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Thunderbird Club

#2,462
Larry V said:
Whole new learning curve I'm sure. I'm having a hard enough time keeping up with my lessons as is without throwing in the mechanics of picking.

I bounce between single, double and three finger style depending on the pace required and which of the strings get played next. I really don't think about it and just do what feels natural. It's when I force myself to alternate that I make mistakes. Lol

I guess a pick would eliminate most of that unless you're still plucking with the three fingers not involved with the pick as I've seen guitar players do at times.

But I just have to ask, don't most of the greatest bassists just play with their fingers?
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Incorporating a bit of pick time into your practice routine is the way to go - a little bit each session. That way it's gradual and doable - and fun! Find a favorite rock song or two that expressly uses a pick to get that characteristic bass line down to play along with. Develop your finger technique along with your picking technique, and you'll be a more rounded player capable of delivering the sound needed for a wide variety of needs. Think of it not so much as what a bassist uses to make their music, but what using a pick can do to help create your sound - your unique identity. I'm a better finger player than w/a pick - but I love playing w/a pick for many reasons.
 
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#2,463
Larry V said:
Whole new learning curve I'm sure. I'm having a hard enough time keeping up with my lessons as is without throwing in the mechanics of picking.

I bounce between single, double and three finger style depending on the pace required and which of the strings get played next. I really don't think about it and just do what feels natural. It's when I force myself to alternate that I make mistakes. Lol

I guess a pick would eliminate most of that unless you're still plucking with the three fingers not involved with the pick as I've seen guitar players do at times.

But I just have to ask, don't most of the greatest bassists just play with their fingers?
Click to expand...


It's certainly true that a lot of great bassists use their fingers, it can be very expressive. However there are plenty that use a pick as well. More important in mind is what technique serves the song, most of what I play with the band needs a pick for it's quick attack/clank/decay, plus it's often very repetitive, which will fatigue you pretty quickly if you're going to play a 3-4 hours.
When visiting Mike Lull one he related how Steve Stevens (Billy Idol's guitarist) ruled their recording sessions, which included having their bassist NOT play his Jazz bass fingerstyle for "Rebel Yell" he was told to play a P with a pick to get the needed tone. You can easily hear the difference on his Greatest Hits disc which has the original demo track on it.
Re the Thunderbirds and picks, to my ears something absolutely wonderful happens when you use one - the whole note seems to come alive with bass, mids and treble, all needed to produce sound that travels well and rides in the mix correctly with the other instruments. As others say tho, it's not an either/or kind of thing just a valid technique. :)
 
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#2,464
Josh Thatguy said:
Member number 666 here... not trying to piss anyone off, just figured this was the most logical place for my need...
I need a plain-jane Epiphone Tbird pickup, and I only need one to fill a hole, so working condition doesn't matter. I've been running an active EMG MM pickup in neck position and an old Bartolini prototype pickup (not made for Tbird, but it fit so I dropped it in) in the bridge position, but the Bart is getting buried under the EMG's huge tone, so I'm pulling the Bart and getting rid of it. I already sold the stock Epi goth pups that were in there, so if anyone has a junker just laying around, message me with a price. Cosmetics don't matter... it'll end up green anyway. Thanks!
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I have a pair of Epi pickups laying around that I could part with. Let me know if you need one or both. But like someone suggested you could just get a cover for the hole.
 
#2,467
Haji said:
As bad as I am fingerstyle, I'm at least ten times worse with a pick. I keep messing with it, but I just don't seem to be able to find the right combination. It feels totally alien to me....but then I'm not particularly fond of fuzz tones with bass, either. I'm a weirdo.
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I am the same way. I just can't get through more than a couple of minutes with a pick before returning to the brutality inflicted with my fingers.
 
#2,477
JIO said:
have a great B-day today! :bassist:
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Every time I see someone type B'day or B-day, I think of one of these:

porcelain-type-bidet.jpg
 
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