Hello,
I would like advice from Bass players and Guitarist who made the switch to Bass. I have only been playing for about two years. I'm into Beatles, Petty, U2, rock, blues and country. I'm no kid, 40 yrs old. I played half a--ed in high school and recently picked up playing the guitar again after 20 or so years.
I currently play a Ric 360, Taylor 314 and Fender Deluxe Strat. The reasons that I am considering switching to Bass.
1. Most guys I know play guitar. There are very few Bass players.
2. By switching to Bass I am wondering if it would be easier to find guys to play with.
3. Bass looks like it may be FUN.
Questions:
1. How difficult is the switch from Guitar to Bass?
2. Is it harder to sing and play Bass as oppossed to sing and play Rhythm Guitar?
3. Which Ric or Fender would you recommend? Money would not be an issue.
4. Recommendations on a good Bass amp. $400-$700 range.
Thank you.
Murph
Advice on switching from Guitar to Bass
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Advice on switching from Guitar to Bass
Nothing is as easy as it looks!
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jwr2
good bass players are harder to find than good guitar players ... bass and drums are the foundation of a band ... even more so today with the advent of good PA's with subs ...
A good starting bass is a p-bass and a good amp is an ampeg ... if you have the bucks then get a 4003 ric ...
on the surface bass is an easy instrument to play ... one note at a time following the chord changes ... but I like to do Geddy and Entwistle type stuff which transforms the bass into a more melodic instrument ...
I started on bass and picked up other instruments later ...
A good starting bass is a p-bass and a good amp is an ampeg ... if you have the bucks then get a 4003 ric ...
on the surface bass is an easy instrument to play ... one note at a time following the chord changes ... but I like to do Geddy and Entwistle type stuff which transforms the bass into a more melodic instrument ...
I started on bass and picked up other instruments later ...
I do agree with your logic that bass players are few and far between. Everyone seems to have a guitar player or knows somebody that plays guitar. Personally, I've never played guitar myself - went from keyboards to bass (partly because we already had 2 guitarists). I feel that you have to pay a lot more attention to time when a bass player - need to find the right moments to drop the note in there to make sure it sounds "right." Too many notes and it tends to become just noise. Now, I am not a proponent of less is more necessarily - just a proponent of tasteful playing. Playing what needs to be played at the proper time. I too started out on a Peavey - P bass knock off - now I'm a proud 4003 owner/player. One of the great things about bass is that you can start out playing straigh root/5 patterns and it still sounds ok. As you get more comfortable you can start adding more complicated runs and fills and maybe even....start to....dare I say it....slap
Murph - good questions you posted.- I will attempt to answer them and look forward to others' posts, too.
The switch from guitar to bass is not that tough. To be a great bass player, playing complex stuff like Jeff mentioned takes time and dedication. However, you can make the switch and be playing decent bass parts in a rock, pop, or country format pretty quickly. Focus on developing good time and groove - it's even more critical on bass. I think bass is more fun, though. "The girls may be looking at the star, but they're shaking their butts to the bass guitar."
It is moderately harder to sing over bass than over rhythm guitar, but it can be done. For me, it's a song-by-song situation. It's not impossible, that's for sure. Give it a try!
Oh, and you are correct about bass players being more in demand. At least in my area, a bassist with decent equipment, decent time and skills, and good attitude and work ethic is worth his/her weight in gold and is never hurting for band opportunities. Guitarists are more common.
If you have the money, I would recommend diving right in with a Rickenbacker 4003. It's easier to learn on a quality bass. Rick's are high-quality with no exceptions. Fenders can be good too, depending. If you have small hands, you might like the Jazz neck profile. But I would recommend a 4003. Besides, their resale value is pretty good if you change your mind. Pick a color and go.
On the bass amps, it really depends on what you want in terms of speakers, wattage, etc. A good starter amp is a solid-state combo with a 15" speaker, but there are a lot of good options. Personally, I'd put your money into a 4003 and get a quality new/used combo that you can upgrade from later. Ampeg is a quality manufacturer, but others are good too. The amp difference is somewhat less than the bass difference, IMO. I started with a used Peavey 200w 1x15 solidstate that I still use for basic band practice, and it is fine.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
The switch from guitar to bass is not that tough. To be a great bass player, playing complex stuff like Jeff mentioned takes time and dedication. However, you can make the switch and be playing decent bass parts in a rock, pop, or country format pretty quickly. Focus on developing good time and groove - it's even more critical on bass. I think bass is more fun, though. "The girls may be looking at the star, but they're shaking their butts to the bass guitar."
