whatever's comfortable. james Jamerson used his right index finger and that's it. It was nicknamed the hook,He was a Motown session bassist, but you knew that cuz yer a bass nerd. I use index and middle mostly on my Mann p-bass copy
At this point I'm faster with my fingers than I ever was with a pick, but I have been doing a lot of sharp chord strumming with the back edge of my nail. Tough to keep it even, volume-wise, but I'm getting to really like the sound.
I have always been a finger player..I suck at using a pick and up until this February I had never considered doing it. But with the new band sans guitar I wanted that pick sound and its proving to be tougher then I thought.
At this point I'm faster with my fingers than I ever was with a pick, but I have been doing a lot of sharp chord strumming with the back edge of my nail. Tough to keep it even, volume-wise, but I'm getting to really like the sound.
How fast and do you use the thumb at all? Are all of your four digits up to spead?
When I do play with my fingers, I use the Steve Digiorgio method:
1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1-etc
Most of the time I play with a pick though. My fingers suck at playing fast.
Basses: Spector Euro 5-string, Carvin XB-75 fretless
Boss Bass Chorus
Ampeg b2-r amp
Alesis 3630 compressor (piece of garbage, need to get rid of this)
Ampeg 4x10" cab
it all depends on what i am playing but i'm usually a 321 guy. i do a lot of 1 and 2 too. on really fast parts i do 3212321232etc pattern. when i try to play Bleed by Meshuggah i have to do a 321123321123 up and down stroking pattern. shit sucks. i do a little slap, but i suck at it, and dont have much of a need to do any real slap bass so it doesnt matter.
my gear sucks
Squier vintage modified jbass (upgraded active preamp) > 80's Randall guitar head > some 700 watt 4x10 peavey cab.
When I do play with my fingers, I use the Steve Digiorgio method:
1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1-etc
Most of the time I play with a pick though. My fingers suck at playing fast.
Basses: Spector Euro 5-string, Carvin XB-75 fretless
Boss Bass Chorus
Ampeg b2-r amp
Alesis 3630 compressor (piece of garbage, need to get rid of this)
Ampeg 4x10" cab
not practical considering that one finger is doing most of the work
When I do play with my fingers, I use the Steve Digiorgio method:
1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1-etc
Most of the time I play with a pick though. My fingers suck at playing fast.
Basses: Spector Euro 5-string, Carvin XB-75 fretless
Boss Bass Chorus
Ampeg b2-r amp
Alesis 3630 compressor (piece of garbage, need to get rid of this)
Ampeg 4x10" cab
not practical considering that one finger is doing most of the work
It is practical in the sense that your index finger is always on the down beat and you can therefor have a more consistent tonality. As someone said previously, James Jamerson only used ONE FINGER and he was a ridiculous player. Steve D plays 12321 so it can't be that bad.
Yeah, I don't think the 32123212 thing would work for me, but some pretty hot players use that technique (Steve "fuckin'" Di-G among them) so there must be something to it.
Yeah, I don't think the 32123212 thing would work for me, but some pretty hot players use that technique (Steve "fuckin'" Di-G among them) so there must be something to it.
Yeah, I don't think the 32123212 thing would work for me, but some pretty hot players use that technique (Steve "fuckin'" Di-G among them) so there must be something to it.
For anyone who's interested here is a link to a brief article Steve DiGiorgio wrote about his playing style. Nothing super profound, but interesting for bass nerds probably. ;)
You guys'll find somebody, dude. (Specifically "someone who can get along with everybody in the band.")
if you mean me then, it was not getting along, it was compromising with what the band wanted and not what you just wanted. What was best for the band! Sorry if you were called out, but being in a band is compromise and working together! Giving and taking and not telling others you will and then dont!
This thread isn't about band drama or your hurt feelings. Start a new one and I'll respond and lay out all your bullshit for everyone to laugh at.
post by Seth at Mar 13,2009 11:23pm
Please keep believing my feelings are hurt. Sorry but you are mistaken for hurtness when I mentioned about a band. Then you had to take a shot at me about blasting!! so you started the drama. Go an read back before you say things. Thank you!
