What is the difference and if it replicates a guitar sound, whats the point of playing it instead of a guitar?
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Why Piccolo bass and not a guitar
- Thread starter leakepeter
- Start date
Correct me if I am wrong, people, but you still use bass strings, and it sounds like a piccolo bass, not a bass or a guitar, a piccolo bass.
Also, I am a much better bassist than I am a guitarist. I would feel more comfortable playing a bass that has the registry of guitar for guitar-like solos.
And why not? Music is art, and a piccolo bass brings out different pieces of work out for some people
Also, I am a much better bassist than I am a guitarist. I would feel more comfortable playing a bass that has the registry of guitar for guitar-like solos.
And why not? Music is art, and a piccolo bass brings out different pieces of work out for some people
Take a listen (and a look) and Zander Zon on youtube.
He plays piccolo stringed bass.
The pitch of the strings is guitar-like, but there's a little someting in the sound that makes it different.
He plays piccolo stringed bass.
The pitch of the strings is guitar-like, but there's a little someting in the sound that makes it different.
Just with thinner strings.
I use 5-string basses with piccolo strings. I use them for guitar-like parts for recordings. Wonderful for chords, finger-picking parts and solos...great with some distortion, etc. It's great to not have to rely on another player to show-up...I can cover more myself and also...it opens new worlds of sounds and creativity and I am still playing Bass! The technical ability is already there....just as written...with thinner strings.
A piccolo bass sounds absolutely nothing like a guitar, and especially if it's fretless.
Premierbass
Commercial User
- May 26, 2011
- 132
- 8
- Disclosures
- Owner, Premier Bass Guitars
Schmidt's work is great! He used to do an iTunes podcast but there hasn't been any new ones for a long time.
Piccolo Bass vs Guitar - While their tunings are in the same range, I feel the Piccolo Bass offers a warmer tone than the guitar.
Piccolo Bass vs Guitar - While their tunings are in the same range, I feel the Piccolo Bass offers a warmer tone than the guitar.
The piccolo bass has a longer scale than a guitar so that will factor in to the sound. Like others said, its great to be able to play in the guitar range without having to learn guitar.
The string tensions are vastly different. Check the D'addario site. Piccolo's are much tighter than a baritone guitar. Piccolo strings on a 34" scale bass feel as tight as piano strings and if you tap them you can get a pretty good Hohner Clavinet sound (through a guitar amp not a bass amp). I can emulate some Stevie Wonder licks through a little Pignose amp wide open tap playing it on my lap (Superstition, You Haven't Done Nothing, Higher Ground). Even some ZZ Top guitar licks. Through a bass amp they have that Stanley Clarke sound that they are supposed to have.
They simply don't feel like guitar strings.
They simply don't feel like guitar strings.
+ 10
that dude can rock some piccolo strings like nobody's business. Circle of Melodies is a favorite of mine
Cool video and awesome sound...but I find it odd that he plays a lefty bass with his left hand but has it strung upside-down. Why not just get a righty bass and flip it?
Premierbass
Commercial User
- May 26, 2011
- 132
- 8
- Disclosures
- Owner, Premier Bass Guitars
He probably started with right hand basses and just flipped them over. There are other leftys that do this - Jimmy Haslip for sure and I think Keith Horne as well.
Bottom line is that it doesn't matter - it's the music they make. In the case of Schmidt, it lets him do some harmonics and play lines after that would be more difficult strung the standard way. I like his result.
