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that particular pic isn't mine but the one I got looks exactly like it except it only has two knobs, volume and then what I guess is a sort of high end pusher? and it just says 'Epiphone' on the headstock. 'Gibson' is printed on the little plate that covers the truss rod access. It's black with a black plate like the one in the pic, screws look a little rusty all around. The strings are smooth and fairly new. Played it today and it sounds okay, lacks a little 'punch' but messing around with the amp I can get a decent voice out of it.
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Jun 30, 2010 02:10
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Hey guys, I posted this in the small questions thread as well but this thread seems to be filled with knowledge as well.. I'm looking for something small and cheap to record direct to the PC via USB. I have a bunch of inputs hooked up to a loop pedal, so it will only need to have one input for the main signal, then an output for my amp, and of course a USB connection. If you have any suggestions post em here! The cheaper the better.. looking for something simple to get my ideas out of my head and onto an mp3..
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Jun 30, 2010 02:28
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I r Pat posted:Hey guys, I posted this in the small questions thread as well but this thread seems to be filled with knowledge as well.. There aren't any really cheap and small solutions when it comes to USB devices. Here's the cheapest solution I know of: just turn the volume completely down on your bass, patch directly into your sound card's line-in, and then turn the volume up until you've got something that looks reasonable in your audio software. Note that if you're using Windows, you likely won't get great latency. If that's the case, see if your sound card and software supports ASIO -- that'll get latency down to reasonable levels.
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Jun 30, 2010 04:19
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Howdy everyone. I have been playing bass for around 4 years (I am currently 23). I have never played guitar, though I am a former cello player, so I wasn't completely in the dark about what I was getting into. That said, I have some questions related to my current equipment and playing style. First off let me say that I am a bit of weird one when it comes to what I like in bass. My first guitar was a Ibanez GSR200 (a real tank of a bass, if you're thinking of getting one), but after a year, I made the transition to a Mexican Fender Standard Fretless Jazz Bass. I never looked back, though I did acquire a Schecter Omen IV which is now my choice when it comes to playing a fretted bass. Back to my fretless J-bass:  This is my baby. The reason I like it so much probably has to do with the fact I played cello so much when I was a kid. I have made some modifications since this picture was taken, including a new bridge, but I want to tweak things a little more I think. So my first question is: what PUPs (both in terms of functionality and brand) should I think about getting? I play mostly classic rock (I'm forming an AC/DC cover band currently), and a lot of blues-inspired music. Secondly, my Schecter Omen IV needs some tweaking as well. I have some Steve Harris strings (Rotosound) on it right now, which I love, but I feel something is really missing in the sound. The stock Diamond PUPs are amazing, so I don't want to change those, though I was considering some EMGs if they would give me a noticeable difference in sound for the better. I really want that raw bass sound that Cliff Williams has, but maybe I'm being a perfectionist--should I invest in a pedal system for the sake of playing around with sounds to see what I can get, or should I just not try to fix what isn't broken? Help is appreciated, as I'm still a bit of a beginner when it comes to gear/equipment.
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Jun 30, 2010 19:39
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I would heartily recommend the Fender Custom Shop 60's Jazz pups, I have a set in my Jaguar. I play with flats (Chromes) and I get a really nice thick woody sound with lots of definition when I play clean, and a great heavy sound with overdrive. I think you should head over to https://www.talkbass.com to the pickups forum, because there's tons of discussion and clips of other pups. This will either educate or confuse you. Plus I think cliff williams probably played with brand new nickels or steels to be honest, something those Steve Harris strings just are not able to cop because they're flats.
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Jul 1, 2010 00:06
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DataSage posted:My first guitar was a Ibanez GSR200 (a real tank of a bass, if you're thinking of getting one) Hmm, what was wrong with it? That's the one I'm thinking of getting... It's the right price, but I have very little experience in electric instruments. I currently play a crappy Legend acoustic bass, which I love, but I think it's time to go electric. Speaking of which, what's a recommended cheap amp? I might go check out a Peavey TKO 80 that a guy's selling for $100 and see how it sounds. But for that price I'm not expecting too much... Is that an OK amp to start off with? I'll be checking it out on the acoustic bass of course, but hoping that it will sound OK with an electric bass too. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 11:55 on Jul 1, 2010 |
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Jul 1, 2010 10:45
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A Peavey TKO bass amp that you can get for a hundred bucks will be great. 80 watts is probably four times what you'll need for bedroom playing and is plenty to keep up if you're playing casually with friends.
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Jul 1, 2010 14:17
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drat it, the amp's been sold already. Any ideas for a cheapy one I could look for new, or some good brand names / models to watch out for second hand?
