# Great Idea



## Jimmy_D (Jul 4, 2009)

Is this new, is this the first post, yes what a great idea... gratuitous bass pic


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## Frenchy99 (Oct 15, 2016)

Nice !!!


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## Boogieman (Apr 6, 2009)

My latest bass purchase from last year:


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Welcome 4, 5, and 6-stringers. About bloody time you got a place to call your own.

Congrats!


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## Thornton Davis (Jul 25, 2008)

Me and my basses just want to say thank you for adding a bass forum!

Thornton Davis has shared 1 photo with you!

TD


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

So much awesomeness in such a small thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Jimmy_D said:


> Is this new, is this the first post, yes what a great idea... gratuitous bass pic


This bass is beautiful!


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## Guest (Jul 11, 2017)

a couple of my puppies

'12 G&L Jazz. custom by me PG










'80 BC Rich Eagle


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

While I'm not a bassist I will sometimes play this Cort bass from time to time.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I'll have to get pics of the others, here's a Vantage from the '90s...


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

I pledge to contribute to this forum!


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

My two basses:


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Here's my lovely Classic Vibe 50's P, alongside my good friend's ~1972 P.


__
http://instagr.am/p/BTJpghgAYJd/


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

These are beautiful guitars. Playing piano for 40 years and now guitar for 12 years, I now realise that I was a snob when it came to playing bass. I just figured anyone could play it. That's until recently. I've always used my keyboard to lay down the bass tracks for my recorded music. I recently purchased an acoustic bass and decided to use that for a couple of songs. It hard, no it's damn hard to play that thing properly and I must admit I've gone back to using my keyboard. I was wrong about bass guitar and my respect for you that do play bass has gone way, way up. Here's to the bottom end (I'm also including drummers here to no more jokes about drummers).


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Guitar101 said:


> These are beautiful guitars. Playing piano for 40 years and now guitar for 12 years, I now realise that I was a snob when it came to playing bass. I just figured anyone could play it. That's until recently. I've always used my keyboard to lay down the bass tracks for my recorded music. I recently purchased an acoustic bass and decided to use that for a couple of songs. It hard, no it's damn hard to play that thing properly and I must admit I've gone back to using my keyboard. I was wrong about bass guitar and my respect for you that do play bass has gone way, way up. Here's to the bottom end (I'm also including drummers here to no more jokes about drummers).


Now, try to play with your fingers insted of a pick. THAT IS SO FREAKING HARD TO MASTER!
I feel you, when I started back in january I was sure it was just a scaled down guitar... Boy, I was wrong!


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## Guest (Jul 11, 2017)

Ti-Ron said:


> Now, try to play with your fingers insted of a pick. THAT IS SO FREAKING HARD TO MASTER!


I find that playing with a pick is harder. 
For me anyways.
It's a longer sweep and it tires out my wrist.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

laristotle said:


> I find that playing with a pick is harder.
> For me anyways.
> It's a longer sweep and it tires out my wrist.


Depends on the distance between strings, I guess.
I'm working on the "3 fingers" technic by Alex Webster and damn not the easiest.



> My three-finger plucking technique is fairly simple. It goes ring, middle, index repeatedly. The trick is to make sure that you can create an even pulse of 16th notes rather than simply triplets and gallops. To do that, I recommend that you practice accenting the pattern in a way that creates a feeling of four: RING, middle, index, ring, MIDDLE, index, ring, middle, INDEX, ring, middle, index, etc.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

The other guitar player in the band and myself are wanting to learn bass! I played at rehearsal one time because the bass player had to run out to do something! It was a lot of fun even though I hadn't a clue as to what I was doing! It felt pretty good just to use my fingers to pluck strings instead of a pick.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

So, what should I know besides there bring a difference between a six string vs. a a 4 string. 

What are some of the difficulties in learning bass?


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## Guest (Jul 11, 2017)

Lola said:


> What are some of the difficulties in learning bass?


Stretching your fingers along the fretboard.
If you're going to shop around for a bass, I'd recommend a short scale (30 inch) to start.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

mhammer said:


> Welcome 4, 5, and 6-stringers. About bloody time you got a place to call your own.
> 
> Congrats!












