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ZombiePeanut posted:Tubes can break (from impacts and such) and wear out, while transistors do not. If you treat the amp with care, you'll probably be fine-that SVT I mentioned earlier has been running the same power tubes for 15+ years. And, should an output transistor fry (not unheard of), it's a bit harder to replace than a tube, especially if you're out on tour. 
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Jan 5, 2009 08:59
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Anyone know anything about Scherl and Roth uprights? There's a used one for sale near here for $500.
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Jan 5, 2009 15:20
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For Christmas I bought myself a MiM P-Bass & an Acoustic B20 amp. I'm a complete rookie to bass, and have been reading and doing the examples at http://www.studybass.com. So far so good. My question is that I'm getting some friction & fuzz when I play around on the frets above the 12th fret. What is a 'fair' price to expect from a local shop to have it properly setup and honed for maximum Thunder?
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Jan 6, 2009 05:24
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Fair price should be about 50 bucks, give or take a ten. It really depends on the bass itself. An MIM P can be very sturdy and reliable as hell, but I've seen a few that need a bit of setup. I'd also suggest getting some new strings on the bass (before or during the setup), but be careful when it comes to gauges.
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Jan 6, 2009 18:14
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Schatten posted:The knobs have a set screw. Should be a small flathead. Loosen, adjust in the right direction, then tighten. No need for replacements. Found it, thanks. It's a Tiny allen screw on mine though... not sure if that's a MiM thing or a 2007 thing...
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Jan 7, 2009 02:38
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I restrung a bass for the first time last night (I'm a guitar player who has been dipping into bass over the past couple of years) and I have to wonder why I've never seen bass-style tuners (where you stick the string end down into the hole) on a guitar? They are so easy, and I love not having the bare string end poking out! Also I have a couple of questions about bass hardware. I have an SX (Rondo) P-J bass I bought a few years ago. I really like the way that it looks, and the neck plays pretty nicely, although the hardware is pretty lovely. I am looking for some relatively inexpensive pickups to swap in; are EMG Selects decent? Is there anything else (preferably in a ~$50-75 price range for the set) that I should look at? Lastly, does anybody know where I could find a black bass nut? It's not essential, but right now the bass has all-black hardware and I really like that look.
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Jan 9, 2009 22:05
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I've had EMG selects in the past, but cannot recall how they sound. I eventually moved up to an EMG JJ set, which I really loved before moving on. There's a huge group of SX lovers over at talkbass.com, and recommended upgrades too. I'd suggest describing what you want to hear out of the bass and get recommendations that way. Regarding stringing up the bass, just make sure you are winding down on the peg itself, so it brings tension from the tuner to the top nut. Every now and then I see someone who doesn't do this and there is a resulting buzz effect on the frets.
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Jan 9, 2009 22:09
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h_double posted:I restrung a bass for the first time last night (I'm a guitar player who has been dipping into bass over the past couple of years) and I have to wonder why I've never seen bass-style tuners (where you stick the string end down into the hole) on a guitar? They are so easy, and I love not having the bare string end poking out! You did cut the string tips to length first though, right? As for a black nut, I'd check at https://www.stewmac.com
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Jan 9, 2009 22:13
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Scarf posted:You did cut the string tips to length first though, right? As for a black nut, I'd check at https://www.stewmac.com
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Jan 10, 2009 00:52
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Schatten posted:Regarding stringing up the bass, just make sure you are winding down on the peg itself, so it brings tension from the tuner to the top nut. Every now and then I see someone who doesn't do this and there is a resulting buzz effect on the frets. I'm not sure I know what you mean by "winding down on the peg itself"; you mean so that the string windings go from the top of the peg down towards the headstock? I did that, and also kept a bit of tension on the string above the nut while I was winding it. Also I did trim the strings down to size before putting them on. I found a pre-slotted black bass nut on guitarpartsdepot, and also thanks for the pointer to talkbass; I'll definitely spend some time reading on there.
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Jan 10, 2009 01:23
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scuz posted:I've read that by doing that it cuts the life of the string down considerably. I dunno if it's true or not. How can trimming the string lower its life? Bass strings hardly ever break, and just go "bad" because they get stretched out and full of gunk.
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Jan 10, 2009 01:31
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DrChu posted:How can trimming the string lower its life? Bass strings hardly ever break, and just go "bad" because they get stretched out and full of gunk. I was once told that it's a good idea to crimp a sharp bend in a wound guitar string before you trim it, so that the core of the string won't slip out through the winding. I don't know how true it is, but I've always done it anyway just because it makes it slightly less likely to get poked by stray string ends.
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Jan 10, 2009 01:58
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h_double posted:I was once told that it's a good idea to crimp a sharp bend in a wound guitar string before you trim it, so that the core of the string won't slip out through the winding. This doesn't really happen anymore unless you buy reaaaally lovely strings. It was much more common back when string construction wasn't quite as good or consistent as it is now.
