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I want to pick up a bass for recording purposes. I played around with them for a while at Guitar Center and a couple stores today. My current idea is to get either the sexy 70s Squier Jazz Bass with the black blocks and binding, or a Squier P Bass special with 2 pickups, or the SX equivalent of either of those. I've read this whole thread and haven't really gotten any conclusive answers...how does Squier compare to SX? I liked the Jazz Bass when I played it, it had some decent tones even though I don't really know much about bass. I quite possibly would replace the pickups with GFS if that would be an improvement.
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Feb 8, 2009 08:01
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No one?
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Feb 9, 2009 07:49
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I'd written up a reply but decided against posting it since I'm not speaking from personal experience. In any event, the consensus is that low-end Squier stuff is pretty terrible. This mostly applies to the Affinity series last I checked, so I don't know if the P/J bass ones are any better. If all you're looking for is a good low-range value bass, you can't go wrong with Ibanez.
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Feb 9, 2009 15:51
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Dundee McFluffers posted:I've noticed my fretting hand is slow and I'm having trouble using two fingers to play with. Anybody have some exercises or techniques to help me play faster? Rashomon posted:I want to pick up a bass for recording purposes. I played around with them for a while at Guitar Center and a couple stores today. My current idea is to get either the sexy 70s Squier Jazz Bass with the black blocks and binding, or a Squier P Bass special with 2 pickups, or the SX equivalent of either of those. I've read this whole thread and haven't really gotten any conclusive answers...how does Squier compare to SX? I liked the Jazz Bass when I played it, it had some decent tones even though I don't really know much about bass. I quite possibly would replace the pickups with GFS if that would be an improvement. SX is sort of in the same class as the Squier non-VM, but the 70s Squier is loaded with Duncan-designed pickups, and while I'm not the biggest fan of Duncan, they're going to be better than the stock pickups in the SX. Also agreeing with Jan and restating that it's hard to find a bad Ibanez. scuz fucked around with this message at 16:26 on Feb 9, 2009 |
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Feb 9, 2009 16:24
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Rashomon posted:I want to pick up a bass for recording purposes. I played around with them for a while at Guitar Center and a couple stores today. My current idea is to get either the sexy 70s Squier Jazz Bass with the black blocks and binding, or a Squier P Bass special with 2 pickups, or the SX equivalent of either of those. I've read this whole thread and haven't really gotten any conclusive answers...how does Squier compare to SX? I liked the Jazz Bass when I played it, it had some decent tones even though I don't really know much about bass. I quite possibly would replace the pickups with GFS if that would be an improvement. The VM Jazz is absolutely giggable right off the rack (assuming its properly set-up). I did a review of one on here a while back. Feels very solid and well put together, although it has a clearly "machined" feel to it. The pickups on the one I tried were a bit noisy, so maybe do some shielding, but other than that, no immediate need to replace the bridge, tuners, pickups, etc.
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Feb 9, 2009 16:35
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Yeah, I like Ibanez, but unfortunately all their low end basses are extremely ugly (in my opinion).
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Feb 9, 2009 16:36
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I've just borrowed a friends bass after playing the guitar for 5 years and the action seems awfully high to me. The string's above the 12th fret are about 1.5cm above the fretboard. Is this high or am I a guitar ignoramus?
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Feb 9, 2009 18:29
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Nigel Tufnel posted:I've just borrowed a friends bass after playing the guitar for 5 years and the action seems awfully high to me. The string's above the 12th fret are about 1.5cm above the fretboard. Is this high or am I a guitar ignoramus?
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Feb 9, 2009 18:33
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scuz posted:That's high, but it's not too above average. I believe mine is around 1.25cm at the 12th, but ~4 years ago (on a different bass) it was substantially higher than that due to a rather poor neck and my playing much loud metal. Wow, really? My A and D strings (highest due to radiusing) are 4mm off the fretboard at the 12th fret. edit: measuring to the bottom of the string that is since that's how much clearance it actually is. Scarf fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Feb 9, 2009 |
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Feb 9, 2009 18:52
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Scarf posted:Wow, really? My A and D strings (highest due to radiusing) are 4mm off the fretboard at the 12th fret.  I will actually measure it when I get home.I also need a higher action because of my decision to use a pick when playing punk music, which is pretty much all I play.
