?

bassist2005 · #1 08-01-2002, 08:01 PM

OK, I am a blues/rock/punk/metal bassist and I am really interested in the stand up bass, I have never even touched one but does using a bow have more sustain or what is the difference than plucking the strings?

Christopher · #2 08-01-2002, 09:30 PM

A lot. Imagine having a right hand. Now imagine cutting it off and tying a big freakin' chainsaw to the spouting stump of your wrist and playing bass and fighting off the Evil Dead with it.

It's sort of like that. Not exactly, but sort of.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #3 08-01-2002, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Christopher
A lot. Imagine having a right hand. Now imagine cutting it off and tying a big freakin' chainsaw to the spouting stump of your wrist and playing bass and fighting off the Evil Dead with it.

It's sort of like that. Not exactly, but sort of.

Actually, if you have Spirocore reds on your bass, it's exactly like that.

gruffpuppy · #4 08-02-2002, 07:34 AM

By the way did I show you guys my new bow. Talks about bright tone.

Buddy Lee · #5 08-02-2002, 08:10 AM

*lol*

bassist2005 · #6 08-02-2002, 10:14 AM

I THINK I understand the hand and chainsaw thing. Doesn't that guy have something in his teeth?

But about the sustain factor?? could someone further describe?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #7 08-02-2002, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PLANKIST2005
I THINK I understand the hand and chainsaw thing. Doesn't that guy have something in his teeth?
But about the sustain factor?? could someone further describe?

Sure. All joking aside, when you play pizzicato, you are plucking the string with you right hand and then letting it ring. The resulting sound is a punchy attack followed by a decay, in which the sound gradually dies away as the vibration of the string gets narrower and narrower, eventually stopping completely.

When you play arco, you are drawing a bow across the string, causing the string to vibrate and prodice a sound. The string will continue to vibrate for as long as you continue to draw the bow across it. If you increase bow speed and/or pressure, you can even make the note get louder as it progresses, which is something you can't do playing pizz.

bassist2005 · #8 08-02-2002, 01:30 PM

whooaa, thats cool, I could create like new musical dimensions right? Can i try a bow with an electric bass?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #9 08-02-2002, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BASSHOLDER2005
whooaa, thats cool, I could create like new musical dimensions right? Can i try a bow with an electric bass?

You can try it, but I suspect it'll sound like Doberman Dung. However, all is not lost: Do a search of the BG forums with "ebow" as the keyword. I've never used or seen one of these, but I've heard enough about them to assume that they must work at least to a certain degree.