Old/Noob Disappointed in first bass--options/advice?

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi all:

So, I am an older, new bass player (mid-life crisis and all the stuff) and bought an Ibanez gsr200 (I know, i should know better than to buy a cheap musical instrument---but, wife).

I have a prior music background in wind instruments (former [failed] music major) and (very little) guitar. I have only been playing for about a month and a half, but I really dislike my bass. I had a pro set-up that involved a bunch of fret sanding due to the neck "ramping up"; but even after that, I still get a ton of "clacking"/buzz. I hate the electronics. The "Phat II" preamp just cuts the mids and makes the whole thing sound distorted and rummbly, so I never use it. The tone control has very little effect other than boosting gain and due to the aforementioned fret buzz and clacking, I basically leave it off. I can't seem to get a clean tone out of it.

So, with that said...and considering I have been at this for only a month, I need advice.
Option 1: Just live with it and suffer through until I have been playing enough to justify something better. --not like I am going to be playing in public anything soon.
Option 2: replace the pickups/pups---but I don't know how to solder and EMGs + new preamp would come close to the cost of a new guitar
Option 3: Try my hand at one of those DIY kits over the winter while cooped up.
Option 4: Replace now with something nicer (but, wife--"you just started").

Set it up yourself. Raise the saddles, and loosen the truss rod...reverse that order though. These are done in small increments at a time, okay? As far as the phat boost, adding any sort of eq, also adds gain. On your amp, or your bass, or anything else for that matter. So, start with your gain lowered, add boost til you like it, raise gain til clipping occurs, back off gain a scotch. Clean, strong, cheap bass.

If the self set up doesn't work for you, chances are your guy destroyed your bass. I have yet to play an ibanez that had a bad neck. Not my preference for most models, too thin and small, and the cheaper ones need a little rounding on the edges (all cheap guitars do), but they've always played very nice.

 

[tpaul]

OK, I have not read all 5 pages of comments, so this may be redundant, but:

Replace those strings with flatwounds.

When I first took up the bass, coming from many years on guitar, I couldn't get the sounds I had in my head. I tried a few different basses but nothing felt or sounded right until I put flats on, and all of a sudden the instrument made sense to me. It just felt and sounded 100% better, and I progressed quickly after that. I played flats exclusively for a few years. Later when I was more proficient I was able to play rounds much more easily but I still prefer flats much of the time.

I suggest GHS precision flats, light gauge, for what it's worth. But there are many great options and everyone has their favorite flavor. I'm just getting into TIs but the GHS are what I'd recommend for a beginner.

All the other advice about set-up and playing technique is good, but if you want pure bass tone and no clack, try flats.

Edit: you have a background as a wind player, so think of switching strings like switching reeds. If you don't get along with the reed, nothing you can do to adjust the rest of the instrument is going to help much.

 

[Greywoulf]

w/o reading all thru this thread, I'm wondering if no one has mentioned strings to you? If you have roundwound strings on your bass they can be very noisy (especially if the action is set very low). Also if you don't play behind the fret the right way those roundwounds are gonna zing and buzz like crazy... Maybe you sh try a set of either flatwounds or tapewound strings for a while? Usually with these you can at least hear your tone w/o a lot of interfering bothersome noise. -But then you're still gonna hafta improve your fretting technique no matter what strings you use...
Don't know much about the GSR200, but I have a $179 GSR100EX, and for me it's every bit as good as any $500-700 bass out there.......
Greywoulf

 

[BobKos]

Setup advice by other posters is right on. You have rough right hand technique and you're slamming the strings off the frets and possibly the pickups. Two things to do:

Lighten up your attack overall. It's OK to dig in occasionally. But in all you should be using the amp to make noise, not acoustics. Turn the amp up loud which forces you to not beat the hell out of the strings.

Also - adjust the action. There are a million videos on Youtube on how to set up a bass. That is a great start point. It's OK to depart from that to make the bass better for you. As your skills develop you can gravitate back to baseline settings. But to alleviate the frustration you are experiencing raise the strings at the bridge and lower the pickup(s).

DON'T practice without an amp. It causes you to attack the bass so you can hear what is going on. Teaches more bad habits than good ones.

 

[DTRN]

w/o reading all thru this thread, I'm wondering if no one has mentioned strings to you? If you have roundwound strings on your bass they can be very noisy (especially if the action is set very low). Also if you don't play behind the fret the right way those roundwounds are gonna zing and buzz like crazy... Maybe you sh try a set of either flatwounds or tapewound strings for a while? Usually with these you can at least hear your tone w/o a lot of interfering bothersome noise. -But then you're still gonna hafta improve your fretting technique no matter what strings you use...
Don't know much about the GSR200, but I have a $179 GSR100EX, and for me it's every bit as good as any $500-700 bass out there.......
Greywoulf

I have 2 Fenders & 3 Ibanezes. One of my Ibanezes is the GSR100EX and there's no way I'm getting rid of it. The best $149 I ever spent on gear. So...to the OP; Hang on for a bit. Your only a month and a half into this journey. As time moves on your taste in basses may change dramatically. I wish I could actually see and play your bass. As others here have said, get out and play some other basses. I can't help but think technique may be more the issue here. However, if you find basses elsewhere that play much better then yours, it may be your bass that's causing your grief.

