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We've established I am equally a noob with bass, so it's probably a little bit blind leading the blind here, but I can tell you my fender jazz bass came with something like 45-105 round wound as default and I find no problem with them.
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Oct 31, 2020 16:24
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Nice. I’m happy with the stock strings so no reason to change them, and I suspect they’ll get even easier to play once I adjust the action properly so I’m perfectly comfortable replacing like for like. I think the only thing I want to try swapping is nickel for the (presumably) steel roundwounds that are stock just because I heard nickel is easier on the fingers (??). I’m going to pick up a set of these and toss them in a drawer just to have a spare: https://www.long-mcquade.com/3403/Guitars/Strings/D_Addario/EXL165_-_Nickel_Round_Wound_LONG_SCALE_45-105.htm — I don’t plan to replace the strings if I don’t have to but I’d rather have an emergency set than not.
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Oct 31, 2020 16:43
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It's very common for new basses to come stock with nickel-plated 45-100 or 45-105 strings. Common stock string types are Ernie Ball slinkys, D'Addario XL, or Fender 7250 (I think, not sure on the Fender). The EB and D'Addy strings should be pretty easy to find at most shops or online. (E: the above linked set is a perfect example) My current preferred cheap string is GHS Bassics, which are less easy to find but are a bit nicer for the price in my opinion. I'll be trying La Bella roundwounds after I work through the small collection of new strings which have been accumulating on my bookshelf - I love La Bella tapes and flats, and their rounds are pretty well priced, but I haven't had them on a bass yet.
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Oct 31, 2020 16:50
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I have no idea about steel vs nickel (and looking it up fender's own string brand is nickel plated steel) but I have the exact same D'Addario set as a spare in the drawer too because it's hard to go wrong with D'Addario. I'm too new to look at anything other than the "default" for strings myself.
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Oct 31, 2020 16:53
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Pure steel has more clank and a lot more mids while nickel plated steel is a little bit more balanced. Pure nickel is very mellow, but not as much as flats. Thats the basics of it without diving too deep into each brands jargon of coatings and winding methods. In my experience the boring old nickel plated steel d'addario sets (the cheap ones) are my favorite balance of price, feel, and longevity. But string brands are all personal preference. I would say "get a bunch and try them out" like guitar strings but since it's $20 to $30 a set for bass strings, I'm gonna suggest doing that over a long period of time
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Oct 31, 2020 18:09
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Spanish Manlove posted:Pure steel has more clank and a lot more mids while nickel plated steel is a little bit more balanced. Pure nickel is very mellow, but not as much as flats. Thats the basics of it without diving too deep into each brands jargon of coatings and winding methods. There's a whole bunch of YouTube videos of of people comparing bass strings, which can be helpful to get an idea of the sounds. I've got La Bella Black Nylon Tapewounds on my bass, cos I love the mellow sound and they're super easy on fingers. Problem is, double ball strings aren't cheap and I had to order from US to Australia, so it was about $40-50 US.
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Oct 31, 2020 21:22
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https://support.fender.com/hc/en-us/articles/214343843-How-do-I-set-up-my-bass-guitar-properly- These should be applicable to Squiers as well, right? I’m specifically looking at the 9.5” neck radius relief which I believe my Squier 70s Jazz has. If the relief is meant to be .012” at the 8th with 1st and last fretted then I’m easily double that so I’ve got to adjust that first. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Oct 31, 2020 |
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Oct 31, 2020 22:58
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Ended up grabbing an open-box Rumble 40 from Amazon and the Ampeg B-15N VST from Brainworx! The amp arrived today and I had a ton of fun going through the basic Fender Play exercises. They're not too challenging, especially coming from a guitar background, but there were a lot of good tips on hand placement that I wouldn't have picked up otherwise.
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Nov 1, 2020 04:51
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Manufactures are usually pretty good at telling what strings they set stuff up with, for instance a random Squier: https://shop.fender.com/en-DK/squier-electric-basses/jazz-bass/contemporary-jazz-bass/0370400573.html You gotta expand the specs and go to the bottom, but it's there.
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Nov 1, 2020 09:28
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Thanks gang. I adjusted my truss, bridge action, and intonation and it was a piece of cake. I didn’t touch nut action but I’m happy to take that to a luthier at some point. For now it feels MUCH easier to play and fret. Getting a SLIGHT bit of buzzing but after some investigation I think it’s just me not fretting correctly/completely. If I make an effort to make sure I’m fretting where I should I get none. When I get sloppy it appears. So problem is likely with the user.