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Jul 2, 2010 00:37
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AlphaDog posted:Hmm, what was wrong with it? Nothing, really, except for the fact it needs new pick-ups once you clear that first year of playing, in my opinion. It is durable as hell though, it took a couple of tumbles during practice sessions, and I still like it as an instrument. Yeah, it has a cheapy feel to it, but that's part of its charm in my humble opinion. I would recommend getting new strings immediately for it though, as the stock strings are... not good.
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Jul 2, 2010 07:22
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So my buddy just loaned me his bass for a while and he hasn't played it in ages so it needs new strings badly. Whats recommended if I want a fairly bright sound? First songs I plan on learning are a couple Silversun Pickups and Flaming Lips songs.
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Jul 2, 2010 17:18
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AlphaDog posted:drat it, the amp's been sold already. Any ideas for a cheapy one I could look for new, or some good brand names / models to watch out for second hand? I own this amp for practice. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Line-6-Low-Down-Studio-110-Combo-Bass-Amp-104078472-i1170323.gc It gets the job done nicely. It has a wide range of tones and can keep up while jamming with others. If you are playing with a drummer it can also work unless your drummer is loud as gently caress.
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Jul 2, 2010 21:08
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Fausdinotoly posted:I gave some more thought to your question. Yeah definitely, I just have real trouble with this kind of thing - I mean this might sound stupid, but sometimes I can't tell if a chord is major or minor if it's part of a progression (an obvious major progression makes the chords all sound major-y to me). The stuff about tweaking your EQ so you can hear the bass better is helpful though, I'll have to get some non-earbud headphones that don't suck too
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Jul 2, 2010 21:55
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Epi Lepi posted:So my buddy just loaned me his bass for a while and he hasn't played it in ages so it needs new strings badly. Whats recommended if I want a fairly bright sound? First songs I plan on learning are a couple Silversun Pickups and Flaming Lips songs. "Fairly bright" is pretty vague. Generally, rounds are brighter than semi or flatwounds and stainless steel strings are brighter than nickel or coated strings. I'm personally a fan of DR Lo Riders. DR Hi Beams are really bright and twangy. I've also used Rotosound and Ernie Ball bass strings. It's more or less a matter of taste.
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Jul 3, 2010 03:35
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I r Pat posted:I own this amp for practice. Looks nice, thanks. Found a place that sells them locally, but it's a bit pricey (I'm in Australia, so there's a bit of a markup on everything). I guess I'm going to end up spending as much on the amp as I am on the bass... Edit: Went to have a play on that amp. It sounded awesome, so I've ordered one. It was 10% cheaper to have one shipped to me than to buy it from the place I tried it at, but now I have to wait 2 weeks for it to arrive 
Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 09:28 on Jul 5, 2010 |
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Jul 3, 2010 08:06
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DataSage posted:Howdy everyone.
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Jul 3, 2010 16:29
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hey guys, I never post here but I was hoping some of the experts could help me identify a bass I saw being played at a concert. I see where it says Kuro model, but it doesnt turn up any results, is it some obscure japanese brand? Kuro is also his nickname. Fauxtool fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Jul 5, 2010 |
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Jul 5, 2010 19:35
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A picture with the headstock included would probably help a lot. If the player is somewhat well known in Japan, you might try emailing the proprietor of http://www.music-trade.co.jp He has a pretty extensive collection and knowledge of JDM guitars and basses.
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Jul 5, 2010 21:55
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rockear posted:A picture with the headstock included would probably help a lot. If the player is somewhat well known in Japan, you might try emailing the proprietor of http://www.music-trade.co.jp He has a pretty extensive collection and knowledge of JDM guitars and basses. thats the only picture I have sorry. It didnt really have a unique headstock. I did however find the email address of his official fanclub and Im sure they will know
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Jul 5, 2010 22:54
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I r Pat posted:Hey guys, I posted this in the small questions thread as well but this thread seems to be filled with knowledge as well.. How cheap is cheap? $50: http://www.alesis.com/guitarlink Doesn't get much smaller than a cable with a 1/4" on one end and USB on the other. $250: http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/hear-one.php Super small, built in mic, Apogee's kick-rear end converters on board...
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Jul 6, 2010 05:04
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Welp, I'm about 2 months into my hiatus/vacation from live music. So odd, love having the free time, definitely miss being on stage playing music though. At least it's giving me time to write some stuff for a new project. Now if only I could find some musicians to join in.
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Jul 6, 2010 16:43
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warwick5s posted:How cheap is cheap? Thanks for the suggestions! I was looking for something completely digital so the second option won't work really. I found these on eBay, for just about $20 (other auctions) http://cgi.ebay.com/Guitar-USB-Guitar-Link-Adapter-Cable-PC-Mac-/360276658844?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e2298a9c Pretty inexpensive and does exactly what I need it to do with an amp out and guitar in to USB.. anyone have any experience with it?
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Jul 7, 2010 04:24
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Are you looking for something low latency? ie for modelling stuff like amplitube, or just something for recording? The link there doesn't specify whether the thing has an ASIO compatible driver, so I'd check that out. for that price though it could be of use to you either way.
