Learnin BASS!! (TIPS APPRECIATED)

[LuisSavesTheDay]

Im gonna take it sloweron guitar, and pick up bass. There just arent enough Bass players... that are good!! Bass is a very original instrument, and i love the way it sings. In fact, i was gonna learn bass first, but metallica drew meto guitar at the last second. So here i am goin back to what i was destined for. Im gonna take a few lessons before i do anything. I messed up a lot on guitar, and this should all be fixed on bass (because i have someone showin me the right way). I know this is all jumbled up, but to sum it up.

Anyone have any pointers?

[rmuscat]

bass is cool ... you're listening to some song and can't quite figure out why it sounds so great and groovy ... and then when you listen really attentively you find out there is some kind of monster behind the bass guitar!

I'm not a bassist but i would point you to iron maiden's steve harris as a listening start. Very good player, songwriter and infinite stamina!. By far there are others who are different and more appealing to other listeners but i am not a big bass players follower, so others might give you more tips.

Also i really think playing in time (and in relation to the drums) with a bass is even more important then with a lead guitar, usually a good drum-bass intergration is a strong asset for a band.

[Killa Beaver]

Bass IS my thing! I've got a very wide taste in music but pretty much one thing very favourite toons have in common is a catchy distinctive bassline, whether it's groovin or beefing up. My advice is dont limit yourself to what you listen to and practice with all 3 main right hand techniques - pick, fingerstyle and slap and pull. With effective bass playing youve gotta remember that the spaces you leave are every bit as important as the notes you play, much more so than guitar, as you've gotta interact with the drums.

If you looking to buy a bass at an affordable price I swear by Aria Pro II and Dean. Aria Pro II models generally have smallish bodies and are quite light. Deans have nice shaped bodies and are also not too heavy. I have an Aria Pro II Integra and it's a little beauty. If you want to spend a lot more, I recommend the Musicmaster for funkier stuff. I'm not a big fan of Fender Jazz and Precision's as they're heavy and the strings feel stiff.

Important thing is to keep your strings sounding clean and bright. They can get dull sounding when dirt from your fingers gets between the winds. Cos they're expensive I always boil the strings in water (take them off first!) for about 20 minutes. I guarantee they'll be good as new. You can do this about a dozen times before they're start deteriorating.

[LuisSavesTheDay]

I was thinkin of somethin more along these lines :).

http://www.peavey.com/products/shop_online/browse.cfm/action/details/item/00531830/wc/1A1A2523/fam/1A35A/tcode/3/millennium.cfm

Post more guys! Keep em comin!

[LuisSavesTheDay]

What do you think??

[rmuscat]

hey looks great! The finish is really cool.

Has too many controls for my tastes (around 600 million i see in the pic :D) but that's a question of taste.

you're gonna buy that? :)

[Killa Beaver]

You cant go far wrong with Peavey with any of their gear. Decent price too. I like the body and the finish. A good place to start.

[LuisSavesTheDay]

I dunno. Im definately considering it. I really want a bass with active pickups, makes a pertier sound in my opinion. All the knobs shape the sound pretty well too, my kinda thing.

[buck_the_hum]

If you want a bass with kick *** active pickups and a sweet for little or no money check out the ibanez SRX 500 (SH) ar http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_uk.html

shes a re beut'

Listeb to some cliff burton - original metallica bassist, died in '86 during th master of puppets tour in a horrendouse bus crash in one of the nordic nations - he's fonominal played with his fingers too - never seemed to stop

[LuisSavesTheDay]

I bought it. I love bass, bbut i DO have one question. The batteries ran out after about 2 hours of solid playing. I took them out, then looked at them and it said something about "Self Recharging" Do yal know how this works????

Bother batteries are the ssame brand, but look different. Im confused:confused:

[Sir Speedy]

Bring it back to the store you go it from , and see what they say .Sometimes you can just replace Rechargables with Regular Alkaline Batteries the same size . Energizer or Duracell , preferably.

[Kerobet922]

You bought the Ibanez SRX 500? good purchase dude...but did you actually TRY out the Peavey millenium before you bought that? One thing i like about the Peavey is that you can either use string it thru the body or on the bridge...gives a more tonal options IMO. :D either way. Welcome to the wonderfull world of Bass Playing. I'm actually thinking of getting myself an SRX 705 in the near future so lemme know what you think of the SRX series :D

[LuisSavesTheDay]

i didnt even see your post man. Im so sorry. I actually got the Millenium 4 ac bxp. I LOOOOOVE it. There isnt one thing wrong with her, other then the scratch bass nob.

[satch_master]

proud owner of a fender jazz bass. just sound great and the looks are sexy. thats why everyones using them cause there the strat of bass. i really dont like all this modern active bass crap and 5,6 strings. i prefer the vintage basses. another good brand is a rickenbacker.

[oRg]

I'm not much of a bass player but I have played quite a few bass' in my time. I would say the best one I have ever played was a Warwick Thumb 5-string fretless. This thing played so nice and sounded so awesome coming from some Ampeg amp. Seriously this bass kicked much ***. If I ever decide to pick up bass as a regular player I will definitely be getting myself a Warwick Thumb 5-string fretless.

You know what Steve Vai and Buckethead is to guitar. Well Bill Dickens is that to bass. This guy is phenomenol. My favrote bass player of all time. Definitely one of the best bassists out there. Very talented man. Another good one is Buckethead. Now he not only plays guitar but he plays bass as well and let me tell you he is pretty damn fast. Another very good bass player.

[buttmaggot]

hey ive been learnin bass for a while now, when i first started i got into fieldy from korns basswork, his slapping is purely insane!, definately worth a listen! :D