New Gear, Newbie - what mistakes should I avoid?

[Big Taters]

I am picking up a bunch of new gear tomorrow. This will be my first purely electric guitar, and the first instrument I've owned. A friend of mine sent me home with his Dean A/E Bass about 6 months ago and I loved playing bass. I quickly realized the limitations of the instrument and decided to invest in some gear as I already have a regular 'unpaid gig' playing bluegrass / gospel at a nursing home.

I got the following:
Fender Deluxe Dimension Bass (Maple/Maple) 4 string
Ampeg Micro Stack SVT with 200w / 2x10

I was planning on using Rotosound 88 Tru Bass as they gave the Dean an amazing upright sound when plugged in...

So, I will probably have a pro help with setup and I plan to eventually replace the neck with a fretless one.

What mistakes are common among new players with new equipment? I would like to avoid those.....

 

[Big Taters]

Testing, 1, 2, 3...is this thing on?

 

[Haji]

First common mistake: replacing the neck with a fretless one.

Even with fretlines, a fretless is a different animal and intonation is still an issue. Keep playing that fretted bass until you feel you're gaining some mastery of your technique before you go all the way to replacing a neck. By that point, you'll probably want a dedicated fretless bass if you decide to go that way.

It sounds like you've got some gear that'll more than cover your current gig and will allow you a good bit of flexibility in playing different styles. A lot of the tone will be in your hands; chasing sound through always changing gear isn't always the right way to go. For it to work, a base of experience is a very good thing. Keep learning and practicing on what you've got; you've got good gear.

I used to use Roto 66's and found them fairly rough on the hands and the frets. After trying a few different brands I discovered Dean Markley Blue Steels, and have been using them ever since, because they had a Roto-like brightness but were a bit warmer and a lot less like a file on my fingers.

bassstringsonline.com is a GREAT place to get strings, and there's a TB member hook up on 'em, too. Great prices and free shipping, you can try a bunch of different types of strings and find what you really like.

 

[mbelue]

New players often purchase amplification that cannot be expanded. Like a combo or a head that is 8 ohms minimum.
This is a mistake IMO.
An amp like the Ampeg micro VR can use a second cabinet down the road.
Also I'd put more budget toward amps and cabs and less for the bass but that is just my opinion.

 

[zortation]

The 210 should be ok for the old folks....but I would advise strongly you add another cabinet if you plan on doing anything in a nightclub setting.

 

[Big Taters]

Thanks for the feedback. I have actually heard the same advice on fretless several times now. I will at the very least establish solid techniques with the frets before I move on to fretless. I will also probably just purchase a pure fretless bass when and if it becomes necessary.

I plan on adding a second 210 cab once my other group I play with starts playing out. We've got access to a small bars when we're ready. I used a Fender Rumble 150 last few months. Next week will be the first performance with the Ampeg micro stack.

I am installing the Rotosound 88 strings and there's a chance I'll have to file the nut for the EA strings.

 

[zortation]

I am installing the Rotosound 88 strings and there's a chance I'll have to file the nut for the EA strings.

Probably the easiest mod to f*ck up on an electric. I would take that job to a luthier personally.

 

[Haji]

There's two things about fretless that I think you inherently know, but probably haven't vocalized: first, fretless sounds like nothing else and that sound is frakkin' awesome. Second, there's always room for another bass and it's by far the happier way to go.

Before moving into more of an executive position in the company I work for, I managed our showroom. We sell a fairly large number of guns, both pistols and rifles. Of those, mostly Glocks and AR-style rifles. Both of those types of guns are highly adaptable with conversion kits for the pistols and separate uppers for the rifles. Our customers rationalized the purchases with comments like "This way, I can swap the upper and have two rifles!" To which I said "Yeah...but you'll end up with another lower at some point, because in the end you're like the rest of us and want more rifles."

So just go ahead and get a fretless bass, too. It's OK; we won't judge and will in fact celebrate your acquisition with you.

 

[Big Taters]

@zortation I live in an area with access to retail and private luthiers, I'll probably go ahead and have them do this. Gonna have one walk me through setup if possible. A little too new to know everything to consider...

Haji, as a photographer with several bodies and lenses, I can assure you I will most definitely invest in another bass at some point!