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Jul 7, 2010 05:39
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I r Pat posted:I was looking for something completely digital so the second option won't work really.  Not really sure what you mean here. You plug your guitar into the box, and plug the box into your computer. Anything like this is going to be better quality than one of those cables, with the Apogee being about as good as you can get for a 1 input interface that small. (Although it is Mac-only.)
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Jul 7, 2010 07:30
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God I'm beginning to hate the 30 year old pickups on my old rear end Steinberger L2. They are EMG-HBCS' I believe. Need a few recommendations for a really, really really fat sound.
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Jul 9, 2010 00:27
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For one-input audio interfaces for PC, the M-Audio Fast Track USB is pretty good. I've been using it for quite a while and it should be able to do what you want it to.
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Jul 9, 2010 03:08
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Where/how do you guys recommend finding a teacher/instructor?
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Jul 10, 2010 11:18
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Basic Beater posted:Where/how do you guys recommend finding a teacher/instructor? Your local music store/music playing friends.
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Jul 10, 2010 14:53
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Basic Beater posted:Where/how do you guys recommend finding a teacher/instructor? If there's a local university with a music department, ask around for some of the professors or grad-students to see if they give lessons (more likely to find an Upright teacher, but they may play electric as well). It'd probably be much more expensive though...
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Jul 10, 2010 15:59
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I woke up this morning to someone banging on my door. Couldn't figure out what the hell it was, but it turned out that my amp arrived 2 days earlier than they said it would. Been playing with it pretty much since then... It sounds pretty good, and I can get a heap of different noises out of it. Only problem is, it doesn't seem very loud for 75 watts. Maybe that will improve when I'm not using an acoustic bass with a lovely pickup though. It's a Line6 Lowdown 110 Studio, for anyone who's interested. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Jul 14, 2010 |
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Jul 14, 2010 05:19
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I was contemplating getting one of them but I was wanting to pick up a Fender Jazz Bass first haha. Line6 model a lot of sounds and I was just wondering if they sound fake or tacky at all? Also, I'm guessing it wouldn't be loud enough to have for band practices or gigs would it?
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Jul 14, 2010 10:17
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It doesn't sound fake or tacky at all. The fuzziness from the drive setting and 'rock' and 'grind' models is quite warm and awesome sounding. I'm not sure if it would be loud enough for band practices. Someone previously in this thread said it would be fine if your drummer wasn't "loud as gently caress", but I'm just not hearing that sort of volume from it. Again, I'm playing a crap acoustic bass with a crap pickup at the moment, so maybe things will improve once I get my new bass (hopefully this week!) I doubt it would hold its own at a gig. However, it does have an XLR direct out, and a preamp out socket, so you should be able to plug it in to the house PA anyway (not that I'd know much about that sort of thing, maybe someone who does know can expand on what that all means). Speaking of new basses, I played the hell out of an Ibanez GSR200, and thought it was pretty drat nice. I can order one very cheaply at the moment, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with that. But is it a decision I'll regret in a year's time when I'm a better player? Would I be better off saving a couple of hundred extra bucks and going for one of the next models up? I do really like the sounds of the GSR200 though... Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 10:41 on Jul 14, 2010 |
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Jul 14, 2010 10:38
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AlphaDog posted:Speaking of new basses, I played the hell out of an Ibanez GSR200, and thought it was pretty drat nice. I can order one very cheaply at the moment, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with that. But is it a decision I'll regret in a year's time when I'm a better player? Would I be better off saving a couple of hundred extra bucks and going for one of the next models up? I do really like the sounds of the GSR200 though... If you like it, get it. If at some point you feel restricted as a player by your instrument, the good thing is you can sell it for a pretty good price and put that money towards a new bass. Price only tells you how high the chances are of getting a good instrument. Cheap basses can be really good too.
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Jul 14, 2010 14:16
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AlphaDog posted:
The XLR-Out is definitely for sending to a PA for pumping you through the mains, subs, and monitors. The Preamp Out is to send your preamp's signal to the house mixing board, a recording console, or if you wanted to use a separate power amp. And yeah, I can't imagine any bass amp, sub 100watts, being useful for practice with a drummer. Maybe if he was using brushes and you were playing jazz... Honestly, I've never really seen the point of having a "practice" amp separate from my gigging rig. I just chose a full rig that was modular. That is, when I'm practicing, I'll probably just bring one speaker cabinet with my amp-head. When it's time to gig, and I need the full power, I'll use both cabinets. I know that isn't exactly feasible for someone just starting out, but it's something to keep in mind if you stick with it and want to actually start playing live. A full rig (hell even half a rig) can be a pain in the rear end to lug around to shows, let alone practice. But if you have an underpowered amp and need to play through a PA... unless that PA is always going to be set up at your practice space, it's even MORE of a pain in the rear end to have to lug THAT around. You're kind of in the between-zone with your amp. 75watts is just outside of the bedroom-amp area, but not enough power to function as a practice amp in a full-band setting. BUT, having all those modeling options makes it good for you to figure out what kind of setup you might want in the future since you're just starting out. Just my two cents.
