Anyone play bass and guitar?

los_sentidos · Post by **los_sentidos** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 11:20 pm

If so which do you prefer playing and why?

And what guitar gear do you use?

In my band they're trying to get me playing lead (well I dunno if it's lead I just make sounds over the top of it) and as I write songs I show them ideas and as I don't stick to any chords (and I use weird tunings) I think they think it's easier if I just play guitar :p

I'm looking for a guitar - I'd love a Ric 480 but the prices seem to have shot up loads...any advice?

Looks wise as a substitute I'm leaning towards the Epiphone Firebird V.

edski · Post by **edski** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 11:36 pm

I just switched back to bass last August after 6 years playing guitar. We just couldn't find an adequate bassist, so I said "screw it".

I like playing both; I suppose I always added elements of holding down a bass line while in the 2 guitar configuration, and I certainly can sing easier playing guitar, but I've steadily been getting better at singing and playing the bass.

Pretty simple equipment set up for me on 6 string-no effects, I use the amp. Have a Peavey Triumph 120 combo (1 12" Scorpion in it), which has 3 channels-clean, distorted, and out-of-its-mind distorted. Always found that to be enough tonal variation...I think whith 2 guitars you can get away with that, since there's a natural chorus effect when the 2 guitars played in unison.

My guitars are such: 1986 Fender Strat with a DiMarzio HS-1 at the bridge (pretty much just a practice axe), 1966 Fender Mustang with DiMarzio Fast-Trac 1's replacing the stock PU's, and a 2001 Rick 650 Dakota.

Actually, I was having issues with strings breaking on the Dakota in my last gigs as a guitarist...pretty sure it was a bad batch of Ernie Balls I got...last set I put on were Fenders, and I went from 10's to 11's, and the Dakota fells really nice right now. Of course, I'm playing bass, so I'll have to rely on the remaining guitarist to use it one night in rehearsal. Really should check the intonation first though, but the few minutes I played it the other night before rehearsal it seemed to be paying fine. I certainly liked the tension better...

los_sentidos · Post by **los_sentidos** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 1:46 am

Is the Ric your fave of the 6 strings?

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 1:57 am

Ronan, I am a guitar convert, played guitar for 20 years before switching to bass. I was a Gibson man all the way, Les Pauls, Explorers, SG's, etc. The Firebird you mentioned, not bad. I have an Epi T-bird that is, for the money, worth every cent.
Never ventured into the Ric guitar world, no availability where I lived and Gibson was the king of the block back then. If you use a lot of weird tunings, stay away from anything with a locking nut. Hard to re-tune on the fly!

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 2:18 am

I play bass for a living but play both in my home studio. On ocassion I play my electric sitar live which is like a guitar. I even play a floor tom on one song.
My guitars: Ric 340LH, Epiphone Supernova-Union Jack, Hammertone Mando-guitar, Jerry Jones Electric Sitar, Epiphone SG.

los_sentidos · Post by **los_sentidos** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 2:22 am

Electric sitar - Jaysus!

Locking nut :s don't get all technical on me...damn - I know nothing bout set ups and guitars (that's why I play weird tunings) I just fiddle till it sounds good!

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 2:32 am

I started on bass 5 years ago, have always messed around on guitar but got serious in the last year. Of course, now I miss playing bass in a band.

henny · Post by **henny** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 2:55 am

I have a Schecter Telecaster... not the new, made in Korea sellout ****, it was built by the original 80s Shecter team.

Made of pure shedua. Perfect rhythm guitar.

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:13 am

I started on bass but switched to guitar around 71'. I still have a couple of basses that were gifts. It's nice for when company comes over. My main electric guitar is a homemade neckthrough with SD 59's and a Fishman Powerbridge. My acoustic is a Larivee' dreadnaught.

los_sentidos · Post by **los_sentidos** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:24 am

Ken - when did you make that? How does it compare to say something like a Baby Les Paul? Reminds me of the Brian May home made guitar!

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:29 am

Reminds me of Hamer's take on a Les Paul Special. My Hamer 12-string bass has the same body style.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:40 am

Reminds me of the original guitars made by a guy named Paul Reed Smith!

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 4:08 am

" - when did you make that?" finished in spring of 2003. Body style is LP Special (double cutaway) with contouring like a Strat. Head not pictured is a cross between a PRS and a 80's Gibson. Guess all manufactures had a little influence.

lshaia · Post by **lshaia** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:15 am

I started on bass but noodle around on both. I have an AS Strat, a Strat Plus, an American Tele, a Gibson ES-135, and a Ric 330/12. My amp is an Ampeg VT-120 all tube combo.

jaybic · Post by **jaybic** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 6:30 am

I seem to be in the minority so far. I have always played bass - never even so much as looked at a guitar - I wouldn't know what to do with the other 2 strings

Actually, it seems around where I live, everyone plays guitar. I think Mike Dirnt of Green Day said he picked up bass when he realized no band has 2 or more bass players! Anyway, I've tried to play guitar a couple of time but could never get my fingers to bend correctly. I have very long, skinny fingers. However, our lead guitarist is simply blown away by playing bass. He cannot get over how thick the strings feel and how far away the frets are. To each his own I suppose