WillEdwards

Hi All, Has anyone tried a set of Pirastro Passione strings on their double bass? The Gollihur Music website says that they are not really designed for people who play pizz the whole time, but I was wondering if this is actually true. I play both orchestral and jazz music so I need some strings that are suitable for both. Thanks, Will

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1348730677' post='1817338'] I've played fretless almost exclusively for nearly twenty years, because the sort of playing that needs a fretted bass is either stuff I can't do or stuff I don't want to do. The only time I pick up a fretted bass these days is if I'm playing something with a set bass line that is all over the place, then I play fretted so I don't have to worry about my intonation and can concentrate fully on finding the next note. But then I do get frustrated at how limiting the frets are, [b]it feels like I have much less control over the note than on a fretless.[/b] [/quote] I feel the same way. I am first and for most a double bass player but have begun to play bass guitar over the past couple of years. I had a crappy fretted bass and found that the frets 'got in the way' because I was so used to a smooth fingerboard so I had to buy myself a fretless.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1348526174' post='1814928'] It's just the way your post came across mate, like a clinical theoretical approach to writing. You seem like you are well on your way, you play notes you like, that's all you need to do, but obviously you can develop that infinitely. But is NOT just about notes, there is also timing, using space, swing, accent, techniques like legato, staccato, diminuendo, crescendo, ghost notes, trills, tremolo, vibrato, violining (or 'cello-ing' in our case), slides, diads, triads, chords .. [/quote] Definitely aaaaaaaaaall that!

I am the same age and I get that. People will assume that you have lack of experience and are not a good player. You just have to put it aside and get on with what you are there to do. Although at the same time you should be assertive because otherwise people won't take you seriously (but definitely don't be arrogant or pushy). The benefit of being young is that when you play well people are more impressed because they have a lower expectation of you in the first place.

Thanks everyone for the inputs. I realise that my original post did sound clinical but I just wanted to get a bit of advice from guys who I am sure have run into a similar problem at some point and seeing what other players like to incorporate into their music. So far I have been developing my bass lines by ear and have found some notes that I like the sound of and others that I don't. But I am wanting to support this ear training with some theory so that I become more aware of what I am playing and how it relates to the rest of the music. So I agree with those who said that you need a well trained ear but also a grounding in the theory. At the level I am at I am putting my fingers down where I think there will be a nice sounding note and it works most of the time and sometimes not. I want to get to a level where I can play what is in my head but also know (through theory) how that relates to the music. I think this can also give you a reference point that this particular note sounds good in the context. I think just playing by ear has a slight limitation of making the player think 'ok it will sound good if I play a not 6 frets up from where I am but on the G string' without actually knowing what note it is or how that relates to the music. Your ear can tell you that then your brain with the theory can say 'I am about to play the 3rd of the chord'. Basing what you play on a bit of theory doesn't necessarily mean that what you play is clinical. I think the ability to use ear and theory eventually merges into one with experience but in the beginning stages it is useful to use both.

As bass players we are often required to play the root and 5th to help mark the chord. This is all well and good, and just playing root or just root and 5th can sound awesome, but I find myself wanting to play other notes as well. I think it is the wish of many bass players to stand out more in the band by pulling out a great bass line, or maybe we should just be the unsung heroes holding it all together in the background like the other post in BC suggests. You can only go so far with 'other' notes with there being only 12 tones, but could you guys recommend some really cool degrees of the scale that you can play to make a bass line sound great? I have experimented a bit and found that for example going root, minor 3rd, 4th sounds good but it's pretty basic and just stepping up the scale. There are definitely more exciting note progressions.... I realise that what you are 'allowed' to play depends on what the keyboard/guitar is playing on top but for this post assume that you are just playing a solo bass line with a drummer, or if you could recommend notes that sound great against a certain chord. For sake of argument playing the 7th in a dominant 7th leading to the root of the tonic chord, something like that. I dunno....! Any recommendations would be appreciated. Cheers.

I have both a fretless (Warwick standard) and fretted (Ibanez). I play fretless most of the time but find that I sometimes want the sharper sound that you get from a fretted bass. I mostly play jazz and soul most of the time and sometimes funk but even then I don't [u]need[/u] a fretted bass I can just pluck harder. So to answer your question, I could get away with just having a fretless, but I like to have the option.

