deejayen

Please ignore...

Thanks to everyone who got in touch. I've had a few offers of help, so I think I'm sorted for now!

I recorded a basic track of drums and rhythm guitar in a vague style of ZZ Top's TV Dinners while I was noodling the other night. I'd like to hear what it sounds like with a bass guitar, so I'm looking for a session bassist to do the honours.

Please PM or email me if you can help, letting me know your rates.

I thought I could put the track in a DropBox folder for you to hear/download.

I don't do a lot of recording, but it would be good to have a bassist I could call on to provide the odd track. I normally play more of a country style.

Thanks very much, CrackerJackLee. I bought the book, and have been listening to the CD while driving for the past couple of weeks. I've just started to work on one of the first examples. Despite (or maybe because of) being a guitarist, I can see that some of the positions aren't what I would have expected, so some of the fingering is new to me. For example, my exercise in the key of A is based around the fifth fret, which will keep the bass in a more audible range. I just need to get more comfortable with playing bass, learn some of those walking in and out of the chord changes, and then work out something simple to go with what I'm playing on the guitar...

I'm hoping to mess around playing/recording country bass over Christmas, so this thread is well-timed. I've just placed an order for "The Lost Art of Country Bass" as recommended above.

I play guitar, but struggle when playing bass. I'm going to mess around recording a short tune which is in a Johnny Cash vein. The electric guitar will be doing some sort of alternate bass , and I wonder how the bass guitar will gel/clash with that. Do you generally play exactly the same notes, or would the bass drive things on a little more, and play additional fills?

I listened to a tune this morning ("Just Because" by The Flying Burrito Brothers) which starts off with an alternate bass (with an interesting run - to me -from the 1-chord to the 5-chord) and moves onto a waking bass. I'd also be interested to know what sort of bass is being used, and how it's recorded. I can clearly hear the bassline in my old van, so it must have quite a lot of mid-frequency.

Thanks for that. I'll give them a call or email them.

Thanks. However, it's in the States, so postage, duty and VAT would make it too expensive. It also includes the pickup etc which I don't need.

I need a replacement scratchplate for a Bronco - white, single-ply. I don't want to spend a fortune (eg £50 for a custom one). Are these available off-the-shelf anywhere?

Thanks

Just echoing what everyone else has said. I bought a gig bag from David – it’s as-new, was very well packed, and shipped straightaway. David was great to deal with, and very patient (he kindly allowed me some time to think about things even though he received offers after I expressed an interest). Once everything was agreed he posted it out and provided me with a tracking number, then followed it up when it hadn’t been delivered when expected (probably due to the Easter holidays). Thanks again, David.

I'm usually the world's worst ditherer when it comes to choosing a colour, but in this case I have no hesitation in saying I'd go with the green, and maybe spray the headstock to match. I think it'd look good with the tortoiseshell scratch plate.

I’ve only been on here are few weeks, but I immediately found it to be a very friendly and helpful forum. Almost straight away I mentioned to someone that ‘these bass players are a very friendly bunch!” I’ve already bought a couple of things from members, including my first bass, and had great experiences. I must confess that in an idle moment I clicked on a few ‘feedback’ threads, just to see if there are any monsters on here, but it got a bit boring after a while reading, “Great geezer – excellent comms, prompt payment – deal with confidence - blah blah blah”. Of course, the only people I neglected to check out were the ones I’ve dealt with, but they’ve also been deserving of glowing comments. I won’t give up my guitar, but I’d echo the thought that perhaps the nicer people are drawn toward playing bass!

Yes, I saw that, thanks. I just had a mad notion when I woke up this morning that I might be able to skive off for a visit on Easter Saturday. I'd obviously have to get in touch with Jon beforehand if I decide to go, to make sure he'd be around. It'd be a fairly long trek just to have him check out my bass and change the strings, and maybe buy a Shuker case!

That didn't take long - 9 minutes! Congratulations!

Thanks for that. It looks like it would be a long and slow journey - it seems fairly remote on the map.

Just wondered what town he's in - I couldn't see any address or std dialing code on his website.

Thanks.

