bass players give me your opinion

Oudy

Oudy

New member
okay, ive been thinking of switching my main instrument to 5 string bass as guitar players are so easy to come across but bass players are hard to come across, but i still wanted to play leads and solos. i was thinking of maybe getting a 5 string piccolo fretless (or fretted idk yet) bass and use it as a medium between the two to play bass parts and guitar parts.

what do you guys think is this a good idea/bad idea
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

It completely depends on the style you play and how appropriate bass leads are but... I use a Fender Jazz V tuned to high C to play chord/lead type things.

The main concern is if you are soloing away, who is laying down the bass part? If you've got a keyboard.organist, it's no problem, but if you are a power trio, it might be more of a concern.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

I love my 5, but you do NOT play it like a guitar. You can still solo on a bass, but remember your first duty as a bass player. Hold that pocket!

I don't remember where I heard this, but they are words to live by as a bass player: The bass is the remote control for the booty. If it ain't shakin', I'm not doing my job.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

the guy who invented fire said:
I think switching to bass and starting on much more than a 4 string fretted bass is a bad idea...
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It's absolutely fine.
I have a friend who played 6 string guitars, skipped 4 string basses and went straight to a 5 string, extended 35 inch scale bass, no less.
He is now extremely proficient at it.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

What I think some people have missed is the fact he wants a piccolo bass, not a NORMAL bass per se.
The 30 inch scale of a piccolo bass makes it more adaptable to being able to easily transition from rhythm to lead bass playing.
That's the whole point of buying a piccolo, you're not buying one as Trevorus says to "hold that pocket".
Well of course, you do to an extent, but they aren't made specifically for that purpose, they have a 30 inch scale for a reason, which is being able to incorporate lead runs into it.

For it to be easy to solo with, try to make sure the width of the neck at the neck is no more than 70mm. This keeps the string spacing closer, which is what you need for this application.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

I've worked with bass players that could do solos in the middle of Eagles' tunes. I've also worked with bass players that sounded like they were kicking a cardboard box during the song. There are things that you can and should do when playing bass, and things that you can't, but regardless, the bottom line is that you need to hold down a steady rhythm. If you can't do that, well, I'd fire you myself if you couldn't play a basic 12 bar.
 
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Re: bass players give me your opinion

So basically, is everyone telling him to buy a normal scale bass instead? It's not totally clear what everyone else is saying. Your responses seem to pertain to normal scale basses, not a 30 inch scale piccolo.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

HughesJB4 said:
So basically, is everyone telling him to buy a normal scale bass instead? It's not totally clear what everyone else is saying. Your responses seem to pertain to normal scale basses, not a 30 inch scale piccolo.
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The fact that he said guitar players are everywhere, but bass players aren't shows me that he needs to be a bass player, not a guitar player with a higher-tuned bass. If you are going for a non-traditional sound, piccolo can be a cool way to go, but if you are looking to fill the low end, it's time to get a 4 or a 5 or a 6... Doesn't really matter as long as it's comfortable to play. I have never needed a 6, but I do play 5 most times. If solo's are needed, you can do it on a regular tuned, 34" scale 4 string bass, and it can sound awesome. You jut have to know how to make it aurally "tasty."
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

My Advice would be to buy a four string and see if you actually enjoy playing bass.
The piccolo idea sounds kinda fun but it's probably not what most bands need and bass playing itself is a whole different area of musical exploration.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

I'd go with a fretted bass

I think you could be OK going to a 5 string fretted regular scale bass.

This piccolo nonsense is nonsense
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

I think I'd go with a frettless and go with a full scale 4 or 5 strings something with a thin neck
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

Go with the instrument of your preference. I don't see the point of stepping stones. If you want to play a 5-string short-scale electric bass, just get a 5-string short-scale electric bass.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

If you want a bass that can solo like a guitar and yet keep the low-end like a bass, I recommend the Conklin Groove Tools GTBD-7. It's a 7-string bass that looks beastly, but is actually a breeze to play. You can thank the thin neck-thru for that. I mostly play mine at home where you can experiment with new and different things and not be stuck to a specific role. I love it, but it's not for everyone.
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

speed2dirt said:
If you want a bass that can solo like a guitar and yet keep the low-end like a bass, I recommend the Conklin Groove Tools GTBD-7. It's a 7-string bass that looks beastly, but is actually a breeze to play. You can thank the thin neck-thru for that. I mostly play mine at home where you can experiment with new and different things and not be stuck to a specific role. I love it, but it's not for everyone.
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+1
the bass player in my band plays one and it's actually alot easier to play than it looks. sounds amazing and can be used to play everything from groovy bass lines to chords and solo's.
if you want to solo in a power trio format, get a set of bass synth pedals, geddy lee style!
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

