Questions from a newbie. - Page 3

CalebWilson · #41 01-16-2009, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drurb

Nope.

Yep. IN USD, the bass would cost $1900 + $1240, so it's not really "almost as much", so my "Yep" is really more of a "Yep x .75", but it still puts it at $3140, which is $4681AUD, and that's exactly twice what I can pay here for a good quality entry level bass.

For a few minutes after I typed that paragraph, I imagined going back to my original plan of playing the school bass until my 18th Birthday, when my parents want to buy me something substantial, but then I remembered what Cam said about having a teacher, and that just blows my original plan out the window. I only know one other person at my school who "plays" double bass, but he just mucks around with it after playing BG for a few years. He's just as likely to be doing it wrong as I am.

I'm not use to not having a plan. I don't know what to do now.

[/endthread]

drurb · #42 01-16-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CalebWilson

Yep. IN USD, the bass would cost $1900 + $1240, so it's not really "almost as much", so my "Yep" is really more of a "Yep x .75", but it still puts it at $3140, which is $4681AUD, and that's exactly twice what I can pay here for a good quality entry level bass.

For a few minutes after I typed that paragraph, I imagined going back to my original plan of playing the school bass until my 18th Birthday, when my parents want to buy me something substantial, but then I remembered what Cam said about having a teacher, and that just blows my original plan out the window. I only know one other person at my school who "plays" double bass, but he just mucks around with it after playing BG for a few years. He's just as likely to be doing it wrong as I am.

I'm not use to not having a plan. I don't know what to do now.

[/endthread]

Upton would charge that to ship it? I didn't realize it would be that much.

CalebWilson · #43 01-16-2009, 11:05 PM

"Hi Caleb,
I've received the shipping quote back - for us to get a bass to you on the other side of the world it would cost about $1,240 for shipping via Pilot Air Freight to Sydney International Airport. We get a discount with them, so it is actually a very good deal. If the shipping doesn't shock you and you are still interested in discussing a bass, please let us know!
Cheers,
Kate"

Needless to say, I haven't wasted her time with a reply.

scotty77 · #44 01-17-2009, 12:21 AM

Caleb,
Good on you for listening to the more experienced members on the forum.
I to am just learning the bass and have a lot of the dvd's that you mentioned. Mostly, what I'm working on is scales and simple tunes in some of the books and/or dvd's. Then I can progress to what I want to really work on. And the big thing I'm really trying to learn is to read the bass cleff. (I never took band 30 yrs ago in high school.)
Now that I've got a bass that I can move around without worrying about it(a rental), I will be finding a teacher. As has been said, they can save you having to unlearn a lot of mistakes and get you going on the right foot from the getgo. (And hopefully when I'm looking at a bass, I can get the teacher's impression on whether it's a good deal or a lemon.
Good luck with your search.
Scott

IVChordarum · #45 01-18-2009, 07:01 PM

Hello everyone

I belong to the dark side of the force (BG it is) but I've been lurking these threads because I'm seriously considering to move on to DB and I'm glad I've found such a great source of wisdom here.

To scotty77, there is a mnemotechnic (spl??) I've recently discovered to remember the notes on the staves:

(from bottom to top)

Good Bassist Dig Funk Always

I hope this helps

scotty77 · #46 01-18-2009, 07:11 PM

Thanks IVChord. That should be easy to remember.
My biggest problem is when I get a few notes above the staves. Up into 2nd and 3rd position.

CalebWilson · #47 01-21-2009, 12:43 AM

How do I tell if a bass is "set up" for bluegrass? What do I check for on the basses at a shop to see if it would be suitable for me to play bluegrass on? How about classical?

I know classical uses different strings, which are closer to the fingerboard than with bluegrass, but what else?

I've been told that the setup of an instrument can often make secondhand instruments more worthwhile than new instruments. But the basses must be set up in a way that's playable for SOME styles. They wouldn't sell completely useless instruments, would they? I'm pretty sure they have a good reputation ("The Bass Shop" in my city, fyibtw).

