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A while ago my buddy gave me his beat up old bass that he doesn't use anymore and I finally got it set up so I can start learning some poo poo on it. Only thing I need now is an amp. I don't mind saving up a bit for it, but I'm mainly a guitarist and I don't gig so all I don't need something super duper and I'd prefer used. My upper budget is probably between $150 and $200. I'd want something with good cleans and I don't need effects in the amp, if I want effects I like buying pedals. I intend on learning a bunch of Silversun Pickups and Cure songs to start out with, and I've got a Russian Muff to provide some fuzz. The Bass is a P Bass knock off. The one other thing is that I love Fender guitar amps so if they have bass amp that fits the bill and is in my budget I'd be all over that. Otherwise, what do you guys recommend?
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Sep 24, 2010 19:23
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Gah, I'm GASing for a new bass already although I bought that Squier Vintage Modified jazz bass only four months ago. Don't get me wrong, I love the thing but I just want something new to toy around. I almost brought Ibanez Jet King home with me after noodling with it at a local store but tried it out today and wasn't really loving the feel of it anymore. Any recommendations for neo-vintageish basses in the price range of 300 - 450 $/€? Was thinking of giving Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass TB another try though, I remember it having a great tone. Would love to try out some Gibson EB-3 knock-offs but haven't found any around here. 
These Loving Eyes fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Sep 24, 2010 |
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Sep 24, 2010 19:26
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Epi Lepi posted:Otherwise, what do you guys recommend? If I were you, I'd buy this Workingman's 12 Combo. But that's just me.
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Sep 24, 2010 19:28
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Manky posted:If I were you, I'd buy this Workingman's 12 Combo. I don't know I feel like that does way more than I need. I want something simple and clean that takes pedals decently.
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Sep 25, 2010 00:34
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Doomy posted:I'd also recommend taking a close look at the Markbass offerings. They all have DI built in, the newer Little Mark III's have a line out volume control, and to top it all off they sound as smooth or glassy or however you want them to sound - the EQ is really powerful and they take effects/amp emulators really well (VT bass, the Flipster for instance). Not to mention, 500 watts in under 8 lbs. I've considered getting a Markbass amp. A friend of mine let me borrow it a few times when space was a concern. They're really powerful for their size. My only problem is they're a little TOO smooth for my taste. I like a little bit of dirt to my sound which is why I got a 400+. I guess I could run my MXR M80 through it for that. 8lbs is pretty tempting. Rifter17 posted:http://www.peavey.com/products/ipr/index.cfm Thanks. Hopefully some local places will have it in stock so I can check it out.
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Sep 25, 2010 03:04
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I have a question about practicing. What are some good technique exercises? I know this is very dependent on what one is trying to improve, but I'm looking for two or three general technique exercises to do for 5-10 minutes each once or twice a day that, combined, will touch on finger dexterity and speed and all that jazz. I'm also looking for a good picking exercise. I've recently decided that I like the sound of a pick much more than finger playing, and that many of my favorite bassists use(d) picks (Nick Oliveri, Chris Squire, and the dude from Acid Bath come to mind). I'm having trouble building speed and accuracy with the pick (skipping strings is pretty rough so far), so I'm looking for some practice in that department too. Thanks in advance.
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Sep 25, 2010 04:44
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Roflsaurus Wrecks posted:I have a question about practicing. What are some good technique exercises? I know this is very dependent on what one is trying to improve, but I'm looking for two or three general technique exercises to do for 5-10 minutes each once or twice a day that, combined, will touch on finger dexterity and speed and all that jazz. I am in the same boat and would also love advice to this effect!
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Sep 25, 2010 13:01
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Roflsaurus Wrecks posted:I have a question about practicing. What are some good technique exercises? I know this is very dependent on what one is trying to improve, but I'm looking for two or three general technique exercises to do for 5-10 minutes each once or twice a day that, combined, will touch on finger dexterity and speed and all that jazz. Bass fitness is a classic http://www.amazon.com/Bass-Fitness-Exercising-Handbook-Guitar/dp/0793502489/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285419357&sr=8-1
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Sep 25, 2010 13:56
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Sacred Cow posted:I've considered getting a Markbass amp. A friend of mine let me borrow it a few times when space was a concern. They're really powerful for their size. My only problem is they're a little TOO smooth for my taste. I like a little bit of dirt to my sound which is why I got a 400+. I guess I could run my MXR M80 through it for that. 8lbs is pretty tempting. I agree, it can be a little to smooth at times. I nearly always run an catalinbread SFT to get some nice grit. Sure I would like a tube amp like a v4 but i have to admit, one trip load ins are really, really, really attractive.
