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Post by N3B on Nov 29, 2007 15:23:41 GMT -5
My bass accessories are pretty bland at the moment -- pretty much just have the bass and a 10W practice amp. Any cool stuff I should look into?
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Post by Notesurfer on Nov 29, 2007 22:52:47 GMT -5
Although Niff will probably disagree with me, let me state first and foremost that effects pedals are negligible. Given the role that the bass plays when mixed in with the other instruments it's more important to throw your money into a good set of pickups (but only if your bass is of good quality).
If you've got a good bass, invest in a good preamp or (better) amp.
If you're willing to shell out between $300-500 you can get an effects pod that doubles as a preamp. Make sure it has fully customizable effects. Those pods can be really powerful, and give you a lot of freedom when it comes to giving your bass the right *feel* depending on the song. However, a pod like that would probably be useless if you aren't playing with a group or recording high-fidelity music.
Straps - you could always get some ridiculously fancy/comfortable strap.
Anyway . . . if you do decide to get a dedicated effects pedal, I'd recommend strongly against a distortion pedal. As much as I love teh distorts on other instruments, bass distortion really only sounds good solo. Period. Plus it's a beast to mix with all that frickin' treble . . .
Go for 'verb/delay, flange/chorus (you can do some wacky things with that), or an octave/5th harmony kind of deal.
As always, a good 1/4 inch of decent length is a must - go for Monster or a comparable brand.
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Post by Draxas on Nov 30, 2007 0:00:33 GMT -5
Start a good music thread, and our mysterious vanishing admin is bound to appear.  |
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Post by niff on Nov 30, 2007 0:19:08 GMT -5
i've toned down my effects usage a lot. my band board goes:
boss TU-2 tuner -> boss BF-2 (MIJ) flanger -> boss GEB-7 equaliser -> fulltone bassdrive
i say "goes" because i'm only part of the way there, but that's what it'll be like. tuner for on the fly tuning, flanger for quiet bass parts and solo deals, GEB-7 for a clean boost, fulltone bassdrive for overdrive and grit.
pods are nasty. digital, nasty effects, with half decent software emulation of decent amp setups for a ridiculous amount of money for a plastic bubble with some electronics in it.
your best bet is to go for a bigger amp and a better bass. the pod may make you sound decent, but for a little more money you could get a more comfortable feeling bass that sounds ace through any amp. and with an even better amp, by god son, you'll be sounding even better than before.
cables are.. eh. as long as it's not a shoddily wired chinese import it'll be fine. monsters are overrated and only nice because of the gold tipped ends. i prefer planet waves due to the locking, price, and length options. straps aren't too important. i prefer nylon ernie ball straps. durable, and slips and slides on my shirt. i have my strap down low and move around a lot when i play, so a grippy rubber or leather strap ain't my thing mang.
ps. you need to hear some better bass distortion, notey. haha. like, geared for actual bass distortion, blended and focused on gritty mids instead of treble. big muffs on bass make me cringe too, i know.
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Post by N3B on Nov 30, 2007 1:12:29 GMT -5
I don't play in a band, and I honestly don't prospect to. Would be nice but that's not my goal or anything. As for having a "good" bass, here's what I got (clickey clickey). From the research I did it's a pretty solid instrument for being the price that it is. I've looked at Steinbergers which I believe is somewhere in the $300 range. However I'd really prefer to play one before I commit to getting one. And there are other things on the list that I'd like to ask for, so I may not want to put collective investment in an expensive bass or amp. Oh and I'm thinking of getting an electric guitar just to mess around on. |
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Post by niff on Nov 30, 2007 1:31:24 GMT -5
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Post by Notesurfer on Nov 30, 2007 10:35:24 GMT -5
One thing I forgot - Wah. Depends on what you're going for, a wah pedal could be heavenly or could totally ruin your sound. Unless your sound is 70s funk. >_>
And I stand by good pods. There are a lot of cheap pods out there, but a good pod is worth so many times what they sell for, mainly because of the way you can mix and match effects. Given that I tend to play bass either in metal or beatronica/drum 'n bass, I've found the pods that I've used incredibly useful. Keep in mind the pod I use now isn't mine, cost over 1k, and is on-the-floor.
