Question for bass players

[marty_the_westie]

I've played guitar for a few years, but I'm thinking about switching to bass, but I need a little information. First, I think I've decided on a Geddy Lee jazz bass, but i have no idea what amp and effects I would need. I do not want or need a gig worthy sized amp at first, but would like something that would sound good at normal house volumes. My price range for the amp is around $350. Also, considering the Geddy Lee has single coil pickups, do bass single coils share similar qualities to guitar single coils such as being harder to sound good distored. The style of music I would most be playing is blues, heavy blues, classic rock, classic metal, nothing like death metal. The heaviest thing I would play would probably be something like Kiss. Would I even need a distortion effect? Any bass players who can give me some input on anything related to this thread, or anything that they think might be relavent to making this decision would be greatly appreciated.

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Question for bass players

Superb! All bassists shouldplay gtr and visa vera-

As said before the Jbass is an excellent choice for guitarists as is the classic ric 4001- The styles you mention do well with 4 strings but I would also encourage you to consider 5 strings as it's easy to get to know the b string- I've got an american standard 5 string J bass-

The classic bass effects are flange/chorus and compression and you can cover just about anything with the 2 of them- hold off on compression until you have your right hand under control but in time its a great way to get more sustain and it's great for slapping. Flange thickens the sound and is great for melodic lines- The berhinger and pod units are great for getting these effects and might be a good place to start-

If you want to go straight to an amp, hertke is by far my favorite for small amps with plenty of bottom- be careful as the average small bass amp can be thin on low freqs-

Main thing..put lots of time in on right hand and listen to lots of bassists as you are in charge of driving rhythem and defining the roots and it's quite a change from gtr-

 

[big_black]

Re: Question for bass players

I love Jazz basses (always had my eye on the Geddy Lee...but I hate sig guitars), and GK amps. The Jazz Bass pickups run in series (with volumes all the way up), so you get a little boost compared each alone. I never found a use for either pickup alone.

If you can afford them, Ampeg and GK amps are tops!

 

[Tom M]

Re: Question for bass players

The Jazz Bass pickups run in series (with volumes all the way up), so you get a little boost compared each alone.

They're only in series on the newer American-built ones with the S1 switch thing on it. Otherwise, they're parallel.

I have the Geddy sig. It's an amazing bass. The neck might be a bit too small for some, depending on their hand size. It's much smaller than even a normal Jazz neck. It does a thumpy, smooth John Paul Jones sort of sound very well, as well as a much brighter Geddy sort of sound. Mine has a thumbrest between the neck pickup and the end of the neck. It's a good place to anchor for a much deeper sound.

PS - the Geddy weighs a ton. My G&L SB2 feels like a feather compared to, but I have yet to really find a Jazz that didn't weigh a lot.

 

[big_black]

Re: Question for bass players

They're only in series on the newer American-built ones with the S1 switch thing on it. Otherwise, they're parallel.

Ok. I had an MIA around '02, no S-1 on it. I thought it was series wired...seemd like a little boost in output when they were both cranked.

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Question for bass players

I'm primarily a bass player...

The Geddy Lee sig is a pretty nifty bass. I haven't noticed that the nut width is any smaller than a typical Jazz at 1.5". The nifty thing about a Jazz is that if you solo the neck pickup you get a really nifty, aggressive single coil p-bass sound. When I use my Jazz I almost never use my bridge pickup.

For an amp that you'd be gigging with in a rock band, you'd be wasting your money on anything less than 300w SS, and anything less that a 2x10 or a 1x15 for a cab. Most companies have combos that you can gig with. Check out Ampeg, GK or Peavey.

If you're planning on getting a head/cab setup... check out a used GK 800RB. They sound great, they're inexpensive because all over the place, and they're totally reliable if you're careful with using them with the right impedance.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Question for bass players

I tell you what, I have a Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass (MIM Jazz bass with active electronics) and man it sounds AMAZING. I still prefer my Stingray 5 string for some things...but the Jazz bass nails the jazz and blues stuff without a problem! Especially since I pulled the frets on it and made it fretless But it definitely has that great tone for jazz and blues stuff, and it does rock pretty well too! But I still prefer my stingray for true rock and roll type stuff and the harder stuff...