It is moderately harder to sing over bass than over rhythm guitar, but it can be done. For me, it's a song-by-song situation. It's not impossible, that's for sure. Give it a try!
Oh, and you are correct about bass players being more in demand. At least in my area, a bassist with decent equipment, decent time and skills, and good attitude and work ethic is worth his/her weight in gold and is never hurting for band opportunities. Guitarists are more common.
If you have the money, I would recommend diving right in with a Rickenbacker 4003. It's easier to learn on a quality bass. Rick's are high-quality with no exceptions. Fenders can be good too, depending. If you have small hands, you might like the Jazz neck profile. But I would recommend a 4003. Besides, their resale value is pretty good if you change your mind. Pick a color and go.
On the bass amps, it really depends on what you want in terms of speakers, wattage, etc. A good starter amp is a solid-state combo with a 15" speaker, but there are a lot of good options. Personally, I'd put your money into a 4003 and get a quality new/used combo that you can upgrade from later. Ampeg is a quality manufacturer, but others are good too. The amp difference is somewhat less than the bass difference, IMO. I started with a used Peavey 200w 1x15 solidstate that I still use for basic band practice, and it is fine.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
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atomic_punk
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One good thing about switching from guitar to bass, not so many chords! You already have the skills to play leads (hopefully), and know the fretboard. Bass players ARE harder to find, it seems the guitarists are all over the place. I had one local band here have me fill in for a while (while I played with my REAL band) because they had been looking for a bass player for 3 MONTHS!
As Dean said, a 4003 is a great bass to start on.
A good amp is a plus too, I picked up a Fender BXR300 practice amp on Ebay for $90, 300W, 15" speaker, and loud enough to keep up with any drummer.
As Dean said, a 4003 is a great bass to start on.
A good amp is a plus too, I picked up a Fender BXR300 practice amp on Ebay for $90, 300W, 15" speaker, and loud enough to keep up with any drummer.
"They make great f***'n basses". - Lemmy, NAMM 2009
Playing and singing isn't all that hard, for me at least. I prefer bands that have a bass player as the singer so he gets more spotlight time. I mean, if you're in a band and the guitar player sings and does solos, you're just his/her backup band. Now with a bass player that sings (even just some of the time) and the guitar player does solos both of you get equal spotlight time. That's why I like Rush, The Beatles, Kiss, Pink Floyd. I need to start listening to Cream.
Bass players are hard to find. The sad thing for me though is I can't find a band. I'll just wait a little longer then.
Bass is fun depending on what you play and if you're into it. Other time it can be boring.
Get a 4003 if you like the sound of a Rick bass. If you like a jazz bass sound get a 4004! Hehehe. Fenders are everywhere so get a Rick and stand out.
"The girls may be looking at the star, but they're shaking their butts to the bass guitar." lmao. Good one, Dean!
Bass players are hard to find. The sad thing for me though is I can't find a band. I'll just wait a little longer then.
Bass is fun depending on what you play and if you're into it. Other time it can be boring.
Get a 4003 if you like the sound of a Rick bass. If you like a jazz bass sound get a 4004! Hehehe. Fenders are everywhere so get a Rick and stand out.
"The girls may be looking at the star, but they're shaking their butts to the bass guitar." lmao. Good one, Dean!
1976 Rickenbacker 4001
2011/05 Fender Standard Fretless Jazz Bass
2005/11 Fender Standard Jazz Bass
2011/05 Fender Standard Fretless Jazz Bass
2005/11 Fender Standard Jazz Bass
I started on bass when I was 14 after having played guitar, trumpet and tuba. I switched solely because I loved the sound of bass and always had, from the first time I heard The Beatles there was no other instrument for me. If you want to switch because you think it's going to be any easier than guitar or you will get more gigs or you think it looks like fun I wouldn't do it. You need to have the feel and a love for bass to play bass. It is a different way of thinking, you are always thinking of the root notes and the kick drum for one thing, lead bass gets very tiresome for most people after a short amount of time especially other band members. You are not the one everyone's looking at anymore and you have to learn how to play with the drummer and be the guy that's in between everyone, the glue that holds the band together. When the drummers overplaying and the lead singer is screaming and the guitarist is playing three hundred notes a second YOU have to be the one to hold it all together and it is not easy to be the anchor sometimes because you want to join in, unless you have a very good band with very seasoned players who have been together a long time you will usually be the one who gets left in the dust to hold it together. If you are good you will get solos though and people do love to see a good bass player solo.