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Feb 9, 2009 18:57
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Rashomon posted:Yeah, I like Ibanez, but unfortunately all their low end basses are extremely ugly (in my opinion). Any cutaway bass is ugly.  And my action is at around 5mm at 12 fret -- I haven't measured, but I had it lowered a lot. A bit too much I guess, I get some buzzing on higher frets.
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Feb 9, 2009 21:48
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Yes I have a question, I'd like to get a sound like the bass in this song. I have a Fender jazz bass but I'm looking toward purchasing a 5 string bass. My guess is that flatwound strings would help, right? What kind of other equipment and effects would lead toward producing a sound such as that?
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Feb 11, 2009 13:35
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Bonus posted:Yes I have a question, I'd like to get a sound like the bass in this song. I have a Fender jazz bass but I'm looking toward purchasing a 5 string bass. Pretty typical reggae sound actually. Only listened to about 30 sec of the bassline, lowest note I hear is an E, so unless he's going lower later in the song a 5-string isn't necessary. It's likely done on a Jazz or Precision bass. You are right that flatwounds will help. But in addition to that, focus most of your volume-mix on your neck pickup, like 75-90% and only turn up your bridge pickup MAX to about 10%. Then just roll off the tone-knob until you get the desired sound. It will also help to adjust your fingering up closer to the neck if you're not already doing so. I'd say sound the notes directly over the neck pickup, or a tad closer to the neck. The EQ on your amp will play a big role as well. Focus on slightly boosting your lows and low mids (like in the 40hz to 250hz range) with the lows boosted slightly more than the low mids. You might even want to cut the highs depending on how bright your amp is. But start with them flat. Scarf fucked around with this message at 14:50 on Feb 11, 2009 |
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Feb 11, 2009 14:01
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I'm going to buy a bass on the 27th from Rondo, and it doesn't come with a thumbrest. I guess that's normal, but the only bass I've ever played is my cousin's, and it does have a thumbrest. Should I get one, or is it frowned upon? If it's only a matter of preference, does anybody have an idea of where I can get one for cheap? Allparts has one for $2.50, but I'm not paying $7 shipping for a part that weighs a gram or so. EDIT: Speaking of flatwounds, where can I get a 6-string set of flatwounds? Am I doomed to buying a 5 string set and adding an individual string from juststrings? Gorilla Salsa fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Feb 11, 2009 |
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Feb 11, 2009 16:53
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I don't think you'll need a thumbrest with that bass. Your thumb will either be anchored by the pickup (bridge or neck or alternating depending on the sound you wish to produce), or it will be floating. Head on over to talkbass.com and look into "floating thumb". Many people prefer it, but I'm too used to old ways to change.
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Feb 11, 2009 16:57
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Also, are you sure you need a six string? They can be heavy and can kill your back if you don't have the proper straps. Also, flatwounds, while great sounding, don't work on every bass out there IMO. They are also strung a little tighter due to how they are built. The tension will be _t_i_g_h_t_. I'd suggest sticking with non-flatwounds for a while.
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Feb 11, 2009 16:59
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Gorilla Salsa posted:I'm going to buy a bass on the 27th from Rondo, and it doesn't come with a thumbrest. I guess that's normal, but the only bass I've ever played is my cousin's, and it does have a thumbrest. Should I get one, or is it frowned upon? Yeah, thumbrests aren't really necessary. If you're new to bass and not set in your ways just yet, I'd highly recommend looking into learning to float your thumb. Aside from the benefits of being able to mute more easily, I find it has helped decrease my hand fatigue by about 10-fold; I'm not stretching across my strings when I move up to the D and G. And good lord, definitely with a 6-string this would be a MUST in my opinion. As for the strings, I'd email JustStrings about it. They have a great customer service department. If they don't have any 6-string sets, I'm sure they could tell you where to look or put you in contact with a manufacturer.
