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So, I've got a blown speaker in my Ampeg SVT-410HE. I was thinking of replacing all four with a set of the Celestion TF1020s that Avatar is selling for $155 shipped. Is this a good idea? Does anyone know any other good replacements? I like that the TF1020 has a higher power handling and I don't think I want to spend much more than that.
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Sep 16, 2011 16:54
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Omar al-Bishie posted:Does it matter if my fingers don't come to rest on the string above after I pluck a string while playing fingerstyle? I've played for a bit now without doing it and it feels uncomfortable to do it. In most cases, yes, it matters. A large part of tone is how you attack the string. It would help to have a recording of your playing, though, to really tell you whether it's a problem. Still it's not going out on a limb to say that it is, even without having seen or heard you. Sound aside though, how do you rake if you don't attack towards the string above?
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Sep 16, 2011 17:44
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Hey, so I needed something to destress during law school, and I decided on teaching myself bass! I have a lot of music background but it's mostly classical, so I decided to branch out a bit - plus I'm running an a capella group right now so singing is more stress than fun. Here is a picture! http://imgur.com/5iP1y Have I made a terrible mistake? It is a shorter (don't know the official word) Epiphone bass, I liked the feel/look of it better than the full sized bass guitars that the place had. Also picked up a basic amp and necessary cords, and currently trying to learn what to do! Question: is it harmful (ie teaching bad habits) to try to learn particular, more challenging songs while simultaneously learning the basics? I can pick out and sorta pick up some songs on Youtube but I wasn't sure if that was a bad idea for longer term skill development.
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Sep 19, 2011 04:04
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Certainly not! Bass is laughably easy to learn compared to many other string instruments anyway, so by all means challenge yourself as much as you can. Besides, I've always found that the only way to play difficult songs is to have good technique. That's not to say it's impossible to develop bad habits, so it's always a good idea to take a lesson or two. Make sure they are from an experienced professional. Of course, there's also lots of material available online. I've always had great results from this site: http://www.studybass.com/ It was a great resource for me when I was starting out and still is now that I'm a teacher.
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Sep 19, 2011 07:42
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Direwolf posted:Hey, so I needed something to destress during law school, and I decided on teaching myself bass! I have a lot of music background but it's mostly classical, so I decided to branch out a bit - plus I'm running an a capella group right now so singing is more stress than fun. No mistake on the short-scale Epiphone, you should always buy the instrument that is most comfortable for you to play. Short-scale basses have, in addition to their feel, a unique tone that a lot of people (including myself) really dig on. And yeah, no harm in attempting difficult lines. The only thing I would be conscious of is any pain or cramping in your hands. If you're still learning technique, then it'll be hard to tell if any pain you experience is from rigor and fatigue, or from bad technique. So if you start to feel some pain, especially in your wrist, take a break. Off the bat though, in terms of technique to fight off fatigue, keep the wrist of your fretting hand as straight as possible (a slight bend is fine, but your hand shouldn't be crooked over at the wrist).
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Sep 19, 2011 14:08
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Okay this seems as good a place as any to ask this. Noob intonation question I guess I got my hands on a bass for for free off a clueless friend who has seemingly never used it. And while it checks out OK (as in I can plug it in and it makes noise) the E string is slack as all hell when tuned. It's not so much the intonation maybe as I can tune it to E open and at the 12th fret. But it rattles against the fretboard, it's too slack. The other strings are fine. I put a new pair of standard strings on it a month or so back but still. How do I fix this? The saddle looks awkward, I can adjust the height of the string and the distance from the tailpiece with an allen key, tips to resolve this? (Also it's a dirty motherfucker I need to clean it I know.) Observe!  I might swap out the E string with a different gauge to make it a bit tighter but I'm curious if I could resolve this by loving with the saddle. (And if so what do I need to do?) ZoDiAC_ fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Sep 19, 2011 |
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Sep 19, 2011 21:51
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Saddle looks fine to me although the camera angle isn't ideal. On many basses (i.e. Fender Jazz-likes) a certain amount of fret buzz is normal, though it shouldn't be so much that you lose most of the sustain. If that is what's happening a truss rod adjustment is usually better than a saddle adjustment. I'd get it checked out by a professional. If it's just a bit of clatter that isn't really causing any problems, and you're not interested in raising the action a whole lot, accept it as part of the sound!