 

[Ronderossi]

Hi all:

So, I am an older, new bass player (mid-life crisis and all the stuff) and bought an Ibanez gsr200 (I know, i should know better than to buy a cheap musical instrument---but, wife).

I have a prior music background in wind instruments (former [failed] music major) and (very little) guitar. I have only been playing for about a month and a half, but I really dislike my bass. I had a pro set-up that involved a bunch of fret sanding due to the neck "ramping up"; but even after that, I still get a ton of "clacking"/buzz. I hate the electronics. The "Phat II" preamp just cuts the mids and makes the whole thing sound distorted and rummbly, so I never use it. The tone control has very little effect other than boosting gain and due to the aforementioned fret buzz and clacking, I basically leave it off. I can't seem to get a clean tone out of it.

So, with that said...and considering I have been at this for only a month, I need advice.
Option 1: Just live with it and suffer through until I have been playing enough to justify something better. --not like I am going to be playing in public anything soon.
Option 2: replace the pickups/pups---but I don't know how to solder and EMGs + new preamp would come close to the cost of a new guitar
Option 3: Try my hand at one of those DIY kits over the winter while cooped up.
Option 4: Replace now with something nicer (but, wife--"you just started").

 

[Anthony White]

you have to make an appt. to come in and I am still really new at this, and really nervous around others.

I totally feel this as an issue, whatever anyone says. Take headphones. Many amps in a store will have a headphone jack, and you can try basses out and know that no-one will hear you.

 

[Ronderossi]

Hi all:

So, I am an older, new bass player (mid-life crisis and all the stuff) and bought an Ibanez gsr200 (I know, i should know better than to buy a cheap musical instrument---but, wife).

I have a prior music background in wind instruments (former [failed] music major) and (very little) guitar. I have only been playing for about a month and a half, but I really dislike my bass. I had a pro set-up that involved a bunch of fret sanding due to the neck "ramping up"; but even after that, I still get a ton of "clacking"/buzz. I hate the electronics. The "Phat II" preamp just cuts the mids and makes the whole thing sound distorted and rummbly, so I never use it. The tone control has very little effect other than boosting gain and due to the aforementioned fret buzz and clacking, I basically leave it off. I can't seem to get a clean tone out of it.

So, with that said...and considering I have been at this for only a month, I need advice.
Option 1: Just live with it and suffer through until I have been playing enough to justify something better. --not like I am going to be playing in public anything soon.
Option 2: replace the pickups/pups---but I don't know how to solder and EMGs + new preamp would come close to the cost of a new guitar
Option 3: Try my hand at one of those DIY kits over the winter while cooped up.
Option 4: Replace now with something nicer (but, wife--"you just started").

Buy a new, better bass you like same color and don't tell your wife! Wives can't tell the difference between guitars! She'll just think its the same guitar

 

[knumbskull]

I skimmed the thread & might have missed it, but -

what are you playing it through? Amp? Headphone setup?

just in case anything on that end might be related to the poor sound you're getting... (low action notwithstanding)

 

[phangtonpower]

Not much more to add, but a lot of bassists use light fret buzz to add to there sound, especially if your playing punk.

 

[DeepHz]

Fodera? .....Good divorce lawyer?

 

[Medicine Man]

A few things could be the problem:

1. Set up. Set ups arent just good vs bad. There is a whole spectrum of heights and tensions. Most music stores have a guitar guy doing setups, and they just assume low as possible is better so they can get back to jamming Surfing with an Alien. Not ideal for most bassists. Raising the bridge saddles is probably enough.

2. Technique. No shortcuts on this one. Practice.

3.Your Ibby is a lemon. Less likely.

4. Im not sure what you are plugging into. All guitars have some clank not plugged in. Proper amplification and eq is important to this instrument.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

GSR's are a bargain for the cost. I think you need a teacher to help you with proper technique. In a professional's hands, even your bass will sound good. It's a matter of experience, technique, and practice.

Also, you need to set a precedent now. Don't let your wife dictate your musical needs. You're homebound like the rest of us. This is your aspiration. Let her know this is important to you. And if you have to, go buy what you want, and ask for forgiveness. Asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission! My wife was like that for a while a long time ago but I kept pressing my case. Change the scenario now, or it only gets worse in the future.

