Gear that made you better

[XtheDeadPawn]

I recently picked up a new strap the Neotech Super Bass strap. Then a couple months before that I picked up 3 Dunlop Tortex sharp picks. The thing that they all have in common? I swear that they helped me become a better player.

1. The Dunlop sharp Tortex picks have helped me to gain more speed as I like to choke up on picks on the normal Tortex picks my fingers keep getting caught in the strings stopping me dead in my tracks. The sharp Tortex picks don't stop me as their length gives me enough clearance to choke all I want.

2. The Neotech Super Bass strap has helped me by making my ATK305 (weighing over 10 pds) feel like I'm wearing my old Yamaha RBX170 in other words lighter than a feather. The Neotech makes my old custom Minotaur leather strap seem like a $5 crap strap eventhough my Minotaur strap was $55 and the Neotech strap was $36.
I just did my first gig with it last week and I felt so good normally my back is kinda sore right now (the morning after) however I feel fine. Neotech is great! Instead of constantly feeling the pain I feel the groove instead. A happy back is a happy bassist.

What are some pieces of gear that have helped make you a better player?

 

[josiah goldfish]

My first (and only) bass. It's a pile of junk, but I love it. In fact, I just defretted it, so hopefully it'll help me progress even further!

 

[bassteban]

Eden CXC-110- a WT-330+1x10 combo; VERY clear & hifi compared to whatever I had before. Showcased a lot of previously-undetected sloppiness but also made it easier to work on.

 

[Hamlet7768]

I'll have to try those Dunlop Sharp picks. I have a similar problem to what you're mentioning.

That or a tortex Triangle type might be in order.

 

[eddododo]

A small personal recording device

 

[chaosMK]

Peavey Cirrus. My efforts at tapping (on a late 90's Ibanez SR 885) had only gone so far. The setup, playability, and tone of the Cirrus gave me a huge boost by making it easier and awesome sounding.

I was tapping on stage for years in my prog metal band, even got a lot captured on our albums with some of the songs built around my tapping lines.

 

[bassdude51]

A cheap bass with flat wounds and high action made me a better bass player!

After playing something "nasty" anything better was soooo easy to play! The high action cheap bass built up my hand muscles too!

 

[XtheDeadPawn]

I'll have to try those Dunlop Sharp picks. I have a similar problem to what you're mentioning.

That or a tortex Triangle type might be in order.

I'd certaintly recommend it.
I think that you'll find they fit the bill.

 

[TheMightyWoot1]

A small personal recording device

+1

Zoom H4N, the handiest handy recorder out there!

It helps a lot to hear yourself, let's you know where you can improve.

 

[sevdog]

A cheap bass with flat wounds and high action made me a better bass player!

After playing something "nasty" anything better was soooo easy to play! The high action cheap bass built up my hand muscles too!

^This. 20 years later when I'm working on just about any kind of excercise in speed or strength then I use heavy strings and high action.

 

[hdracer]

A drum machine.

 

[garmenteros]

Macbook pro when i got my first one in 2006. AMPEGSVX after that. It got me practicing late at night and picking things apart by ear and then messing around with plugins and figuring how more stuff works in the real world.

 

[Kael]

Euphonic Audio CXL-112 cab. Stupid amounts of clarity. Revealed all the spots where my technique was sloppy and forced me to fix it.

 

[CTC564]

My Genz Benz Shuttlemax 9.2 into a pair of Baer ML-112's

Really transparent...definitely cleaned up my sloppiness...

 

[PlungerModerno]

+1

Zoom H4N, the handiest handy recorder out there!

It helps a lot to hear yourself, let's you know where you can improve.

I got a budget version, the H1.... very handy... and suprisingly good audio quality (mine is a v2 that works as a USB mic too!)

A drum machine.

+1

I started using software, which is good, easy to edit . . . but nothing beats warming up practicing 8 - 8T - 16th transitions to a 4/4 beat, starting slow, getting fast... then slowing right down. I love synching up, and the inbuilt drum machine in my effects pedal (zoom b2.1u) is simple but sufficent for basic practice.

I'm not a 'loyal' zoom fan, but these two devices are very decent for the price.

The gear that made me better? Tuner. and as above, handy recorder and drum machine or at the very least a metronome.
earplugs are essential kit too. I stand beside the HiHat and it can get loud. Don't be a fool people.

 

[LM Bass]

Bach cello suites, Charlie Parker Omnibook, lessons. . . Oh, GEAR that made me better?

 

[ExaltBass]

Tascam Bass Trainers... CD-BT1 until I wore it out, and now the MP-BT1 (mp3) version.

 

[Nev375]

A 12 string bass - developed hand strength, speed AND more accurate picking/fingering
A Drum machine - developed good sense of timing and improv
An actual drum set - developed my sense of rhythms and understanding of drummers
A banjo - developed fingerstyle technique and adopted the thumbpick to use on bass
A Q-chord - helped me understand chord progressions/theory better
An Ebow - Not sure what this is doing for me, but it's hella cool!

...and the best investment ever for $2 at a goodwill store.
A psychology textbook - developed my understanding of people and also helped me fix my own attitude problems.

 

[droo46]

Garageband. And I suppose by extension a metronome. That one thing will do more for your playing than any other device.

My GK MB212. I never payed much attention to my tone until I bought this amp.

 

[CTC564]

Garageband. And I suppose by extension a metronome. That one thing will do more for your playing than any other device.

My GK MB212. I never payed much attention to my tone until I bought this amp.

I want so badly to start using GarageBand but I can't figure it out for the life of me...can you recommend anything?