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Soopafly posted:Local businesses will charge a little more, but will service you for free most of the time and they might also do maintenance on your bass!
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Jun 19, 2009 02:28
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| # ? May 12, 2024 10:57 |
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So glad I ran across this thread. A ton of great info guys, thanks so much. Awesome thread. It's great timing I found this, I bought this bass http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpH2Mk1ItvM&NR=1 about 2 weeks ago for $149 on sale at GC and a Line 6 amp. I picked up the Improvisor's Bass Method and Bass Fitness, and started jamming away. I completely suck so far, but I'm really enjoying the bass more than guitar. I think it's mostly because my hands aren't dextrous enough for 6 strings. After reading the thread, I'm seriously considering selling my new Laguna and picking up the Squier VM J Bass. I love the big heavy bass, I'm not really a fan of the look of the cutaway I've found. Or do I just get new strings and a setup on the Laguna? Too many decisions....
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Jun 19, 2009 17:44
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trotski posted:So glad I ran across this thread. A ton of great info guys, thanks so much. Awesome thread. I'd spend some more time on the Laguna, then upgrade; 6 months maybe unless you're just DYING to get a new bass. Save up some more money and you may even be able to skip over the Squier to something even better.
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Jun 19, 2009 19:00
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Scarf posted:I'd spend some more time on the Laguna, then upgrade; 6 months maybe unless you're just DYING to get a new bass. Save up some more money and you may even be able to skip over the Squier to something even better. Seconded.
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Jun 19, 2009 19:17
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Also, be prepared to not get jack-poo poo for your used Laguna when you do sell it. Like, be thrilled if you get about $75 for it. Honestly, just give it to some kid who wants to learn bass 
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Jun 19, 2009 19:21
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trotski posted:After reading the thread, I'm seriously considering selling my new Laguna and picking up the Squier VM J Bass. I love the big heavy bass, I'm not really a fan of the look of the cutaway I've found. Or do I just get new strings and a setup on the Laguna? Too many decisions.... That bass looks pretty ok, from what I can tell. One small thing I can tell you about learning is that your right hand position is really important. By that, I mean where you pluck. I don't know where you do now, but try close to the bridge (not too close, just right over that pickup). It's a small thing to mention and I'm coming out of nowhere with it, but it took me a few years of playing to realize. Of course, it's all a preference thing. I pluck all over, depending on what I'm playing.
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Jun 19, 2009 19:35
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dissin department posted:That bass looks pretty ok, from what I can tell. Yeah, that has more to do with tone than anything. You'll get a much "tighter" and distinct sound the closer you get to the bridge. Plus some people find that the higher string-tension near the bridge makes it easier to move fast across the strings. I prefer to be in the "sweet spot" near the middle between the end of the fretboard and the bridge.
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Jun 19, 2009 19:43
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Cool, thanks for the advice. I wasn't really worried about how much I get for the Laguna, I'm more than happy to donate it. Donated my last guitar to a school music program. I did notice it's a little easier to move around with my right hand closer to the bridge, I don't like the tone as much. The pickups where I rest my thumb are really close to the bridge on the Laguna, unfortunately. I'd rather be closer to the sweet spot that Scarf mentioned. After the first few days of working out of the Bass Fitness book, I can really feel it in my left wrist/forearm.
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Jun 19, 2009 20:23
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Also make sure to work on moving where your thumb is anchored (if you're using your fingers). I made the mistake of leaving my thumb anchored on the pickup for my first month or so of play and the difference in ease between playing like that and anchoring youre thumb on the string above the one your playing is like the difference between night and day. When you're thumb is always anchored close to the string your playing then you'll find yourself using a uniform plucking motion for all the strings, which is immensely helpful. Also I'm a huge Bass Fitness fan! After getting over the initial week or so of soreness I made sure to complete a single part of the book a day and repeat it before moving on. I've gone through the whole book about 4 times and increased the bpm I play at and I love remembering just a few months ago when I couldn't even fathom doing what I can do now.
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Jun 19, 2009 21:52
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So when I first picked up bass playing I was able to write a whole bunch of things (although shittily) but recently I've been stuck in the habit of playing the same stuff over and over again. Are there any suggestions as how to get some inspiration/unblock my mind?