That said, pods probably aren't for you if you aren't planning on getting *too* serious about the bass.
So lets not start a big pod vs board debate. d-:
Anyway, I personally would love to have a Steinberger in addition to my current bass, but like Niff said, I wouldn't want *just* that as my main instrument.
*seconds Niffs pickup comment* Like I said before, you can throw good pickups in an electric instrument and it'll make more of a difference in sound than buying a new one would. Pickups=power.
I actually use a nylon Ernie Ball strap for the same reason - My bass is hung to my knees and I move around a lot. It works out well. Incidentally I would NOT recommend hanging your bass low when you start out, especially if you've never played a string instrument any significant amount. The stretches required to play the bass have been known to cause a lot of painful tendon stretching, and you don't want to add the stress of reaching down an extra foot to that. Otherwise you'll end up like me - tendinitis and back/neck problems from tackling too many instruments at once without formal training.
On that note, do you have a teacher? I'm sure Niff will tell you that a teacher is unnecessary (which they are), but they can be useful.
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Post by N3B on Nov 30, 2007 14:15:52 GMT -5
I have not had an instructor, no. I've used a few "how to" guides on the internet to figure out the basics and then sort of learned on the fly. Mostly I just look up tabs to songs that I like and play along with em. Often I'll try to not use a tab and figure it out myself. Other times if the bass line is just absolutely boring I'll figure out the guitar line and play it.
What I've had my eye on is tapping, but it hasn't been easy from the few stabs I've taken at it. I've also had my eye on the chapman stick but those are expensive and seem complicated to use to their full potential.
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Post by Notesurfer on Nov 30, 2007 16:25:07 GMT -5
I was just curious - there's nothing inherently wrong with teaching yourself, nor is there anything wrong with having a teacher.
As for tapping . . . a Chapman stick is basically an overglorified portable piano for guitarists.
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Post by niff on Nov 30, 2007 19:48:57 GMT -5
i started off with a teacher and it helped my technique immensely. after i got the basics down i didn't have much use for it though. i taught myself theory and other more advanced bass techniques, same with guitar.
chapman sticks are.. interesting. hardly a beginner's instrument though. tapping technique is awesome fun though, poke around youtube and get some tutorials and stuff.
so far i see the best option as being the pickups/electronics replacement.. however, it's a bastard to do yourself if you're not good at electronics. you can get a shop to do it for you, and at the same time give your bass the once over and set up the action to be more comfortable and all that.
also, project i was thinking of. defretting my old ibanez GSR (or buying a defretted neck for it), replacing the pickups with some nordstrands and some better electronics. fretlesses are sweet.
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Post by Notesurfer on Dec 1, 2007 10:20:07 GMT -5
Ever played a fretless instrument before Niff? If not, I look forward to your inevitable frustration. Of course, if you don't have perfect pitch it won't be an issue.
*groans at every amateur violinist on earth*
Were you planning on marking the fret areas or no?
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Post by niff on Dec 1, 2007 19:31:22 GMT -5
yeah i've played upright bass a bit. violin every now and again.
i'm gonna have it lined as well just so i don't have a mental breakdown every time i want to play something. it'll be fun getting good intonation.
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Post by Notesurfer on Dec 1, 2007 21:30:31 GMT -5
What does "every now and again" translate into? Getting good intonation is the reason I lose all my students - I only take ones with perfect pitch, and they all inevitably get frustrated and quit 6 months in. \-:
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Post by niff on Dec 2, 2007 0:08:20 GMT -5
every now and again like, i fool around with it when i get the chance. once or twice a week at school. yes, i'm that guy who plays smoke on the water on every instrument he can.
i hardly play them seriously, and i have far from perfect pitch. not really interested in classical instruments much. the only one i play regularly or semi-seriously is piano.. but only because it's sort of the "universal" instrument.
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Post by Notesurfer on Dec 2, 2007 13:42:49 GMT -5
The members of my orchestra think I'm certifiable - every week I'm playing a new heavy metal tune to warm up. Never did like smoke on the water though . . . my personal fav on violin is master of puppets. To each his own (-;
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