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Nov 1, 2020 20:16
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I remember everything buzzing like hell when I started out, and now I can barely get a good buzz if I try to play for it. This also applies to the lovely bass i started out with, which has never been adjusted. My guess is it's a combination of finger strength, muscle memory and general feel for the instrument. I also use my picking hand to push towards myself, so I get pressure on the fretting hand that way. I can actually play without using my fretting have thumb that way. Anyway, does anyone have a Yamaha Thr10II and tried it with a bass? Mine is awesome for guitar, but i cannot get a clean, audible bass tone from it on any channel. I'm using a Sandberg 5 string J/MM with the battery pulled out so it's passive, and in getting distortion in all settings. And it's farty too.
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Nov 1, 2020 21:09
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Anyone have experience with Stagg EUB's? Local used-gear shop has one for $400 and I'm really tempted. Sounded half-way decent through one of their lovely no-name amps...
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Nov 2, 2020 17:52
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Overcome with power after doing my own setup, I swapped my bridge for a Hipshot Kickass. I don't know why I did it, I certainly don't know enough about bass to notice the slightest difference, but I love tinkering with my hobbies and this was a really fun and easy swap-out that made me feel accomplished  Also working my way through beginner to badass, on week two of the thirteen week course. Feeling really good about it as well but noticing some bad habits that I need to work on. My fingers are flying off the fretboard if they're not in use so I'm trying to calm them down more. After I adjusted my action down pinky fretting became much easier but I tend to use my ring finger and pinky in conjunction across three frets rather than one finger per fret and I don't know if that's bad or not but I'm also trying to work on spreading my fingers out more. Anyway, any hobby that I haven't immediately given up on after three weeks tends to stick around with me so I'm very optimistic 
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Nov 3, 2020 01:45
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One-finger-per-fret is a real stretch for the average person on the lower frets, so don't obsess over it - better to be injury-free than technically "correct".
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Nov 3, 2020 10:45
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Fierce Brosnan posted:One-finger-per-fret is a real stretch for the average person on the lower frets, so don't obsess over it - better to be injury-free than technically "correct". Yeah if you don’t have Steve Vai fingers then just stick with index, middle and pinky for everywhere below the fifth fret.
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Nov 3, 2020 15:08
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Scarf posted:Anyone have experience with Stagg EUB's? Local used-gear shop has one for $400 and I'm really tempted. Sounded half-way decent through one of their lovely no-name amps... No but my #1 gripe with my NS bass was that it felt nothing like an upright bass. With the Stagg you at least get an endpin, a neck stop, and that swing out rail for the upper bout. Probably only matters if you're used to double bass.
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Nov 4, 2020 01:03
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The Wiggly Wizard posted:No but my #1 gripe with my NS bass was that it felt nothing like an upright bass. With the Stagg you at least get an endpin, a neck stop, and that swing out rail for the upper bout. Probably only matters if you're used to double bass. Well, moot point for the time being, but thanks! Local used gear shop has one for a pretty good price ($400 in v. good condition), and I was hoping to do a straight-up trade for some gear I don't use anymore. They tried to lowball the ever-living-gently caress out of me, so I walked.
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Nov 4, 2020 17:21
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One finger per fret is not an ideal on bass. I can do it if I want, but it really has very limited use, and is painful in the long run. Move your hand around instead. I also will fret one note with two fingers, like ring and pinkie, if it feels right. The important bit is getting to the note in time and getting to the next afterwards. For a dumb exercise, i sometimes play along with Mr Jack by SOAD on my five string. It's on drop C on the album, but I play it with the first fret on the B string and moving between that and the fourth fret on the E string. It's doable and gives a good stretch, but if I was ever gonna play it for real I would either retune or slide up and down the B string.
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Nov 4, 2020 20:44
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Thanks for the info, gang. I won't sweat OFPF if this is the case, and just try to do my best to not gently caress up my paw. Another maybe dumb question: As far as amps go, right now I'm playing through a Zoom B1four to headphones. I know I can pick up cheapish practice amps like the Fender Rumble or Ampeg BA108. I might have the chance to pick up a BA-115 and I went to play with one in store today. It seems like with the -15dB setting and at low volume it can work as a decent in-room practice amp, albeit definitely not even coming close to stretching its legs. Is it a poor idea to pick up a more expensive but powerful amp that I will probably not use to its full potential, on the off chance that I might want to go play with someone in a garage at some point, thus future proofing myself a bit? I'm leaving money out of the equation since I can afford either, the 108 would just be significantly cheaper. I guess if I can afford both the real question is, is there any advantage to practicing with a quieter, less powerful amp vs just turning a bigger more powerful one down to where it's bearable in a home setting?