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Jun 20, 2009 06:16
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Dundee McFluffers posted:So when I first picked up bass playing I was able to write a whole bunch of things (although shittily) but recently I've been stuck in the habit of playing the same stuff over and over again. Are there any suggestions as how to get some inspiration/unblock my mind? Couple of things I do to help that. 1) Start listening to new bands, especially ones in different genres. 2) Go back and re-learn the modes/scales and just play them in different sequences.
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Jun 20, 2009 15:49
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Also, transcribe as much as you can. You'll find that other bassists have come up with nifty patterns in the past, and can help break you out of the box. Also, for anyone who hasn't seen it, there's a nifty video of Larry Dimarzio interviewing Roger Sadowsky at his shop, so you can see how they make all those basses that you'll never be able to afford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSJtt41VLKo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfjYC2mcPZc
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Jun 22, 2009 01:52
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Another noob question: Is the "Pro Setup" really a better investment than a regular setup? I returned the Laguna and went back to get the Squier VM J-Bass (I know, I'm an idiot), and the guy told me if I got a pro setup on it, it'd sound like a real J-bass. Thoughts? $120 for a pro setup for a ~$280 guitar seems a little steep to me, but I wanted to ask.
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Jun 23, 2009 19:42
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trotski posted:Another noob question: You'd be getting ripped the gently caress off... Unless he's talking about replacing hardware, a "setup" consists of a truss-rod adjustment, intonation adjustment, and string-height adjustment. And MAYBE checking the wiring on the pickups and such. At most it should cost like $30 for a setup.
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Jun 23, 2009 19:48
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Scarf posted:You'd be getting ripped the gently caress off... Unless he's talking about replacing hardware, a "setup" consists of a truss-rod adjustment, intonation adjustment, and string-height adjustment. And MAYBE checking the wiring on the pickups and such. Seconded.
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Jun 23, 2009 20:28
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Scarf posted:You'd be getting ripped the gently caress off... Unless he's talking about replacing hardware, a "setup" consists of a truss-rod adjustment, intonation adjustment, and string-height adjustment. And MAYBE checking the wiring on the pickups and such. loving thirded, 120 bucks for a setup is outrageous. On top of that, what you're getting will always sound like what it is: a Squier. Nothing inherently bad about that, but it'll never sound as good as Fender's higher end models.
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Jun 23, 2009 20:31
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Figured, it sounded like rape. Thanks guys.
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Jun 23, 2009 20:41
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dissin department posted:One small thing I can tell you about learning is that your right hand position is really important. By that, I mean where you pluck. I don't know where you do now, but try close to the bridge (not too close, just right over that pickup). It's a small thing to mention and I'm coming out of nowhere with it, but it took me a few years of playing to realize. Different strokes... I play right off the fretboard... I can be much more precise that way, and gets a percussive hit sound that I like.
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Jun 24, 2009 02:01
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trotski posted:Figured, it sounded like rape. Thanks guys. What store was this anyway so I can be sure to NEVER go there?
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Jun 24, 2009 04:15
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Speaking of setups, I've been mostly self-servicing after getting fed up paying each time I wanted to adjust anything. It's been quite enriching, and so far I haven't broken anything. *fingers crossed*  Anyhow, there is a little something that's been bothering me. My E string is considerably lower than my other three, so that whenever I adjust it so the action is perfect for A-D-G, my E string keeps buzzing. If I do the contrary and setup for E, then my action isn't at this sweet 2-3mm distance I've come to love. Basically, if I were to take a cross section of my strings at the 12th fret, I guess it'd look roughly like this:  Now this'd be something that normally gets fixed at the bridge, but my bridge doesn't have any individual string height adjustments. It seems to be a standard bridge for all SG-type basses, with three screws being the overall height adjustment.  I figure I have two alternatives: 1. Use the intonation screws to slightly raise/lower the strings to straighten them up. Of course, that'd also kill intonation so I'd likely end up with one flat harmonic and three sharp ones. Not good. 2. File down the A-D-G string slots in the nut. This is pretty much irreversible though so I'd rather keep it as a last resort. But now that I look at it closely, it looks like the E string slot was already filed during one of the three previous setups I had done.  So before I do it, has anyone messed with one of these bridges before that could tell if there's something I haven't thought of? Jan fucked around with this message at 14:40 on Jun 24, 2009 |
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Jun 24, 2009 14:35
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Jan posted:Speaking of setups, I've been mostly self-servicing after getting fed up paying each time I wanted to adjust anything. It's been quite enriching, and so far I haven't broken anything. *fingers crossed* IMO that's one of the major faults of the 3-point bridge... If the saddle was already filed down (what I'm assuming you mean when you say "nut" in this context), then you may need to look into a new bridge. Other than that, it's just going to take a lot of adjustment across all the points on the bridge to get it where you want. Raise the E side, lower the middle and G side, etc. etc. But if you want to drop a little cash on it... look into a Hipshot SuperTone bridge, should be a direct drop-in replacement for a Gibson 3-point, and it'll let you adjust the height of each saddle independently. http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=264
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Jun 24, 2009 15:08
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Nope, it doesn't even have a saddle, per se, unless you count the individual intonation points on the bridge. And those are definitely intact. I meant the nut, on the head. I saw that bridge when searching around, but I do like the look of the Gibson 3-way bridge so if I can I'd rather not change it.
