How many have you defected from 6 string guitar?

fireincairo · #1 07-09-2008, 07:18 PM

I mean relatively serious guitarists. I've been playing guitar for over 20 years. In that time, I've managed to become a mediocre player. For the past 10 years, though, I've been dabbling with the bass. Having spent most all of my guitar time as a rhythm player, I'm almost getting the feeling I was meant to play bass. It seems to come naturally to me, so I've decided to stop fighting it. No more bass playing on the side for home recordings, I'm relagating the 6 string to that stature now.

Anyone else defect?

mikopita · #2 07-09-2008, 07:27 PM

About 15 years ago, I was in a band with another guitarist when the bass player flaked out hours before a gig. I volunteered for the task of learning all of our material that day on an old beat up Kramer owned by the keyboard player. Ever since then, I haven't gone a day without playing bass. Soon after that gig I sold a PRS guitar, a Mesa Boogie Mark III amp, and a couple of footpedals to buy my first rig and bass (actually I had an Aria Pro II bass in High School, but that was short lived).

I found bass to be way more satisfying on many levels. Now when people ask what instruments I play, Bass always comes first.

Nyarlathotep · #3 07-09-2008, 07:31 PM

I knew I was meant to play bass after constantly downtuning over the course of 2 or 3 years.

Standard lead to drop D -> DGCFAD -> drop C -> CFA#D#GC -> Drop B -> BEADF#B -> Drop A.

At that point I didn't even consider tuning to ADGCEA, I just got a damn bass.

And downtuned it over the course of a year. Quite happy with ADGCF

capnsandwich · #4 07-09-2008, 07:37 PM

I'm guilty!!! I've been playing guitar for over 20 years. I'm actually pretty decent, at least at acoustic playing. Not to brag but just to give you an idea, I've been compared to guys like Phil Keaggy and Leo Kottke by some others, but I gave it all up for the wonderful fat strings. I started out by our church needing a bassist and having too many guitarists. Since no one would humble themselves I went ahead and did. I'm glad I did because I found a whole different avenue to fill my musical urges. I've been a bassist ever since even to the point of selling all my electric guitar stuff and keeping only 1 acoustic, my Babicz.

superbassman2000 · #5 07-09-2008, 09:24 PM

I started out as a classical guitar player, but the bass just spoke to me a lot more--classical guitar was (and still is) a lot of fun, but i really like feel like the bass is a much more expressive (and challenging) instrument on the whole.