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Feb 11, 2009 17:08
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Schatten posted:Also, are you sure you need a six string? They can be heavy and can kill your back if you don't have the proper straps. I'm not exactly going to be gigging anytime soon, and I mostly only play sitting down anyway. I tried out a 6 string at guitar center, and it felt fine to me. I wanted flatwounds because I'm used to them on Guitar. Scarf posted:Yeah, thumbrests aren't really necessary. If you're new to bass and not set in your ways just yet, I'd highly recommend looking into learning to float your thumb. Aside from the benefits of being able to mute more easily, I find it has helped decrease my hand fatigue by about 10-fold; I'm not stretching across my strings when I move up to the D and G. And good lord, definitely with a 6-string this would be a MUST in my opinion. I'll hold out on the thumbrest, and give that technique a try. And I'll definitely shoot them an email. I really don't see the big deal about 6 strings...I've played a few of them at Guitar Center for a couple of hours at a time, and I feel very comfortable and natural with them, and I appreciate the range. To be honest, I'm buying this bass because I'm sick of my cousin's. It was made of Mesquite wood by some backwoods redneck in the 80s, the string spacing is off, it smells like cat piss, and we don't have a cat. When I play it, I find myself trying to get to notes uncomfortably because there's no string on top of the G. When I play the 6 string, I feel...satisfied. Not in a gross way, but just satisfied because I can ascend to a note that I feel is appropriate to start descending at. And if I want to go to a lower note, I can do so comfortably and without detuning. Maybe it's just personal preference... EDIT: Found some!
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Feb 11, 2009 17:25
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I have a speed-playing question! I'm a big fan of Paddy Costello, the bassist for Dillinger Four, and the way the dude plays the bass seems a mystery to me. Finding clips on youtube of how he plays is sort of hard (especially since his tubby rear end usually has his shirt off during shows, god bless him), but here's a half-way decent one, and this one would be better if there weren't people bouncing around, but there's a couple good shots in there. Anyhoo, things I can figure out on my own:
Any tips? If I haven't been clear about something up there or if you need more information, let me know.
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Feb 11, 2009 17:49
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scuz posted:I have a speed-playing question! The secret seems to be playing very loudly with lots of gain, having your band do the same thing so as to produce an incomprehensible wall of sound and then recording through god knows what. I'm impressed you can actually pick the bass out.
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Feb 11, 2009 20:22
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ZombiePeanut posted:The secret seems to be playing very loudly with lots of gain, having your band do the same thing so as to produce an incomprehensible wall of sound and then recording through god knows what. I'm impressed you can actually pick the bass out. 
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Feb 11, 2009 20:29
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Didn't really feel like this deserved its own thread but wanted to share. It's amazing how you can always discover something new, even with equipment you've had for years. I've had my Boss SYB-3 bass synth pedal for several years, really only had 2-3 sounds that I always used from it. Well tonight I decided to have a nice long tweak session and found an awesome sound using the Wave Shape modes (modes 8 and 9 if you have the pedal) Starts with mode 9 and then near the end mode 8. Mode 8 I'm not as crazy about, but still pretty cool.
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Feb 12, 2009 06:34
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Since I've only been playing for like 2 months, I'm trying to teach myself to float my thumb before I get too set in my ways. Instead of feeling natural or easier, my thumb just seems to get in the way more often than not, and I'm constantly having to make sure its muting the strings and not just hanging out there. I assume that these things come with time, but any tips for floating?
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Feb 13, 2009 18:50
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UkraineGirls posted:Since I've only been playing for like 2 months, I'm trying to teach myself to float my thumb before I get too set in my ways. Instead of feeling natural or easier, my thumb just seems to get in the way more often than not, and I'm constantly having to make sure its muting the strings and not just hanging out there. I assume that these things come with time, but any tips for floating? It's like a golf-swing. The more you think about it, the harder it's going to be. In fact, DON'T make sure it's constantly muting something. Let it just hang out. Relax and just let it lay on a string or even just barely hover above one. Just be sure you keep your thumb and you entire hand as relaxed as possible. It'll come with time.
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Feb 13, 2009 18:53
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Scarf posted:It's like a golf-swing. The more you think about it, the harder it's going to be. In fact, DON'T make sure it's constantly muting something. Let it just hang out. Relax and just let it lay on a string or even just barely hover above one. Thanks, I figured it was just a practice thing. I assume a few days of an aching shoulder goes along with it as well?
