Buy a bass guitar or not

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MichaelRobinson
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Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by MichaelRobinson »

I have come to my problem with listening and thinking guitars. I think anywhere in the bass line. A form of jazz style.
Now folks, I have decision anxiety. Should I or should not I buy a bass? I have been recommended a couple of easy to play Ibanez. Do not want to throw money away while I'm very curious if I'll get to learn the bass when I think bass. It tighten the that I invest in a purchase but it will be some time before I got enough money.
Yikes! I do not like this waiting and agony but has no choice other than to wait and check on whether I really fit as a bassist. I've never tried the bass in my life so it's new to me. I really want to try it but my budget says stop for a long time to come. I play the bass line on my acoustic guitar and it is easy, so something is in it, I think. My instinct says anyway it's okay. There is no fighting in it as in playing melodies on the guitar.

This is the bass http://www.thomann.de/se/ibanez_sr700cn.htm

I allso need an amp and other gear so it will be money in the end.
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VikingBlues
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by VikingBlues »

My problem with the bass over the years has been with the scale length!

I'd found on guitars that the "Fender" 25.5" scale length made a difference in playing comfort compared to the 24.75" "Gibson" scale length. So the standard 34" scale of a bass was more than a difference - it was a pain - a pain in the fingers. :thumbsdown: I eventually found after going through 3 normal scale basses that a shorter scale 30" bass (chose a Hofner Violin Bass) made a huge difference to me and was a much more sensible choice. Have I said I can be slow on the uptake?

Though even that shorter scale is a lot longer than the guitar - first three frets 30" bass scale is near enough the same finger stretch as the first 4 frets of a 24.75" scale guitar.

If I recall rightly before the shorter scale solution helped me that I had started using the guitar on recordings and dropped the sound an octave on the recording software rather than use the bass itself.

Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Bill Wyman, Andy Fraser, Glenn Cornick, and Tina Weymouth are among plenty of high profile bass players using short scale. The fact that Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser are on the list suggest the short scale is more than suitable for melodic invention on the bass.

As far as amplifiers go it is possible in the shorter term to use a guitar amp as long as you don't drive it hard. More of a problem with live playing but in the home / recording environment it's a possible longer term option too. Depends on how well the guitar amp / speaker deals with the lower frequency range of sounds.

Oddly I have found I'm using the bass more often than I used to - but in tandem with playing the mandolin. Like this:-
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12696703
Quite fun to do. :big_smile:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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ElMano
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by ElMano »

As you know i change last year from guitar into bass playing. I did that for the first when i was 16 years. Just because they ask me for a band witch all ready has a good guitar player.
True the years i have been playing Guitar and the Bass in all kind of bands. I even work for a living as bassplayer for 2 years in a dance trio in nightclubs :tease:
I must say that it is fun to do both. The only ( small) problem is for me that i could play the bass for hours just as the guitar BUT i can't change between the same gig
After playing bass for a while my fingers wont fit in the small positions of the guitar fingerboard. When i start whit playing guitar No problem, change to bass, no problem. But from bass to guitar it didn't work ( for me )

So if you want to play guitar and the bass as well you have to realize your self that a quick change could be a problem. A Shortscale bass like an violin ore an SG model would work well. I play a hugh Ernie ball musicman stingray 5 string model and a Washburn Tauris T12 4 string and a self build 4 string fretless. all 3 are full scale

About the amp! You have to realize that the low frequencies could damage your speaker(s) Special bass speaker cones are build for that. (The hugh movement of air on low frequenties) The movement is much larger and delicate guitar ore high figh speaker could not handle that large move (for to long) It is possible to play on low volume. But it helps a lot when the speaker box is closed complete. The cones has much more air resistance on the backside in a closed space

As far as your budget Michael, why not look on the 2ehand sites. A use full bass is not to expensive and short scale basses are not so wanted. But even new ones are reasonable priced. In Holland you can buy a new bass for a €100,= that will do! and even startersets incl a small bass amp bass cover cable etc for about € 130,=
A lot of young people get them from there parents but after a short while they see that learn to play is a whole lot of work an practice :think: so they put them on line te sell.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Bass-Guitar-/64398/i.html
Good luck
You can't bend the rule, Every man is some womans fool
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by MichaelRobinson »

VB
I did not know you were such a master of folk music and mandolin. Is it celtic music? It sounds good and happier than the blues, if one may say so in the blues forum.

