|
Reading the above advice re: first bass makes me hesitant, but I'm planning on picking up the bass and had my eye on this Rondo set. Rondo seems to get good marks from Goons and the price is extremely enticing. I'm actually more concerned with the quality of the amp and am wondering if it's total garbage or good enough to learn on for the next year or so. I don't mind upgrading in a couple years if I really get into bass (hoping I do!), so I'm hoping the Rondo set is a good starting place. Also, a few pages back someone said the difference between the Ursa1 and Ursa2 is precision pick-ups versus jazz pick-ups. Is one or the other more versatile in terms of genres and styles? Thanks!
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2011 03:51
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 2, 2024 14:24 |
|
|
black_mastermind posted:Nope, check it out: That's odd, especially considering Musician's Friend has it for the correct price, and those two are joined at the hip... I'd love to get my hands on a Reeves as well, the tone they put out is phenomenal and spot on for classic HiWatt. But it's definitely an investment. And they have been a tiny bit prone to some QC issues, but that's to be expected with something that is entirely hand-wired. But I've also heard their customer support in that matter is flawless as well (which I would expect when dropping that much cash). Granted I think a lot of the problems I've heard of were from people who were trying out the first generation of the amp, so they may have it all hammered out by now.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2011 04:00
|
|
|
Edawg06 posted:Reading the above advice re: first bass makes me hesitant, but I'm planning on picking up the bass and had my eye on this Rondo set. Rondo seems to get good marks from Goons and the price is extremely enticing. In my opinion if you're just starting out then any amp is fine as long as you can hear yourself clearly. You can worry about a decent amp when you want to start playing with other people. With regards to Precision vs Jazz they are both pretty versatile. Some might argue that the Jazz Bass configuration is more versatile due to its dual pickups, however the one sound that the Precision Bass has is the one sound that works for just about any genre you could wish. If I had both a good Precision and Jazz I'd probably never wish for another bass. Well maybe if I had two of each so I can permanently string two with flatwounds... maybe another for BEAD tuning... ooh a hollow-body would be nice too... arrrrgh Again though, when you're just starting out, you're just as likely to be happy with either. Pick whichever one your favourite bass player uses or whichever appeals to you the most visually.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2011 04:56
|
|
|
golden posted:I think it might just be the gear I was using. I was using a gibson grabber into a markbass amp, and for some reason, couldn't get the VT Bass sounding like anything other than just a midsuck. It was especially confusing, as my grabber is basically nothing but mids on its own. There are a bunch of cool pedals that I want to try out, but I am just worried that having 5 pedals, all turned off, will still color my tone a bit. I'm thinking its the effect itself, in some case. Either way, I think having a VT Deluxe at the end will even everything out ANYWAYS. One thing to note on the Markbass heads is that they have two eq filter knobs on them, the VLE and the VLF, where they're at 0 turned all the way counter-clockwise and increase their effect as turned clockwise. The VLE boosts lows and cuts highs because it's a 'vintage loudspeaker emulator' and the VLF is basically a mid-scoop knob. Try turning both these knobs fully counter clockwise with your VT's settings.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2011 05:25
|
|
|
Does anybody have any experience with the Orange Bass Terror 500W? It seems affordable, portable, and I know Orange is renowned among our more trebly sounding brethren (plus everybody jizzes about tubes and Class D poo poo.) Set up right now: Ampeg B2RE + 410HLF + SansAmp Bass Driver
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2011 14:13
|
|
|
I really like mine. I love the rough gainy tone that you can get by pushing it a bit. I've had 700 and 600 watt amps. This one is much, much louder. Two guitar stacks and a loud drummer.. I have gain up around 11:00 for some grit, and the master volume sits.. at.. 6:00. It's ridiculous. So good. I really like the way it sits in the mix. Something you'll hear a lot if you research it is that the tone knobs don't do much. That's true - bass at 0 and bass at 100 is pretty subtle. Orange gives you one sound, you can add grit to it, and adjust the controls to the room you're in, not to get a certain sound. I really, really like that, as I am coming from a markbass amp, a few pedals, and EQs up the wazoo just to make sure I sound exactly the way I want. This amp tells me what I can sound like, and damnit, I love that. Check out some youtube examples of it. They're all spot on as to exactly what it sounds like.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 00:07
|
|
|
