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I cant afford lessons every week,/books vs. teachers/merged thread

#42
Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
Can you sign a disclaimer, in case I can't get your brain back in your head, when I'm finished with it? :eek:
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Sure, no prob. Though, I would ask you, whether or not you get it back in there, try and do a neat job of stitchin' me back up afterwards. Don't want no ugly scars.
 
#43
Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
The overwhelming impression when reading a selection of TB threads is that most peoplr seem to think that if they buy the same bass (amp/effects etc.) as their hero, that is all they need to make them play and sound like him/her!! ;)
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This is very closly related to the "I suck, therefore if I spend more money on gear, it will make me better" theory.

-A. Clown
 
#45
The bigger and more expensive it is, the more difference it makes to your sound, apparently.

Thus, more people are talking about what their body & fretboard are made of than what strings they use.

Whereas discussion on what part of the finger you pluck with, where on the string you pluck, how hard you pluck, what angle your wrist is at, what angle your fingers are at, what fingering to use, and relaxing your hands & shoulders etc. - general command of your instrument seems to be less prevalent. There seems to be as much talk about whether pick, fingerstyle, or slap is better as there is about the finer points of technique.
 
#46
Originally posted by moley
The bigger and more expensive it is, the more difference it makes to your sound, apparently.

Thus, more people are talking about what their body & fretboard are made of than what strings they use.

Whereas discussion on what part of the finger you pluck with, where on the string you pluck, how hard you pluck, what angle your wrist is at, what angle your fingers are at, what fingering to use, and relaxing your hands & shoulders etc. - general command of your instrument seems to be less prevalent. There seems to be as much talk about whether pick, fingerstyle, or slap is better as there is about the finer points of technique.
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While I share your concerns about the emphasis around here, I 'm starting to disagree on two areas.

Firstly, while the finer points of technique are of course very important, I think it's almost impossible to discuss these via the internet, or in any medium where you cannot see what the other person is doing on a face-to-face basis.

So you could be describing what you do and arguing vehemently with another person about this, only to find that if you saw each other playing in person, you might be vehemently agreeing! ;)

Secondly I think tone can be a very big issue with bass guitars and this is strongly affected by the strings you use.

So - if I can get a tone I really like, I feel motivated to practice more and to play well. If the soudn coming out is horrible no matter what I do then I am inclined not to bother!!

So after playing bass for over 25 years, I know what sort of tone I like and I have a "model" of this in my head. A lot of basses I have tried in shops, simply cannot get this tone - no matter how well I play them.

Also - a lot of strings sound nasty and scratchy to me or are simply too dull to clearly produce harmonics, for example and again this has an impact on my motivation.

So - I am very picky about basses and strings - but having found the equipment that does what I want, I am happy to talk about anything else but gear!! ;)
 
#47
Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield


While I share your concerns about the emphasis around here, I 'm starting to disagree on two areas.

Firstly, while the finer points of technique are of course very important, I think it's almost impossible to discuss these via the internet, or in any medium where you cannot see what the other person is doing on a face-to-face basis.

So you could be describing what you do and arguing vehemently with another person about this, only to find that if you saw each other playing in person, you might be vehemently agreeing! ;)

Fair point - but I think this sort of thing could be discussed successfully more than it is currently.

Secondly I think tone can be a very big issue with bass guitars and this is strongly affected by the strings you use.

So - if I can get a tone I really like, I feel motivated to practice more and to play well. If the soudn coming out is horrible no matter what I do then I am inclined not to bother!!

So after playing bass for over 25 years, I know what sort of tone I like and I have a "model" of this in my head. A lot of basses I have tried in shops, simply cannot get this tone - no matter how well I play them.

Also - a lot of strings sound nasty and scratchy to me or are simply too dull to clearly produce harmonics, for example and again this has an impact on my motivation.

So - I am very picky about basses and strings - but having found the equipment that does what I want, I am happy to talk about anything else but gear!! ;)
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I do agree with this second point. When I said that people were paying more attention to what their fretboard & body are made of than what strings they use, my point was that the strings make more a difference to tone than the wood does. But there seems to be more talk about basses & materials and amps than there is about strings! I think that the strings and your fingers are the main components in making the sound - and as you say, strings do make a big difference to tone. After all, even BG is essentially an acoustic instrument - that is, the acoustic sound has to be there in the first place, the pickups merely amplify it.

And, of course, you're right to be picky about basses and strings, but I don't see you talking about your latest GAS, and what bass you're gonna get next - you always seem far more concerned with the skill of playing the instrument! This is good! ;)
 
#48
Originally posted by moley

And, of course, you're right to be picky about basses and strings, but I don't see you talking about your latest GAS, and what bass you're gonna get next - you always seem far more concerned with the skill of playing the instrument! This is good! ;)
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Well, I think it's a cyclical thing - when I first started to look at internet forums on bass, it was because I was having problems getting the right bass.

I had a couple of 6-strings that sounded very muddy and indistinct and didn't realise until I discussed it on the net, that this was a generic problem.

I also discovered by dicussing things on the net that I like the tone of basses with a lot of maple in their body - although I prefer ebony/rosewood fingerboards.

There was loads of stuff I didn't know about bass guitars and amps that I learned on here - but of course having got that knowledge and some decent gear, I no longer need to go trough that.

But I can imagine that this "learning curve" happens to everybody and is part of the reason why we have tens of thousands of members but only a hundred or so "regulars".

So people come here through ignorance - find what they want by asking questions or reading and then go off and make music - no longer ignorant. :)

Of course it looks like a big emphasis on gear - but it's just lots of people "passing through" . Usually the people who stick around, have more musical concerns, other than getting the right bass and then going off to play.

Besides I asked loads of gear-type questions earlier in the year when I was thinking about buying a DB and ended up getting a EUB - but they were hidden away on the DB side ;) - if you rummage around there, you will see some very long threads from me about EUBs!! :)
 
#50
Originally posted by thrash_jazz
Besides I asked loads of gear-type questions earlier in the year when I was thinking about buying a DB and ended up getting a EUB - but they were hidden away on the DB side - if you rummage around there, you will see some very long threads from me about EUBs!!

Thus speaks the self-professed "acoustic purist"! ;)
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Well I explained that about 50 times! :rolleyes: I like listening to acoustic music, but am not really up to playing it and I have no space at the moment for a DB. ;)
 

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