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Nov 4, 2020 23:13
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I learned how do OFPF because it hurts my brain to not do it (which has caused a few problems soloing on guitar in upper registers, but solos are for dorks so no love lost). It's not really all that useful unless i'm going hyper fast in certain situations. I weirdly don't have any tendon issues in my hand, but i'm weird and have massive spider hands. I also regularly practice hand stretches and use a grip strength tool regularly. It's not worth it. Don't do OFPF even with proper training.
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Nov 5, 2020 00:03
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I play one of these one finger per 
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Nov 5, 2020 03:41
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Seventh Arrow posted:I play one of these one finger per is the lowest note on that audible by humans or just elephants?
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Nov 5, 2020 03:51
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Seventh Arrow posted:I play one of these one finger per 
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Nov 5, 2020 03:56
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Spanish Manlove posted:is the lowest note on that audible by humans or just elephants? Apparently the lowest note (C) is not audible by humans. Also it sounds like godzilla farts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12X-i9YHzmE
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Nov 5, 2020 04:05
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Seventh Arrow posted:Apparently the lowest note (C) is not audible by humans. Also it sounds like godzilla farts lol this rules. I'm gonna share it with people at work for extreme sound/music poo poo
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Nov 5, 2020 04:24
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Most importantly, the low C means you can play Dragonaut on it.
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Nov 5, 2020 04:58
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Well obviously I need one to start my drone band *looks at ceiling* I’m going to need to make some adjustments.
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Nov 5, 2020 07:41
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EL BROMANCE posted:Well obviously I need one to start my drone band Is it just gonna be you talking for an hour? 
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Nov 5, 2020 12:08
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EL BROMANCE posted:Well obviously I need one to start my drone band iospace posted:Is it just gonna be you talking for an hour? lol
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Nov 5, 2020 17:17
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curried lamb of God posted:GC has the 70's CV Precision Bass for $329, so I went ahead and ordered one Im looking to get one of these too. Ill pay full price, but just missed this sale. Anyone know how often GC puts these things on sale, or when general sales go on? I really really like the seafoam green one with the block inlays, says "special edition" so I don't know if I'm going to miss out if I don't go ahead and get one now - but I'd rather wait till it comes down in price a little.
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Nov 6, 2020 14:16
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I realize I've been playing bass for like two years now and I still basically have no idea what I'm doing. I've mostly just been playing songs, learned via tab. I'm gonna go ahead and finish the studybass curriculum. That's the site that got me started and it seems to lay a good foundation for like, making your own bass lines and stuff. That's where I'd like to go now.
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Nov 7, 2020 17:29
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Hellblazer187 posted:I realize I've been playing bass for like two years now and I still basically have no idea what I'm doing. I've mostly just been playing songs, learned via tab. I'm gonna go ahead and finish the studybass curriculum. That's the site that got me started and it seems to lay a good foundation for like, making your own bass lines and stuff. That's where I'd like to go now. Try working backwards with the songs you know too. Like, try to figure out what notes you are playing and what scale they fit in. This gives you some idea of how scales can be used, what scales you might like for which kind of song and a reference when you're figuring out how to play scales.
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Nov 7, 2020 17:53
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Hellblazer187 posted:I realize I've been playing bass for like two years now and I still basically have no idea what I'm doing. I've mostly just been playing songs, learned via tab. I'm gonna go ahead and finish the studybass curriculum. That's the site that got me started and it seems to lay a good foundation for like, making your own bass lines and stuff. That's where I'd like to go now. What style are you wanting to play? Country or Western?
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Nov 7, 2020 18:09
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I picked up the Improvisor's Bass Method when I got my first bass a couple of months ago and stuff like this: Is like an absolute meal. I literally a spent a week on this between learning bass clef, memorizing my arpeggio shapes, learning to actually play the music, then applying what it was trying to teach me to other progressions, just developing this into a ii-V-I and drilling it and iterating on it. Between that you've still got to learn, like, Billie Jean and Gigantic or whatever, but being able to play like this is a huge draw for me. I just find it so meditative.
