deanoet Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Erm, Hello New to bass. Quick history Realised at 30 that i couldnt play anything musical whilst I was sat at work one (of many) boring afternoon. That friday I had myself a Vintage Accoustic V400N How hard can it be Very Jumped in the deep end and drowned Guitar in cupboard Got myself some lessons after a few months and got into it. Can strum a few tunes and be musical to a point where you can just about tell what I am playing got myself an electric guitar for "wah wah wah" sounds Never really got into it, so be it. I tried. Then my mate, who bought a bass when he was at Uni said that due to house size and stuff he was chucking his bass away, did I want it Of course I did 4 strings, wow, how hard can that be.... hehehe. :-) Picked it up, got it all tuned and ready to go and had a quick go Loving it so far. Cant play anything yet really. James bond theme, bit of Pink Panther, the F1 intro (not at full speed mind) So as I like it, going to get the bass re-strung as they are likely original strings (1998) The dream, would like to get to be good enough to play in a band. Realistically? Not sure if i have the commitment to get to a level suitable. But hey, dreams and all that So yeah, that is pretty much it. Few questions if I may The bass i have is a Vintage, no idea what model. Also there is a buzz from it when at reasonable volume. Touch the strings and it stops, also touch any of the tuning pegs and it gets quieter. Touch either the volume of the "other" control and it stops. Any ideas? I am going to take it into a guitar shop to get new strings and to be looked at, but I am sure it isnt an expensive guitar in the first place so dont want to get it all re-wired to find out the bass itself is worth a bag of peanuts and a wine gum. Attached are hopefully some pics of it. No model number as far as I can see. Nice scratch on the back though as my mate playedi t intensely for a fair while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) Hey Deanoet, Welcome to BC from another noob. This is a very friendly and humouristic place, and has lots of knowledgeable people who are very helpful. If you're normal, you should be enjoying the site. As said, I'm a noob, but AFAIU, the buzz is normal. One learns how to behave to minimise it, as bassist have done for six decennia now. Your pick-ups most probably are passive, and your tone knob most probably regulates a passive filter. Had these been active, then there would have been a battery compartment cover, and your buzz would probably have been a lot less or non existing. I write "most probably" because I once saw an instrument with battery behind the pickguard - probably a cheapo thing, Idunno. Your Vintage, at any rate, is a Fender Precision copy, or "P" in short. Have no idea what VIntage called this, but possibly just that: "P" AFAIK, Vintages are OK. In the shop they'll set it up, and it should play just fine after that. The strings look like roundwounds, and then should be shifted indeed. The single most important thing is for the shop to check how bent the neck is and set this - essential - bend so you can comfortably start your career. It's probably a good idea to stay around here. Lots of info to pick up. Good luck! Edited June 27, 2012 by BassTractor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Hi and welcome to Basschat Good luck on your bass quest. The buzz that you are getting might be an earthing problem. Especially if it stops when you touch something. It might be an idea to ask the tech guy to look at that when you get it re-strung. The bass should be easier to play after having a proper setup. Your bass is a P Bass copy - a copy of the classic Fender Precision. Vintage are quite a respectable budget manufacturer. The instrument should be fine to cut your teeth on. Have fun Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanoet Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Thanks folks Will get it booked into the shop and re-stung and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasting Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 You've stumbled across a great forum with many friendly and helpful people. The one piece of advice I would pass on, only because it's something I failed to do and wish I had, is to find a tutor to create a personalised practice plan. I've wasted so much time messing around instead of focussing on what I've needed to learn. Anyway good luck on your bass journey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanoet Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Yeah, I was considering a tutor, but it is the age old question of, which one... The problem I have is that my primary form of transport is a motorbike, so not great for carrying delicate instruments around. I can get access to a car, but as it isnt mine I cant really expect to borrow it every <insert day of lesson>. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasting Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 There is a tutor section on the forum which may be helpful and most tutors will have a bass you can use for the lesson should transportation be an issue. Just remember to practice lots with your instrument in between. With some dedicated practice you could be playing in a band within 3 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanoet Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 (edited) Guitar now has new strings. The guy in the shop tested it on a couple of the shop amps and it played fine at full (guitar) volume with no crackles or hissing So it must be something in my setup (amp or cables). It also sounded good with someone who could play playing it. Thanks for the welcomes Tutor next, when I get some free money. :-) Edited July 8, 2012 by deanoet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RachAllenBand Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Welcome to BC, you'll learn a lot here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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