Thanks guys for the feed back. There are a lot of options to look at here! Many hours of internet browsing here we come. Just to answer a few questions. My budget isn't high. Probably about £500. I'm a student so don't have much money and I haven't had an acoustic before so there is not need to go all out just yet. But still it is interesting to read and try more expensive models to see what it's like to then play a cheap model. I mostly play jazz and funk, so on the funk side it won't help, but on the jazz side it would do. The tones of an acoustic would be really nice and they tend to be brighter than the electrics, and I think this sounds 'jazzier' like a guitar although unlike a double bass. Also, it would be for tinkering at home as well. Sometimes it is seems like such an effort if you are watching a cool YouTube clip to then take your laptop near to your amp and then plug in the bass, get the right volume and tone. Sometimes I want to leave the computer and just go grab a bass. The problem with this is the amp! So an acoustic would be convenient here. I went to London to the Bass Gallery (it's awesome by the way!) and tried some acoustics out. They had enough to try but it wasn't a massive choice (although not many places will have a big choice) but I tried all of them and quite liked a blue Dean like they have on the website, I think a Crafter fretless, and then a second hand Fender, all four string but I can't remember what any of their makes were, annoyingly, and I didn't take photos either! I didn't buy any of them because I wasn't fully happy so I'm still looking that is if I still want an acoustic. Not entirely sure now that I have tried some... I would definitely go for a fretted above a fretless though because I already have a Warwick Standard Fretless which has such a nice tone, so having frets for the practice element would be handy.

Hi Guys, A simple question... can anyone recommend a nice acoustic bass (guitar that is)? I realise that 'nice' can be interpreted in many ways and basses will vary in price (as ever) but if you could name drop so that I, and others who may be interested, could have a look into them that would be fantastic. Both cheaper and more expensive ones would be appreciated so I have something to compare. Cheers.

Hi Guys, I want to buy a multi effects pedal that is easy to use for live playing that can change between funky sounds to overdrive etc. quickly and easily. I want to be able to create my own sounds as well as have some presets. So far I have been recommended the Boss ME-20B and the Zoom B2.1U which both look and sound awesome. What do you people think about these pedals? (Could they respond about which one they prefer?) Also, if anyone has any other recommendations do say. Cheers. Will

Thanks guys for the advice. I tried the Akai Headrush with Hazarai and although the delay was really good I thought that the loop function was poor because each of the loops had to be the same length. I have had a look at the other suggestions but they are getting on the expensive side of things and I am not sure that I want to spend that much straight away on my first pedal. Do you know whether the Boss DD7 supports bass frequencies? This is still quite expensive but a little cheaper than the other suggestions.

Hi All Basically, I have been playing bass for a while but have never used effects. I was playing with a guitarist last night who had a pedal that could record loops live and play them back. He could lay a couple of loops over each other and then jam on top of them. This same pedal also had a delay with variable frequency, modulating delay and a reverse playback. I just thought that it was so awesome and I would like one myself! Firstly I was looking for a pedal which could record live loops and also had a delay option. I am not so bothered about the other delay options. Secondly, are guitar effects pedals different from bass effects pedals, or can you just buy a pedal and it can be used on either a guitar or bass? Does anyone have any suggestions of pedals that their friends have used/ ones that they have played with/liked themselves? Thanks, Will

Everyone seems to play fretted basses and do a lot of slapping apart from the guy who uses the Elites Stadiums on his jazz fretless. I have a fretless bass which i have just bought that has flatwounds on it which are fine but i am just thinking of alternatives as a friend of mine has nylon wrapped strings on his fretless and they are awesome but just feel a little slack. What strings do poeple recommend for a fretless? Are nylon wrapped strings any good? I specifically want to play jazz but the occasional bit of funk aswell, but clearly you can't slap on a fretless so i want something with a good mellow tone. Also, what's the best material (although it depends partly on personal choice)? There seem to be hundreds of options: steel, nickel, chrome, Nylon wrapped etc... I have an Ebony fingerboard so any material will not be a problem just really wondering what the difference is between the materials? Cheers Will