gotly posted:Looks like it has some weird offset neck? Check the ads near the bottom of this post: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/alvarez-dana-bass-302074/ By "offset neck", you mean the way that the neck angles out from the rest of the guitar? I didn't really notice it. The marketing speak explaining it on those ads sounds like a load of crap, right? I'm with you on getting a name brand for resale. I suppose I hope that this won't be gathering dust any time soon. I took your advice about the setup. It's in the shop right now, and the setup will include new strings. Frustrating, because I want to start playing, but I know it's worth it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 00:21
|
|
|
Yeah the offset neck is no big deal. Never seen it before. Nice job on the setup. Some random Alvarez from the early 90's properly set up is a better instrument to learn on than an improperly set up Fender anything. Once you get it back you'll be be good to go.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 02:16
|
|
|
betterinsodapop posted:Does anybody have any experience with the Orange Bass Terror 500W? It's a grat amp. Tiny yet loud and the tone is great. I use a big bass muff with mine but it's perfectly fine without any pedals. Highly recommended if you want a warm fuzzy sound without a full tube amp.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 09:40
|
|
|
I bought a bass about a fortnight ago, and I'm trying to teach myself how to play it. I'm noticing that when I press down on a string, the sound of the string hitting the fret is audible over the sound of the actual note. Not entirely sure that's what's making the sound, but I can't think of anything else that it could be. Am I doing something wrong?
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 14:53
|
|
|
YYZ posted:I bought a bass about a fortnight ago, and I'm trying to teach myself how to play it. I dunno, are you Fieldy from Korn
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 15:10
|
|
|
^^^edit: loving  I'm going to sound like a broken record since it's literally my last 3-4 posts but is the bass properly set up? rear end MEGATHREAD: Get your instrument set up properly.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 15:11
|
|
|
SteadfastMeat posted:I dunno, are you Fieldy from Korn I don't think so. gotly posted:I'm going to sound like a broken record since it's literally my last 3-4 posts but is the bass properly set up? I don't know 
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 15:17
|
|
|
Go get it set up. $30 to know that if it sounds bad, it's your fault, not the instrument's fault.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 15:31
|
|
|
YYZ posted:I bought a bass about a fortnight ago, and I'm trying to teach myself how to play it. You mean when you actually fret the note (when your finger presses the string down) or when you pluck the string? And does it happen on every string, and on every fret if you work your way up a string? Try to press the string as close to the fret as you can without being on top of it, like this:  That's if you're playing right-handed (fretting with your left hand), you're basically shortening the string by pinning it over the fret
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 18:00
|
|
|
baka kaba posted:You mean when you actually fret the note (when your finger presses the string down) or when you pluck the string? And does it happen on every string, and on every fret if you work your way up a string? Try to press the string as close to the fret as you can without being on top of it, like this: Yeah, I mean when I fret the note. It seems to just be happening on the E and A strings. Changing where I'm pressing down on the string isn't making any difference.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 18:37
|
|
|
Post a video of yourself practicing.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 19:12
|
|
|
gotly posted:Post a video of yourself practicing. I don't have a camera that I can record video with.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 19:22
|
|
|
You don't have a cell phone made after 2007 or a webcam on your computer? There is a big difference between fretting a note and hammering-on. Make sure you're not slamming the string down on the frets. Push down on the string just hard enough that it doesn't buzz. Try plucking the string with your right hand as you slowly press down on the string with your left to get a feel for how much pressure you need. Never use more than you need.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 19:29
|
|
|
gotly posted:You don't have a cell phone made after 2007 or a webcam on your computer? I don't have any way to transfer stuff from my phone to my computer, and I don't have a webcam. I can kind of stop the noise by pressing down slowly, but that doesn't work when I try to play faster.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 19:41
|
|
|
YYZ posted:Yeah, I mean when I fret the note. It seems to just be happening on the E and A strings. The reason I'm asking is it kinda sounds like you mean you press the string down and it makes a noise, before you actually play the note with your plucking hand? And how hard are you pressing down? Does it feel like you're ramming the string down? I have a cheap second-hand bass that buzzes a bit on the E string around the 3rd fret or so, but it only buzzes when I play the string (or if I fret it when it's already vibrating). If yours is making a sound when you fret the string, that should be cancelled out when you pluck the string a moment later. Also, are you using fingers or a pick? Sorry if any of these questions sound a bit weird, it's just you said you're new to it so I'm trying to work out if there's a small technique thing that's causing it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 21:44
