Sticky Rhythms: my name and my game

[Sticky Rhythms]

Greetings, all!

After decades as a drummer, and years filling in on rhythm, I’ve decided that I want to learn bass as well. To that end, it’s time to pick a bass and an amp...found my way from TDPRI, have lurked for awhile, learning curve is still steep on the tech side.

Things I still need to figure out include: short-scale vs full-scale (tuned-down guitar or real bass?), fretless vs fretted, different pickups / pickup positions, characteristic sounds (bass ID). As for bass amps, I have a used Acoustic 160 (or 120?) head but have no speakers, so I would love to learn about different cabinet designs, speaker counts & sizes too.

Favorite bassists include Jaco, Stanley, John McVie, John Wetton, Carol Kaye, John Entwhistle, Sting among others, and most of the players w/ studio bands like from Muscle Shoals, Memphis, Motown. Not a fan of Geddy Lee or Gene Simmons or Jack Bruce(!). Plenty more I can’t identify yet.

overall price range I’ll be operating in will be LOW. I’m a retiree, and while I may be able to demand time, freedom from interruption, and other accommodations, I don’t get to demand more money; plus, I like working with my hands, and tinkering with instruments seems to comes naturally (skill of course takes time). Therefore more likely to build a cabinet than buy it, do my own setups and upgrades than farm them out (and if I did farm it out, it would be to friends who’d let me help and watch).

Glad y’all set this place up, glad to be here!

 

[Lobster11]

Welcome aboard, SR!

This thread isn't the place to delve into details about gear, but I'll offer a couple of general suggestions for getting started. First, you can get much better quality for the same money by buying used, especially if you're on a tight budget. Second, you won't really know what your preferences are until you've been playing for a while, at which time you'll probably decide that you don't like whatever you bought originally, so don't get too hung up in finding just the right bass or cabinet now: Just find something that's good enough to start learning on. I'd start with something common, like a Precision-style bass (whether Fender or some other brand). Later you can decide what direction you want to go from there (or not).

The other thing I suggest is that you invest the time and effort into learning good left- and right-hand technique right from the start; don't just start playing using whatever technique seems to work. Your experience playing rhythm guitar (I assume that's what you mean by "filling in on rhythm") will be helpful in some ways but can interfere in others; the bass really isn't just an oversized guitar and needs to be approached differently.

Good luck!

 

[Malcolm35]

After decades as a drummer, and years filling in on rhythm, I’ve decided that I want to learn bass as well. To that end, it’s time to pick a bass and an amp...found my way from TDPRI, have lurked for awhile, learning curve is still steep on the tech side.

Things I still need to figure out include:
short-scale vs full-scale (tuned-down guitar or real bass?),

Real bass. I recommend a 4 string. Now P or Jazz I leave to you.

fretless vs fretted,

Fretted. Now you can get a fretless that has fret lines, but, just starting I'd recommend a fretted bass.

different pickups / pickup positions, characteristic sounds (bass ID). As for bass amps, I have a used Acoustic 160 (or 120?) head but have no speakers, so I would love to learn about different cabinet designs, speaker counts & sizes too.

• Pickups - take what comes on your bass for now.
• Amps, watts, etc. - A 15 watt for home and at least 150 to 200 watt for gigging.
• Speakers - The bigger the better. Go try some out at your local music store.

As to the rest - welcome to the bottom end.

 

[Sticky Rhythms]

Welcome aboard, SR!

This thread isn't the place to delve into details about gear, but I'll offer a couple of general suggestions for getting started. First, you can get much better quality for the same money by buying used, especially if you're on a tight budget. Second, you won't really know what your preferences are until you've been playing for a while, at which time you'll probably decide that you don't like whatever you bought originally, so don't get too hung up in finding just the right bass or cabinet now: Just find something that's good enough to start learning on. I'd start with something common, like a Precision-style bass (whether Fender or some other brand). Later you can decide what direction you want to go from there (or not).

The other thing I suggest is that you invest the time and effort into learning good left- and right-hand technique right from the start; don't just start playing using whatever technique seems to work. Your experience playing rhythm guitar (I assume that's what you mean by "filling in on rhythm") will be helpful in some ways but can interfere in others; the bass really isn't just an oversized guitar and needs to be approached differently.

Good luck!

Thanks, Lobster!

Appreciate the good advice: I’m sure there’s a thread of ‘advice for new bassists’ that will help orient me...yes, playing rhythm guitar - always figured my developed sense of rhythm and the beat helped me out a lot with that. I frankly expect it to help me with bass...not the rhythm guitar bit, the rhythm-section basics...but I see what you mean, I think. Bass is it’s OWN thing.

 

[Sticky Rhythms]

Real bass. I recommend a 4 string. Now P or Jazz I leave to you.

Fretted. Now you can get a fretless that has fret lines, but, just starting I'd recommend a fretted bass.

• Pickups - take what comes on your bass for now.
• Amps, watts, etc. - A 15 watt for home and at least 150 to 200 watt for gigging.
• Speakers - The bigger the better. Go try some out at your local music store.

As to the rest - welcome to the bottom end.

Thanks, I like a nice bottom... I see I implied that I was trying to decide between the things I mentioned; I meant those were things I knew nothing about from a bass perspective, and I’ve prepared myself an empty page to take notes on.

Have been looking into the low-end instruments from Squier, Ibanez, Yamaha, Glarry. Precision, Jazz, and PJ configs. Open to suggestions!

 

[Malcolm35]

I have a Yamaha in the $350 range. It does everything I ask of it. My suggestion; go to a local music store and try out everything they have in your price range. No one makes junk and stays in business. Price is the leveling agent pay more get more, but, anything above the $250 range will get you started and will be acceptable. All the brands you mentioned would be a good friend.

 

[Sticky Rhythms]

We have more pawn shops here than music stores, but good advice all the same...I think there’s still a Sam Ash an hour or so from here.

Glad to know that the low end has been brought up so high, I will shop with confidence: following CL for awhile, I’ve been on the verge of grabbing a Yamaha or Ibanez around $100 more than once, but....

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

To get started without spending a bunch of money, start with a Squier P bass. The VM and CV versions are pretty good, but if budget is your primary concern, an Affinity will do for now. You can pick them up for about $100 in most pawn shops. The same pawn shops will have some decent small "practice amps". As @Lobster11 said, don't get too hung up on getting perfect gear now. As your chops develop, you will begin to know works best for you.

 

[Biffa]

If you don't like Geddy or Jack are you sure Bass is for you? If I said I don't like Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Clive Bunker, John Bonham or Neil Peart but I want to be a drummer you'd raise an eyebrow, yeah?