First day on Bass Guitar

[suddenseer]

Question... what does a good set of bass guitar strings cost these days ? I know violin strings cost me anywhere from $25 - $30.00 (for a cheap set of steel student strings) to $45 - $75.00 for a set of good quality synthetic (perlon) strings to close to or over $100 for quality gut strings, depending on make, quality and retailer. I'd imagine decent bass strings are quite expensive these days. I always dread when it comes time to restring because it makes my wallet thinner.

I bought flat wound 4 string set for the Ricky on line for $38 plus shipping.

[N7YA]

Ive been using the same brand for decades, i pay between $20 - $30 depending on where i buy them. Thats about the average. Rotosounds (RS66 - steel, not nickle) last a long time if you keep your hands clean and dont yank on them like you are ripping out old electrical cable. They retain their bright tone longer than any string ive used.

[N1LAF]

Thanks Adam, I am about to warm up for my performance in the living room tonight, me and my new Bass guitar. Your avatar really had me thinking, and decided to act on that tug to play Bass this week.

What do you think about my implementation on that step up a couple posts ago? I hit it by accident, but it seemed to work. Have to mute E to make it distinct, and doesn't work with both strings vibrating.

Carl's thread "classic riffs" got me thinking, and thought I would start learning Smoke on the Water - its a classic, like Hotel California on the acoustic guitar.

[n2ize]

Not a bad price range at all. I wish fiddle strings ran in that range. But then again, I guess bass strings are more popular sellers. Otherwise characteristics that we look for seem to be similar. I've found a good quality set of violin strings will last quite a long time and deliver a good response and maintain a nice clean and bright tone if you keep them clean and don't clobber them too hard. II guess the same hold true for all stringed instruments, albeit bass guitar, guitar, violin, banjo, mandolin, etc.

Now I do know that full size double bass string sets can be quite expensive. So I guess a lot of it has to do with supply and demand.

[suddenseer]

Oooooooo! Fun thread!

Paul...two days? Only? Yep, you are a bass player. I thought maybe you had played before a long time ago and were getting back into it, you definately have the feel for it. You need to stick with this as i think you could be gigging soon, im not just trying to say nice things, im impressed.


Tim...a '75 Ricky? Awesome! Thats got to be worth about 4-5k. They growl no matter what. I agree with the feel. The thinness of the design is very comfortable, they look bad as shit, and growl like no other bass (i only run passive too, i let the instrument do the talking), even though a Fender with Rotosounds growls in its own, snarling way. Ive been using Rotos for 30 years, you can say im loyal, but when i get my 3rd Fender home, i may put flats on one of them. The only issue with Ricky's that ive found is the awning they put over the pickup (easily removed) that makes it difficult for fingerstyle players, then when its removed, theres not really a place for a thumb to go, but thats about it. May i ask what you paid for it?


Trey, what a great room you have there! I love the J with the splits on it...schweeeet! That things gotta have some bite!

I have an old Fender jazz bass that I use round wound only. I got ahold of those J Worrel Humbuckers installed, and that bass has found a new life. It was almost dead.
I paid $1800 for Ricky (Craigslist). I had to do some restoration. 2 tuners (from ebay) pick guard, or pick up cover (from ebay) one Rickenbacker after market case, one factory pick up. I only use a plectrum on this restored bass, even though I am a plucker by nature (from my pizzicato daze on double bass) I also play a 5 string Carvin fretless passive/active configuration bass as finger plucked. It just depends on what music i am playing what sword I draw. I am just amazed how Ricky growls....I forgot how my 4003 sounded/felt. I am in love again. I may get 2k-3K on a good day, not 4K-5K here. I bought from a man who knew what he had inherited. I made a big deal of what I had to replace/repair. We shook hands at $1800.

[suddenseer]

Check out the late John Entwistle's performance on the bass, begins at 4:17 in the video. I don't think my fingers are even capable of moving that fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTEmldzx1xE

(To keep this post on-topic with ham radio, WB6ACU jumps in at 6:18 in the video.)

P.S.: I also played the double string bass in the school orchestra. I had one loaner instrument at school and another loaner at home, courtesy of the public school system. It saved having to drag the beast around. All the other kids playing the violin, viola and cello had to buy their own instruments.

We have a common background. I played violin, viola, cello, and bass. I played the school owned bass, and cello. I spent most of my time playing the Wurlitzer theater organ (mostly J.S Bach, and Mendelssohn) From the time I was 13 to 18, I spent about 30 hours a week playing all of those instruments. Now that I am older, i dig death metal.

[ki4itv]

Trey, what a great room you have there! I love the J with the splits on it...schweeeet! That things gotta have some bite!