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Jun 24, 2009 15:13
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Jan posted:Nope, it doesn't even have a saddle, per se, unless you count the individual intonation points on the bridge. And those are definitely intact. I meant the nut, on the head. Ahhh. Well then you may need to get a new nut cut and installed for it.
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Jun 24, 2009 15:23
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Gibson bridges can be pretty weird. My main bass is a Gibson Les Paul, and tinkering with the bridge to get the action where I want it has been a real chore.
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Jun 24, 2009 16:08
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Scarf posted:Ahhh. Well then you may need to get a new nut cut and installed for it. I guess I could buy a new one in case I can't get my current one to work by filing the other three strings down and maybe adding a shim. Right now I'd say the E string is almost at its limit, so I can probably use it for a few months without a shim or replacement before the whole nut is worn out. Seventh Arrow posted:Gibson bridges can be pretty weird. My main bass is a Gibson Les Paul, and tinkering with the bridge to get the action where I want it has been a real chore. I've been wondering about Gibson basses. They're not seen nearly as often as Fender J-basses and lookalikes, in spite of Gibson being a pretty huge brand when it comes to guitars in general. I love my Epiphone EB-3, love the sound of it, and have been thinking of getting a Gibson EB-3 (short scale, to reduce the dreaded neck dive) when I feel ready to invest in a four digit figure instrument. Would your Les Paul has been worth it over, say, a Fender MIA or another comparably priced instrument?
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Jun 24, 2009 16:28
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Jan posted:I guess I could buy a new one in case I can't get my current one to work by filing the other three strings down and maybe adding a shim. Right now I'd say the E string is almost at its limit, so I can probably use it for a few months without a shim or replacement before the whole nut is worn out. I own a Gibson EB-0 and love it. It's the previous incarnation of the EB-3. It sounds fat and chunky, just like you would expect, and the action is smooth, even for a 40-year old bass. Just make sure you can play it before you buy it, and do a thorough inspection of the whole thing.
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Jun 24, 2009 16:54
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Jan posted:I love my Epiphone EB-3, love the sound of it, and have been thinking of getting a Gibson EB-3 (short scale, to reduce the dreaded neck dive) when I feel ready to invest in a four digit figure instrument. Would your Les Paul has been worth it over, say, a Fender MIA or another comparably priced instrument? Yes, but I had something specific in mind when I bought it. I was curious about Darkstar pickups, so when deciding what kind of bass I would put them in, I figured a big, heavy chunk of maple would suit me just fine. So I had customization in mind from the get-go...that said, it sounds amazing. Lots of bite and presence, but still versatile.   So if you're trying to decide between a Fender and a Gibson, then I guess that doesn't help much...nevertheless, I think they do make good basses, although the sound might be a bit too 'raw' for, say, jazz.
