sharpester

I have finally admitted to myself that I am never going to the guitarist I'd like to be. So I am going to concentrate my time improving my bass playing which seems to come more naturally. With that in mind I'm thinking of upgrading to a new SG bass Can anyone explain why the SG Standard bass is £300 + more than the Faded? Apart from the finish & inlays the specs appear the same to me. I like the 'worn' look of the Faded so the finish isn't an issue. If anyone has any thoughts/ opinions on the SG bass I'd be grateful to hear them. Thanks Rob

My first bass was a red GSR200, it was great!!! In a school boy error moment I traded it for a Schecter Stiletto Custom which I have never really got on with, this has curtailed my playing and I really want to change that. I am glad I saw this Ibanez thread as I am hoping you will all agree that going back to Ibanez is the way forward. I am looking at one of the short scale Artcore Semi's. I'm not sure what the Schecter is worth but it will be going to help fund the change!!! I hope this is right thread for this?

Guy’s thanks very much for the replies. I am not looking for the quick way to learn to play, but mainly a route to comfortably being able to play more and enjoy the experience. As a novice I wasn’t sure if a shorter scale would help. It would seem that the answer may actually be to try more basses as I may not have the one that best suits. This sounds like fun in itself so got to be worth a try! From my limited playing so far it’s something I am going to stick at and would like to play more regularly and also with other people. It’s seems the more I master the more I want to play, I’d just like the experience to be more comfortable. Thanks again and I will update as I manage to try some alternatives. Also if anyone has any ‘fret stretch’ exercises they would be appreciated. Rob

Hi I am new to the forum and after a quick search can't find an answer to my question. So I am hoping someone can help me out....... Basically my question is Will a short scale bass help me improve as a player more quickly? In more detail, I have owned the bass for a couple of years but only now find myself in a position time wise to really try to improve my playing. Plus I have been invited to play with a few more competent people and I am really keen to keep up. I have a Schecter bass which has a 34" scale, coupled with small hands/ short fingers, which I find quite a stretch to fret sometimes and also find my hands aching after not a great deal of sustained playing. Will a shorter scale bass help or should I just work through it and put it down to poor beginners technique? A second related questions is, how does the sound differ with a change of scale length? Sorry for the rambling nature of the post, it's difficult to really explain what could just be what everybody new to playing bass goes through! Thanks in advance for any opinions/ help Rob

Hi to all, I have been a member for a few weeks just generally taking in some of the threads. I took the plunge on my first topic this morning in the classified sections to which I got an almost instant response. So I feel I should introduce myself and start making use of some of you fine people's advice and knowledge! My bass playing is pretty basic but I am looking to improve to allow me to play with other people in the 'real world'. Gear wise I have a Schecter Stiletto Custom with an Ashdown Electric Blue combo. I am pretty happy with sound I am getting although any tips on setting up the amp would be gratefully received as the Ashdown does have quite a few switches which I am struggling to cope with!!!! The things I am working on currently are some Kings of Leon and Neil Young tracks along with a little Steely Dan for jamming along with a guitar playing friend. Thanks for reading Rob