 

[Ed Goode]

I'm definitely NOT a noob but DEFINITELY old, probably in the top 1%-2% of the members on TalkBass. After reading all of the assorted advice given in this thread, two things seem certain:

1 - you would really benefit from a few simple beginner lessons. They don't need to be from some massively experience teacher since, at this time, you're really not dealing with theory or other study-intensive techniques. You simply want to know the sheer basics of holding and playing the bass, and most any bass player with even a modicum of experience should be able to show you that. Depending on where you're located there are likely many TB-member bassists in your area, and many of them would be glad to sit with you for a while and show you the basics. If you are anywhere in the greater Atlanta area, feel free to contact me.

2 - if you're old and have been married for any length of time, just ignore the "wife management" advice you get here Most of these posters are likely younger than your kids, maybe even younger than your grandkids ... nobody knows your wife as well as you, so you already know what will work or not work

 

[Playbyear]

If the clank is only heard through the amp, lower the pickups!

If you'd like to try flatwounds, Fender 9050L is the best value for a good string

 

[alaskaleftybass]

2 - if you're old and have been married for any length of time, just ignore the "wife management" advice you get here Most of these posters are likely younger than your kids, maybe even younger than your grandkids ... nobody knows your wife as well as you, so you already know what will work or not work

I've been married 34 years and I still get pushback from The Boss! When I first got married we argued about money and a wise young married lady told us... "the husband's job is to buy toys and the wife's job is to stop him..."

 

[bassinflorida]

Since you are familiar with the internet you may know there are many good instructive youtube videos where you can learn to set up your bass yourself. Doing this yourself will likely convince you if the bass is more trouble than it is worth. Wife? Can she tell the difference in quality of your other instruments?

 

[JRA]

an in-person assessment would help you resolve the issues you listed in your OP (or gain some understanding about them). nothing else can take the place of that!

without lessons (an actual appraisal of both the ax and your beginner playing) = you're doomed to get your advice via feedback from people who have no clue what that ax feels/sounds like in your hands.

also: if you take the wrong advice (noobs do that regularly...they're "noobs") you'll endure your "noob" longer. teachers don't always give the best advice/lessons, but the pool of 'stupid advisories' is smaller in the teacher's group so there's less chance of you being the victim --- vs. the advice from folks who don't know much more than yourself but who aren't the "noob" you are.

consult someone face-to-face = it's the serious thing to do! good luck!

your wife has nothing to do with your issues.

 

[Mr. Jiggy Fly]

In my opinion, learning to -properly- adjust and set up your bass is an incredibly valuable skill - as is being able to assess and diagnose the bass and its setup for problem areas or simple adjustments for personal preference. too many bassists approach both with either hesitation or over-enthusiasm (neither is ideal). but just like the process of learning to play, proper practice and guidance and perseverance will pay off surprisingly fast. As you play and develop your own playing style, your preferences will become apparent to you - maybe you discover a love of tapewounds, maybe your discover you're strictly a 19mm spacing 4 string only guy, or perhaps you find yourself drawn ultra low action with exposed core stainless rounds (6 of em!). Don't approach the journey with a preconceived outcome in mind and you'll find yourself much more relaxed and satisfied.

As for the GSR200 (my first bass as well, 19 years ago) - it is absolutely unacceptable that the same shop that sold you the bass suggested and carried out warranty-voiding fretwork by someone who clearly lacked both the knowledge of when fret leveling is actually needed and the discretion to consider alternatives first. A million factors could play into why you felt the bass itself wasn't responding correctly. God knows a cold rainy night and relatively new strings is enough to throw out the relief on some necks. But it did not need fretwork, and if the shop cited a preexisting issue that required such a procedure, they should retroactively offer to exchange the instrument at their cost for something new. If I remember correctly, GSR200s were around $220 - a typical "pro" setup runs around $75 and fretwork is easily another $75 at least. If you don't mind me asking, how much were you asked to pay for all the work after buying the bass new less than two months earlier? They should reimburse your expenses and offer you some free lessons

PS: Might I suggest you avoid any and all meandering with "tone" and especially electronics swapping / "upgrades" until you are able to comfortably play with a drummer (real or recorded). I beat this into my students because gear can be a succubus , drawing the player away from the whole point of playing bass. The time spent thinking about that kind of stuff, the potential funds wasted, could be better spent learning songs you dig and saving for something you actually want - whether it be a bass, amp, pedal, whatever - instead of just putting lipstick on a pig.

cheers and good luck, with enough perseverance you can become Yung Pro

 

[BassBrass]

Plus, another inspiration - she really hasn't been playing bass all that long, either! Really cool back story there.

yeah but she thought about it for a long time.