Thinking about learning bass guitar. Help?

Bobalicious93

I've had a few guitar lessons and i just didn't fall in love with it like some of my mates have. (Might be lack of motivation )

however now, I'm strongly thinking about picking up a bass and giving that a go. Now, if I were to decide to buy a bass and learn to play it, (Cant be too different from guitar can it?) can anyone recommend a decent(ish) cheap one as a starter?
Bear in mind that my budget wouldn't exactly be huge.

Also preferably not order online, so if anyone knows of any actual bricks and mortar shops dealing instruments, thatd be great too.

Rigsby

First of all, be aware that the bass is a very different instrument from the guitar. It plays a completely different role in a band ( i.e. in conjunction with the drums it provides and maintains the rhythm ). Once you realise and are happy with this you can start searching for a bass.

My first beginner bass was an "SX" which I bought in Waltons. It needed a set up at the start and was then fine as a beginner bass. The Fender Squire is also a fairly good starter bass. You can also buy bass starter kits which consist of guitar, small practice amp, lead and strap. Take a look in "Music Maker" in Exchequer St. They have some good bargains from time to time.

If you do find that you really like bass, and want to take it up, my advice would be to get a few lessons to learn technique, thus avoiding bad habits forming from the start.

Hope this helps and best of luck.

Krsnik87

Definately get yourself a few lessons anyway. Well worth a few quid to get yourself started properly, it will make a huge difference!

red_ice

Im playing guitar a good 14/5 years now. After spending a stupid ammount on guitars and equipment the thought of playing bass was far from a reality. until i joined a band and thought id give it a go.. Best decision ever! I love it. i find bass more fun, and regardless of how technically sound my guitar playing is and the fact i can play what ever i want - i just couldnt get what was in my head onto the guitar when playing with a band. Bass IMO is a really fun instrument, much more so than guitar (for me).. the only problem is finding a bass + amp of some sort for a jam at a party!

Rigsby wrote: »

First of all, be aware that the bass is a very different instrument from the guitar. It plays a completely different role in a band ( i.e. in conjunction with the drums it provides and maintains the rhythm ). Once you realise and are happy with this you can start searching for a bass.

So true. The great part of bass is that you can just walk around the neck when you feel confident - interpol are a great example i think, because the rythem section are spot on! When im playing i try to put a melody to a drum beat.. Listen to the trackjust the bass and drums! so low notes most of the time for a kick and octaves for the snare etc.. as far as walking around the neck goes, another interpol example is this one.

Everyones musical taste is obviously different, but depending on what you like playing i find it allot easier to get my style out on a bass. You said you couldnt hack guitar as such, and im sorta getting the vibe that your one of these chaps who think "cant play guitar, bass should be easy".. yea to play along with guitar bass is easy, to play along with drums.. thats when bass becomes fun. Its the link for all the instruments in the band and regardless of what people say i think its what sets the tone for the song...

Definitly give it a go, pick up a sh1tty starter pack and let it go from there

Teh Russ

Welcome to the four-string brotherhood! As they say, one less of them, one more of us.

It's often said that bass is easier to learn than guitar, but a lot harder to get good at. I'd have to agree. You have a different set of priorities learning to play bass than you do when you learn guitar. First and foremost, as everyone else has said, bass is a rhythm instrument, so getting your timing together is paramount, far over and above the "chops" aspect. A bass player who can play simple lines with good time and rhythm will be in far more demand than a bass player with chops, but who can't lock in with the rhythm. With bass, most of the time, less is more - what you don't play is at least as important as what you do play.

Secondly, technique. There's a lot talked about the whole pick vs. fingers thing amongst bassists... my advice is learn fingerstyle first, then add other techniques later. There's something about fingerstyle that seems to connect you to your instrument more than playing with a pick. I have nothing against pick players - it's a great sound and one I use myself quite often - but I find a lot of people who learned bass with a pick initially have more difficulty with other techniques later.

Thirdly, your choice of instrument. There are some great low-cost instruments out there these days. Personally, I'd recommend anything from Squier's current range, especially the Vintage Modified range. They're great instruments that you'll probably want to keep even when it's time to upgrade, and are no longer just a "poor man's Fender". Then, you have the choice of which kind of bass to go for. You've got three main types - the Precision-type bass, the Jazz-type bass and the more modern, active-with-humbuckers-type bass (eg, most of Ibanez's range, etc). In terms of feel, the Precision-type bass has a wider, flatter neck than a Jazz, which will have a narrower neck... it's basically a case of what feels most comfortabe in your hand. Some people prefer the chunkier P-style neck over the skinny J-style neck, and vice versa (basses from the other category will generally be more like the J-style, or somewhere in between the two). And, in terms of available sounds, a J-style or active bass will have lots more variety of sounds available than a P. But, while the P-style bass may have less tonal variery, the tones it can make are great.

