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Getting back on that horse

G

glorth2

Jan 26, 2006
87
3
#1
Hey. I'm hoping this isn't really an intro thread as I've actually been here for a while but I'm making my 2nd attempt at getting back into music after being divorced. The first was a failure a) because I didn't find other people to play with and b) I went out and bought myself a used neck-through Warwick Thumb. Being a divorced father, when I needed money, I sold the bass. This time I found a used Squire P on eBay for $100 so I know that's no kind of rip cord. Anyway, I'm sure a lot has changed in the 20+ years since I've been out of it so I have some questions.

When I owned P-basses before I always put Badass bridges on them, mostly because Steve Harris (and a lot of other Fender players) used them. Do you think they're worth it?

I'm looking in stores and online for decent used amps. Right now I'd be fine with a combo practice amp but I'm really surprised at not being able to find anything decent for less than $150, say. And once I start seeing prices in the $250-$300 range I start thinking I might just be better off getting a used 4x10 cabinet and head for when I'm ready to play out. Speaking of, I know there's a whole different forum for live sound but I'd like your opinions. WHen I first started playing I used Peaveys because they were inexpensive and everywhere. THen I got a 2x15 with EVs in it and I was just blown away by the difference in sound quality. Who do you like as far as amps and speakers esp as it relates to value. Meaning, I don't need boutique but I want to get a lot of bang for my buck. I've seen the SWRs mentioned on here before. I also see a lot of Hartkes out there and one of the shops I stopped in the other day had MarkBass stuff. I'm sure that's expensive stuff but how do you like it? Just curious mostly.

Looking at getting a strap and I saw Levys on musiciansfriend.com and the padded leather bass strap jumped out at me. Worth it or overkill?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/levys-4-1-2-padded-leather-bass-guitar-strap

Regarding instruction, has anyone used bassmadesimple.com? I see the ads on Facebook all the time and it looked interesting. Lastly, where is the best place to get tabs from? I found a couple places online (ultimate-guitar.com?)but it seems much more complicated then I remember. I'd prefer something where the whole song is written out in order rather than just sections. Lyrics help too.

Is there a decent website for finding bands looking for musicians? Like a match.com for band members?

I know that's a lot so I hope this is in the right place and I appreciate your help in advance.
 
#3
I picked up a fender Rumble 30 for cheap...see them on CL for 60 to 90 bucks give or take...Nice little amp for cheap IMO..Plus one on Scott Devine.

Studybass.com is good too.

I am about 4 years into returning to the bass and music after a long time away. This site is a must IMO to get anybody going down the right road. Look up user Stumbo's links here. Excellent resources.

I have a wide Levy's strap that works well for me..not padded. Good quality IMO. Leather. Having a comfortable strap is nice, making extended playing enjoyable.

Good luck man!

Peace!:bassist:
 
#4
If you just want a practice amp, I highly reccomend the fender rumble 15. Best $99 I've spent. As far as the bad ass bridge, there are many alternatives to try if you decide to upgrade, but I wouldn't worry about that now. My favorite strap is the neotech mega bass strap. Good luck!
 
#7
Badass bridges...eh...they never did anything for me, and the regular Fender bridge works fine.

Strap...I have two of theose Levy's straps and I LOVE them. It's about the only strap I can use with a heavy bass. There are other cheaper padded straps that might work for you as well, but the Levy's strap is the best one of its kind that I've used.

Amp...if you're planning to play out, maybe a 410 and an inexpensive 300-500w SS amp would be the way to go. But practice amps have their place. Depends on how serious you are and how soon you plan on playing out.

Education...Don't know any websites, but I'm not at all into tab and I think it's a waste of time, and I would suggest going whole hog and learning how to read music and all that if you want to do it up right. Not as hard as it seems from the outside, trust me.
 