|
|
|
YYZ posted:I don't have any way to transfer stuff from my phone to my computer, and I don't have a webcam. Playing faster doesn't mean you have to play harder. You need a lighter touch on your fretting hand. Learning not to pluck/fret hard when playing fast is difficult but something worth learning. I'd recommend a few lessons. gotly fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Apr 29, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 22:04
|
|
|
baka kaba posted:The reason I'm asking is it kinda sounds like you mean you press the string down and it makes a noise, before you actually play the note with your plucking hand? And how hard are you pressing down? Does it feel like you're ramming the string down? The noise isn't really canceled by plucking the string. I guess I'd describe it as a metallic click. Using fingers, not a pick. gotly posted:Playing faster doesn't mean you have to play harder. You need a lighter touch on your fretting hand. Learning not to pluck/fret hard when playing fast is difficult but something worth learning. I'd recommend a few lessons.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 22:35
|
|
|
You might be plucking too hard/incorrectly then. Check this out.quote:Plucking Motion That site is a goldmine. I really recommended starting from the beginning and running through every lesson in order.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 22:56
|
|
|
gotly posted:You might be plucking too hard/incorrectly then. Thanks for the site, though, this is really helpful.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 23:12
|
|
|
YYZ posted:First part sounds right. I don't think I'm ramming the string down, since the noise still happens when I press down softly. What about if you just fret it, wait a second and then pluck? You sure it's not actually plucking the string that's causing it? It could be clack, the sound you get if you play hard and the vibrating string hits something (like a fret). You can limit this by plucking vertically (so the string vibrates across the fretboard and not down towards it), using your fingertips to get a more defined sound, or using EQ (these last two are more about limiting the amount of force you use). You're using an amp too, right? An unplugged bass is pretty hard to hear, you'll end up playing too hard just to be able to hear it - and it'll affect your technique for when you do come to plug in. If the sound is from when you actually fret the string, there's always going to be a little bit of noise but you can control it by fretting more softly, rolling off the high frequencies a bit, and muting the string by resting your plucking finger on it ready to play the note. It still shouldn't drown out the actual note you play though. I'm nowhere near a pro at bass though so people probably have some better tips. studybass.com rules for reals. This part explains plucking and keeping your fingers on unused strings to keep 'em quiet. If you practice it it becomes second nature (read the fretting section too since they work together for this) EDIT: any chance you can record the sound to give us an idea?
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 23:24
|
|
|
YYZ posted:The noise isn't really canceled by plucking the string. I guess I'd describe it as a metallic click. Using fingers, not a pick. YYZ posted:The noise happens when I fret the note, not when I pluck. I'm completely confused. I agree with baka kaba, we need a recording or something.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 23:34
|
|
|
The sound is happening when I press the string down, not when I pluck it. I'm using an amp. I haven't really tried messing with the EQ dials yet, would they help at all? baka kaba posted:muting the string by resting your plucking finger on it ready to play the note I have a microphone somewhere that I might be able to use to record the sound. I'll see if I can find it. gotly posted:I'm completely confused. I agree with baka kaba, we need a recording or something. YYZ fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Apr 30, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2011 23:39
|
|
|
YYZ posted:The sound is happening when I press the string down, not when I pluck it. Turning down the treble on the bass or on the amp would help, but it might just be hiding a technique problem. Like Baka said, there is always a bit of a click on a fretted bass. It actually should be there in some styles of music. Listen to the bass on this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCTGNijn5ns. If you have the track from the CD it's a little easier to listen to. gotly fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Apr 30, 2011 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 00:47
|
|
|
YYZ posted:The sound is happening when I press the string down, not when I pluck it. Yeah like gotly says, if your treble is high it'll pronounce the sharpness of a click, but turning it down will affect the sound of the bass in general too. So the click itself should be pretty short, right? You just get an initial click when you fret the note, then if you keep plucking the string you don't hear it again until you fret a different note? And is it a lot louder than the note itself? Does it come through the amp at a high volume or do you mainly hear it from the physical contact of the string with the bass?