Rejected. Dejected. Scorned by all ..............


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Lola said:


> So, what should I know besides there bring a difference between a six string vs. a a 4 string.
> 
> What are some of the difficulties in learning bass?


The first thing is obvious - the bass is the four lower strings of the guitar. So the 'map' is already there.

If you play rhythm to songs, you know the chords already. Bass is mostly playing the fundamental note of those chords, with a few patterns like root-V or walking bass, depending on the song. I think the most important thing is listen to and lock on to the drummer - listen to the kick and snare and support those while tying in the melody. Keep it simple, unless you know the song and know it will work with more complication.


And most of all, don't ever listen to Geddy or Paul or Jacko or Chris or Les or Flea or Sting ............. they take bass to a whole other level, not usually necessary for 'functional' bass playing.


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## luker0 (Apr 18, 2017)

Lola said:


> The other guitar player in the band and myself are wanting to learn bass! I played at rehearsal one time because the bass player had to run out to do something! It was a lot of fun even though I hadn't a clue as to what I was doing! It felt pretty good just to use my fingers to pluck strings instead of a pick.


Play root, 3rd and 5th notes of a given chord, add rhythm by playing eights and dotted quarter notes. Done. 

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

> Rejected. Dejected. Scorned by all ..............


Get lost, 12-string scum. Go to Tom Peterson's house if you want any sympathy. We don't need your fat-fingered kind around here! And we especially don't need your $68 string sets.
That's not a bass. That's just a guy who's too damn cheap to buy an octave box. Not to mention that he takes, like, 40 minutes to tune the frigging thing.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

"They like me at Budokan...."


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

...but they crashed the stage on you at Bluesfest.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

They were jealous of my powers. 

A 12 string bass player pulls chix and 3 times the rate of a 4 stringer.




Sadly, 0 X 3 is still 0!


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

High/Deaf said:


> And most of all, don't ever listen to Geddy or Paul or Jacko or Chris or Les or Flea or Sting ............. they take bass to a whole other level, not usually necessary for 'functional' bass playing.


That is exactly why I check those other guys like Alex Webster:





Or Nick Schendzielos:





On the other side of the spectrum, Joe Dart is awesome!


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## Guest (Jul 11, 2017)




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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

sulphur said:


> I'll have to get pics of the others, here's a Vantage from the '90s...
> 
> View attachment 103665
> 
> ...


Needs more stickers.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

laristotle said:


> I find that playing with a pick is harder.
> For me anyways.
> It's a longer sweep and it tires out my wrist.


I started bass playing with my fingers--so I more sued to it--but I can use a pick as well.
I prefer fingers because I find it gives me more control--but some stuff I find easier to play with a pick.
And that isn't necessarily because the original song had the bass player using a pick--it might be a factor--but it might not as well.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

zontar said:


> I started bass playing with my fingers--so I more sued to it--but I can use a pick as well.
> I prefer fingers because I find it gives me more control--but some stuff I find easier to play with a pick.
> And that isn't necessarily because the original song had the bass player using a pick--it might be a factor--but it might not as well.


So if I choose to start learning, what would you suggest? Fingers or pick?


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2017)

Be prepared to get blisters if you dig in hard. lol.

My brothers, Blackie and Red.










Here's a thread that may be useful.
Learning to play Bass


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Lola said:


> So if I choose to start learning, what would you suggest? Fingers or pick?


I found fingers much more natural to me. I wish I liked a pick more, as it would save my fingers.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

Here's my bass, an 80’s Ibanez Roadstar II RB960 I bought from a pawn shop. BTW The strap is the kind of weirdo you only find here, red finished leather on one side and black finished leather on the other.










There was an identical bass in that same pawn shop a few years later for the same cheap price.

This thing is very good, this series with those pickups. There's a fancier bound flamey version of this bass for sale on Kijiji in Toronto by someone that seems to be out of his mind. Ones like this in red, white, black, purple or black with purple, show up for $200 USD on Guitar Center's website.

I need to get the truss rod tweaked. I borrowed it to a friend years and years ago and I think he might have tinkered with it. Not a priority, I'm afraid, I just detune it when I put it away.