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Sep 25, 2010 18:55
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Roflsaurus Wrecks posted:I have a question about practicing. What are some good technique exercises? I know this is very dependent on what one is trying to improve, but I'm looking for two or three general technique exercises to do for 5-10 minutes each once or twice a day that, combined, will touch on finger dexterity and speed and all that jazz. This one is pretty good for developing independence for each finger as well as accuracy while string skipping. Try to use one finger per fret (ie. index on the 5, pinky on the 8) and avoid changing hand positions. Start off nice and slow with the first one, then move on to the really stretchy ones. G----7--8--7--8-- D--5--6--5--6---- A----------------- E----------------- G----7--8--7--8-- D----------------- A--5--6--5--6---- E----------------- G----7--8--7--8-- D----------------- A----------------- E--5--6--5--6---- Try it out with different picking patterns- I find it works very well for practicing alternate picking. You can move the pattern to any other position as well. Juaguocio fucked around with this message at 01:56 on Sep 26, 2010 |
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Sep 25, 2010 22:55
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I'm thinking of picking up a bass and I've got my eye on a used Epiphone violin bass. Is there any reason why this would be a bad idea? I'm going to get back to the store tomorrow to give it a try, but I don't yet know how to play anything, so I don't know what to listen for. Any advice or recommendation?
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Sep 30, 2010 04:09
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DRP - if it looks cool and feels good to you, and sounds good... sure why not? If you plan on practicing in your room sitting down, make sure you are trying it out that way. Grab a strap, see how it feels. Does the neck dive on you and feel awkward? Does the body dig into your forearm? Do the strings buzz/rattle in odd ways at any of the frets? Do the volume/tone controls work without hissing? Are they scratchy? Like when you turn the knob while plugged in, do you hear scratchy/static coming through the amp? Those are the basics in what to check for. There are many more, but this should get you started. Only recommendation - get a goooooood tuner. Even if it is your first bass, spend a good dollar on a pedal tuner (Boss / TC Electronics / Turbo Tuner, etc.). Even if bass doesn't end up being your thing and you sell the tuner, you'll get most of your money back. With cheap tuners, not really. They sorta work, but just get the real thing and be done with it.
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Sep 30, 2010 05:40
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This might be kind of a dumb question but I have no experience with active pickups so I thought I'd ask here. I picked up a used LTD B-105 on a whim and it sounds good and I enjoy playing it, but sometimes the sound will completely cut out for a while. Sometimes it'll come back within a couple minutes, sometimes I'll just have to put it down after fiddling with stuff to bring it back. Last time it did it I plugged in my passive bass with the same cable and amp and everything sounded fine. Does it need a new battery or something?
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Sep 30, 2010 07:19
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Bruce Boxliker posted:This might be kind of a dumb question but I have no experience with active pickups so I thought I'd ask here. Maybe! It sure would be cheap and easy to find out, that is for certain!
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Sep 30, 2010 07:20
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Most likely, a new battery is needed. The other thing to note about active basses - if it is plugged in, the battery is being used. So when not in use, leave it unplugged.
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Sep 30, 2010 12:58
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Thanks Schatten for the advice. I checked it out and subsequently bought the violin bass today. I'm definitely enjoying playing this a lot more than playing guitar. I'm slowly reading through this thread, so I apologize if this has been answered before: does anyone have any good advice/books/videos that would help me learn how to slap/pop? I watched a few videos on youtube, and I'm sort of getting the hang of it, but it almost sounds like I'm sounding off harmonics rather than actual notes. On that note, I've got a very busy university schedule this year, so I won't be able to look into getting an instructor until May, so I'd like to start teaching myself some techniques before then. DRP Solved! fucked around with this message at 01:32 on Oct 1, 2010 |
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Oct 1, 2010 01:30
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Bruce Boxliker posted:This might be kind of a dumb question but I have no experience with active pickups so I thought I'd ask here. Just to clarify, it has active electronics (preamp), but the pickups themselves are passive. It's either a dead/dying battery, or some wiring in the control-cavity are making bad connections somewhere. Usually a dying battery will give you a distorted sound before it cuts out completely... so I'd check the connections inside as well.
