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What is the best bass guitar for playing punk and alternative rock?


Ashley1!

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I'm a bassist in a fairly new band and I'm looking for that bass with just the right amount of growl, but mostly a lot of bottom end. I have a Fender P-Bass and I'll be getting a Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass very soon, but I was wondering if there was a better choice for the future?

 

Thank You

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Punk has allot of fast notes. I used to use a P Bass back in the 80's playing punk stuff and it wore me out with the longer scale neck. The longer strings had more inertia which made quick stops difficult, at least for my hands. I later switched to an SG bass and was much more comfortable doing all those songs much better using 2 fingers playing those machine gun bass parts.

 

 

The bass has deeper tones with its mahogany body, and The bridge pickup didn't exactly thrill me, but with an Ampeg V4B head and B52 cab loaded with 2X15" Altecs it smoked for rich tones.

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Is bass guitar easier than the electric guitar?

 

which is easier bass or electric i play the electric guitar and its very hard so i was wondering should i switch to bass i heard its easier than the electric is that true?

 

Thanks in advance

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Is bass guitar easier than the electric guitar?

 

which is easier bass or electric i play the electric guitar and its very hard so i was wondering should i switch to bass i heard its easier than the electric is that true?

 

Thanks in advance

 

There are no short cuts to get good on either. Lessons can help you get organized and on the right path but It takes just as much effort to play bass well as it does and electric guitar. (that is if you plan on getting past a basic three note bass line).

 

You need to know musical theory and structure and put in a solid 2 years hard work to really start getting it off the ground on either instrument. If you're not willing to put in 4~6 hours a day woodshedding till you develop a set of chops then its unlikely you'll get to pro level on either instrument. Not that everyone has to be but it is the goal for most people.

 

I used to practice a good 8 hours a day or more for at least a couple of years before I started playing in bands. From there I spent even more time. I'd spend 4 hours playing with the band and go home and play 4~6 hours. When I wasn't playing I was listening to all kinds of music to learn the music I wanted to play. Once I developed and ear, I'd tab the music myself off albums.

 

The bass does take more muscle in the hands, and a bass player tends to work with the rhythm of a drummer more to create a solid backing.

It can be more boring is you have no one to work with so I suggest you get a drum machine to play along with if you plan on playing bass.

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I guess it depends on your inclinations and talents. I play bass sometimes but I'm more at home playing rhythm guitar. For years, I simply didn't "get" the bass. Personally, I find the guitar "easier." As WRGKMC mentioned, the bass is primarily a rhythm instrument and it pays to have or develop a good sense of rhythm. It's kind of a truism around here that guitarists--usually spelled "guitardists" and especially lead players--make lousy bass players. If you already play an instrument like a cello, you have a leg up. A knowledge of theory or at least how chords are formed is essential.​ Typically, a bass is bigger and heavier than a guitar with a longer neck and has heavier strings so it takes more muscle. A short scale bass is an option for someone making the transition. A short scale bass is also an option of you're female or simply small framed. Quite honestly, I don't think it matters which instrument you choose because neither is especially "easy." I'd urge you to continue with guitar and then transition to bass if you still want to but don't do it because you think it will be "easy."

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DeepEnd...it's a tough crowd in the forum these days. Mr. Temporary mentioned "stolen", which had me laughing hysterically. You have to recognize facepalmer for who he is from our forum's past. Once you do, you will recognize why I made the not serious question about a 5 banger and outlaw country. :D

 

Also, as for my contribution for serious bottom thread, I'm not sure about punk, but there are plenty of 5 bangers for alt that would work well and not expensive. The only issue will be that they will likely have passive EMG soap bars with active electronics.

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I recall the "outlaw Country" comment. I've seen it a few times and I figured nobody was serious. And yes, I saw the "stolen" comment. I wasn't sure if it was a running joke or perhaps a baseball reference ("stolen bases") but it gave me a chuckle either way.

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Your hand size is going to determine which bass is best for your playing style. If the music is slower and gives you time to get to the notes you can get away with a longer scale and still get to the notes on time.

 

Back in the 80's I played in a band that had a female vocalist and we played a bunch of Pat Benatar, Blondie, Ramones cover tunes. I had played mostly guitar in bands previous to that. I was in between bands and a buddy asked if I wanted to play bass so I joined. I had a cheap P Bass copy in the beginning. I had a good Ampeg amp which really made a difference. After 6 months of rehearsal I had the material nailed down tight. I was able to do spider runs on that bass and not miss a note even though I had smaller guitar player hands.

 

We stated gigging full time and eventually the band pressured me to get a better bass. Part of playing out is showing off your gear. Since we were touring the jersey shore and playing with all the best bands at the time, I pulled some strings and got a hold of a 60's SG bass. Since it was a medium scale bass I went from busing hump getting to the notes to effortlessly flying on the neck. The band noticed this performance improvement too. Tone wise it wasn't ideal. An SG produces those big Mole bass earthquake tones. If it had a better Bridge pickup it would have sounded better but I never modded it.

 

The true test was playing Going Japanese by the Ramones. I played that one with two alternating fingers picking those notes at high speed. I was finally able to do it without major hand cramps about half way through. If I were playing a precision I'd wind up having to play that song with a pick and sound sloppy as all get out. (which many punk bands do) I played all the tunes in that band with fingers only which I was pretty proud of. We also went into a pro studio and recorded those songs as part of our promo package so we could get jobs at all the best clubs. Those recordings still sound great to this day.

 

Having a good amp is going to get you the deep end you want. The bass itself is a smaller factor there unless its a real piece of junk. You have all kinds of pedals you can use to get deep tones too, so my advice is buy something that allows you maximum headroom in your playing skill. If you're going to be playing Punk all night your hands are going to be seeing a whole lot of abuse so minimizing hand strain is going to trump everything else.

 

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