I'll thank you again for making me take a second look at the Fenders, Adam. Took a long time coming around to a basic very basic fact: They sound fooking awesome.
That Blacktop really has a wide range of tones and percussive qualities. and I'm finding myself having to pay closer attention to how saturated the bottom is getting. Let that bottom string get away from you and it'll roar around and eat up everything on the low end.

[suddenseer]

You have a music store in your mancave Trey.

[ki4itv]

You have a music store in your mancave Trey.

It's Plug and Play by design.
Bring your music machine and plug into the room; play. AND, no listening to stupid drummer stories during set-up as he tweaks his do-hickys another 1/4 inch, for the umpteenth time.

I do wish the kids had a better appreciation for what they have here. The youngest 'sort of' gets it, plays and records...but, at their age, if I had access to a room like this I would have been a pale, pasty, malnourished, friendless fiend surrounded by all that mattered, 24/7.

[N7YA]

Thanks Adam, I am about to warm up for my performance in the living room tonight, me and my new Bass guitar. Your avatar really had me thinking, and decided to act on that tug to play Bass this week.

What do you think about my implementation on that step up a couple posts ago? I hit it by accident, but it seemed to work. Have to mute E to make it distinct, and doesn't work with both strings vibrating.

Carl's thread "classic riffs" got me thinking, and thought I would start learning Smoke on the Water - its a classic, like Hotel California on the acoustic guitar.

I have always liked the jump-step, i use it on many things. It adds a bit of life to the low end. The fact that you already started doing it means you can train your ear pretty easily.

Not that you asked me, but perhaps this can help. When i learn new songs for shows or bands ive never played with before (like what i just got called to do this sunday/monday), i first have to ask some questions. Will we be doing the full original version? What key are we playing it in? Among some other logistical things. Then, with the parameters covered, i can sit down with the songs. First thing i do is simply listen. Im listening to the feel of the song, letting my emotion and ear take in the song so i can get a better idea of how to approach it for the benefit of an audience member...basically, just get into the song and groove with it. It also helps me to gauge what ill be up against as some of these some songs have some monster parts that i need to wrap my head around. Your ear is the most important instrument in the lineup. And, as a bassist, your ability to feel the groove is equally as important. If a song makes you feel a certain way, pay attention to it and use that.

Next, i will pick up the bass and find the key, then the subsequent notes and just play loosely with the tune to get familiar with it, maybe try to get through the song a couple of times...the more you play it, the better (as you likely already know). Next, i break out the notebook and do a rough chart...ugly scribbling, mostly. Once you figure out how to play each of the parts (chorus, verse, bridge, teardown, intro/outro, etc..) lather, rinse, repeat. Also, what i do is write my own weird codes for quick reference. For example, here is how i charted Disco Inferno (yes, i had to play that one), this is what i could make out from my bad handwriting in my notebook...

DSCO INF - C

DESCENDING RUN STARTS AT Db II - II - II - II
V4 - C2 - V4 - C2 - V4(vx BURNING/RISING)- C2 - BRG*(Bb)2x - V4(vx SAME) - C6X
*UP ABOVE MY HEAD I HEAR MUSIC IN THE AIR, IT LETS ME KNOW THERES SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE

Roughly translated: (This is the production companys version)

Opening riff is in D flat, i suppose i could have written C sharp but whatever, and each note is hit twice (dundun dundun dundun, etc..)
Verse is four full passes, chorus is two, third verse i add vocals, bridge after that in B flat twice, verse again and extended outro chorus.

The dumb lyrics at the bottom are to remind me what im singing on the stupid bridge...doodoo.


Its a mess, but its my mess. When you chart something for yourself only, all that matters is that you know what it means. Pick symbols or letters that remind you easily, then your brain will automatically go there on the fly if you get lost midsong. After that, play along with the song until you are completely bored with it, then put the cheat sheet away. Once you have the song down, but just want to be sure on the gig, write much more condensed version of it because you will know all the parts well enough by then. Once i get a song down, i make my set lists with 3-letter codes for each song (keeps drunks from running off with my set list, thinking its a Karoke show), Disco Inferno became INF, Bottoms Up is BTM, etc...For example, heres how Disco Inferno ended up on my set list the first time it was added to the set:

INF - INT-V-C-V-C-Vv-C-Vv-C-C (NO BRG)...The boss pulled the bridge before the gig so i needed to remind myself not to play it. Eventually, the song was commited to muscle memory and no further charts were needed, so i reprinted them (Arial black- 22 size so i can see it laying on the floor from the mic stand in varying light) as simply INF, etc.


Thats a lot of shit to put in a post, i know! But it condenses the learning curve by a LOT. In this business, you need to save all the time you can because you may get called for a big gig the night before and you may need to learn some stuff you've never even heard of before. You need to cut corners, this is the way that works best for me. It all sounds complicated, but its ridiculously easy once you figure it out. Give it a try.

I think you will do well with bass. I hope this stuff helps a little.