option for you. One important thing to look out for on 2nd hand models would be a warped neck (hold the bass like a rifle and look down the fretboard from the bridge to the head to see that it's totally straight, if there's any twists at all forget about it).

PS: If you wanna stick with 4 strings you can get good cheap Musicman imitation basses for a few hundred quid. I've played one or two and they sound decent.

Last edited by Braddock (2008-07-08 03:14:09)

2008-07-08 07:18:13
MrAnderson
Ghost Town T90/Apache Whore
+99|6463|Aberdeen, Scotland

Braddock wrote:

I tune the bass in 4ths all the way up, which is pretty much the norm; so I have the basic 4 strings of a normal bass plus one higher on one side and one lower on the other as follows..

high C
G
D
A
E
Low B
Fixed, sorry   B - E =  4th,  E - A = 4th, etc.
A standard 4 string is tuned E A D G, an octave below the bottom 4 strings of a guitar.

Ibanez make basses with a great sound and feel, but they are a bit weighty. My favourite is a BTB which was ~£500.

I would say go for it, the bass is a more versatile instrument (than electric guitar) when used properly.

Try experimenting with different styles of strings too, they make a big difference to your sound; I prefer flatwounds as they have a great smooth feel and a subtle tone, whereas 'brighter' strings can give a more punchy sound for slap playing.
2008-07-08 07:27:58
chittydog
less busy
+586|7299|Kubra, Damn it!

Ty wrote:

Peavy make good basses, it's a good choice. Looks like a solid amp too.
Peavy makes good stuff now? Back when I started playing, they made all the cheap, beginner stuff. Of course, that was the '80s...

I've been playing the same Kramer four-string for 20 years now. It's huge and bulky and hard to play, but has a sound unlike any other bass I've heard.

ATG plays bass, he may have some good advice too.
2008-07-08 07:54:48
Braddock
Agitator
+916|6754|Éire

MrAnderson wrote:

Braddock wrote:

I tune the bass in 4ths all the way up, which is pretty much the norm; so I have the basic 4 strings of a normal bass plus one higher on one side and one lower on the other as follows..

high C
G
D
A
E
Low B
Fixed, sorry   B - E =  4th,  E - A = 4th, etc.
A standard 4 string is tuned E A D G, an octave below the bottom 4 strings of a guitar.

Ibanez make basses with a great sound and feel, but they are a bit weighty. My favourite is a BTB which was ~£500.

I would say go for it, the bass is a more versatile instrument (than electric guitar) when used properly.

Try experimenting with different styles of strings too, they make a big difference to your sound; I prefer flatwounds as they have a great smooth feel and a subtle tone, whereas 'brighter' strings can give a more punchy sound for slap playing.
You are right sir! Doh.

-slaps forehead!
2008-07-08 08:00:47
Braddock
Agitator
+916|6754|Éire
By the way if you want to play slap bass you will need light strings, the lighter the better in my opinion. I use a .20 or .25 on my G string. You can also go faster on lighter strings but some people say you lose a lot of bottom end, i find that you can counter that with the right amp settings though.
2008-07-08 10:16:56
MrAnderson
Ghost Town T90/Apache Whore
+99|6463|Aberdeen, Scotland
Gotta be careful with lighter strings when slapping though, it beats up on them pretty bad
It's a matter of personal choice tbh, just don't be scared to try different types of string and choose your own preference.

Gotta go easy on your fingers too when you start slapping (well it's the popping actually), or you can get some nasty blisters.
2008-07-08 10:39:15
Blehm98
conservative hatemonger
+150|6927|meh-land
get good at slap and pull, play primus songs, win

my name is mudd, jerry was a racecar driver, etc

incredible
2008-07-08 11:07:23
djphetal
Go Ducks.
+346|6799|Oregon
Bass guitar is my favorite instrument. Fretless basses, to be more specific, but I love bass. I wish I played. My band-mates who play the bass make me sad because they're so good at it! Ayyrrrgg! So, YES, get a bass!

edit: And about Squire basses... Although between us (my band) we have 4 bass guitars, the one we use to record is the cheapest and "worst" ... a Squire. It sounds SO good when recorded directly into a Digidesign PT box through a preamp! So good! For live play, our bassist uses a five-string Ibanez that was quite spendy. But... Squire is not bad at all.

