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Which is 'more' important
- Thread starter progmanjum
- Start date
IMO - (edit, after thinking about it, I actually play more through my headphones than I do my amp so......)
1.) a good bass
2.) a good instructor
3.) a good amp
4.) effects (if you choose to use them, I however do not)
1.) a good bass
2.) a good instructor
3.) a good amp
4.) effects (if you choose to use them, I however do not)
scottbass
Bass lines like a big, funky giant
It depends on what you are trying to do.
If you're trying to continuously improve your playing, it is easier to do so on a good bass than on a mediocre bass.
If you are trying to improve your fundamental tone, a mediocre bass played through a good amp will give you better tone better than a good bass played through a mediocre amp.
If you are trying to improve your fuzz-ing, chorus-ing, phase shifting, flanging, etc. it's pretty obvious the effects will take you further down that road than a change of bass or amp will.
IMHO
If you're trying to continuously improve your playing, it is easier to do so on a good bass than on a mediocre bass.
If you are trying to improve your fundamental tone, a mediocre bass played through a good amp will give you better tone better than a good bass played through a mediocre amp.
If you are trying to improve your fuzz-ing, chorus-ing, phase shifting, flanging, etc. it's pretty obvious the effects will take you further down that road than a change of bass or amp will.
IMHO
I would rather start with a nice bass, then an amp. My effects days are virtually over, been there, done that. Just give me a bass chorus and I'm fine.
You can honestly fudge a decent bass sound out of almost any Fender. I've never heard one sound bad on a gig or a record if the player has decent chops.
A good teacher or good study habits are way more important than anything else, though.
A good teacher or good study habits are way more important than anything else, though.
A good instructor. A crappy bass can sound good in the hands of a good player, along with a crappy amp. Effects are not very important at all - a very helpful use IMHO, is in a cover band. Covering many different songs sometimes requires radically different tones. Otherwise, the effects are for your general use and will sound better and more usable when you have learned the basics of bass playing.
Example: I had a distortion pedal when I first started and played that thing WAYYY TOO MUCH. I ended up just enjoying the resulting noise instead of realizing that my technique needs to be improved.
Example: I had a distortion pedal when I first started and played that thing WAYYY TOO MUCH. I ended up just enjoying the resulting noise instead of realizing that my technique needs to be improved.
It's really a matter of finding the weak link. The most important is whichever is holding you back. 
At first my problem was that my amp sucked. Then I got a good amp and tried several basses before I realized that my cab sounded awful. Replacing that, I then discovered that I wasn't really getting the overdrive tone I thought I was getting from pedals.
At this time, the biggest problem in my setup is that the bass is getting farther away, so I think I need to eat less pizza.
At first my problem was that my amp sucked. Then I got a good amp and tried several basses before I realized that my cab sounded awful. Replacing that, I then discovered that I wasn't really getting the overdrive tone I thought I was getting from pedals.
At this time, the biggest problem in my setup is that the bass is getting farther away, so I think I need to eat less pizza.
yet another sticky waiting to happen...
A bad amp will make a good bass sound bad
A good amp will make a bad bass sound at least passable.
But a bass that doesn't play well will screw up the whole thing.
FX? They are for fun and are in no way "required". All you *need* is a bass, a cord, and amp and some AC. Yeah, other guys would be good too...!
A bad amp will make a good bass sound bad
A good amp will make a bad bass sound at least passable.
But a bass that doesn't play well will screw up the whole thing.
FX? They are for fun and are in no way "required". All you *need* is a bass, a cord, and amp and some AC. Yeah, other guys would be good too...!
LOL. Totally sigged.
I feel like a good amp is much more important then a good bass or good effects. I feel like a good bass and good effects through a bad amp will sound bad, no matter what.
I'm kinda on the fence with this. I feel I can agree with everyone saying that the amp is most important. But, OTOH, I used to play a Warwick Corvette Std. 5'er through a Carvin Pro Bass 500 head, and a custom-made 1x15. I have to say the head was the weakest link there, but the whole setup had great tone. I think it's what's most important to you.
1-Get the best bass you can.
The better it plays, and sounds, the more you will practice.
2-Instructor.
3-amp.
until you gig, if you ever gig ?
a cheep amp is fine to practice with.
Once you start playing out, find a good live amp.
For what ever style you play.
fiorgetting the skills for a second, a good cab is the most important, followed by a good bass, then a good amp. i've played crap basses through crap amps and great cabs and sounded like hot buttered jesus, and i've played great basses through great amps and a crap cab and sounded like ass.
the cab is the bottleneck that determines tone. if you have to skimp, skimp on anything else but the cab.
the cab is the bottleneck that determines tone. if you have to skimp, skimp on anything else but the cab.