If you think you can handle that or better yet love it I would wholeheartedly recommend a new or fairly new 4003 bass, put Pyramid flats on it and a tube 300 watt Ampeg with at least a 4 x 10 cabinet.
Going from guitar to bass you are also ahead of the game because you can read chords and probably already can play runs. I think people are either born to play bass or not, we are in the minority I believe. I was good at everything I ever played, I'm not saying that to brag just to let you know that I played it because I loved it and was attracted to the sound, and most bass players are far from being the center of attention if they are good, haha!
I both sing and play and it is definitely harder to sing with a bass than with a rhythm guitar because unless it's a very simple part you have to learn it so you can play it without thinking about it or it will ruin your singing, many songs unless they are very repetitive are like playing lead guitar while you are trying to sing, it takes most of us a lot of practice to get good at it.
4003's are not only good basses to start on they are good basses to play period, I've been playing for 38 years, play a lot and 4003's are my main basses over any other electric bass.
If you think you can handle that or better yet love it I would wholeheartedly recommend a new or fairly new 4003 bass, put Pyramid flats on it and a tube 300 watt Ampeg with at least a 4 x 10 cabinet.
Going from guitar to bass you are also ahead of the game because you can read chords and probably already can play runs. I think people are either born to play bass or not, we are in the minority I believe. I was good at everything I ever played, I'm not saying that to brag just to let you know that I played it because I loved it and was attracted to the sound, and most bass players are far from being the center of attention if they are good, haha!
I both sing and play and it is definitely harder to sing with a bass than with a rhythm guitar because unless it's a very simple part you have to learn it so you can play it without thinking about it or it will ruin your singing, many songs unless they are very repetitive are like playing lead guitar while you are trying to sing, it takes most of us a lot of practice to get good at it.
4003's are not only good basses to start on they are good basses to play period, I've been playing for 38 years, play a lot and 4003's are my main basses over any other electric bass.
I must agree with you, Cheyenne. And this is why it's been difficult for me to play with different drummers. You kinda get use to what the drummer does and you can expect a beat from him, at one point, that will fit tight with your bass playing. And tight is what you're looking for... No matter how drunk the people are in the bar, they still know when a band isn't tight enough...
DannyBoy 
Nowhere man please listen, you don't know what you're missing...
Nowhere man please listen, you don't know what you're missing...
I've been playing bass for about 25 year...last 15 I've also been a serious guitar player, too. For about 6 years I was exclusively guitar, but got recruited back to play bass in the last year.
I started out on piano and trumpet from a real young age, and took to bass really well. But the "less is more" concept takes a long time to sink in, and I think most serious players will tell you they constantly learn.
One aspect of the guitar/bass that makes things simpler to switch back and forth is I think of string numbers backwards...I know it's wrong to think of low E as "1", but that makes 1-4 the same strings on 4 string bass and 6 string guitar, and all the knowledge is transferrable. It might be tough to throw logic and convention on it's head like that though for a beginner.
Ironically I find it easier to sing on guitar and keyboard than bass. Maybe it's having to pay closer attention to more things while playing bass.
Good starting bass? Can't say, my first bass is my 75 4001. It's served very well. A nice P or J bass is a good start, and there are many others in between. The Ampeg B-115 (I think) is a good starting amp for your budget, 100 W solid state with a 15". Seen a few use it, and it has a solid sound.
I started out on piano and trumpet from a real young age, and took to bass really well. But the "less is more" concept takes a long time to sink in, and I think most serious players will tell you they constantly learn.
One aspect of the guitar/bass that makes things simpler to switch back and forth is I think of string numbers backwards...I know it's wrong to think of low E as "1", but that makes 1-4 the same strings on 4 string bass and 6 string guitar, and all the knowledge is transferrable. It might be tough to throw logic and convention on it's head like that though for a beginner.
Ironically I find it easier to sing on guitar and keyboard than bass. Maybe it's having to pay closer attention to more things while playing bass.
Good starting bass? Can't say, my first bass is my 75 4001. It's served very well. A nice P or J bass is a good start, and there are many others in between. The Ampeg B-115 (I think) is a good starting amp for your budget, 100 W solid state with a 15". Seen a few use it, and it has a solid sound.
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