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Sep 19, 2011 22:31
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While the E string is normally the lowest tension out of the four, it sounds like you may have gotten a bad string. None of the other strings buzz at all? Take a look down the neck and see how much relief (curve) it has. If you could take a picture from that angle as well it'd help us figure out what's going on.
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Sep 19, 2011 22:34
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I have this problem that I tend to anchor my thumb too hard on the strings when I float. It causes my wrist to turn at an awkward angle when playing. Is there some sort of easy way to correct this or is it something I have to relearn everything for?
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Sep 20, 2011 11:54
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Mancubus posted:I have this problem that I tend to anchor my thumb too hard on the strings when I float. It causes my wrist to turn at an awkward angle when playing. You just need to force yourself to relax. Once you feel your hand start to tense up, just tell yourself to relax. Easier said than done, I know... but that's really the only thing I can think of.
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Sep 20, 2011 14:05
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Plastic Snake posted:While the E string is normally the lowest tension out of the four, it sounds like you may have gotten a bad string. None of the other strings buzz at all? Take a look down the neck and see how much relief (curve) it has. If you could take a picture from that angle as well it'd help us figure out what's going on. There's slight buzz to the other strings (most noticable on the G) but nothing that comes through when its amplified apart from the slack E. The neck doesn't seem curved, but the E string seems to buzz around the 1st and 2nd fret - it might be too close to the neck? I will take pictures when I get a chance, it might be a bit awkward!
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Sep 20, 2011 17:17
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ZoDiAC_ posted:There's slight buzz to the other strings (most noticable on the G) but nothing that comes through when its amplified apart from the slack E. The neck doesn't seem curved, but the E string seems to buzz around the 1st and 2nd fret - it might be too close to the neck? Are you sure it's actually an E-string? Is it the right scale-length? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the string itself is the problem. I noticed it has a silk-wrap, where the rest of your strings don't. It also looks fairly new. Maybe it's for a longer scale-length bass...
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Sep 20, 2011 17:47
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Yeah it's a different kind of string but I believe it's the same gauge, but I don't know if it is . . . better to have it uniform anyway, so I'm just going to pick up a new set of strings this week and restring it fully, tune it, and check the intonation and then see how it is then. As far as I remember it's always had the slack E problem (I've restrung it in the past for him but not been too inclined to check it out in any depth until the bass became mine) but I'll try to eliminate the string itself being the issue. It's a Fender knockoff cheapo bass so I'm not expecting miracles since I got it for nothing anyway but since the electrics seem to work I'm fairly sure I can get it in servicable condition. It is playable as it is, but man, that rattle!
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Sep 20, 2011 18:59
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ZoDiAC_ posted:Yeah it's a different kind of string but I believe it's the same gauge, but I don't know if it is . . . better to have it uniform anyway, so I'm just going to pick up a new set of strings this week and restring it fully, tune it, and check the intonation and then see how it is then. Gauge can be the same, but the scale length might be off. Some fender knockoffs like a few of the SXs are sold at 30" scale length. But then all of the strings would be a little floppy as well... Can we get a shot of the full bass? Particularly the headstock?
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Sep 20, 2011 19:09
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Sure  
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Sep 20, 2011 21:35
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Reminds me of some old GHS Boomers, but have no idea what they are. Get a new set and if you look for some good strings, you will not need to replace them, unless you like them really bright. The intonation needs to be set. That doesn't look right. But it will not solve slop in the string or buzzing. Is it slop? Or just buzzing and that's how you are describing it?
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Sep 20, 2011 23:05
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The saddle is too low, raise it. Also, you'll probably want to thread the string into the post on the tuner correctly, its a mess - http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_string_change/
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Sep 21, 2011 00:40
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I'm having a setup done on my bass nextweek and I need to decide on a new pair of strings. I've used Ken Smith strings pretty much as long as I've been playing and never been let down, but the band I'm playing in now is less jazz/alt and more heavy rock. I was thinking GHSboomers might be a good option? We have a few songs in drop D and are aiming for a sort of black keys, the kills, smashing pumpkins sound
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Sep 23, 2011 18:55
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Avian Pneumonia posted:I'm having a setup done on my bass nextweek and I need to decide on a new pair of strings. Get two pairs!  Also just get the strings that you like best! Different strings will not make a world of difference unless you are switching from round- to tapewound or something like that. On the other hand if you really want that classic hard rock tone I would probably not suggest getting coated strings (which the GHS ones are as far as I can tell). Ernie Ball is always a safe bet!
