Does anyone play bass guitar?

[SplatterTone]

It helps if you have somebody handy who can look at a guitar (bass or otherwise) and tell you if that guitar you are holding in your hands right now is well made. Most electric guitars are made mostly by machine: Slap a piece of wood down, and bzzzzt, you have a perfectly shaped neck. However, there can be the occasional one that has the fret that isn't quite level with the rest; or there could be some other flaw which might or might not be easily fixed. But it is all on an individual basis. It is difficult to say: Buy this model of this brand, and you are guaranteed to get a fine guitar.

True, one would expect that a hand finished Gibson will be excellent ... if you want to spend the money. But it's much cheaper to have somebody with a little knowledge look at the $250 Epiphone and tell you if it has any significant issues.

My advice is that, until you have developed an ear for the kind of sound you want, get something at the lower end that is reasonably well made and do your learning on that first. You do not have to spend a bunch of money to get a decent guitar now. The guitars around $200 are usually fine. Play as many guitars as you can get hold of to learn what you like as far as sound and physical characteristics of the guitar. Then, one day, you can cut loose with the big bucks to get your dream guitar, and it truly will be exactly what you want.

Finding a local dealer who knows their stuff and is truly interested in the customer (which most don't and aren't) can be a real godsend. When it comes to buying stuff, I am one of those people who is always looking for the cheapest way to get it. When it comes to getting your first guitar, however, I do recommend spending the extra cash to get it from a good local dealer (if you have one!) who will adjust it for you. If you get to where you can do your own fret leveling, neck adjusting, nut filing, bridge adjustment for intonation, etc. (and it will benefit you to learn to do this) then buy the thing off the Internet and do your own fine tuning.

For what it's worth, that is coming from somebody with about 50 guitars -- a few of them bass.

[brattom]

I have a decent Yamaha bass that I bought new a few months ago for 150-160 ish. Light duty use (2-3 a week) but plays ok and is better than the "made in mexico" fender jazz I used to have (it might have been a "lemon"). I had a bass playing friend pick it out and it got the "that's a decent bass" opinion from a couple of my bass playing co-workers. Not sure about longevity, but I'd recommend it to anyone not looking to spend much $$ for a decent playing, decent sounding bass.

For home practice I just plug into my computer (Griffin iMic).

I'd recommend spending (or waiting and saving) money to get a decent amp rather than buy a practice amp for home, esp. if you are trying to stretch your money. You can turn a big amp down for practice, but a practice amp won't go far when you take it out of the house.

Tom

[MartyNeilan]

check out this thread for a lot of info:
viewtopic.php?t=8980
As a followup, I have found very little public use for my bass thus far. Most off the ensembles or churches I have been with since then either have bass players that are dumber than mud or in two cases true bass virtuosi. Seems like there is no inbetween.

[pulseczar]

www.rondomusic.net

I haven't tried any of their bass guitars, but I've heard years of good reviews from the guitars they carry. When I scrape together enough money for a fretless, I'm gonna go buy from them.

Ibanez is also a good place to look for a bass. It may cost more than the average beginning bass, but if you plan to gig with your first axe it'll last you for a while. Same thing with Yamaha.

The thing with Squire is that the quality is very inconsistent. I was blessed with one that had a decent action as my first bass. Others I have jammed on weren't quite as nice.

About active vs passive, roundwounds or flatwounds and other discssions, don't worry about them. Just focus on finding a bass that feels good in your hands.

And once the bass is bought, bring it to a repair shop to have it set up. Retail places like Guitar Center or Sam Ash rarely have the time to set up the guitar before it leaves the store so important things like intonation, string height, neck bend is often not in optimal condition. It'll be an extra 50 or so bucks, but it's worth it to start off with a guitar that works like it's supposed to.

[Tom Mason]

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www.rondomusic.net

I haven't tried any of their bass guitars, but I've heard years of good reviews from the guitars they carry. When I scrape together enough money for a fretless, I'm gonna go buy from them.

I have a 6 string fretless red quilt Brice. It works as well as anyone elses bass, especially for the money. Neck as straight as any I've seen, and action was close to what I desired when shipped. Good strings as well.

I suspect that most of us would agree that there was a much wider gap between the good brands and the cheaper brands even as little as ten years ago. These days, the competition and the cost of CAD machines to do the cutting and shaping of basses are more attainable more builders.

Tom Mason

[SplatterTone]

The thing about plays itself...

All you have to do is turn the crank.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

I've been playing bass for a long time. The simple advice I always give to students is to buy a used mexican fender jazz bass in the 2-300 dollar range. Why? Because if you don't like it, you can always sell it in the 2-300 dollar range. I don't think very much of the Brice or Rondo stuff and if you want to sell it---good luck. If you decide later that you want to gig you'll be happy that your hand is used to the shape of a fender neck, cause when you start to spend real money on a bass (i.e. tuba money), a lot of them are like souped up fenders. As far as beginning amps, I'd use headphones, for everybody's sake.
Peace.
ASG

[Chuck(G)]

Well, you should practice your scales to begin with.