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Oct 1, 2010 14:25
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And speaking of ESP, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this yet: Also, ESP recently did a collaboration with Lakland to build this, the L'Arc-en-Ciel tetsuya 55-69: 
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Oct 1, 2010 14:26
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Scarf posted:And speaking of ESP, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this yet: This looks goddamn horrible. I love the look of a thunderbird but this is such a failed mock-up. The shape of the pick guard and the more pronounced roundness just don't fit. Not digging the tuners nor the inlays that much either.
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Oct 1, 2010 20:09
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So I got to play a beautiful 1979 Rickenbacker 4001 with a great translucent red finish the other day. It was hard not to drop $2600 on it right there. God drat Ricks are awesome.
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Oct 2, 2010 05:03
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Yo, changed the battery on my ESP and it works fine now. Sorry about the dumb question, just wanted to know if it could've been something more alarming.
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Oct 2, 2010 06:09
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Nail Rat posted:So I got to play a beautiful 1979 Rickenbacker 4001 with a great translucent red finish the other day. Yeah. I have a '77; that thing can do everything. Always wondered why you don't see them more often, 'cause the 4001/3 can go from a close imitation of a double bass to the snarliest of punk rock sounds using the same set of strings. To me it's like the 335 of bass guitars.
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Oct 2, 2010 09:29
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Hey scarf do you have any recommendations for flatwound strings? I want to put some on my fretless and see if I can get more "mwah" out of it. e: also roundwounds are destroying my neck much faster than I anticipated. I don't want to get my neck epoxied every 4 months.....
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Oct 2, 2010 19:11
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BBW FEVER posted:Hey scarf do you have any recommendations for flatwound strings? I want to put some on my fretless and see if I can get more "mwah" out of it. I have some Di'addario Chromes (medium, I think) on my 78 Jazz bass (fretted) that I love. And some Thomastik-infeld strings on my fretless jazz knockoff that sound great. Although they're long dead now but when they were newer they were good.
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Oct 2, 2010 19:22
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BBW FEVER posted:Hey scarf do you have any recommendations for flatwound strings? I want to put some on my fretless and see if I can get more "mwah" out of it. I love LaBella's "Deep Talkin'" Flats. I also have some LaBella nylon tapewound strings on my fretless. They give it much warmer and mellow tone. Minimaul posted:I have some Di'addario Chromes (medium, I think) on my 78 Jazz bass (fretted) that I love. And some Thomastik-infeld strings on my fretless jazz knockoff that sound great. Although they're long dead now but when they were newer they were good. Chromes are good too, but they're definitely among the brightest flatwounds you'll find. TI's are good, but carry a very low tension. I've found them to be waaaaay too loose for my playing style. Also, they're retardedly expensive... Also, flats sound way better as they age.
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Oct 2, 2010 19:39
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Scarf posted:I love LaBella's "Deep Talkin'" Flats. I also have some LaBella nylon tapewound strings on my fretless. They give it much warmer and mellow tone. *shrug* I like 'em both. Yeah, I like old flats too, but the ones on my fretless are about 5+ years old. I should play that thing some more... I forget the brand, but I have some half-wounds on my SX P-bass... I hate them. Got a discount on them though and wanted to try them out just for the hell of it. Better than the strings I had on there before. I'll be gettin' some new strings soon. I'm not too picky about my strings and tone and poo poo. As long as I don't "clank" I'm good to go. I'm a simple guy.
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Oct 2, 2010 19:41
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Nail Rat posted:So I got to play a beautiful 1979 Rickenbacker 4001 with a great translucent red finish the other day. If you look around you should be able to get a late 70s 4001 for about half of that. If that finish is original then it wasn't something they made a lot of, which may explain the price.
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Oct 2, 2010 20:54
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DrChu posted:If you look around you should be able to get a late 70s 4001 for about half of that. If that finish is original then it wasn't something they made a lot of, which may explain the price. It was at a Guitar Center, so I'm not exactly convinced it was a good price. I don't know if the finish was original or not. I'm intending to buy a Rick sometime in the next six months, but it definitely won't be for $2600, vintage or no.