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Jul 14, 2010 15:27
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Scarf posted:The XLR-Out is definitely for sending to a PA for pumping you through the mains, subs, and monitors. The Preamp Out is to send your preamp's signal to the house mixing board, a recording console, or if you wanted to use a separate power amp. So in the theoretical future when I need to be much louder, all I'll need is a power amp? Stupid newbie when it comes to amplification here...
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Jul 15, 2010 00:20
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Just sounding off here as a fledgling bassist. I have owned an electric guitar sicne I was 15 and started seriously trying to learn it four months ago. Two months ago I got an acoustic/electric. Three weeks ago I bought an Ibanez GSR 200 FM and a cheap 15W Fender practice amp and I have not looked back. Of course, my greater enjoyment of the bass probably has something to do with the fact I started actually looking into theory around the time I picked up the bass. I think the instrument lends itself better to focusing on stuff like that than the guitar though, where so much of the early things they tell you to focus on has to do with the actual playing of the instrument and not what the gently caress these notes are that are coming out of it. Anyway, looking forward to maybe being able to contribute to the thread or ask some decent questions sometime in the future. I'm probably going to look into taking lessons within a few months.
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Jul 15, 2010 05:34
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Well, just ordered my new bass. Ibanez GSR200 in black. Let's hope it gets here swiftly and in one piece...
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Jul 15, 2010 06:18
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AlphaDog posted:So in the theoretical future when I need to be much louder, all I'll need is a power amp? Stupid newbie when it comes to amplification here... No. Because one 10" speaker will not be enough. Even for use as a monitor.
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Jul 15, 2010 14:23
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Picked up a Warwick Profet 5.2 yesterday, for $700 AUD. The guy at Music Park(Perth) who I normally deal with it turns out is leaving in a week. He wasn't specific but it kinda sounded like they let him go. So I guess that's why he let me have it for about $200 short of list price (although I have seen a few of these on drumpower for $750). Now I just need to come up with $400 to buy my co-worker's Ashdown 410 cab to plug into it. Thank god it's my birthday in 2 weeks. I'll post a short review of the amp once I've had the chance to really play with it, but my impressions from tooling around with it at the shop are such: It has a great sound for the price, and it's LOUD. I preferred it to the Shuttle 6 and Ashdown Mag Pro 600 that I tried, and it absolutely destroyed the Hartke HA series amps. The new LH1000 was the only thing I preferred tone-wise, but I didn't need dual 500W amps and it was almost twice the price. Again this thing is LOUD, even for a 500-watter - I think this will happily drive two 8ohm cabs as loudly as I want it to. The only thing the 5.2 doesn't have that I somewhat wish it did was a foot switch for the mute circuit, which the Eden Nemesis 400 I usually play on has - but I have to walk up to the unit to tune anyway so I'll live. If I want to tune up front that badly I'll just buy a Pitch Black. I'm hoping to get the chance to test this with my friends newly-built fEarful 12-6 cab soon  So anyone who's been putting off buying a stage-friendly head/cab setup, take a look at these, they don't seem to be selling well so a lot of music stores are letting them go for cheap.
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Jul 16, 2010 01:31
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New bass arrived today. It's awesome. I won't post a pic, because it's exactly the same as the Ibanez in the OP. Everything aobut the bass is awesome so far, and I'm having a lot of fun seeing what different sounds I can get out of it - I'm used to a volume and a tone knob on electric instruments. I can't believe how long it sustains for - I'm used to the acoustic bass, which apparently didn't sustain at all. Is it normal to have to manually mute open strings? If I don't do it, it sounds like crap as the open string just keeps ringing and ringing. I'd also like to say that these guys http://musiccorner.cart.net.au/ were extremely helpful, very prompt, and very cheap. I'd recommend dealing with them to anyone. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 08:00 on Jul 20, 2010 |
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Jul 20, 2010 06:35
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AlphaDog posted:I can't believe how long it sustains for - I'm used to the acoustic bass, which apparently didn't sustain at all. Is it normal to have to manually mute open strings? If I don't do it, it sounds like crap as the open string just keeps ringing and ringing. Yup, entirely normal. Part of the long sustain is due to the new strings that are on it, which are probably stainless steel roundwounds. They're going to have a lot of "zing/brightness" to them as well as overtones. They'll settle down after a bit of playing. I'm pretty sure Ibanez puts D'Addario XLs on their basses at the factory. Enjoy the bass!
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Jul 20, 2010 14:03
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