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Jan 10, 2009 02:02
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scuz posted:I've read that by doing that it cuts the life of the string down considerably. I dunno if it's true or not. Hahaha not at all.
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Jan 10, 2009 02:04
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Thanks for straightening that out  . I didn't think that stupid book (EADG4) was telling the truth.
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Jan 10, 2009 02:15
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Crimping strings is useful for round core bass strings, and most string manufacturers recommend this for their round core lines.
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Jan 11, 2009 08:42
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DrChu posted:Bass strings hardly ever break, and just go "bad" because they get stretched out and full of gunk. And if you use flatwounds that just makes them even better. 
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Jan 11, 2009 08:56
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Alright so after playing my friend's bass with an actual amp (!!!) and enjoying the hell out of myself I am seriously considering buying a bass now. I'm looking at a few used options right now and I'd like to get some opinions on a few before I spend any money. Mostly what I'm interested in playing is 80's new wavey kind of stuff (Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads) and bluesy classic rock stuff (Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer kind of crap). Not really interested in anything heavy. I found a used Stu Hamm bass for really loving cheap, and while Stu Hamm is cool I guess does anyone know if it's actually a good bass? I've heard generally bad things about artist signature everything but I haven't heard much about this bass at all. There's also this Steinberger Spirit headless thing that I'm only considering because it's dirt cheap from all the scratches and stuff on it. It looks weird but I kind of like it. Since I generally don't know poo poo about gently caress I don't know if it would be right for what I want to play. The last one I was wondering about was a Jay Turser violin bass. From what I've read it's supposed to be one of the better violin basses for the money. I've heard that violin basses are allegedly limited in the kind of sound you can get, but I'm only looking at it because I'm very cheap and so is the price.
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Jan 21, 2009 22:07
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Ferrous Wheel posted:And if you use flatwounds that just makes them even better. Do flatwounds still get gunky? I figured that was a roundwound phenomenon.
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Jan 21, 2009 22:13
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I Read Kotaku! posted:Alright so after playing my friend's bass with an actual amp (!!!) and enjoying the hell out of myself I am seriously considering buying a bass now. I'm looking at a few used options right now and I'd like to get some opinions on a few before I spend any money. Mostly what I'm interested in playing is 80's new wavey kind of stuff (Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads) and bluesy classic rock stuff (Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer kind of crap). Not really interested in anything heavy. What sort of bass does your friend have? What did/didn't you like about it?
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Jan 21, 2009 22:25
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I Read Kotaku! posted:Alright so after playing my friend's bass with an actual amp (!!!) and enjoying the hell out of myself I am seriously considering buying a bass now. I'm looking at a few used options right now and I'd like to get some opinions on a few before I spend any money. Mostly what I'm interested in playing is 80's new wavey kind of stuff (Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads) and bluesy classic rock stuff (Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer kind of crap). Not really interested in anything heavy. The Steinberger would be ok for the 80s stuff, not so much the bluesy. The violin bass would be the opposite. If you want a cheap versatile beginner bass find a used MIM Jazz Bass.
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Jan 21, 2009 23:07
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DrChu posted:Is the Stu Hamm an Urge or Urge II? The Urges were medium scale (32") and just had two jazz pickups, the Urge II are regular scale (34") and have two jazz pickups with a precision in-between. They are decent (but kinda ugly) basses, and the Urge II is really flexible with its pickup options.
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Jan 22, 2009 04:39
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Scarf posted:Huh, I always thought the original Urge was also available in a JPJ confg. You recall correctly. The USA version of the original had the JPJ configuration-there was also an MIM model that had just the J-style pickups.
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Jan 22, 2009 05:11
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Scarf posted:Huh, I always thought the original Urge was also available in a JPJ confg. Yeah I guess you're right. It was only last year that I finally saw someone in real life that had an Urge II, and I've only recently seen a picture of an Urge I (it was a JJ model), they aren't a very popular model.
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Jan 22, 2009 05:19
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82Daion posted:You recall correctly. The USA version of the original had the JPJ configuration-there was also an MIM model that had just the J-style pickups. Ah, thanks for the enlightenment.
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Jan 22, 2009 05:21
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So, bass dudes [I mistyped and put badd dudes just now  ], thanks again for this thread. I tried to play guitar and piano as a kid and gave up on both but I got a bass in July or so based on the advice in here and I love it so far, I'm taking lessons and I can really see myself improving. Thanks again y'all. My question is, if you sat down with your bass to come up with a chord progression how would you do it? I asked the guy who teaches me and he gave me one answer but I'm still curious how other people do it, I guess. I'm really bad at chord progressions in general but I'm improving at bass and can play it way better than a keyboard at this point so ideally I'd be able to come up with something on the bass and then translate it into a chord progression if that makes sense.