Oudy said:
okay, ive been thinking of switching my main instrument to 5 string bass as guitar players are so easy to come across but bass players are hard to come across, but i still wanted to play leads and solos. i was thinking of maybe getting a 5 string piccolo fretless (or fretted idk yet) bass and use it as a medium between the two to play bass parts and guitar parts.

what do you guys think is this a good idea/bad idea
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That depends entirely on what style or styles of bands you intend to be in. Bassists are plentiful, but they play mostly "guit-bass" - they're non-stop and can't hold a groove, but they can meedly on the high frets all day.

If you're going to form a Fusion power trio where bass solos and piccolo bass are part of the sound, fine, but you will be perfectly useless to a Country, Metal, or Rock band if you can't lay down a foundation.

Ian Hill of Judas Priest is the best at that. His bass lines to You've Got Another Thing Comin consist of 4 notes, but he's got a mechanical picking hand, and as a guitarist, that is actually hard to maintain!
 
Re: bass players give me your opinion

Dude, just learn to hold that pocket and I promise you, you'll have bands chomping at the bit. Good guitarists are a dime a dozen. There's 1 good bassist for every 10 good guitarists. Then, if you can sing, or have your own van or pa, you're set. No one can touch you.

I understand you wanting to "fill the gap", but trust me, you'll find much more work and enjoyment on being the bassist that everyone can rely on and keep that backbone straight.
 
"Generally" Speaking...

"Generally" Speaking...

Oudy said:
okay, ive been thinking of switching my main instrument to 5 string bass as guitar players are so easy to come across but bass players are hard to come across, but i still wanted to play leads and solos. i was thinking of maybe getting a 5 string piccolo fretless (or fretted idk yet) bass and use it as a medium between the two to play bass parts and guitar parts.

what do you guys think is this a good idea/bad idea
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trevorus said:
The fact that he said guitar players are everywhere, but bass players aren't shows me that he needs to be a bass player, not a guitar player with a higher-tuned bass.


You jut have to know how to make it aurally "tasty."
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Just my opinion here...

For a bit of background- I'm a rock dork. In my opinion, bass is the bridge between rhythm and melody. Focusing too much on rhythm is generally boring, focusing on melody is ignoring rhythm. Being a bass player is a different mindset. You actually think differently. I have different rhythm when I play bass vs. when I play guitar. The idea of a "bass solo" is generally bad to me (in the "if the drums stop- bad" sort of way).

I generally don't like the "guitar player playing bass" type players. Although people always talk about "pocket," it's more of a relationship between the bass and drums. The drummers get it, good bass players generally get that, the guitar players generally have an idea of it- but will generally play on top of it. IMO, that makes a ****ty bass player.

If your idea of "artistic expression" is playing bass solos, go for it. If you're creating great music and everyone you're playing with is pleased with the results- Great. However, if you're not covering your ground as a bass player, it doesn't matter how awesomely you execute your solos, you're ****ty bass player.

Becoming a bass player because you feel it is a good thing, or even learning to become a bass player out of necessity is not a bad thing. Changing your instrument and not having any intention of changing your mindset is not a good thing.


A missionary goes to the most remote part of jungle. As soon as he arrives in the village he is to visit, he hears drums beating wildly in the distance. He asks the Chief what the drums mean. The Chief's reply is “Drums play, good. Drums stop, bad.” During the missionaries entire month long stay he frequently asks the Chief about the continuous drumming. The Chief's reply is always the same. “Drums play good. Drums stop bad. VERY BAD." Finally as the missionary is leaving he asks the Chief again about the drumming. The Chief says “Drums play, g…” “I know, I know” says the missionary. “Drums play, good. Drums stop, bad. But why is it bad when the drums stop?” The Chief shakes his head and says "Drums stop, bass solo."
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Re: bass players give me your opinion

Do you guys realize how infrequently Oudy even comes to this forum?
He's unlikely to see these new posts:laugh2:
 
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