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Sep 23, 2011 19:23
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Yeah it looks like steel is the way to go here.
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Sep 23, 2011 19:24
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DR Lo Riders and D'Addario Pro Steels have been treating me well the past couple of years.
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Sep 24, 2011 00:44
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I'm a guitar player mostly but play bass on my own recordings. I have a Fender Jazz Bass with the noiseless pickups and the active system. I want to swap the pickups with some that sound less "assy". I would like to keep the active system since I like the boost in gain and the additional tonal options but I don't know anything about bass pickups. Do I have to get active pickups or will any pickups work with the active system. Also can anyone recommend me some decent pickups? Price is really no object here as I want some that I will never replace again. If it make a difference I do sort of countryish folk, bluesy stuff.
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Sep 24, 2011 14:22
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DrChu posted:DR Lo Riders and D'Addario Pro Steels have been treating me well the past couple of years. DR Lo Riders sound great stringed up with my Ibanesz GSR. They go nice with popping and slapping, I would recommend these.
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Sep 25, 2011 05:12
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HollisBrown posted:I'm a guitar player mostly but play bass on my own recordings. I have a Fender Jazz Bass with the noiseless pickups and the active system. I want to swap the pickups with some that sound less "assy". I would like to keep the active system since I like the boost in gain and the additional tonal options but I don't know anything about bass pickups. Do I have to get active pickups or will any pickups work with the active system. I really like the Fender 60's Custom Shop Jazz pickups I have. Super solid sounding, old school but very clear.
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Sep 25, 2011 18:56
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Thanks! Will they work with my active system? \/\/\/ Thanks. Thanks kind of what I thought but I've never replaced the pickups in an active system. Hollis Brownsound fucked around with this message at 00:04 on Sep 26, 2011 |
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Sep 25, 2011 19:27
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Yep. The "active" part refers to the onboard preamp, and it should work with whatever pickups you hook up to it.
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Sep 25, 2011 19:43
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Boomers arent coated as far as I am aware and I have had them on my guitars the last 4-5 changes. They are also the only strings I have found around Sydney that still do silk wrappings, which look boss against my black headstocks. Daddario can suck a dick. they feel like rear end and keep that bright tone for like 1 4hr rehearsal. they cost half as much (often twofers in shops here) but they are less than half as good. Ernie ball is my second choice.
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Sep 26, 2011 07:49
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Laserface posted:Boomers arent coated as far as I am aware and I have had them on my guitars the last 4-5 changes. Sorry, I misread their website. They just came out with a new "electric coated boomers" variant apparently.
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Sep 26, 2011 09:40
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Rotosound stainless strings are the only ones you'll ever need. Edit: VVV The last pack of rotosounds I bought caused me to grow another head, we are both in agreement. Chalupa Joe fucked around with this message at 04:15 on Sep 28, 2011 |
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Sep 27, 2011 22:26
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Yes, if you need strings that go dead quickly and chew up your frets then Rotosounds are the way to go.
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Sep 27, 2011 23:12
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DrChu posted:Yes, if you need strings that go dead quickly and chew up your frets then Rotosounds are the way to go. I bought one pack of rotosounds, they had some weird metal powder on them that irritated my eyes and caused discoloration on my skin.
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Sep 28, 2011 03:40
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can anyone tell me about a Mesa 400 base head? I currently play a Markbass R500 (tube preamp) and its just a bit...farty sounding. I run a tech21 SVT pedal to get my sound but obviously the natural progression is to a tube amp, and there is one of the above amps going cheap second hand. I was thinking of getting an SVT reissue or whatever they are doing with them and keeping my markbass 4x10 (because owning heavy gear is stupid) but there isnt any second hand in my area and the mesa is about half as expensive. essentially, I want that bass tone. you know the one, everyone does, and i know it comes from an ampeg and a fridge cab, but i want to get that close without having to have a fridge cab. will the mesa do it, or at least get drive-y enough to still be worth its weight?
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Sep 28, 2011 07:49
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Laserface posted:can anyone tell me about a Mesa 400 base head? I've used a 400+ for almost 10 years now. I will never ever ever buy another amp. They're pretty much indestructible but heavy as gently caress. If you try it out and like the tone, there's really nothing to know about it. Its a 100% tube amp and will give your "that" sound you're looking for with a little fiddling with the tone controls. Its not going to perfectly emulate an Ampeg but thats not what I was trying to do. I personally don't like the SVT reissue. All Ampegs sound exactly the same to me. Even the all tube series. The only one I considered buying when moving to all tube was the SVT 2 Pro but holy christ $$$$$$.