Elmano
I'll take your suggestion about secondhand considered. I've got this idea that price and quality are interrelated so it can be a problem with secondhand, but I will investigate further

This is the amp I have in mind ; http://www.thomann.de/se/ampeg_ba112_bass_combo.htm

As the title of the thread says, I know not yet if I buy a bass but it leans in that direction.
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vancouverois
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by vancouverois »

Just found out by curiosity this one, it has good reviews and MIK:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/epi ... la-bass-vs

You can also consider a second hand bass amp to ease the bill.
Here is a bass amp buyer guide from Sweetwater:
http://www.sweetwater.com/insync/bass-g ... ide/#solid
Jan 15th 2007
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VikingBlues
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by VikingBlues »

MichaelRobinson wrote:VB
I did not know you were such a master of folk music and mandolin. Is it celtic music? It sounds good and happier than the blues, if one may say so in the blues forum.
It's just a recent change in my playing habits Michael (since December). A long way to go before I'm much good, but it's fun. Yes it is a "celtic" piece - from Ireland. Though there's not a great deal of difference between a lot of Irish and Scottish "celtic" songs .. except the accent they're sung in. A lot of the "celtic" pieces do have a happy sound to them - which makes a change for me.

On the subject of the violin type bass - as three of us have now mentioned them - if my Hofner is typical, because the style is one with a hollow body it's very neck heavy and if your strap doesn't have a good surface for gripping your shoulder it'll nose dive if you take your left hand off the neck. I had wondered about the SG style bass, if for no other reason than Andy Fraser sounded so good on one, but I tried the Hofner and loved the sound.
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by MichaelRobinson »

Translated With google translator.

Since there are many different models of most things in the world, I assume that there are basses too. So I wonder if Hofner bass has a model name. Thought I'd check up on more accurate.
If I understand the English correct then this base is so unbalanced that it tips the weight off of it's own neck. Is that what you mean? I had a Washburn (electric guitar) of good standard which had the peculiarity. It was hopeless to play on the tilted neck down all the time and I do not want to be with again.

Now I have this on my mind. It seems to be a easy to play bass with good sound. Hofner H500/1-CT Contemporary Series Violin Bass Guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/hof ... tar?pfm=sp

I'm confused now. Sat down and checked ebay and there's how many basses anywhere. Too bad you can not try them. Do not want to take the chance that it's not good stuff.
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ElMano
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by ElMano »

Maybe this is a solution Compact no head dive, short scale light and good looking: http://www.ebay.de/itm/like/37092644155 ... rid=229487 I love it and i gonna build me one. A want a 5- ore maybe a 6 string. I have finely found a building solution to build the tuners :handshake: :high5:
You can't bend the rule, Every man is some womans fool
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by MichaelRobinson »

I'm still in two minds. Have not landed in any decision yet. It is crawling with advice and basses. Will take it calm until I landed and I hope to make sensibly choice.
Maby it will be this one ; http://www.thomann.de/se/hoefner_hct500 ... porary.htm
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VikingBlues
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by VikingBlues »

Hofners Contemporary Violin Bass seems to be their mid range one. The Re-Issued version similar to the original is a lot more expensive. The Ignition version (which I got) is the cheap budget version - but it still plays very nicely for the price. The Contemporary model has a central block in teh body for extra sustain, but presumably has other added benefits for the extra price over the Ignition. Though possibly just made in a country where the labour costs are higher of course.

As you say:-
MichaelRobinson wrote:Too bad you can not try them. Do not want to take the chance that it's not good stuff.


Certainly with something as very different as a Violin Bass I'd say trying one out first is essential. Maybe a good idea to see if the standard and shorter scale make any difference to you too - I mainly have an issue with that due to finger joint pains. You have a huge choice if it's standard scale length.
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by MichaelRobinson »

I have already put this amp http://www.thomann.de/se/ampeg_ba112_bass_combo.htm in the cart. Good coincidence.

As I said, I want it quiet in the choice of base. Also, I have personal problems that occupy my time the most and do that I can not concentrate much on guitar playing and bass selection.
But one day, I found something good to play on. I think so.

Edit: Oh crap. I can not dilly-dally around on it. It may be this;http://www.thomann.de/se/ibanez_sr700cn.htm
Now it's saving money that counts. It will take time to get together so it is enough with amp and some goodies.

Now I'm like a kid on Christmas. Waiting eagerly for the package and if I manage to learn to play bass. I know with me, I think bassline. Wondering if there is sufficient as a start? Of course, it involves technique also and that can be frustrating with my bad patience.
Last edited by MichaelRobinson on Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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VikingBlues
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by VikingBlues »

Good luck with the search! :thumbsup:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Buy a bass guitar or not

Post by MichaelRobinson »

VikingBlues wrote:Good luck with the search! :thumbsup:
Thanks, Mark.
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