But honestly, have you ever smelt a bass guitar? Sure, it's tolerable the first few days, but after about a week, you can write fin to the whole saury mess...

[Rick Denney]

And once the bass is bought, bring it to a repair shop to have it set up.

Amen! I suspect that many of problems people have with cheaper Squire or Chinese basses are caused by improper setup. If the intonation is off, the frets will be off and the strings will sound dead.

I have zero skill, and bought my U.S.-made Fender Precision Plus and Peavey amp from my wife's uncle on impulse. It's fun to fool around with, but I haven't been willing to put in the time needed to gain any proficiency. I'm saving it for a rainy day. My point is that I didn't need the quality I bought, but I can always sell it for what I paid for it (or more, because now it's properly set up).

It's true with tubas, too. If you buy a superior instrument at used price, you can probably sell it for close to what you paid for it if you take care of it. Thus, in the end there is no penalty for buying a good quality instrument even if you find something you like better, and in the meantime you enjoy playing a quality instrument. I have regretted buying cheap stuff in the past, but never have I regretted buying quality.

I prefer both the sound and feel of flat-wound strings, and I don't understand why Wade complains of blood loss with them. After ten minutes with the round-wounds that came on the bass, I was in pain. But the flat-wound strings are smoother. They sound MUCH more like a real acoustic bass.

I'm glad to see what Wade wrote about the acoustic bass guitars. I've been eyeing them curiously for a while. My wife fools around with banjo, and if she ever really pursues that, the groups she might jam with would accept an acoustic bass guitar or an upright bass, but never an electric bass. I wondered if they were silly toys or serious instruments. I neither have room nor will I ever have budget for a decent upright bass.

Rick "with limited aspirations" Denney

[Steve Inman]

Might I also suggest, in addition to trying out Fenders (Doc's choice), that you also consider the Ibanez SR500 /SR505 / SR506 bass guitars. This isn't an inexpensive beginner model, but their necks are slightly thinner than some, being a bit easier to play. I bought the 6-string model, and found it was the least expensive 6-string I could find ($630 street) that had nothing but GREAT comments posted about it on several web sites, including the WWBW feedback, Harmony Central, etc. Both on-line reviews and the local music store guy rated this guitar as his best model in the $500-$1500 price range.

Also, as a guitarist for 30 years and a tuba player for longer, I found these two videos by Todd Johnson to be quite helpful (highly recommended). Technique Builders provides basic, physical technique for holding/playing the instrument, and numerous exercises to reinforce good technique. Walking Bass Line Module system provides a great overview of patterns to use for creating a walking bass line yourself -- I think there are 26 different patterns taught in this DVD.

http://www.toddjohnsonmusic.com/onlinestore.html

Regards,

[Rick Denney]

Well, not to be argumentive, but I want my electric bass to sound like electric bass, not something else

It's not a matter of argument, but objectives and requirements. Assuming I ever have need to haul a bass anything (except horn) outside the house, I don't want to have to rent a van to do it. So, if electric is acceptable for an situation, then I'll simulate upright if possible. Also, I prefer that sound. It doesn't matter, since nobody is ever gonna hear me play anyway.

Don't you have 4-5 tubas/euphs and a grand piano? Yet you have no room and can't afford one?

I don't have 4-5 tubas and euphs. I have 6 tubas and 2 euphs, a sousaphone, plus the aforementioned Fender P-bass, amp, two trombones, and piano. If I bring another musical instrument into the house, structural damage is likely (on my skull). Considering the joint activity, an acoustic bass guitar is a possibility, but an upright bass is not. And it would not fit in any car I own.

Then there's the matter of the unfortunate combination of my tin ear and the lack of frets.

Rick "who thinks the electric bass was invented because it was easier to play" Denney

[tubatooter1940]

I started playing bass guitar the night our bass man beat up his old lady and she put him in the crossbar hotel. It was fun from day one.
Got to play a gig at The Grand Hotel-trumpet and an old Kay string bass-trio with piano and drums. I taped my frettin' fingers for a week or so and loved every minute of it-"Stella By Starlight" and such.
I'm still trying to steal a Fender Jazz bass. I don't practice enough to be worthy of a Precision Bass. Got my Peavey amp already-can't wait to get started.
Playing bass with tuba or anything else is about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

Amen! I suspect that many of problems people have with cheaper Squire or Chinese basses are caused by improper setup. If the intonation is off, the frets will be off and the strings will sound dead.

I prefer both the sound and feel of flat-wound strings, and I don't understand why Wade complains of blood loss with them. After ten minutes with the round-wounds that came on the bass, I was in pain. But the flat-wound strings are smoother. They sound MUCH more like a real acoustic bass.



Rick "with limited aspirations" Denney

While the chinese bass theory is partially true, a lot of them suck no matter how much work you do on them due to ill fitting oversized necks, as a beginner you're SOL in this department.
Flat wound strings are less of a burden on my fingers, but I have basses strung with both, rounds are certainly good for working. When I want an upright sound I use an upright to get it, but I have a bass set up for motown with flats. I say play what ever comes on the bass until you know what you're after.
Anyway.
Peace.
ASG

[Rick Denney]

I started playing bass guitar the night our bass man beat up his old lady and she put him in the crossbar hotel.

