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CONTENTS
BAND CONTRACTS |
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| Q. What should a band contract consist of? | |
| A. See our dedicated page on band contracts. Back to top. |
STRINGS |
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| Q. How do I choose the right type of string? | |
| A. Today, there are many different types of strings available to us. For a very traditional tone ala James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, or Joe Osborn, flatwound strings are the best choice. These have a flat outer winding which produces a very strong fundamental with reduced sustain and finger noise. For a slightly brighter tone, try half-wounds or ground-wounds. Roundwounds are the brightest, and are wound with a round wire. These are usually very bright, but are harder on the frets (or fretboard for you fretless players) than flats. The outer windings can be made from various materials, but stainless steel and nickel are the most common. These are favored by most players, as they allow for a wide variety of tones. Again, try as many as you can. You might just be surprised. There are other types (bronze, tape-wounds, etc.), but these are for very specific purposes. Back to top. |
PICKUPS |
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| Q. What's the difference between active and passive pickups and tone controls? | |
| A. In the early days of bass playing, players had instruments that had both passive tone controls (or EQ) and pickups. This meant that the sound from the pickup could only be altered by "cutting" certain frequencies or parts of the tone. Later, manufacturers connected a pre-amp to the passive pickups, which allowed players to not only cut frequencies, but boost certain ones as well. This type of electronics requires a battery or some other power source to function. There are also active pickups, which have the pre-amp mounted on the pickup itself. The most common configuration of active instruments is one or more passive pickups connected to an active preamp, which is powered by one or more 9v batteries. Back to top. |
SETUP |
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| Q. I need more info on setup and maintenance and heard that Bass Player Magazine have some info. Where is it? | |
| A. Here... http://archive.bassplayer.com/gear/specs.shtml Back to top. |
| Q. How can I set up my bass with a good low action without fretbuzz? | |
| A. Read Brian Running's agb post on this here. Back to top. |
| Q. Is it necessary to loosen or remove your strings before adjusting the truss rod? | |
| A. Read Brian's response here. Back to top. |
| Q. If you want to have even action across the neck should it be completely straight and have the bridge keep the strings up just a little? Or should there be a little curve? | |
| A. Read Brian's response here. Back to top. |
| Q. I can't seem to get my bridge/strings/neck/pickups adjusted correctly. What should I do? | |
| A. Go check out http://www.wheatdesign.com/rmmbfaq.html#setup Back to top. |
| Q. Sounds like this Brian knows his stuff! What else does he have to say about intonation/neck relief and such like? | |
| A. More words here. Back to top. |
AMPS AND RECORDING |
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| Q. Tube vs. Solid State? | |
| A. This debate has been going for a very, very long time. Here's a condensed answer....
Try both. See which one you like. For what it's worth, many players use a tube preamp (Alembic, Kern, Demeter, Eden, Ampeg, SWR, etc...) and a solid state power amp (Crest, Crown, Mackie, Stewart, QSC, etc....). This combines the sound of vacuum tubes with lighter weight and reliability of solid-state amplification. Back to top. |
| Q. What is the best way to record a bass? | |
| A. There is no one best way to record a bass. The easiest is to plug your bass into a direct box (DI) and into a microphone preamp and record from there (this can also be gone from running the "Direct out" on most newer amps into a mic pre, also). The sound this provides has a very strong fundamental, but less individual character. Many recordings also used a bit of miced sound from the amplifier. To effectively mic a cabinet, start with a good microphone (AKG D112, Neumann U87, Shure Beta 52, EV RE-30, and even the trusty Shure SM57 are good choices) pointed slightly off-axis (not pointed straight at the speaker) at a spot just off-center of the best sounding speaker in your cabinet.
Another option is the new wave of digital modeling technology. Line 6's POD series, the Johnson J-station, the Behringer V-Amp, etc. use software to make your bass sound like it is being run through a full, miced amplifier. The advantage is that you can switch amplifier models at the turn of a knob, so finding a suitable sound takes much less time. Many players swear by them, while others feel that the models are somewhat unrealistic. The true key to getting a good bass tone is doing whatever possible to make it work in whatever type of music you're playing. Back to top. |
| Q. What kind of amp should I get? | |
| A. For beginners, a small practice amp is a good idea. They're fairly inexpensive, and provide enough basic (read as BASIC) tone shaping and volume to get started. Other players find that smaller combo amps (1 12 inch speaker, 2 10s, 1 15, etc) serve well for both practice and gigs which don't require a massive amount of stage volume. While these are a little more portable, most players today are using some type of "stack" configuration, which includes either an all in one head (preamp and power amp, possibly compression or limited effects) or rack (separate components mounted in a case) combined with one or more speaker cabinets. These are much more flexible than a combo amp, but are also heavier and more expensive. A typical rack configuration is a preamp, compressor (more on this later), some type of effects unit, and a power amp.