I was reading a guitar forum a few months ago and a guy said, "I always have calls for gigs playing bass." I feel like I wasted a lot of years working real jobs. That's my advice to any would be guitar player, put as much time in learning the bass, too.

I'm not a bass player, so I play it like a guitar player. I've wtitten a lot of songs starting from a bass line. Most of my favourite music is bass heavy.

There are so many great Jazz bassists, but on the Rock side I'll mention Rob Wright of NoMeansNo and Bruce Thomas of Elvis Costello and the Attractions.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Lola said:


> So if I choose to start learning, what would you suggest? Fingers or pick?


If you want to get an idea of a bass before buying it, go with a pick. You are already used to play with one, it will be more natural.
After that, it is on you. There is no good or bad way. There's some snobery in the bass world regarding picks but screw that, you are here to play! 
I play with pick sometime 'cause the song call for it but I prefer fingerstyle 'cause it's easier to cover the whole 5 strings with my whole hand.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Ti-Ron said:


> If you want to get an idea of a bass before buying it, go with a pick. You are already used to play with one, it will be more natural.
> After that, it is on you. There is no good or bad way. There's some snobery in the bass world regarding picks but screw that, you are here to play!
> I play with pick sometime 'cause the song call for it but I prefer fingerstyle 'cause it's easier to cover the whole 5 strings with my whole hand.


Definitely will give a pick a shot but somehow playing with my fingers is just more tactile. We have rehearsal Friday and I am going to ask the bass player if I can play just a simple song, just something with an easy bass line!

This is opening a whole new can of worms though!  But I don't really care.

Really going to have to get two jobs for the shit I want but not really need.

What Lola wants, Lola gets! Lol

It's about time I fucking spoiled myself.( sorry for the explicit F bomb)


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Some songs just seem to work with a pick and some just work with fingers. I don't care about no stinkin' rules - use what you think suits the song the most. There is no wrongs. 

Well, I guess there is. Wrong notes, wrong timing, but no wrong technique, IMO. As a bass player, those first two really stand out - moreso than as a guitar player, often.


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## Gavz (Feb 27, 2016)

Lola said:


> So if I choose to start learning, what would you suggest? Fingers or pick?


Fingers. Tonal variety is greater be it attack angle, pressure, snap, dig, flesh or nails, etc.

Sent from my SM-G386W using Tapatalk


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Lola said:


> So if I choose to start learning, what would you suggest? Fingers or pick?


I would try both--and it may depend on your musical style which one you would use more--but I would try fingers first myself.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

laristotle said:


> Be prepared to get blisters if you dig in hard. lol.
> 
> My brothers, Blackie and Red.
> 
> ...



OMG WTF?


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I play fingerstyle, but I mostly play guitar fingerstyle too. The biggest advantage to me is the ability to control the length of the notes much more easily and cleanly.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Oops. Double post.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

bw66 said:


> I play fingerstyle, but I mostly play guitar fingerstyle too. The biggest advantage to me is the ability to control the length of the notes much more easily and cleanly.


Funny how I fond fingerstyle on bass so natural but can't wrap my head around it when I play the guitar...


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Ti-Ron said:


> Funny how I fond fingerstyle on bass so natural but can't wrap my head around it when I play the guitar...


I think that it is easier to subtract the thumb than to add it.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

Ti-Ron said:


> Funny how I fond fingerstyle on bass so natural but can't wrap my head around it when I play the guitar...


I love fingerpicking on my guitar! I always avoided it like the plague! My introduction came via Stairway to heaven! After playing that song a 1000 times or more(I kid you not) I finally got really comfortable with it!

I know that I will love fingerpicking bass!

Some jerk wad said to me to get better at guitar before I learn another instrument! I just ignored that person and walked away.

Man, some people!


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## Frenchy99 (Oct 15, 2016)

Fingerstyle is the best but a pick gives you a different tone for some songs.... Plus a pick is quite handy when you get finger cramps !!!


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Lola said:


> Some jerk wad said to me to get better at guitar before I learn another instrument! I just ignored that person and walked away.
> 
> Man, some people!


I agree. Some people are either too small or too inexperienced to realize that getting better at one makes you better at the other. But you know what they say about opinions and body parts......


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