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Oct 2, 2010 21:36
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SexyGoofTroopGrl posted:Bass fitness is a classic This book is great. I've played bass for nearly twenty years, I'd say I have very above-average chops, and this poo poo still HURTS. Scarf posted:Also, ESP recently did a collaboration with Lakland to build this, the L'Arc-en-Ciel tetsuya 55-69: This thing rules. My guitar player picked up a pink Fernandes super strat with the same kind of color scheme while we were in Japan a few years ago, and we figured out after we got to the US that it was also a L'Arc-en-Ciel model. It has a cat inlaid on the fretboard, gold floyd rose and hardware, white EMG's. So cooool.
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Oct 2, 2010 22:05
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Scarf posted:Chromes are good too, but they're definitely among the brightest flatwounds you'll find. Chromes are unpleasantly bright right out of the package, but after you break 'em in a bit they have a wonderful warmth that lasts for a very long time. I've recently started using GHS Precision Flats and I like them quite a bit too.
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Oct 4, 2010 01:22
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Anyone who knows Tom Sawyer got any tips for the part after the synth solo? (2:00 or so). I'm running into a brick wall speed wise. I can play it at about 80% speed. Is he hammering on every other note? Alternate plucking? It's hard to tell from the video.
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Oct 4, 2010 04:33
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Ed Friedland reviews the new Warwick Streamer LX SE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRhife-v3QA
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Oct 4, 2010 14:32
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Scarf posted:Ed Friedland reviews the new Warwick Streamer LX SE. War wick? Is that really how you say it? I always assumed it was Worrick EDIT: That's a great demo though and man does that sound nice. I need to get good so I can justify an upgrade now baka kaba fucked around with this message at 01:09 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 00:58
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Scarf posted:Ed Friedland reviews the new Warwick Streamer LX SE. It sounds good... very good. But I'm still holding out for an early Thumb.
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Oct 5, 2010 03:27
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gotly posted:Anyone who knows Tom Sawyer got any tips for the part after the synth solo? (2:00 or so). I'm running into a brick wall speed wise. I can play it at about 80% speed. Is he hammering on every other note? Alternate plucking? It's hard to tell from the video. Alternate plucking? That's probably where you are off. Are you using a tab somewhere? Can you copy/paste it using code tags? Otherwise, map out each note, and figure out for yourself what is optimal, and what sounds right. You'll learn a lot more if you figure it out on your own, but if you post up the tab here, I'm sure we can help you out. Been playing that riff for over twenty years.
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Oct 5, 2010 03:29
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God drat I hate playing in drop tuning 
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Oct 5, 2010 10:37
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Underflow posted:Yeah. I have a '77; that thing can do everything. Always wondered why you don't see them more often, 'cause the 4001/3 can go from a close imitation of a double bass to the snarliest of punk rock sounds using the same set of strings. To me it's like the 335 of bass guitars. From what I understand, Rickenbacker doesn't produce a lot of basses as a whole, especially compared with a company like Fender. They also don't seem to have any particuarly special arrangements with the big chains like Guitar Center, so it's harder for many musicians, especially the ones in the sticks, to get their hands on one. In New York City, there's apparently a massive waiting list for them. They're definitely in demand, but people I meet consistently complain about not being able to get them. I found the 4003 hard to play as the string spacing isn't my cup of tea. They do sound really awesome, though.
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Oct 5, 2010 16:10
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Schatten posted:Alternate plucking? That's probably where you are off. Are you using a tab somewhere? Can you copy/paste it using code tags? Otherwise, map out each note, and figure out for yourself what is optimal, and what sounds right. You'll learn a lot more if you figure it out on your own, but if you post up the tab here, I'm sure we can help you out. Been playing that riff for over twenty years. code:
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Oct 5, 2010 16:39
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gotly posted:I have the left hand down pat, but my right hand is failing me. I realize no way is the right way, I'm just trying to get some ideas. Do you play it with one finger on the D string and one on the A, "strum" through with one finger, only pluck every other note and hammer on the string above? I'm able to play it pretty quickly by hammering on every other note but it's not as defined as I'd like. I had to watch my right hand for a bit and I'm doing what you describe. I rake one finger from D to A and then the next from D to A. The first finger is ready for that D on the A string at the fifth fret. That should be it. I've seen this transcribed different ways, and this is the most typical one. But you can take the F# (9th fret on A string) and move it to the F# (4th fret on the D string). That might make the left hand relax a bit. Watch Geddy play it here, still isn't the same. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7DFsBcVMDA
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Oct 5, 2010 18:10
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Dyna Soar posted:God drat I hate playing in drop tuning Why? Is it the string and setup fussiness?
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Oct 5, 2010 21:13
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