r/Bass

Been playing bass for half a year or so, and just jumped on a cheap guitar. I use normal EB stainless Slinkys on my Jazz, and really like the feel of playing bass overall.

I'm sure I'm just used to bass, but playing guitar is kinda brutal. The strings remind me of fishing line, the spacing is tiny, and the whole thing just feels small. It sounds good, and I definitely see how bass knowledge translates to guitar, but wow the difference is bigger than expected!

I play in an indie/lofi folk band, and I run my bass through a rumble 40 that I prop up on a chair. It’s been fine for coffee shops and intimate shows but I am nervous for some of the bigger venue shows I have coming up. The issue is that I can’t afford a better amp as I am a broke student. Do you think the di at the back is sufficient or I should try to leach off other bands? We don’t usually play with a drummer but are thinking about getting one for the live band.

I have been plaing for a year and i still suck. I feel like i havent improved ever since i started, every time i play anything i get so much fret buzz its crazy. Everyone said that its ganna go away but it never did, and when i brought it up to my bass teacher he said "it just does that". First i thought it was the bass but i got it set up at a music store so its definitely not that. Now every time i play i just break down because i cant play anything clearly. I have wached countles videos on muting and fret buzz prevention but they dont change anything, im at the point where i just want to give up.

Hello, I recently bought a used TMB100 from an estate sale a while ago. While I was restringing the bass, one of the tuner key pegs (the cloverleaf peg, I don’t know the technical term for it sorry) fell off. I am worried that the other pegs might fall off as well. Is there any tuners that are good replacements for the TMB100?

I took the plunge and bought a used Yamaha RBX170, but now I need a bass amp. I also bought an old-school timer to keep myself honest and make sure I spend at least 20 minutes a day practicing. The question is, what do I do? I read the FAQ (very helpful), and it mentions practicing, but how do I start? I'm picking this up so I can jam with my kids, who have received professional music instruction for the last few years. I took guitar lessons years ago, but I wouldn't say I'm any good at all, so I'm very much a beginner compared to others on this sub who have had years of music experience with other instruments.

I self-learn all the time in other subjects and am willing to try here, but should I just find YouTube tutorials like BassBuzz, or find tabs for songs I want to play and dive in? Would love all your takes.

Sub-Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/ZoomB1Four/s/wCIcwabOQ7

Hi everyone,
I've been playing bass for about a month now, and I'm looking for music recommendations that fit my taste.

So far, my favorite bass players are:

• Jennifer Finch (especially on Bricks Are Heavy – I love her heavy, driving punk sound),
• Kim Deal (Pixies and The Breeders – her melodic, repetitive lines really draw me in),
• and through Kim Deal I discovered Josephine Wiggs on The Breeders' Last Splash, and I absolutely fell in love with her playing on that album.

I also really enjoy a couple of Flea's tracks – Can't Stop and Love Rollercoaster – for that funky, energetic feel.

Could you recommend any bands, albums, or bassists that have a similar vibe? I'm open to anything, especially if the bass lines are catchy and enjoyable to play as a beginner-to-intermediate player.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve been playing bass for about a year and a half now, next week i’m moving to Japan for a year because of my university’s exchange program, unfortunately taking my bass with me is considerably more expensive/ unsafe for the instrument than I thought, given that I have some money I was thinking about buying a second hand bass there, do you any recommendations or advice about any shops, brands or specific models? Any insight is greatly appreciated!

I'm kinda interested in fretless again for quite a while now and one of the first basses on my bucket list for future instruments will definitely be one. The thing is though, online I only ever see fretless basses in the context of jazz, funk, and anything alike that has that sort of "intellectual" vibe to it, while those are genres that I rarely ever listen to on purpose.

Are there any songs in rock, pop, metal, etc. that have fretless bass in them and that are worth mentioning? Or maybe even artists/bands/projects that tend to frequently use them? (not counting solo bassists obviously)

Guitarist here, but lately I've really wanted to pick up bass since I have always been a sucker for a good bass line and would like to be able to play and potentially write some of my own. I would be playing a little bit of everything, but soul, funk, and disco is what inspires me most to learn bass. Really just want something versatile. Sweetwater is recommending a trbx304 by Yamaha how does everyone else feel about this pick? My SE has the same information as you guys do. Also, if any other guitarist have also picked up bass, what should I know?

Hey guys, I'm new to the bass guitar but not to music, can't read bass clef but I know very basic music theory.

I'd say I'm an okay beginner but I was wondering if you had any recommendations for music theory/bass lesson resources that'll help me understand the instrument and understand how to write counter melody bass lines similar to Dookie era GreenDay. I started learning when i come around and I want to know what crack they put in dirnts food growing up

Any help is appreciated!

I'm sure this is a common question but does anyone have any recommendations for becoming more comfortable with playing notes that aren't written i.e. not just playing the root notes? I'm the bass player at my church and I play pretty much every weekend unless I'm out of town. Because of the frequency I have grown a lot in my bass playing in the last couple of years. This is the one area where I feel stuck. I come from playing the trombone in school (elementary through college) and the focus was on playing what was written. I did play in a jazz band in college but was never given guidance on improvisation other than "If the note sounds bad play something different" which might be ok in a jazz setting but would be distracting on Sundays. While a lot of CCM you are mostly playing the roots I would like get more comfortable with doing more to serve the songs that call for it. (Our worship leader wants to start doing more gospel stuff) I feel like part of it is just breaking out of the "play what is written" mindset. We play from chord charts so there isn't really much notation but because of my background I feel limited even though I know there is more freedom/options that I can play.

any good (cheap) alternatives to quarter pounders?

ive got a squier jazz bass with stock pickups that dont sound great. i primarily play guitar and just have a bass for recording bass lines on my songs, so im not really wanting to spend huge amounts of money on pickups.

a friend of mine recommended quarter pounders for the aggressive post-grunge style of music i write, and they seem like they'd work really well, but im not looking to drop that much cash on a bass i dont use all that often.

any recommendations for something cheaper with a similar sound?

Hey guys i am a drummer/guitarist looking to learn bass to start creating my own projects and I have come across a preowned Ibanez and was just wondering if it looks good it is an Ibanez SR755 NFT Soundgear 5-String with a hard case for £530 , any response will be appreciated thanks

Putting the Fender controversy aside, I tried a series of 5-String basses and found that the J-5 was my favorite. With that said, I’ve always preferred the sound and simplicity of a P-Bass. I want to order the APII P-Bass V….I have to assume the neck is going to be quite similar to the JV Ultra. Anyone have one, have any thoughts on it?

What's your favourite preamp setting with the Sire V3

I got it since yesterday but I am still struggling with the preamp. What would you recommend for a nice tone with this Instrument.

Is the Mitchell MB250 worth $330 as my first electric bass? I've been playing upright for years and already own one. I have played electric before but have never had my own. Would this be a good option that doesn't break the bank?

Two years ago I started collecting "replibasses" of bass guitars I admired as a teen. I started with a Squier 70's Vibe Jazz, "Blond on Blond", natural with a maple neck. Description said "Used-Very Good" When I got it it had all the tags and stickers,wrapped in vellum with manual, warranty card and tools. I paid $300.

Early this year I bought a 70's Vibe Precision, on sale for $349, also brand new.

List price on each at the time was $429. Weeks after I bought the Precision, list went to $479.

I checked last night, list on each is now $529. Deal!