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Jan 23, 2009 19:15
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As much as I hate to say it, coming up with a chord progression is easier on other instruments. You could find a good progression of root notes, but anything fancier like 7th and 9th chords and such aren't really going to be playable on a bass (unless you play higher up on the fretboard, anyways, so the notes won't be all muddy) If you're just looking for a good progression of notes, though, just feel around and see what sounds good together. Make a simple rhythm, and find 3-4 notes that progress well in that rhythm, changing the note you're playing every bar.
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Jan 23, 2009 22:43
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dissin department posted:As much as I hate to say it, coming up with a chord progression is easier on other instruments. You could find a good progression of root notes, but anything fancier like 7th and 9th chords and such aren't really going to be playable on a bass (unless you play higher up on the fretboard, anyways, so the notes won't be all muddy)
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Jan 24, 2009 09:13
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Moe_Rahn posted:This is the reason that I'm really tempted to get some cheapo beater guitar, because it gets really annoying to come up with a progression of roots that sound good, and then have to bug an actual guitarist with "hey tell me if this sounds good as chords too". You could always pick up guitar pro or another similar program and just stick the chords in yourself, that's what I find myself doing a lot.
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Jan 24, 2009 18:05
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Does anyone have any suggestions for good strings for slap bass primarily for playing funk? Mine are getting kind of grungy and I am seeking new ones!
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Jan 25, 2009 01:19
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I r Pat posted:Does anyone have any suggestions for good strings for slap bass primarily for playing funk? Mine are getting kind of grungy and I am seeking new ones! DR Lo-Riders. Great high end for slapping and popping but also great deep tones for that funky feel.
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Jan 26, 2009 02:16
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Not strictly a bass question, but I'll toss it here rather than making separate topic. My quartz metronome is really boring sounding, and since I'm generally practicing next to my desktop computer I may as well have some fun and practice with some drum loops. However, a quick search for drum software on Google has only netted me some freeware with mediocre samples and horrendous interfaces. Unlike amp modellers which are pretty limited, it looks like these drum synths are a dime a dozen, so I have no idea which ones are good. Any recommendations?
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Jan 26, 2009 06:04
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Plastic Snake posted:DR Lo-Riders. Great high end for slapping and popping but also great deep tones for that funky feel. Thanks buddy. I will pick those up next time I'm at GC!
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Jan 27, 2009 02:42
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I've been playing about 2 weeks and I've sort of hit my first roadblock trying to do these 12 bar blues that my book is teaching me. Would I be better off maybe picking up a different book and going at different things for a while and coming back to this later, or should I just play it shoddily for the next few days until it (maybe) sounds better.
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Jan 28, 2009 19:32
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Keep at it if you're feeling persistent, or do something else. In my experience, it doesn't matter much. A friend of mine told me something that made a lot of sense given my own learning experience: Learning an instrument seems to be about plateaus. You'll practice, get better, practice, get better, practice, and suddenly you hit a wall. Whether you change your exercises or keep at it doesn't make much of a difference, you just can't get this one thing right. The only thing to it is to keep on practicing and not give up, even if it feels like wasted time. Then, one day, you pick up your guitar and that hurdle is gone. Everyone hits those, and they get longer to overcome as you get better. The only thing talent does is make those plateaus shorter.
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Jan 28, 2009 19:59
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Jan posted:Keep at it if you're feeling persistent, or do something else. In my experience, it doesn't matter much. This is completely true. When you're first learning an instrument, it feels amazing to be able to go back to songs that ruined your poo poo before and just play them competently and consistently without even trying. However, this only happens if you practice regularly, so just keep working at it and you'll get there.
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Jan 28, 2009 23:23
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In need of helps. Long story short I would like to ask if anyone could reccomend a good program *free or otherwise* that would allow me to write sheet music and tablature. Alternate features such as allowing me to adjust things like tempo and which clef I compose on for the sake of harmony and melody would also be awesome. and if it helps I play bass
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Feb 7, 2009 03:21
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Akur0 posted:and if it helps I play bass Very astute. Guitar Pro is a wonderful program that does exactly what you want it to. It's $60 and there's a demo version so you can see how boffo it is. There are tons of guitar pro tabs out there, too. Alternatively, if you don't feel like paying for Guitar Pro, there's another program called Power Tab. It's pretty popular, but not as good.
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Feb 7, 2009 05:04
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MancXVI posted:Very astute. MancXVI posted:Guitar Pro is a wonderful program that does exactly what you want it to. It's $60 and there's a demo version so you can see how boffo it is. There are tons of guitar pro tabs out there, too. Oh seriously? I acctually used a demo way back when to work tablatures but it started asking for money and I was broke at the time. Thanks alot.
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Feb 7, 2009 05:08
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I've noticed my fretting hand is slow and I'm having trouble using two fingers to play with. Anybody have some exercises or techniques to help me play faster?
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Feb 7, 2009 22:50
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