This is the best single comment I have ever seen here on TubeNet. I could have said the same thing so many different ways, yet never said it quite that way. Hilarious, yet all too real . . .

I pray that,if by some freakish chance an opportunity comes up, I will use that line in conversation. Thanks, tooter!!!!!

Wade, guys like us who use "freakish" in a sentence without sounding freakish cannot use a quote like that with a straight face. Something always seems to give us away.

Rick "thinking Tooter has the necessary street cred" Denney

[iiipopes]

Now, on this topic, I believe I truly can lend a hand. I have made more money playing bass guitar since I started in 1976 (yes, I've been playing in concert, for cash, for 30 years, since I was a young teenager) than all the rest of it combined, except for my day job.

I agree that even after 55+ years of production, you still can't beat a USA Fender Precision or Jazz bass for starting out and doubling on most jobs. If purchasing a new USA model is not in the budget, almost any bass of that type, regardless of manufacture, will be fine so long as the neck is sturdy enough and the electronics are at least moderate quality.

I also agree that 99%+ problems with a bolt-on neck bass are setup problems. I also do setups for free, as I have for all my band mates over the years on their guitars, and a lot of people in college and high school, because I want them to enjoy playing, not be frustrated by the instrument. I can only recall two cases where I couldn't get a bass to play: 1) a guy who actually worked in a music store had a bass with a 1 1/4 inch knot in the neck wood. He purchased it new. When noone else could get it to play in tune, he called me. After making sure that's all it was, I helped him write a letter that got the neck replaced. 2) another bass the neck was so thin you looked at it and it would change, and I'm not even sure the neck was thick enough that if held up in sunlight it would cast a shadow.

Make sure the bass you get has decent wood in the neck, with a straight grain. One way to tell with "slab" cut necks is that when you look at the edge of the fingerboard, assuming it has a separate fingerboard and is not a vintage-style one-piece neck like an early '50s P-bass, is that the end grain will make a speckled pattern just where the neck and fingerboard come together on the edge. If that speckled pattern is not there, on at least one side or the other, if not both, and is not straight down the neck, you will have problems at some point. Because a truss rod does actually do what it is designed to do, my experience is that a quarter-sawn neck, which would have the speckled pattern of the endgrain in the center of the back of the neck, is not necessary, and may even allow tortional warpage due to the almost impossibility of getting perfectly straight quarter-sawn lumber that large that long.

So, what do I play? I play a custom P-bass that has been made to fit my hands and compensate for my various elbow and hand injuries I stupidly got myself into over the years, including fanned frets. Occasionally, if the music rocks out, I will get out my Rickenbacker 4002. That's right, 4002, not 4001 or 4003. It's a limited edition that was only made for a couple of years in the early 80's, and instead of the traditional Rickenbacker pickups, it has two Rickenbacker 1st generation side-by-side coil humbuckers in Jazz bass positions, instead of one being up against the neck and the other in a treble position. The tone is Jazz bass with definite attitude.

So, if you can't get your bass to play and are willing to pay the shipping both ways, I'll go completely through it for you. If you want to upgrade pickups, you'll have to purchase them and enclose them. Call me first so I can talk to you about which ones to get for your situation, as I have played almost all of them over the years. Read a few reviews of instruments and hardware on harmony-central.com for another perspective about what's out there.

[iiipopes]

This isn't nearly as good as the quote about the crossbars hotel, but the two events that did the most to help my bass guitar playing were getting divorced from my first wife and marrying my second wife, whom I am still married to all these years later.

[SplatterTone]

Every band needs a bassist.

[SplatterTone]

It's normal for there to be a "pain period" in the hand when you are first starting, but this should feel kind of like when you lift weights for the first time. I wouldn't expect there to be a burning feeling in your arm. My guess is that you are using too much force to fret the strings. Possibilities are that you are just overdoing it or the action is too high (i.e. the strings are too high above the fingerboard). This is where somebody knowledgable in adjusting the action can come in handy. This can involve adjusting the bridge and/or adjusting the neck and/or filing the nut. You can do some verifying of the action yourself. I don't have any URLs handy, but I know sites exist that will list how high above the neck properly adjusted strings should be. Obviously, there will some variation in opinion, but you should be able to get a good idea of what is reasonable.

[SplatterTone]

I just thought of another thing that might help: If you get a footstool -- or possibly adjust the strap -- and hold the guitar more like a classical guitarist, that puts your wrist and hand in a better position which is less twisted or cramped at the wrist.

[SplatterTone]

The more vertically you hold the neck, the more natural the position of your wrist is. You can't hold it absolutely vertical, but try something like a 45 or 50 degree angle. That's the way classical guitarists hold it; and that's the reason why.

And do get the action looked at or find a web site with a list of recommended string heights. High action sucks to play (IMO).