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 00:59
|
|
|
baka kaba posted:So the click itself should be pretty short, right? You just get an initial click when you fret the note, then if you keep plucking the string you don't hear it again until you fret a different note? I just tried using headphones with my amp and I can't really hear the sound.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 01:23
|
|
|
YYZ posted:Yeah, that's right. You're probably ok then, there's always going to be some physical noise. I just remembered it could be a grounding issue (a kind of electrical crackle click when your finger contacts the string) but probably not if you're not hearing it through the headphones. Maybe your amp's just not turned up enough to cover it up? Play with the EQ settings to get a nice sound, if you're worried about disturbing people you can lower the bass and turn up the mids and get a clear sound that won't carry too far at low volumes. It's still worth getting it set up though, especially if it's a used one (with old strings) - they'll make sure it plays right and there are no issues, plus with new strings it can almost be a new instrument. Like someone said, better to know the bass is fine and any problems are just technique issues you can work on
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 01:32
|
|
|
baka kaba posted:Maybe your amp's just not turned up enough to cover it up? Play with the EQ settings to get a nice sound, if you're worried about disturbing people you can lower the bass and turn up the mids and get a clear sound that won't carry too far at low volumes.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 02:13
|
|
|
YYZ posted:
Try turning down your tone knob(s), or the treble on your amp, or both.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2011 05:39
|
|
|
Jesus, I take 5 days off to go to Jazz Fest and this thread explodes in posts!
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 04:33
|
|
|
Scarf posted:Jesus, I take 5 days off to go to Jazz Fest and this thread explodes in posts! Mak post about Jazz Fest
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 05:15
|
|
|
Schlieren posted:Mak post about Jazz Fest Welp, what do you want to know? There was just so much going on that it's kind of hard to just talk about it... I guess the only real way to do it is to talk about who I saw, and equally important, what I ate: Day 1 Started the day off with George Porter Jr. and the Runnin' Pardners. Being the main reason I started playing bass in the first place, I wasn't about to miss his set. Even though I'd seen this same lineup a few weeks prior here in Charleston. While he's good everywhere, you can tell he's literally and figuratively more "at home" at Jazz Fest. His daughter Katrina even helped him out on a few songs  After that we caught a little bit of Jon Cleary's set. I'd actually seen him play with Mr. Porter and John Scofield for Scofield's "Piety Street" project. Great piano/keys player. See him if you have a chance. Then we left to go meet up with my roommate's brother/sister-in-law who we were staying with. They had set up over across the grounds. Along the way we caught a Social Club parade with the Real Untouchable Brass Band playing, awesome. The Subdudes were playing at the stage we were walking towards. Meh, wasn't a fan. They weren't bad, just not my type of music, or at least not on that day. Then a problem occurred. Jeff Beck, Ivan Neville, and Anat Cohen were all playing at the same time. The crowd I was with wanted to stick around for Mumford and Sons... I'm not a fan. So my roommate and I went over to Jeff Beck who was absolutely insane. We then left to catch Ivan Neville. That was somewhat of a mistake. While we were gone, Trombone Shorty got on stage with Beck and apparently those two just killed it  gently caress. Oh well, it wouldn't be our last chance to catch Shorty.We closed out the day between Avett Bros., Wyclef Jean (who was entertaining as hell, but sounded like poo poo), and I caught the very tail-end of Ron Carter's set. If I had my way, I would have spent the entire final hour watching Ron Carter. How often do you get a chance to see the man who played bass for Davis' 2nd great quintet? Eats: Frozen Mango Fried Gator Po-boy Beignets about a gallon of water Day 2 We got a pretty late start on day 2, there wasn't really much we wanted to see early on. We started out catching Wayne Toups and the Zydecajun. I love zydeco music, and they put on an awesome show. Definitely give them a listen. After that we caught the last half of the Hot 8 Brass Band's set. Irma Thomas was up next, the Soul Queen of New Orleans. That woman can loving sing. Definitely one of, if not the most soulful performance of the entire weekend. After she closed her set, we walked