Topic: Bass chops coming back

I now know, though, where I got the bad habit of fretting with the side of my finger instead of the tip.  I am having to reteach myself proper posture (especially with my thumb) and to push the string straight down with the tip of the finger.  Bass scales practice is reinforcing it for guitar, and guitar scales practice is reinforcing for bass.  Some day maybe I'll even be able to play a lead lick or two.  Ten minutes a day for each instrument.  It's not fast progress, but it's progress.  That idea of practicing slow as you have to for good form is really working out.  I use a metronome and play only as fast as I can and do all the right form.  Lots to remember.  Alternate fingers, thumb in the right position, curl the fingers, press with the tips, and relearning the scale forms.  Working on minor pentatonic forms first. 

Anyway, I forgot how much fun it is playing electric bass.  I've been using my fretless with the flatwound strings.  It sounds good for a cheap axe.  It's a Yamaha.  I forget the model number, but it's solid ash body, a bolt through ash neck, and an ebony (??) fingerboard.  I'm not sure about that fingerboard, but it's nearly black.  I think it ran $199 used in near perfect condition gosh about ten years ago now.  The frets are painted on in gold paint.  That helps a LOT with getting something close to the right notes.  Anyway.  Yamaha makes a good cheap bass for anyone interested. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Bass chops coming back

Mucho respect for anyone who plays a fretless anything.

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!

Re: Bass chops coming back

I always thought it would be fun to learn how to play bass.  ("God's instrument", as I once heard my son's band director refer to it.  He was a bass player, of course.)

Anyway, I'm still looking for a good low-end AE.  One of my son's friends is adamant that I need to get an Ibanez; specifically one of the AEB series here:

http://www.ibanez.com/BassGuitars/Series-aeb

(I would probably go with the AEB10EBK or AEB10EDVS.  I think my son's friend has the AEB5EBK.)

Anybody have any experience with these?  From what I can glean from reviews, people are pretty high on them as far as value and sound for money, as long as you can put up with a little bit of fret buzz from time to time.  My guess is that's correctable through adjustment.

Anyone?

"Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid." - Despair, Inc.

Re: Bass chops coming back

I spent a long day in a shop playing different AE basses both unplugged and plugged.  For tone and volume, nothing came close to the AEB10 either way.  Not even the Breedlove which is twice the cost.  I'd say you got good advice Astronomikal.   I definitely want an Ibanez AEB10 for myself.  They vary a good bit instrument to instrument, so if you can play before you buy.  They're all good, but some are better than others.

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Bass chops coming back

topdown wrote:

Mucho respect for anyone who plays a fretless anything.

Awww.  I started out with stringed instruments playing Classical upright bass.  There weren't even lines.  It's not as hard as you think once you get the muscle memory of where to hold your thumb on the back of the neck.  It's all about "positions".  If you think of holding your thumb behind the third fret of a guitar, that would be kind of like first position on a bass because your index finger would be perfectly positioned to grab the first note (fret) on the neck.  Consider each dot on the neck of a guitar as another "position" for your thumb.  It's that easy.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: Bass chops coming back

Ah the bass brings back my band days. I made it all the way up to a Jackson and a 100 watt Marshall amp. Ended up saleing all my gear, Oh well