Next, amps. At this stage, you'll probably want a practice amp (anything small from Peavey, or Line 6 would be good), but, bear in mind, it takes a lot more power to amplify low notes. So, when the time comes when you want to get out and rehearse with a band and gig, you'll need something fairly substantial. If you're playing with a guitarist who likes to use distortion, you'll need an amp that is at least twice as powerful, in terms of wattage, in order to be heard. This also depends a lot on how hard your drummer likes to play. Personally, I think 200W is pretty much the minimum for band use. As for your speaker choice (10" vs 15"), that's pretty much personal preference, and down to the style of music you play. A 15" speaker will have more bottom end, but will be less articulate and detailed than a 10". The ideal combination is to have a 1x15" cab, plus a 2x10" or 4x10", so you get a full-range tone. For a first gigging amp, Behringer do cheap, serviceable amps, but I'd recommend going upmarket a little bit and trying out Ashdown or Peavey.

Anyway... that concludes my essay. Good luck with the bass, and let us all know how you get on!

red_ice

Teh Russ wrote: »

what you don't play is at least as important as what you do play.

the groove?

Teh Russ wrote: »

In terms of feel, the Precision-type bass has a wider, flatter neck than a Jazz, which will have a narrower neck... it's basically a case of what feels most comfortable in your hand. Some people prefer the chunkier P-style neck over the skinny J-style neck, and vice versa (basses from the other category will generally be more like the J-style, or somewhere in between the two). And, in terms of available sounds, a J-style or active bass will have lots more variety of sounds available than a P. But, while the P-style bass may have less tonal variery, the tones it can make are great.

I wish i had a p-bass with the neck i have on my jazz. The sound out of my mex p is great for what i play, but i've never felt a neck so good as what i have on my Jazz!

Teh Russ wrote: »

So, when the time comes when you want to get out and rehearse with a band and gig, you'll need something fairly substantial. If you're playing with a guitarist who likes to use distortion, you'll need an amp that is at least twice as powerful, in terms of wattage, in order to be heard. This also depends a lot on how hard your drummer likes to play. Personally, I think 200W is pretty much the minimum for band use. As for your speaker choice (10" vs 15"), that's pretty much personal preference, and down to the style of music you play.

I've been playing through a Peavey TKO 80 and its a CLASS amp! Its really the meat n two veg of bass amp, but its loud and can sound mean with some attention to tone. Thats a dirt cheap amp, and it can blow the socks out of alot of other amps volume wise.

Ill second that comment with a more powerful amp, i've also been told by a few people a 200watt bass amp is about as loud as a 100watt guitar amp on average.. then again, the ampeg v4 is a 100watt amp which goes insanely high

Royale with Cheese

Yeah I had a 125 watt Laney amp and it struggled to keep up with 2 Marshall amps around 80-100 watts.

Bass is great to play, and fun to learn. But once you get the basics you'd want to join a band. It's not great to play on its own. Mine never get taken out unless I'm gigging/rehearsing, or just testing out some other piece of kit I just bought.

red_ice

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

But once you get the basics you'd want to join a band. It's not great to play on its own. Mine never get taken out unless I'm gigging/rehearsing, or just testing out some other piece of kit I just bought.

Yea, i only take the bass out for rehearsals, writing basslines for our songs or the possibility of a jam at a party.. the rest is guitar for me at home

Rigsby

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Bass is great to play, and fun to learn. But once you get the basics you'd want to join a band. It's not great to play on its own.

+1 on joining a band when you have the basics mastered. In the meantime you could try playing along to some of your favourite music at home. It's great fun and also helps to develop your ear and sense of groove.

Bobalicious93

Thanks for all the help guys.

For those of you saying I should join a band once I get the hang of bass, well thats exactly why I'm interested in it. I've one mate who plays guitar and another who plays drums (Which I seem to have a knack for btw ) and anytime we head up to one of the lads houses I end up just sitting there watching the awesomeness and feel left out hehe.

Definately gonna head in to Town during the week to have a look for a cheap starter pack.
Also does anyone have any suggestions as far as music shops go? I know Waltons is probably the obvious choice but is there anywhere else I should know about? (Bearing in mind I'm in Dublin)

Rigsby

Rigsby wrote: »

Take a look in "Music Maker" in Exchequer St. They have some good bargains from time to time.

There's also "Perfect Pitch" which is just a few doors down from "Music Maker". Then there's "Musician Inc" nearby in Druary St though they seem to deal in more up market stuff. "Goodwins" in Capel St is also worth checking out. There's another shop on Capel St further down towards the quays on the other side that sell cheap basses. Cant remember the name though.

Happy hunting and let us know how you get on.

red_ice

the guys in music maker look after me all the time with gear. I got my jazz bass there and i was looking into getting a Marshall 15' and a 4x10 cab off of them and they put a great deal together for me which im going to persue soon enough. I get my pedals there too because i buy them in 2's and 3's and they knock a lump off them!

my jazz broke and was sent off to england to fix (s1 switch died), when it returned i got a call a week later from them asking how it was - i told them it was grand, but im not 100%. They called me back 2 weeks later to see if everything was ok again.

Im very happy with my transactions with them.

Musician inc is good also, but i've only got an acoustic off of them 10 or so years ago.. been a while since i've been in there