On a serious note, I am ashamed to admit the only gear I currently own is my bass.An entry level BC Rich Warlock.If you've seen me play live you can see why I'm not going to lay down alot of cash for something I use as a weapon.My amp/cab set-up of choice is the classic re-issue Ampeg SVT and the eight ten cab.I used to run two 8/10s.One on either side of the drums.Keep in mind I was competing against two full marshall stacks on either side.I play mainly with a pick, but I spent about 10 years playing strictly fingerstyle.I use an overdrive pedal insted of distortion.I try to go for a blend of Lemmy,Geezer Butler & Jon Entwistle.I also would cite Steve Harris,Duck Dunn, Berry Oakley and Allan Woody as major ispirations.But above all-CLIFF BURTON & GREG DELARIA
I've been trying to figure out, in essence, Lemmy's playing with fingerstyle. That's where the downward fingernail strumming thing came from - playing Ace of Spades with no pick. Ended up sounding cooler than I expected, so I've been developing it from there.
I just started playing my bass a) through the SansAmp, with b) the wet output through a shitty chorus, c) the dry output through a shitty guitar distortion, and d) the two sounds mixed into an A/B/Y pedal (wired backwards), into the front of my SVT. I'm still getting a lot of volume loss from the A/B (need to figure out a better signal loop solution) but turning up the SansAmp to compensate got me back into the "almost clipping" zone at the front of the amp. Sounds crazy, with the levels set right it "mwahs" like a fretless.
I have a really strange setup and it gives me a really strange sound but I dig it.
post by cobra slarship at May 5,2010 3:50am
i recently got my hands on a trace elliot v300h, its a hybrid tube/solid state head and i love the fucking thing. needs to be eq'd weird for the "klaus fluoride filling in for alex webster" sound i like, but once its there it sounds ballsy as hell.
I think my next conquest in bass nerdland is to finally upgrade my hartke ha3500. I'm sick of making my sansamp do all the work, I want something that growls as hard as I want it to.
I use the DOD death metal pedal for my bass. Thing is a fucking beast.
post by KPANZER at May 5,2010 10:47am
My poor B.C. Rich is a few days away from the grave after years of homnorable service to mankind.
My new baby is going to be an all black with black hardware Jazz Bass copy called 'The Scorpion'. oooooooooooohhh, ssssssssssscorpion!
My poor B.C. Rich is a few days away from the grave after years of homnorable service to mankind.
My new baby is going to be an all black with black hardware Jazz Bass copy called 'The Scorpion'. oooooooooooohhh, ssssssssssscorpion!
keith, spend your money on a good cabinet instead, the warlock is still fixable...tho id be hard pressed to argue against the merits of a jazz jazz bass for few
I should probably get something for some bass fuzz. Sansamp pedal here I come.
That wont really get you much fuzz, more like grit. For fuzz you want to go with the bass big muff, it lets you blend the clean and distorted signals, pretty rad
finallly... the bass thread. my setup for ya's:
G&L L2000 tribute
MIM P-Bass modded with a seymour duncan quarter pound split pickup and hipshot brass vintage bridge
ibanez srx 390
next comes (in signal chain order):
digitech whammy
crybaby bass wah
bass muff
malasadas (made by dave martinka at B-Sharp music in pvd. get into it)
electro harmonix deluxe memory boy
radial effects looper out to the line6 bassPOD xt pro
morley a/b/y
a- goes to the boss ds-1 distortion modded at B-Sharp then into a fender bxr 200 1x18 combo with ds-1 running at all times for some dirt
b- goes to the peavey mark VI into the '72 ampeg 8x10
sounds like a bass signal plugged into a rubber glove.
i used to use one all the time, until i realized i needed more mids in my life and considering the sans amp has fixed mids the only way i could get more mids was to lower the bass. who wants to pull out bass? needless to say i keep it around for that just in case moment.
sounds like a bass signal plugged into a rubber glove.
i used to use one all the time, until i realized i needed more mids in my life and considering the sans amp has fixed mids the only way i could get more mids was to lower the bass. who wants to pull out bass? needless to say i keep it around for that just in case moment.