The Bassist and Guitarist thread

[Drago]

Yep, mainly in the F clef. I'm rusty so having to think about it, but its still much easier for me than reading tab.

 

[Seevio]

This is Rock n Roll. Bass music is written in tab!

 

[DCBassman]

Enjoying the bass. Learning the scales as quickly as I can, and theres enough familiarity with the positioning between guitar and bass that I'm picking it up pretty fast. Starting to learn some basslines to a few choons, so getting into it.

It's already begun....the mods, that is. I've bought this wondrous beast for 5p quid, but I'm guessing it was about £300 when new. Thats good enough to play well, but not quite good enough that all the cosmetics will be first class. And so it is with the control knobs, nickel plated things that clearly aren't top drawer material. I've ordered some clear and black Les Paul types to replace them, nicer finished and less garish.

And I've ordered a tug bar, which I'll use in the finger rest position. Though I'm doing better at fingering (fnarr!!!) 4 strings than I was 6, I'm rattling away best with a pick so that'll aid me there.

Mrs D is going to get me a pukka bass amp for Crimbo, the I'd quite like an acoustic bass...and then a Steinberger...

You've got GAS, gear acquisition syndrome! There's no cure. Like bikes!

 

[DCBassman]

Having said that, after 50 years of playing bass, I've stripped it all back to the bare minimum super-lightweight rig. Easier on...everything!

 

[Drago]

I've renamed the thread.

 

[delb0y]

Something to aspire to:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve37F3Ee9Ow

 

[Deleted member 23692]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NcDoaH7KOY

 

[DCBassman]

The one thing I don't encompass is electric bass as a solo instrument. Doesn't work like that for me.

 

[DCBassman]

I use modern flatwound strings, either D'Addario Chromes or Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. These can be quite twangy with tone right up, yet very mellow with lower tone. Much easier on the fingers and frets, and if you look after them (and if you don't suffer from killer sweat), they can last years, which makes them, in the long run, much cheaper than roundwound strings.
And if any Cyclechatter wants their bass set up, and they are nearby, gimme a call!

 

[Drago]

What are they like price wise compared to conventional strings?

 

[DCBassman]

What are they like price wise compared to conventional strings?

Expensive. £30 to £40 a set. They might last ten years, though, which roundwounds never do. Although if you want to do slap bass, roundwounds are definitely it.
If you want really soft feeling flats, go for TI JF324 Jazz Flats, even pricier, very supple, less twangy, again very long lived if you look after them. This means a wipe down after every use.

 

[Drago]

This looks a good website.

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/strings-c1/string-sets-c865/bass-guitar-c34

 

[DCBassman]

If you have a guitar shop nearby, see what they stock. They are not likely to have a good range of bass strings unless thjey specialise, but if they have what you want, it's rarely much different in price. Stringsdirect and Stringbusters not greatly cheaper, pays to shop around.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Good call on the Ibanez, Drago. My son has an Ibanez bass which is very nice. He hasn't really persevered with learning to play yet though. He started with an Epiphone viola bass copy but it had terrible neck dive.

Between us all we have quite a few guitars. OH has just bought a used Fender US telecaster which is awesome, we have 5 or 6 acoustics, and a couple of other electrics. As with bikes, the n plus 1 equation applies. I bought this for £50 in a charity shop earlier in the year - an as new Loar acoustic, a beautifully made copy of a pre war Gibson. It's a shame I am pretty much just a strummer.

 

[Stephen Piper]

After playing in various local bands as a drummer, and occasional guitarist, over the past 45 years, I finally find myself playing in two bands as a bassist. I have always dabbled with bass so have a few chops and years of practice behind me. I cannot read tab or the stave quickly enough to use in a live situation, but tab helps as a learning tool. I manage by memorising parts, and even if they do fade if not used regularly it takes very little to recap and bring them back to mind. YouTube is a god send for tutorials on how to play almost any bass line in the rock and soul idioms, wish it was around in the 70's when that stylus had to be reset a thousand times to work out the notes one at a time.

I have four basses, a couple of cheapo types left knocking about for practicing on (a Peavey and Epiphone), a Fender Jazz Bass for gigging and fairly recently I acquired an inexpensive revolution fretless, which is already gathering dust alongside the mandolin and lap steel which are hardly ever played either.

I still play drums in a band and our current bass player is an inspiration as he only has two fingers on his fretting hand and plays with just an index and little finger. Sitting beside him on the drum stool I do not notice any difference in his playing compared to any previous players.