As a general rule, a combo amp with either a single 15 inch speaker or 2 10 inch speakers and at least 150 watts of power should be fine for most small gigs. Back to top. |
BASSES |
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| Q. How are piccolo basses, tenor basses, and 6 string bass guitars different from regular basses? | |
| A. To most bassists, the piccolo and tenor basses are nothing more than regular basses that are strung and tuned differently. While there are luthiers that make some shorter scale custom piccolo basses, most players simply purchase a set of piccolo bass strings (which are meant to be tuned an octave higher than a standard 4 string bass) and put them on a standard bass with a nut made specifically for piccolo strings. The same goes for tenor basses, except that it is usually tuned A-D-G-C instead of E-A-D-G (a fourth higher). The six string bass guitar (or tic-tac bass) is a different beast entirely. The scale length is between those of a bass and a guitar. It is also tuned like a standard guitar, but an octave lower (E-A-D-G-B-E). Two examples of this type of instrument are the Danelectro 6 string bass guitar and the Fender Bass VI. Back to top. |
| Q. How do I know which bass to buy? | |
| A. First and foremost, ignore the name on the headstock completely. The other main factors are comfort (balance, weight, string length and spacing, etc.)
and the acoustic sound of the instrument. Amplified trash is exactly that. Next, plug the bass into an amplifier (making sure to set the tone controls on the amp as flat as possible) and decide whether or not the tone is to your liking. Does it project well? Is it versatile? Are the electronics noisy? If you still like the instrument, make sure that the hardware is solid, the neck is straight, and the frets are well dressed and seated. While these can be fixed, it's better to find a bass that scores well in all categories. However, if it is THE bass, some minor imperfections can be overlooked for the greater good: TONE!
Don't be fooled by a flashy finish or an interesting body shape. Tone, comfort, and construction are the differences between a good bass and a great bass. Back to top. |
| Q. How many strings? | |
| A. I've got to be careful here..... Four and, more recently, five string basses have become the most common instruments. However, there are many people that use 6 and 7 string basses (I've seen a 9 string, so there are many varieties not mentioned here). None are inherently better than the others. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but try as many as you can and decide for yourself. Back to top. |
| Q. How do I make a washtub bass? (This is not actually a FAQ, but we've got the info - with thanks to Jimmy Miller for taking the time to write this) |
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| A. Washtub and tea chest basses are the same principle, but they are both
often referred to as the Bass Viol. I've played a washtub for years
and here's how I put mine together if anyone's interested in putting
one together. There are fancier ways of doing it, but this method
takes 0 time to accomplish and sounds amazingly good.
YOU'LL NEED: Round washtub and/or tea chest, piece of carpet big enough for the tub to be placed upon, eyebolt, two nuts for the eyebolt, washers big enough to fit around eyebolt, broomstick or similar shaped stick, rope or thick string, drilling and filing required. Take a broomstick, make a notch in the bottom of it where it can hang onto the bottom lip of the tub, then drill a hole in the top of the handle big enough for a piece of whatever string you use to tie through it. Drill a hole directly in the middle of the bottom of the washtub big enough for your eyebolt to poke through. Attach eyebolt to hole in tub with eye sticking out of the bottom using nut and washers. Tie one end of your rope to the eyebolt using the smallest and strongest knot you know how to tie, stick the other end of the rope through the hole in your broomstick and tie it so the knot is big enough to not pull through the hole. NOTE: You will probably want to experiment with different ropes and strings. I use 1/8" nylon rope myself but I've heard of people using everything from clothesline to metal cable. Just like regular basses, metal strings sound treblier and and nylon strings sound bassier. Now you're ready to play! Turn your washtub upside down on your carpet piece so that the eyebolt sticks up (duh!), put your foot on the side of your tub to brace it against the floor, hold the stick upright with the knot end in your "fretting" hand and the notch end stuck on the lip of the upside down tub. You play it basically like an upright bass, except to get different notes out of it, you pull back and forth on the broomstick and stretch the string to change pitch. Simple! HINTS FOR BETTER PLAYABILITY: 1. Buy good materials. Broomsticks will snap, ropes will come untied or break, and eyebolts will eventually pull out and hit you in the face if you use cheap crap. I've used aluminum tubs and they're fine but steel ones are the best, if you can find them. Ungalvanized steel tubs are best for acoustic properties, which are even harder to find. But aluminum tubs are fine. Sometimes it will creak when you pull on the stick, but you can still get a good sound of it. 2. You can use any size tub for a bass. I use a medium size tub most of the time but I've used large and small tubs, too. I like medium because you get most projection with the least boominess. Experiment around with different tubs and materials till you find the setup you like best. 3. If the creaking gets to you or it rings too much for your liking, experiment with putting your foot on different spots of the tub, or use duct tape on the bottom to deaden it some. Only the bottom of the tub affects the tone, so you can do what you want to the sides of the tub and it won't change the sound. Some go nuts in decorating their tubs. Me, I prefer the natural look. 4. With my usual setup (medium tub, 1/8" nylon rope), I get a 1 1/2 octave range from the B like an open B on a 5 string bass to F on the D string 3rd fret up. If I've eaten my Wheaties that day I can get it up to a G. Naturally, string size affects this tremendously. 5. Amplification: Yes, you can use these basses onstage with a loud band! I have done it many many times. The way I amplify my bass is to make a small hole in the side of the tub near the outer lip, lay the tub on a piece of carpet, lay a Shure SM-57 or 58 inside it, then either use monitors to hear it or run your mic into your amp. Don't worry, it won't feedback unless you lift up on the tub and expose the mic. You'll have to roll a lot of bass response off your mic, otherwise you don't get any note definition. This is not the only way to do it, but it's the easiest and most trouble-free way that I've found. 6. An archery glove is a good idea. My picking hand turns to hamburger after about 15 minutes on one of these things unless I practice every day (which I don't). Jimmy Miller Back to top. |
OTHER |
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| Q. Fongerboad? | |
| A. Don't Ask. Back to top. |
| Q. What are the frequencies in Hertz (Hz) of the notes played by a bass guitar? | |
| A. Find the answer from Doug Arnot's excellent post via Google Back to top. |
| | | | | | | | | | | LeCompteBass.com
May 12th, 2007