[quote name='jessicaRabbit' timestamp='1363816385' post='2018235']
Should have updated this earlier, I've committed to buying an SGC Nanyo Bass Collection from this site actually. The red sold me. Hopefully it suits me well. Thanks all for your suggestions. I'll keep them in mind while I build my collection

I used to live in Edinburgh. I miss it. Especially all those weird Polish meat shops on Leith Walk.
[/quote]

Congratulations! It looks very nice. Keep us posted on how you get on. I'm also waiting on my first bass arriving - maybe today...?!

I went looking to buy my first bass, and tried a Danelctro, which was very light, although the one I tried was quite slab shaped, with no contours. I think the Danelectro was available in different scale lengths. A more expensive Ibanez SR600 was also light, with a small body and narrow neck - it felt really nice, although for me the small, curved body might not be so good as I'll be playing sitting down. I don't need a light bass, but as a guitarist I was looking for one which wasn't too chunky. I've no idea what they're like, but this morning I noticed a basswood short scale Grestch in the classifieds on here - it looked nice, and was within your lower budget. It'd be good if you could try out a few. I did that, but ended up buying something from the forum here without trying it. However, hopefully I have some idea of what will be turning up having tried out a few styles of bass beforehand!

I can empathise with that. The reason I’ve always is played is for my own enjoyment and relaxation, and that’s had some bearing of how I’ve learnt, and what I play. I used to play in public a bit when I was a kid (had my first ‘gig’ at the age of 4 playing in church), and was in a band for a short time when I was in my late teens. I’m starting to dabble in recording now, and am shortly to start learning bass (when my new bass arrives). I’ll see how things pan out, but I’d be tempted to have a bash at playing bass in a band if the right opportunity came along, even though I imagine that guitar will always be my main instrument.

Great (and varying) responses – thanks! It sounds like jamming and playing with others (or along to recordings) is pretty popular. I suppose the bass is an instrument which really complements other instruments.

I’ve just stopped at a music shop and looked at the ‘musicians wanted’ notes in their window. There weren’t many, but of the half dozen or so, 3 or 4 were for bassists, so it seems it might be relatively easy to find people to play with. One band said they had everything they needed – even a recording studio, a van, and a P-bass, but no bassist! It’s not something I’m looking to do at the minute, but it’d be good fun to give it a go sometime.

Someone on Basschat recently pointed me in the direction of some online tuition. One of the first exercises had me playing crotchet root notes of C, G and F, after which it said something like, “Right, now you can do that, go out and join a band”! So, there are no excuses!

As a confirmed bedroom guitarist who’s starting to play bass simply to add basslines to recordings, I’m wondering if there’s such a thing as a bedroom bassist.

I imagine bass is one of those instruments which only comes to life when playing with others, so just thought I’d ask who’s in a band to try and gauge how common it is for bassists to play in public rather than hide away at home.

If you are a bedroom bassist, what do you actually play – has your style evolved into a technical solo instrumentalist role, or do you play along to recordings etc?

That's great. Thanks very much.

Thanks for clarifying that. It sounds like I've been doing the right thing. I'm just practicing on my guitar until my first bass arrives, but wasn't sure if there was a different technique for bass (with the wider string spacing etc).

I think the book is called 'Rock Bass' by Dominic Palmer. I bought it because it gives some real life examples of different styles with a 'simple' and more complex exercise for each. I thought it might give me an idea of what to play, including some runs, and then I can go off and do my own thing. It's a new thing for me, so it's taking me a bit of time to get comfortable reading the timing and feeling the groove. I'm not sure what level the book is pitched at - you're probably right that it's not for a total beginner, as some of the exercises seem to be pretty impressive!

I’m working my way through a beginner’s bass exercise which is in the style of James Jamerson. On the tab there are some notes which are shown with an ‘x’ on the E or A string. I presume it means a ‘mute’, but how do you play them? I’ve been deadening the string with my fretting fingers, but I wondered if that style would use a picking hand palm mute or some other technique. I’m not sure how ‘dead’ the note is supposed to be. As an example, one note is a triplet where the first note is picked, and the other two are muted.

Thanks.

Errr…Awesome! I still find it difficult to get my head around the fact that it’s possible to craft something like that from some rough timber. The headstock is certainly something else! It took me a wee while, but I think I’ve twigged that a ‘ramp’ is the raised wood between the two pickups – even that is made to perfection. I don’t know how it fits into place, but I imagine it just snicks in very nicely.