One, two, three, four... five strings. Nope, that's a banjo, son.Snarl 12/8 wrote:You'll know you're still a guitarist when you order one of these...
How I know I am now officially a bass player
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- shakestheclown
- takin' a dinner break
- Posts: 168
- Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:36 am
Did you?
I play fretless quite a bit - I have a MIJ Jaco (not lacquered) and after goofing with it for a year or so, I dug in a cuppla years ago and feel 100% confident.
I've even gone to jam sessions and played only the fretless! I mean, I gotta brag!
I also play what Mark Sandman of Morphine called "low guitar". I use a cheap Rickenbacker copy what has just the 2nd and 3rd strings and is tuned in fifths, with the action way up - I prefer a brass Dunlop 224, a spark plug socket and/or a table knife.
Now I can write on and play that, but I can't really easily jam on it to someone else's tunes ...
I play fretless quite a bit - I have a MIJ Jaco (not lacquered) and after goofing with it for a year or so, I dug in a cuppla years ago and feel 100% confident.
I've even gone to jam sessions and played only the fretless! I mean, I gotta brag!
I also play what Mark Sandman of Morphine called "low guitar". I use a cheap Rickenbacker copy what has just the 2nd and 3rd strings and is tuned in fifths, with the action way up - I prefer a brass Dunlop 224, a spark plug socket and/or a table knife.
Now I can write on and play that, but I can't really easily jam on it to someone else's tunes ...
I was just yesterday tryna 'splain to a friend why his bassist's use of a 5 string into the PA in their '60's&'70's cover band is not the best idear, for so many reasons.
Then again, Tony Levin is amazing on the Stick, even when he plays more or less regular bass parts.
Bu a good maxim is, "Just because you can play sompin', doesn't mean you should play that."
Then again, Tony Levin is amazing on the Stick, even when he plays more or less regular bass parts.
Bu a good maxim is, "Just because you can play sompin', doesn't mean you should play that."
I recently bought a Fender VI because it sounds amazing as a bass. I still only use the E, A and D strings for the most part. I do feel like I should be ashamed, but when the room shakes like an earthquake, I can't bring myself to care whether I look like a douche.
not to worry, just keep tracking....
It is a short scale bass with lighter gauge strings (low E string is .084 instead of .105 mediums.) I got it because I played a friend's Bass VI and love how many different and really great sounds you can get from it. I didn't intend to start using it as my primary bass, but something to get interesting sounds from. Once I plugged it in to my amp I was surprised at how full and rumbly it sounds.
There is a "strangle" switch that rolls of the low end. When you engage that, it sounds like a baritone. When you have the full range going, it is a real bass. It has more punch and a quicker attack on the low end due to the shorter strings. It is counter-intuitive to think that a thinner string at a shorter length can give a tighter and punchier low end, but I guess when you pluck a shorter string it will take less time for the string to calm down to the fundamental tones.
There is a "strangle" switch that rolls of the low end. When you engage that, it sounds like a baritone. When you have the full range going, it is a real bass. It has more punch and a quicker attack on the low end due to the shorter strings. It is counter-intuitive to think that a thinner string at a shorter length can give a tighter and punchier low end, but I guess when you pluck a shorter string it will take less time for the string to calm down to the fundamental tones.
not to worry, just keep tracking....
FWIW, the standard Fender VI string sets (up until Fender decided to do a formal reissue last year) are .25-.95?not the .24-.84.
I love my VI, but I started playing a Schecter Hellcat VI several years ago, ditched the stock pickups for Lace Alumitones?sounds/feels great, AND no whammy bar. Also much cheaper and more variety of strings available in the slightly shorter stop tail format. I put flats on mine.
I like it as a bass but I also end up playing it like a low guitar more often than not. As a bass I can pick out a VI sound, always sounds a bit plucky rather than boomy, unless you roll off the high end. Long scale basses sound "chunkier" and more articulate to me. Which is neither here nor there, as when I play bass, I'm usually on the VI because its so much easier to play..
I love my VI, but I started playing a Schecter Hellcat VI several years ago, ditched the stock pickups for Lace Alumitones?sounds/feels great, AND no whammy bar. Also much cheaper and more variety of strings available in the slightly shorter stop tail format. I put flats on mine.
I like it as a bass but I also end up playing it like a low guitar more often than not. As a bass I can pick out a VI sound, always sounds a bit plucky rather than boomy, unless you roll off the high end. Long scale basses sound "chunkier" and more articulate to me. Which is neither here nor there, as when I play bass, I'm usually on the VI because its so much easier to play..
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