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Jun 24, 2009 17:52
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Seventh Arrow posted:Yes, but I had something specific in mind when I bought it. I was curious about Darkstar pickups, so when deciding what kind of bass I would put them in, I figured a big, heavy chunk of maple would suit me just fine. So I had customization in mind from the get-go...that said, it sounds amazing. Lots of bite and presence, but still versatile. Awesome darkstar action there. The one thing about Gibsons (at least in their stock form) is that they're a bit of a one-trick pony. Granted they do that one trick amazingly well... but they really aren't versatile.
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Jun 24, 2009 17:54
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Scarf posted:Awesome darkstar action there. Thanks! I think you're right for the majority of what Gibson puts out - good for rock, blues, maybe r & b, but not good for jazz or softer types of music. I think the one exception, though, is Gibson's Money Bass. I tried one out, and it really does have a nice smooth kind of sound that would work well in a lot of contexts. Nice, fast neck too.
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Jun 24, 2009 18:16
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Seventh Arrow posted:Thanks! Yeah. All that said though, I'd kill for a nice EB-2
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Jun 24, 2009 18:22
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Is that the short-scale one? I really dislike short-scale basses...like Jack Bruce says, "I feel like I'm playing a toy!"
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Jun 24, 2009 18:30
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Seventh Arrow posted:Is that the short-scale one? I really dislike short-scale basses...like Jack Bruce says, "I feel like I'm playing a toy!"  I don't mind the feel of short-scales, plus they have an awesome mellow sound, much rounder on the top-end than standard scale length basses.
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Jun 24, 2009 18:35
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Here's a great representation of the sounds you can get from a shorty hollowbody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmSUjhcJaPo
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Jun 24, 2009 18:39
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There's one hollowbody I'd give a kidney for: Lakland, baby 
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Jun 24, 2009 18:45
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Seventh Arrow posted:There's one hollowbody I'd give a kidney for: Yeah... That's actually #1 on my list of basses to buy.
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Jun 24, 2009 18:52
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I'm tempted to save up my pennies for it too, but meh. I already have four basses - the Les Paul, a Danelectro with flatwounds, an 8-string, and a Fender fretless. I think I'm good for the time being, until we can get some more gigs to justify whimsical spending habits.
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Jun 24, 2009 19:07
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Seventh Arrow posted:There's one hollowbody I'd give a kidney for: Always have wanted, always will want. Darkstar pickups are absolutely stellar. If only they weren't so goofy looking on most basses. Lakland really needs to design a non-dark ages of bass design pickup cover for them.
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Jun 25, 2009 01:01
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Indi86 posted:Always have wanted, always will want. Darkstar pickups are absolutely stellar. If only they weren't so goofy looking on most basses. Lakland really needs to design a non-dark ages of bass design pickup cover for them. Lakland doesn't actually make darkstar pickups. Instead, they're made (and hand-wound, I might add) by a guy named Fred Hammon: http://www.hammoneng.com/ They did appear on a few Laklands though, either the Joe Osborn or the Bob Glaub basses, I'm not sure which. I think their Chi-Sonic pickups were supposed to be something along the same lines, though. Darkstars are interesting because they force you to really pay attention to your right hand. They're really sensitive to dynamics, so when you first play them, they're all CLONG CLONG CLONG. So you have to learn how to use a lighter touch and really control your dynamics. They really cut through though, and very high output.
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Jun 25, 2009 06:20
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Seventh Arrow posted:Lakland doesn't actually make darkstar pickups. Instead, they're made (and hand-wound, I might add) by a guy named Fred Hammon: Yeah, and there's a lot of room for user error with the DSs considering each pole piece can be adjusted individually. They were originally on the Decade bass as well. Dan developed the Chi-Sonic pickups to essentially take the place of the Darkstars. From the Lakland FAQ: quote:Q. Why has Lakland switched to their own brand of pickups and what is the relationship between Lakland and Hanson electronics? The Chi-Sonics aren't quite as vintage sounding as the DSs, they're more of a hybrid pickup. They retain a more vintage sound in the lows and low-mids, but have some modern bite when you get up farther into the mids and the highs. Scarf fucked around with this message at 14:24 on Jun 25, 2009 |
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Jun 25, 2009 14:21
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| # ? May 12, 2024 10:57 |
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Can anyone recommend a good intro to bass book that is written entirely in sheet music rather than tabs? I play the tuba so I'm already really comfortable reading bass clef.
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Jun 25, 2009 14:53
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