#8
One thing that helped me to make practice fun is a game called Rocksmith. Kinda like guitar hero but you actually plug in whatever electric guitar or bass you have.
Here's a video of What's Going On with a nice JJ bass line:
As you can hear the game will not make you a perfect player, but it will help you learn a ton of songs. You still have to learn proper technique and theory yourself, but it sure makes practice fun.
 
#9
I second studybass.com as a must visit. Awesome practice drills and theory as it pertains to the bass. I also want to second Rocksmith. I just downloaded the bass expansion pack last night and it is AWESOME!!! Spent two hours playing last night practicing fret work as well as learning the bass lines for Rolling Stones "Can't Get No Satisfaction" and Animals "House of the Rising Sun". Pretty lame as it pertains to actually learning how to read music or music theory but as far as actually getting ON the bass and practiceing with a "group" that can slow down if your having trouble or speed up as you get comfortable. Priceless.
 
#10
Sni77 said:
One thing that helped me to make practice fun is a game called Rocksmith.
Click to expand...

Rocksmith is EXACTLY what got me back onto my "Guitar Horse" and introduced me to the world of bass guitar (where I am now a permanent resident). I use the "accelerator" version of "riff-repeater" all the time to learn the new riffs and build speed.

My only qualm with Rocksmith is that if you're just using it as an amp, it takes like 5 minutes to boot up and get settled before you can actually play. The upside to this is that I use this time for hand stretches.
 
#12
Some of the practice amps are better than you might think. I use an Eden 410 for practice but an Eden 1 10 for any outside work simply because it is light. I couldn't move the 410 if I had to. The 1 10 I can carry with one hand.

Look around for a wtx 264. And there's a bunch of other out there that are light and loud.
 
#14
I stopped up to the local Sam Ash this evening. First, someone needs to tell me why Guitar Center is evil. Just asking. Is it the Wal Mart effect of a big chain killing small stores? If so I'm very sympathetic to this. Anyway, I took some time to try out a couple of Fender Rumbles, which sounded very good, a couple of Hartke combos, which sounded better, a Hartke stack and a Mark Bass stack. Holy crap! The good news is the magic is back. I need to get a decent combo asap and start playing with people. I could not BELIEVE how good and loud that Mark Bass got. I was playing an Ibanez 6 string and it handled the low B beautifully. Oh yeah, after I get the combo I need to find a way to go 6 string. ;)
 
#15
glorth2 said:
I stopped up to the local Sam Ash this evening. First, someone needs to tell me why Guitar Center is evil. Just asking. Is it the Wal Mart effect of a big chain killing small stores? If so I'm very sympathetic to this. Anyway, I took some time to try out a couple of Fender Rumbles, which sounded very good, a couple of Hartke combos, which sounded better, a Hartke stack and a Mark Bass stack. Holy crap! The good news is the magic is back. I need to get a decent combo asap and start playing with people. I could not BELIEVE how good and loud that Mark Bass got. I was playing an Ibanez 6 string and it handled the low B beautifully. Oh yeah, after I get the combo I need to find a way to go 6 string. ;)
Click to expand...

Which Markbass rig was it?
 
#18
It's good you're getting back into it. Music doesn't leave - it just takes a nap. . . till something wakes it up!

Markbass gear will set you back a fair bit new but, like everything, used might be more cost effective.

You can probably get close with lower end gear - but it's totally up to you. Have fun and find a drummer and possibly other musicians to play with. It makes it 1000% easier to keep it up if it's not a solitary thing :).
 
#19
PlungerModerno said:
It's good you're getting back into it. Music doesn't leave - it just takes a nap. . . till something wakes it up!

Markbass gear will set you back a fair bit new but, like everything, used might be more cost effective.

You can probably get close with lower end gear - but it's totally up to you. Have fun and find a drummer and possibly other musicians to play with. It makes it 1000% easier to keep it up if it's not a solitary thing :).
Click to expand...

I hear that. What's the best way to hook up with other musicians? It'd be nice if there was a match.com for musicians and bands.
 

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