Last edited by djphetal (2008-07-08 11:10:39)

2008-07-08 11:43:08
13rin
Member
+977|6943

Braddock wrote:

By the way if you want to play slap bass you will need light strings, the lighter the better in my opinion. I use a .20 or .25 on my G string. You can also go faster on lighter strings but some people say you lose a lot of bottom end, i find that you can counter that with the right amp settings though.
OK.. Well I could see how you're Cams bro...  Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.  But a guitar player too?  Thought you two just sat around making pipe bombs and shit all day... hehe.  Kidding.  But no seriously, your guitar... It's still in one piece? Kidding again.. What types of music do you play?

edit: @ DJPH.. Fretless.... That's where I was trying to get with my next bass.  So smooth and sexy...  Nice.

Last edited by DBBrinson1 (2008-07-08 11:45:08)

I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
2008-07-08 12:16:27
Braddock
Agitator
+916|6754|Éire

DBBrinson1 wrote:

OK.. Well I could see how you're Cams bro...  Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.  But a guitar player too?  Thought you two just sat around making pipe bombs and shit all day... hehe.  Kidding.  But no seriously, your guitar... It's still in one piece? Kidding again.. What types of music do you play?
Bass player...I don't play guitar that much.

I've been playing for about ten years, I play fretted, fretless (I have an Ibanez custom made 4-string fretless) and double bass (I have an electric stand up bass). I'd have to say Les Claypool of Primus is probably my biggest influence but I also love Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham, Mark King and Tony Levin too. I play a lot of slap, tap and chord stuff in the Claypool/Stanley Clarke style.

I could post some YouTube clips if you like seen as my identity is now no longer a secret!
2008-07-08 13:03:04
oChaos.Haze
Member
+90|6902


Since we're dropping names now, I figured I'd drop the greatest, lol.

And another...



I'd post some of his fast slap, but I feel like this playing is really what sets him apart...

Last edited by oChaos.Haze (2008-07-08 13:08:12)

2008-07-08 13:55:48
Braddock
Agitator
+916|6754|Éire

MrAnderson wrote:

Gotta be careful with lighter strings when slapping though, it beats up on them pretty bad
It's a matter of personal choice tbh, just don't be scared to try different types of string and choose your own preference.

Gotta go easy on your fingers too when you start slapping (well it's the popping actually), or you can get some nasty blisters.
Nah, not unless you're molesting the bass like Flea.
2008-07-08 14:21:14
GodFather
Blademaster's bottom bitch
+387|6683|Phoenix, AZ
Good infos, thanks all


What do you guys think about this though?

My friend, whos 16 has been playing bass for about 4 years and he says this is pretty good for a price/performance ratio because im not trying to throw serious bills down on this... (and I tell you the age and experience because I don't really know to trust him on this, but the Bass looks solid...)


https://images.guitarcenter.com/products/optionRegular/Peavey/541668jpg.jpg
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-Mill … 1146983.gc









I'm probably going to be buying a new bass from Guitar Center, so if you guys want to dig though the basses on www.guitarcenter.com and give me some suggestions it would be much appreciated (karma)
2008-07-08 14:33:55
Braddock
Agitator
+916|6754|Éire

GodFather wrote:

I'm probably going to be buying a new bass from Guitar Center, so if you guys want to dig though the basses on www.guitarcenter.com and give me some suggestions it would be much appreciated (karma)
If you want to stay in the low to middle price ranges then that bass looks like a good option. It's got onboard electronics which I always like and the pickups look decent, though a test run to see how they sound would always be preferable. There are some cheap-ish Warwick rock basses on that website if you can stretch your budget to around 500 dollars...Warwick are a solid brand. I play my mate's Warwick sometimes in my band, it sounds fantastic.
2008-07-08 14:35:44
GodFather
Blademaster's bottom bitch
+387|6683|Phoenix, AZ

Braddock wrote:

GodFather wrote:

I'm probably going to be buying a new bass from Guitar Center, so if you guys want to dig though the basses on www.guitarcenter.com and give me some suggestions it would be much appreciated (karma)
If you want to stay in the low to middle price ranges then that bass looks like a good option. It's got onboard electronics which I always like and the pickups look decent, though a test run to see how they sound would always be preferable. There are some cheap-ish Warwick rock basses on that website if you can stretch your budget to around 500 dollars...Warwick are a solid brand. I play my mate's Warwick sometimes in my band, it sounds fantastic.
Which one?


I dont know if I could drop 500$ on an instrument ive never played...
2008-07-08 14:36:08
m3thod
All kiiiiiiiiinds of gainz
+2,197|7135|UK
post a vid of you playing b'man.
Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.

 

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