**Matthew Tucker** · #48 01-21-2009, 02:13 AM

Caleb, a bass setup up with high string height and low tension for slap will almost certainly be a struggle for a jazzer to play fast in thumb position. Likewise a bass setup with low string height and Spirocores for a jazz monster will likely annoy a classical player with rattles and buzzes and scratches as they dig into the string with the bow. etc. A classical player might have dark rope core strings, quite a pronounced scoop and a higher string height, but a slapper just won't be able to get the string to ... slap!

That said, i believe that for most beginner players, a bass can be set up with a good fingerboard shape and bridge with adjusters that will be able to adapt with little fiddling to a range of styles. I can slap, (after a fashion), pizz and bow (badly) on all my basses. When you develop your chops, and know what you want, you can get your setup adjusted more to suit.

Over the last two years or so I have seen quite a number of basses sold as new basses to schools with a setup almost impossible to play. But no-one seems to realise this, and I'm surprised the school bass teachers don't seem to complain. So, obviously *some* suppliers will import and sell useless basses. There are a few reasons this could be so ...

Since you're new to DB, the best advice i can give you is rent or buy a cheap bass, probably a ply one, with good steel strings like helicores, four of them, with a bridge with adjusters, something like a KK bassmax pickup for when you play in a band, and have the setup adjusted to its easy to play. Not rocket science there, and nothing too expensive. Don't obsess too much on what the bass looks like. You'll get to love it anyway. Get a teacher, learn to play, experiment with string height. Experiment with strings if you can afford to (bet you can't). Try other basses. Work out what you like and THEN save your pennies for the bass you want.

I think you'll find that the cheap "rockabilly" basses are basically disposable plywood objects with a paint job, catering to the the young rocker who wants to spin the bass on its end pin and look cool. No co-incidence there are so many for re-sale on ebay. Or you can get a nice bass, give it a good paint job, and have a great rockabilly bass, but it won't really be that cheap, and it will pass from player to player or be hung onto until it collapses on stage at 2am in a pile of blood and glass. I'll probably be crucified for uttering that last paragraph ...

CalebWilson · #49 01-21-2009, 02:23 AM

So... For bluegrass I'd need low tension and high action, but I'd need medium tension and medium action for classical? Is that what you mean? I don't think I'd be able to play both styles on the one bass, if that's the case, unless I got it set up every time, which is of course ridiculous. I suppose I'll start with the bluegrass thumping (with the .

So I should look for high action and low tension...? How high is high when talking about action? What should I look for?

Ergo, would the action and tension be the main things I should look for when shopping for an instrument?

**Matthew Tucker** · #50 01-21-2009, 02:58 AM

No, I said I think you should look for a bass with a "standard" setup and learn to play it properly. that will make slapping or classical or - heaven forbid - jazz, much easier.

I don't think anyone here would disagree with that advice, would they? ... well, I can think of a few who might, but there you go.

**Matthew Tucker** · #51 01-21-2009, 03:04 AM

and you better start talking about string height before the action nazis step in ... ve haf no ze achtung here!!!

CalebWilson · #52 01-21-2009, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

No, I said I think you should look for a bass with a "standard" setup and learn to play it properly. that will make slapping or classical or - heaven forbid - jazz, much easier.

I don't think anyone here would disagree with that advice, would they? ... well, I can think of a few who might, but there you go.

Terribly sorry; I was replying to your post before you edited it, but I had the text box open for a long time before clicking "submit reply", so your edit came in before I clicked.

But your edit is very helpful. Thank you, I will keep all of that in mind. In fact, it's the best advice I've EVER received on talkbass. I even wrote it down in my journal in my best handwriting.

btw: "achtung" means "attention".

drurb · #53 01-21-2009, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

No, I said I think you should look for a bass with a "standard" setup and learn to play it properly. that will make slapping or classical or - heaven forbid - jazz, much easier.

I don't think anyone here would disagree with that advice, would they? ... well, I can think of a few who might, but there you go.

I'll jump in with agreement. That's excellent advice. Play the "standard" before you tweak and specialize.

MingusAmongUs · #54 01-21-2009, 07:41 AM

Good advice indeed. I play jazz AND bluegrass AND I practice with the bow, and my bass is setup very middle-of-the-road, to make it playable in different contexts, and I can make minor adjustments, if necessary, to the string height with the adjusters. You get used to whatever setup you have, if it's done right, by someone who knows their stuff. That's the important thing.