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Nov 7, 2020 18:25
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Hellblazer187 posted:I realize I've been playing bass for like two years now and I still basically have no idea what I'm doing. I've mostly just been playing songs, learned via tab. I'm gonna go ahead and finish the studybass curriculum. That's the site that got me started and it seems to lay a good foundation for like, making your own bass lines and stuff. That's where I'd like to go now. Don't feel bad. I've been playing for like 20 years and I still have no idea what I'm doing. Just fake it til you make it and keep at it.
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Nov 7, 2020 19:10
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Bassbuzz Beginner to Badass still going well. Week three and while we’re only now starting to get into finding notes on the fretboard etc, it’s been great for keeping me interested and great for feeding me bite-sized lessons that I can do in ten minutes here and there, when I have time at lunch or after work between household adulting. My comfort with the fretboard and plucking has grown a LOT from week one and I think that’s just a function of time with the bass strapped to my body. We haven’t learned anything super complex yet, and I’m sure my form will fall apart again now that we’re getting into more complex fretting and plucking eighth notes across strings, but I’m confident that it’s just a matter of time and practice until those also feel much easier, just like pinky fretting and not having my fingers fly off the fretboard are gradually becoming easier. I’m not sure it’s worth the $250 over a free course like studybass, but I have no regrets so far. Josh’s presentation and personality really meshes with how I study, a little moreso than the Studybass dude (though nothing specifically against the way he taught) and having a predefined set-in-stone-ish curriculum/schedule is really helping me not slack off. Printing out the daily calendar of lessons is a great visual way of charting my progress too. Sure I can say I did three weeks of lessons, but when I see those 21 lessons with a big X through them it’s got a great way of energizing me and showing me that I am really close to 1/3 of the way through, or halfway through, or nearly there. Awesome encouragement.
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Nov 7, 2020 20:06
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Martytoof posted:Bassbuzz Beginner to Badass still going well.... I'm glad you're still liking it, I was a little worried about it with mine being the only recommendation in the thread. Also drat you caught up to me, shows how much I've been slacking off. I expect to start slowing down as well when diving deeper into new concepts that I didn't encounter by gleaning the internet at large. $250 does seem like a lot until you compare it to the average rate for in person lessons. I've heard most lesson rates start at $35 an hour but I don't have any real proof of this as I've never inquired about lessons at a shop or any place more professional than my neighbor who teaches guitar under the table at $25. I opted for the physical DVDs as my internet was poopy at the time and the back of the box says there's 36 hours and 8 minutes of lessons, so I'm sure they looked very hard at the math to ensure it was priced well enough to get people to buy it and still earn their profit.
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Nov 7, 2020 23:13
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For sure. I’m definitely down with the value, I think I just meant over free resources. For me this has a slight advantage over studybass because a) I prefer the presentation and b) it has more of an “end goal” that you can visualize yourself working to. To be fair to SB it’s clear how many lessons he has published and it’s simple math to say “I do X lessons a day and I’m done in Y time” which is essentially what B2B does, they just happen to put it out the front and center. Whether these two are worth the price of admission probably depends on individual finances. SB was really nice for the first few lessons until I switched and I bet I could have made that work easily too. Moreover I’m sure that “done with B2B” doesn’t mean much. Done with B2B I expect to be “ok now I know how to noodle a little and the real study begins”. I was in the middle of nowhere today and stopped into a LMS and tried a $2000 fender jazz on an Ampeg PF-20T amp run through a PF-410HLF cab. It was really really nice but I was pleased to see it wasn’t like.. drastically more pleasing than what my BA-112v2 pumps out; only louder and maybe a little warmer? I am worried that once my ears get more attuned to specific sounds I’ll have expensive tastes, but for now my cheap equipment sounds SO GOOD it’s keeping me satisfied
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Nov 8, 2020 00:34
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For a few months now, I've been giving bass lessons to a retired guy from Kansas. He posted in a jazz facebook group I'm in, asking for jazz bass tablatures. We were explaining to him that it doesn't really work that way and so I started teaching him about chords and arpeggios, specifically the chords to "Take the A Train", showed him a walking bass line, that sort of thing. He has to take care of some personal matters though, so I won't be hearing from him for a bit. So if any newbies want free skype lessons, send me a note - especially if you want help with music theory and how it applies to bass parts.
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Nov 8, 2020 01:20
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iospace posted:Is it just gonna be you talking for an hour? Oof!
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Nov 8, 2020 06:41
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