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Feb 13, 2009 19:16
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UkraineGirls posted:Thanks, I figured it was just a practice thing. I assume a few days of an aching shoulder goes along with it as well? That's a tell-tale sign that you're too tense. Are you playing standing up or sitting down? If standing, how low do you sling your bass on your strap? It wouldn't hurt to maybe get some dexterity-balls (those little metal balls you roll around in your hand) or just do some kind of hand exercise stuff to help loosen your fingers and especially your thumb. Actually, here's a tip for ANY bass player regarding hand dexterity: Anyone here a fan of playing poker? Practice chip-tricks, with both hands. Your ability to do stuff like quick triplets and fast ghost-notes will improve exponentially. At least, it did for me.
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Feb 13, 2009 19:20
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Also, it just dawned on me that you may have your hand in the same kind of position as you did when you anchored on the pickup/rest/whatever. Like this: Instead, I find its much more comfortable to kind of lay your thumb on its side a bit, like this:  For me it cuts down on hand and wrist fatigue.
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Feb 13, 2009 19:39
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I kind of rest my thumb against the higher pickup the whole time. Is that bad?
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Feb 13, 2009 19:44
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stun runner posted:I kind of rest my thumb against the higher pickup the whole time. Is that bad? Neither technique is considered "correct." Lots of great bass players anchor, lots of great bass players float. I mainly just recommended it for GorillaSalsa originally because he said he was on a 6-string. I really can't imagine it being comfortable to anchor and stretch across a 6-string bass... Unless you have really big hands. I used to anchor exclusively. But after playing a 2 hour show my hand was killing me, so I looked into floating. It's all about what's more comfortable to you. But I'd definitely say it's worth it to teach yourself both techniques.
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Feb 13, 2009 19:49
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Edit: ^^ yes, thisstun runner posted:I kind of rest my thumb against the higher pickup the whole time. Is that bad? I do this too, pretty sure it's absolutely fine, as it's pretty much floating thumb technique for the E (or B) string. Depending on what sort of tone I want I'll also play down at the bridge pickup or as high up as having my thumb rest on the side of the neck where it connects to the body.
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Feb 13, 2009 19:52
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All this talk of floating thumbs has got me wondering whether my use of a plectrum to play is unacceptable. I am primarily a guitarist in my defence and I'm playing indie bass (if that makes a difference).
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Feb 13, 2009 21:27
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Nigel Tufnel posted:All this talk of floating thumbs has got me wondering whether my use of a plectrum to play is unacceptable. I am primarily a guitarist in my defence and I'm playing indie bass (if that makes a difference). Plectrums own.
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Feb 13, 2009 21:37
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Stux posted:Plectrums own.  I can't rock as hard witout one.
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Feb 13, 2009 21:48
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How else am I meant to get that bright scooped sound without a pick?!
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Feb 13, 2009 22:12
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Stux posted:How else am I meant to get that bright scooped sound without a pick?! 
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Feb 13, 2009 22:28
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I never saw the point in playing a pick but for the sake of being openminded are there any actual benefits?
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Feb 14, 2009 00:48
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Akur0 posted:I never saw the point in playing a pick but for the sake of being openminded are there any actual benefits?
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Feb 14, 2009 00:56
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scuz posted:Speaking from experience, I can rock harder, play faster, and not get laughed off-stage at punk shows. I've never been able to duplicate the aggressive, just plain mean sounds you can get out of using a pick with my fingers. yeah but I can't slap with a pick either, plus I've seen techniques that seem to be on par speed wise with picking such as double thumbing and four fingering. four finger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qig3yw5XqQ0 double thumb *for those who don't know perhaps* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnngPvedXEM
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Feb 14, 2009 01:05
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scuz posted:There's a book out there called "Bass Fitness" that's helped me quite a bit in the speed/accuracy departments. What sort of trouble are you having with the two-finger approach? Thanks  I have trouble making my middle finger move independently of my index finger. I have the same problem on my fretting hand :c
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Feb 14, 2009 05:38
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Akur0 posted:yeah but I can't slap with a pick either, plus I've seen techniques that seem to be on par speed wise with picking such as double thumbing and four fingering. Bullshit you can't. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV10D9Mp7_8 Educate yoself foo'  (if you can't tell, he's holding the pick between his fingers) Scarf fucked around with this message at 05:43 on Feb 14, 2009 |
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Feb 14, 2009 05:40
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