Members mabus013 Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 I've dicked around with basses ever since I picked up the guitar, but I've always considered myself a guitarist more than anything else. Now, I'm going to be going on tour to play for a friend's band (maybe two), and while I'm pretty sure I've got it covered, I'd like to hear from the low-end crowd on the issue. I've mostly spent my time playing heavy rock/metal, from dirge to thrash tempos. I'm going to try to play as much with my fingers as possible, and cheat with a pick when necessary. The band(s) I'll be playing with will be a more traditional type of rock - turn the wick down a little from what I'm normally playing, more blues influence, more classic rock. I'm planning on getting a fender-style somethin' from Rondo Music in any case, but I'm mostly looking forward to dropping the cash on a Les Paul Special bass from Epi as my main bass. Sans Amp Programmable Bass DI for a preamp, some random power amp and whatever cabinet that I can find that works, likely a 4x10 to start out with. Not expensive, but should sound huge. Advice on the switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonathan_matos5 Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 I've dicked around with basses ever since I picked up the guitar, but I've always considered myself a guitarist more than anything else. Now, I'm going to be going on tour to play for a friend's band (maybe two), and while I'm pretty sure I've got it covered, I'd like to hear from the low-end crowd on the issue. I've mostly spent my time playing heavy rock/metal, from dirge to thrash tempos. I'm going to try to play as much with my fingers as possible, and cheat with a pick when necessary. The band(s) I'll be playing with will be a more traditional type of rock - turn the wick down a little from what I'm normally playing, more blues influence, more classic rock. I'm planning on getting a fender-style somethin' from Rondo Music in any case, but I'm mostly looking forward to dropping the cash on a Les Paul Special bass from Epi as my main bass. Sans Amp Programmable Bass DI for a preamp, some random power amp and whatever cabinet that I can find that works, likely a 4x10 to start out with. Not expensive, but should sound huge.Advice on the switch? take a few bass lessons if there is a real bass instructor, not a guitar player who thinks they can teach bass because 4 strings is easier. other than that you are on your own for your quest for a cab. play as many as you can find and choose the one that produces the sound you are after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 If you're playing hard rock/metal/thrash, playing with a pick is not only NOT cheating, it gives you an advantage, especially if you've been playing guitar for a long time. Even dialing it down to more traditional rock, you'll make the transition much more smoothly if you use a pick, if for no other reason than that you don't have solid callouses on your plucking fingers, and they'll get super sore, even raw, while you're trying to adjust. My advice would be to play anything that's uptempo or heavy with a pick, and reserve the fingerstyle for mellower tunes. Even if you disregard this advice, you'll likely be screaming for a pick after 6 or 7 tunes...C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jugghaid Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 If you're playing hard rock/metal/thrash, playing with a pick is not only NOT cheating, it gives you an advantage, especially if you've been playing guitar for a long time. Even dialing it down to more traditional rock, you'll make the transition much more smoothly if you use a pick, if for no other reason than that you don't have solid callouses on your plucking fingers, and they'll get super sore, even raw, while you're trying to adjust.My advice would be to play anything that's uptempo or heavy with a pick, and reserve the fingerstyle for mellower tunes. Even if you disregard this advice, you'll likely be screaming for a pick after 6 or 7 tunes...C7 Yup. good advice. Plus for the harder stuff the attack of a pick sounds really good. I use a pick on about 80% of our material and I've been a finger player for 30+ years. It just sounds better for the music. Also, your approach on the instrument is different on bass. I play both as well, and bass is a really different animal. you need to tie together everyone in the band. Lock in with the drummer and pull the guitars with you to esablish the groove. Then let the melodies from guitar/vocals work over what you are doing. It more building a foundation than guitar is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wades_keys Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 Advice on the switch? Be prepared to spend a lot of time perfecting your right hand attack to avoid buzzing and clacking. Stick with the pick at first - give yourself a few months to get consistent with your fingers. And get a compressor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 0175westwood29 Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 playing with a pick is not cheating!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mabus013 Posted July 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 take a few bass lessons if there is a real bass instructor, not a guitar player who thinks they can teach bass because 4 strings is easier. other than that you are on your own for your quest for a cab. play as many as you can find and choose the one that produces the sound you are after. Lessons are lined up. It's not my first time playing bass in a band setting, and I usually do the bass on my demos anyway. But there's a good teacher waiting. Cab-wise, I like the SVT - who doesn't - but I'll probably be doing it low-key with a 4x10 and sending a signal to the house from the BDI. Eventually, I'd like to get one of those Marshall 4x12 bass cabinets. I've only seen one guy in a nu-metal band back in the day that played one, but he sounded huge. I have my own little theory that if it's done correctly, it's a great sound - tighter than a 15, bigger than a 10. (Smaller than a 'fridge, too!). I'm aware that a lot of bass players think of picking as cheating, but I don't really care. I have been dicking around with four strings a lot for a long time, and I've taken over a couple of jams after getting 'relegated' to bass duties. I've got a few finger techniques down, but I don't really care for the 'two finger' approach. I actually use my thumb more than anything when I play finger style bass, and I've learned to 'fake a pick' with my thumb and index finger a few years ago playing guitar, and it works well with the bass since you're less likely to catch a nail on those big strings. I think, if anything, this is going to help my guitar playing a lot - playing lines instead of big chords and palm mutes (another thing I do on bass a lot), and having that cut off and forced to just think in single note lines will probably help me in the lead playing department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 For the bass, take a look at the Peavey Millenium series. For the bass amp, take a look at the Roland Cube 30 & Cube 100 bass amps as well as the Ampeg BA-112 and BA-115 bass amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sephiret Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 the pick isnt cheating - but alot of people find it easier to vary tone and dynamics with fingerstyle - I include myself in that I like the sound of a pick though, and thats why I pick it up for certain songs, or sections of songs - because sometimes you just wanna dig in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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