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Sep 29, 2011 16:23
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Here's a newb question regarding technique. I'm starting to explore the wide world of slapping and popping, and everything I read seems to say that the thumb should be perpendicular to the string when you slap. That seems impossible to me, because if my thumb is perpendicular to the strings it will 100% certainly hit other strings around the one I'm trying to hit. Like, if I try to slap the A string with my thumb perpendicular to the string, the E and D strings also sound. The only way I can get a single string to sound when I slap is to have my thumb parallel (or pretty close to parallel) with the strings, but my accuracy with that is pretty bad. I've tried to find youtube videos about it but the most in-dept they get about it is "slap the string with your thumb" so I have the feeling I'm overanalyzing it. Still, I'd like to make sure I am developing at least semi-correct technique. Anyone wanna help me out on this one?
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Oct 1, 2011 23:17
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The Letter A posted:Here's a newb question regarding technique. I don't know what sort of websites are telling you that the thumb should be perpendicular, but that is way off if you ask me. Always be as close to parallel as possible. It's the most relaxed angle for your wrist and if you plan to ever learn how to double-thumb, there's no other way to do it. That said, only a small part of your thumb should be striking the string, so whether it's perpendicular or parallel won't really matter once you get comfortable with the technique. Anyway, I would suggest you check out some Marcus Miller videos on youtube and watch how he does it.
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Oct 2, 2011 00:59
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cactuscarpet posted:I don't know what sort of websites are telling you that the thumb should be perpendicular, but that is way off if you ask me. Always be as close to parallel as possible. It's the most relaxed angle for your wrist and if you plan to ever learn how to double-thumb, there's no other way to do it. Eh, between perpendicular and parallel is pretty much the standard method; somewhat giving a thumbs up while you're playing. It basically boils down to whats most comfortable for you. Mine is usually about a 45* angle between perp and parallel. And yeah, only a small part of the thumb actually strikes. Usually right at the knuckle. It's much easier if you have a hitch-hikers thumb; you can bend it back enough that the knuckle protrudes more and the pad of your thumb isn't going to hit anything.
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Oct 2, 2011 06:36
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How easy is it to transition from guitar to bass? I've played guitar for years and years now, enough that I consider myself at least reasonable at it. A friends band are in need of a new bassist and I'm considering giving it a go with them. Aside from the unholy amount of effort to get up to speed with all their material is there anything I should be looking out for\paying attention to?
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Oct 7, 2011 13:57
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Cast_No_Shadow posted:How easy is it to transition from guitar to bass? I've played guitar for years and years now, enough that I consider myself at least reasonable at it. A friends band are in need of a new bassist and I'm considering giving it a go with them. Aside from the unholy amount of effort to get up to speed with all their material is there anything I should be looking out for\paying attention to? The easiness depends on if you're more melody oriented or more rhythm oriented. Listen to your drummer above all else; pay attention to the kick, snare, and hat. You're transitioning from a primarily melodic instrument to a primarily rhythmic instrument. Most guitarists-turned-bassists make the mistake of focusing too much on what their guitarists are doing, and sometimes it's hard not to. Know your changes, know the modes you're playing in, but syncing up with the drummer is the priority.
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Oct 7, 2011 14:09
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Cast_No_Shadow posted:How easy is it to transition from guitar to bass? I've played guitar for years and years now, enough that I consider myself at least reasonable at it. A friends band are in need of a new bassist and I'm considering giving it a go with them. Aside from the unholy amount of effort to get up to speed with all their material is there anything I should be looking out for\paying attention to? The bass is another drum. This is the single best piece of advice you can get as bass player. Otherwise look up a post.
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Oct 7, 2011 14:53
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Cast_No_Shadow posted:How easy is it to transition from guitar to bass? I've played guitar for years and years now, enough that I consider myself at least reasonable at it. A friends band are in need of a new bassist and I'm considering giving it a go with them. Aside from the unholy amount of effort to get up to speed with all their material is there anything I should be looking out for\paying attention to? The best advice is to learn what NOT to play with bass. Guitarists like to fill every spot of silence with notes. Bass should definitely take a step back and lock in with the drummer. Getting a good rhythm going is definitely more important than playing all the notes possible.
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Oct 7, 2011 15:25
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