around, caught a Mardi Gras Indian parade, and looked through the souvenirs. Bon Jovi was the big act for Saturday night, so we set up at his stage. He came on earlier than the other final acts, so we caught the very start of his set. Then my roommate wanted to go see Jason Mraz... Yeah. Then we went back over to Bon Jovi to catch the end of his set. I missed out on Ahmad Jamal, but we were exhausted after 2 straight days in the sun, and I just couldn't make the trek over there. We still had to walk back to the car over in City Park. Eats: Frozen Mango Snowball I didn't really have much of an appetite that day. I'd been fighting a sinus infection the entire trip. Day 3 Another late start, but not as late. And the primary stage we were camped out at had apparently gotten off schedule, so that kinda hosed up our plans for the day. I forgot who was on stage when we got there, but they were a good 15-30 minutes past their slot (granted this may have happened well before them). So we stuck around there to catch the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Always a favorite of mine. Trombone Shorty of course got on stage and did several songs with them. Amazing. We had originally planned to walk over and catch the end of Deacon John's set, but given the hosed up schedule on stage, that didn't happen We stuck around at that stage to watch Dr. John. Fantastic set. Though he didn't say anything, you could get the sense it was pretty emotional for him, not having Herman Ernest with them any more. Dave Bartholomew came out in a wheel chair and did several songs with the band. John Mellencamp was the "big" act for Sunday night. But we only stuck around for one song. Neither of us are really fans, and he sounded kinda lovely. So we walked over to finish out our night with John Legend and The Roots. Fantastic performance, and loving CROWDED. We couldn't get closer than a couple hundred yards. Eats: Merguez (grilled lamb sausage) Snowball Frozen Mango Overall it was an amazing set of shows. I just wish I wasn't forced to pick between so many great artists playing at the same time. We also lucked out on the weather. That horrible set of storms that pushed through the southeast lead to cooler temperatures (low 80s), lower humidity, and pretty constant 15mph breeze the entire weekend. Sorry for the huge derail, happy to answer any other questions. Definitely recommend going if you get the chance. If only I could be there for the final 4 days on Thursday... Edit: Oh, and of course the Jazz Fest posters are the big thing there. I opted for the Congo Square poster with Fats Houston on it over the regular Jazz Fest one (which featured Jimmy Buffet). 
Scarf fucked around with this message at 14:35 on May 3, 2011 |
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 14:31
|
|
|
Trombone Shorty came to my uni as the featured artist for our tiny jazz fest. After reading his program notes and chatting with him for a minute after his show, I discovered that I saw him in 2003 or something in Milwaukee when he was touring with Lenny Kravitz - how 'bout that. Next year's jazz fest featured performance is the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra  So I'm stuck in limbo with Tom Clement's #87. The P.O. is trying to decide if he wants to finalize this trade between the Clement and his old upright that I bought from him 4 years ago... but I fell in love with the Clement. It's got gorgeous tone, amazing looks, great playability, a B-string tighter than a tick's rear end, and so much sustain I thought it was feeding back. It just needs a bit of saddle adjustment, a quarter turn or so on the trussrod, maybe raise the pickup height a tad on the treble side, and it's perfect.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 15:01
|
|
|
CaseFace McGee posted:Trombone Shorty came to my uni as the featured artist for our tiny jazz fest. After reading his program notes and chatting with him for a minute after his show, I discovered that I saw him in 2003 or something in Milwaukee when he was touring with Lenny Kravitz - how 'bout that. Next year's jazz fest featured performance is the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Yeah, I first caught him in either 06 or 07, opening for Dirty Dozen. The guy is a fantastic horn player, and a phenomenal showman. Oh, and after about 6 months, I FINALLY got an email back from the jazz professor here about some upright lessons.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 15:09
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 2, 2024 14:24 |
|
|
Oh, and I took my camera with me, but only took it in on day 1. It was really hard to get close enough to get good shots, but this one is my favorite: It just encompasses George so well
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2011 22:22
|
|