Fingers Vs. Pick

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:14 pm

This in my last post as bobampeg so I'll try to make it a good one. I use both picks and fingers, but am much better with my fingers, I only use picks to get a poppy type sound, when I play surf and sometimes with heavy rock, but I've been using my fingers for so long I can get a pick like sound out of my basses if I want, I move my hand all over the bass from very close to the bridge for jazzy type sounds heavy on the bridge pickup to close to the neck for deep ballady type sounds. And every where in betweeen, I'm not even usually aware of where my fingers are, I move them constantly, even in the same song sometimes in different parts. When I use a pick I generally have two styles, I play right near the bridge and hand mute, the other is I play between the treble pickup and the bass pickup closer to the bass pickup. I don't slap, I generally agree with Anthony Jackson's assessment of slapping (which I think got him fired from BassPlayer rag), that slapping is an abberation, hahaha! I almost died when I read that, just jealous, no not really. I 'll pull a string once in a while for effect, even whack one with my thumb, but to play like that all the time is just not bass playing to me. Some of these guys like Flea do amaze me though I have to admit, but I don't like the style enough to practise it.
BTW Dave Hope, at least when they got famous was a Kramer endorser (they competed with Ric for that "sound" and lost) and on their first big album played a Kramer, it was heavily advertised as a matter of fact, and Walter Becker is again playing bass on Steely Dan's stuff, what a talented guy huh?
Next post I'll be Jeff #16.
With Geddy Lee,if you play hard you just about have to have your action set high other wise you'll get all kinds of fret noise and farting noises, dead notes etc. I can hear it in his tone that he really wacks the strings, because I used to play the same way and still do on occasion.
I went from Fender P's to Rics and found their string spacing was narrow for me at first (at the time I was exclusively a finger player) now I love it (and have for many years)
I saw Entwistle in two tiny clubs about a year before he died with his own band, I stood about ten ft. in front of him at one place and the stage was about 2 ft. high. I was amazed at how light he played, especially when he did that triplet stuff, the back and forth triplets some of you have mentioned here in this thread, was almost like a butterfly's wings against the strings, that's the impression I got and I could see him like he was ten ft. away because he was, he also did an unbelievable solo. Had the buzzard bass with led's for fret markers, nice when you get old like us and can't see worth mierda anymore.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 1:58 pm

Now Bob would like to be known solely as an unpronouncable symbol. Or the "Artist Formerly Known As BobAmpeg".

rickfan63 · Post by **rickfan63** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 2:30 pm

I started out using my fingers,now I use a pick all the time. It just makes it easier for me to play and sing at the same time. I also like the sound I get when I use a pick, especially with a Rick.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 2:40 pm

To see how Geddy plays watch the Rush in Rio DVD ... he puts on a clinic ... His action is pretty low ... listen to La Villa Strangiato, when they bring down the volume and play a jazzy thing listen to the fret buzz on Geddy's bass from low action ... Slapping is an abberation ... I love that statement ... Geddy almost never slaps or pops ... I would describe his style as whacking ...

When your right hand gets really well trained to can float over the strings and tap lightly and whack firmly with almost the same motion ... sort of like martial arts ...

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 8:28 pm

Isn't it a bit odd that so many of us prefer to play with a pick, on a bass that will not allow palm-muting?

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 8:36 pm

All of my Ric 5 string basses are great for palm muting ... the 4004 and 2030 have no mute ... and the 4003s5 doesn't have all that metal **** above the mute ... so it is easy to palm mute all of them ...

God I hate that mechanical mute thing ...

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Fri Apr 02, 2004 8:48 pm

One would think that by now some aftermarket parts manufacturer would offer a replacement bridge/tailpiece unit for the 4001/4003 that retains the looks but does away with the mute.

marc67 · Post by **marc67** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 12:42 am

I love muting my 4001/4003 but after I have had enough of the mute it is such a bother to bring the mute back down. I even remember one time that I didn't bring the foam down all the way and it was muting my E string. All of this was during a gig. Took me a couple of minutes to figure it out...

jps · Post by **jps** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 3:47 am

You can't retain the exact look and be a better replacement at the same time. There will be one soon that will look similar but there will be some significant differences simply because it will not have the mute structure and will have fully adjustable saddles that aren't difficult to adjust like the current design.

rickaddict · Post by **rickaddict** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:53 am

Marc-
What you need is one more Rick (RAD) so that you can just leave the mute on. And then switch back to (one of) your unmuted Rick(s) when you want it off!

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 7:54 am

Jeff, it was Geddy who said he didn't have low action, I was just (roughly) quoting him. He said he gets that sound purely because he hits the strings "so damn hard".

Oh, and I've never used the mute in my life....

henry5 · Post by **henry5** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 7:57 am

ps I slap as well, but not on Ricks; they're not really very good for slap IMHO.

rickie3000 · Post by **rickie3000** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 8:50 am

On behalf of the K-Tel gang, I can happily confirm that the 3001s are slaperrific.

ilan · Post by **ilan** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 9:35 am

"... they're not really very good for slap"

I love the Ric slap tone. When I had my first Ric it was in the heyday of slap mania. "Not very good for slap" is another Rickenbacker misconception IMHO.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Sat Apr 03, 2004 2:30 pm

I play in a 9 piece R/B band with horns. I usually play my Warwick 5-string or Fender P-bass hybrid. But.....sometimes, more often than not, I'll pull out one of my Ricks if I'm looking for a more agressive, unique tone. And I always use a pick. Thinking about it, it really depends on the mood I'm in that evening. If I've had a bad day, I'll play the Rickenbackers just because they seem to translate in tone, the agressive mood I happen to be in., and they never let me down. As far as slapping, I will use my ricks, but prefer not to. This is why I have several different basses.