Advice for a noob bass player?

[jasonxthomas]

Hello evey one,

 

I have been playing guitar in hardcore bands for several years now and have switched to playing bass for a band that sounds something like madball or terror. I was wondering if there are any pointers you guys can give me about equipment, dialing in a good tone, effects, etc. anything at all...

 

I am barrowing equipment:

Music Man bass

Gallen Krueger 1001RB

Ampeg 8x10

 

I look forward to your responses!

[catphish]

first off, you'll find playig bass FAR easier than playing guitar. Less strings....duh!

 

 

 

 

Seriously, what define's "good tone" is just as impossible to define as trying to define "beautiful". I'm not familiar with the two listed examples, but I'm sure someone here is.

 

Good luck, and welcome to the board.

[T. Alan Smith]

You've got a kickass rig bro. Start with everything flat on your head & instrument. Put the most effort into simply using your hands to come as close as possible to the sound you have in your head(your ideal). Don't waste time at this point in the game worrying about EQ settings & effects. "Good tone" comes from your touch & your feel, not from "dialing."

[jasonxthomas]

Thanks for the response guys! So far playing bass does seem easier than playing guitar, but that makes me feel like I am missing something...

 

Thanks for the pointer T. Alan Smith, I will focus mostly on my playing for now

[Fran da Man]

Welcome to the lowend

catphish was being sarcastic...

[Darkstorm]

What kind of tone are you looking for? Growly and crunchy, or more mellow smooth? Takes diff kind of pups for each imo, and diff body woods can also help that.

[sunburstbasser]

First off, make sure you have a deep bag of on-stage rock star poses. These will help IMMENSELY in your live performances.

 

Second, just play. Though it seems easy now, when you start diving into it you'll find it actually more complicated. It isn't always easy to come up with a melodic line that complements the rest of the song, for instance, yet in a rock setting this is what bassists do.

[T. Alan Smith]

Originally posted by Darkstorm What kind of tone are you looking for? Growly and crunchy, or more mellow smooth? Takes diff kind of pups for each imo,

 

Yup, YOUR OPINION Again, it's in the touch. Growl MOSTLY comes from knowing where to put your hands(closer to the bridge), and knowing how to really dig in. Pups and woods help in the translation, but that all an instrument does anyway=translate musical expresson.

FWIW, I get as much growl out of my P as I do on my 'Ray. I get as much or more growl out of my P than most on their J's.

[Sixgun77]

Welcome. My advice to you is to know all of your equipment, remember that mids are your friends(mids define your tone, allow people to hear what note it is you're playing, and cut through the mix), and spend a lot of time practicing your picking hand technique. Whether you're playing with a pick or fingerstyle, the amount of control you have over your picking hand has a dramatic affect on your overall sound. I hope you enjoy your stay with us.

[jasonxthomas]

 

Originally posted by Darkstorm What kind of tone are you looking for? Growly and crunchy, or more mellow smooth? Takes diff kind of pups for each imo, and diff body woods can also help that.

 

 

More of a growl/ crunch, the music is fast and hard hitting so I need to make sure I am not getting buried in the mix. That the notes can cut through the mix and also compliment the guitars. I will mess around with my hand palcement and see what that does for me as well.

 

Sixgun77 thanks for pointing out the mids, I always thought this held true for guitarists as well.

[Incubitabus]

i personally paly with different settings when i'm alone than when i'm with my bands. Tweak it to a sound that pleases you, but dont get too locked into that. The more you play with a group, the more you'll notice what adjustments you'll need to make to cut through (mids are usually the culprit, but not always; Its called a BASS for a reason ).

 

Feel free to try something outlandish, too. Sometimes doing something totally different can make you stand out that much more (if thats what you want!)...

 

Welcome to the Forums, and Good Luck!

[baracuda2004]

ok man well i could get on here and tell you to learn this song or this style or be completely generic and say just practice alot like most people, but dude i've only been playing for about 1yr and 8m

and i'm already learning Burton stuff and starting to write my own bass solos for my band Core Breach(www.myspace.com/corebreach)

we are working on some complex stuff now and my guitarist and drummer who have been playing for about 10 years each say i'm handling it like a vet. and i sound like i've been playing for many more years. NOW bragging aside what i'm trying to say is learn what you want don't go around asking people a good song to learn or whatever, if you hate a band and people tell you to learn their bass lines to get better you will eventually start to hate playing, just play what you want of course it takes time to learn stuff, and above all don't get caught up in a fad like Nu-Metal(just an example) unless you like it, just play what you want don't try to sound like everyone else around you'll get noticed easier if you stand out. WELL MAN GOOD LUCK MAYBE We'll hear from you one day. m/(>.

 

DETERMINATION

 

P.S. Killer rig man, i just got a Peavey Classic 400(all tube bass

amp) and a Peavey tvx 410 cab it's sweet

 

P.P.S It also helps to hang around people who are better than

you are, eventually you will pick up on alot of techniques

and secrets that would have otherwise taken you a long

time to learn.