Advice on electric bass

[Gadritan]

I don't get the recommendations for new, lower end cheap basses when you can get a fairly high quality used one instead. Hell, you can get an Ibanez SG w/hard case in fantastic condition for $2-300. Active pick-ups, nice thin neck, light weight, fantastic sound, and won't depreciate much in value if maintained properly.

[DAKPluto]

Because sometimes cheap isn't lower quality. The SX basses are actually great quality, just cheap price because chinese labor.

SX basses use Alder, Ash, etc bodies, same as you will find on US Fenders. Not the cheaper basswood you will find on most Soundgear basses. I own some Soundgears, but I'll never buy one again. Good basses, but I can get just as good, if not better, for cheaper.

[Gadritan]

Speaking of which, if you haven't tried a Schecter yet, I'd highly recommend giving them a shot. The 5-string I picked up rates probably top 5 all time for me as far as sound quality/playability of the basses I've owned. It was $600 brand new w/hard case.

I'm curious too about how some of you guys tune. My band plays in drop C for the most part, so I use a combination of ACGCF and CGCFA on 5-strings and just CGCF on 4-strings for it. A 6-string would let me go A-A, but I use different basses for different songs based on tone anyways, so it's kind of a moot point. It's unorthodox for sure, but I've found it really works well for the riffs I write.

Anyone else have some unusual tunings you use?

[DAKPluto]

I don't do any awkward tunings.

My 5s are all tuned B E A D G
6s B E A D G C

I do mostly show/musical work, so I need to keep into a strict tuning when I'm bouncing around in C one moment, and then Gb, B, F#, etc etc, lol. It's the main reason I play ERBs, because it's so much easier playing in retarded keys when you can stay more in the middle of the neck.

[Gadritan]

Yeah. That's why I love the guys I play with. They're all about thinking outside of the box. Hell, for one of our songs our singer is tuned in standard, our guitar player is tuned to drop G, and I'm tuned to that high A via CGCFA, lol. Idk how it came about...it just sorta' happened.

Forgot to add to the cheap bass thing too. I've got this shitty Yamaha fretless I bought for $80 at a pawn shop...it sounds like fucking gold. Instruments are so weird man.

When you say show/musical work, what sort of genres do you play?

[DAKPluto]

One of the things I love about musical work is you have to be able to play every style. And I'm not playing the same shit month after month. So far in 2010 I've already done:

Rent (Rock)
King and I (traditional broadway)
Grease (60's Rock)
Ragtime (well, ragtime, lol)
Ain't Misbehavin (20s Jazz)

I will be doing Gilbert and Sullivan's The Sorceror (broadway Opera), and GI Jukebox (40's Jazz/Christmas)

It's great because I get to do so many different styles, sounds, etc. It's challenging because you have to play all those styles well, and many times do it stupid awful keys, and are expected to pretty much sight read perfect.

BTW....how do you "our singer is tuned in standard." I'm interested in how you tune your singer...does it require kicking in the vocal chord area or something?!

[Gadritan]

rofl. No. He sings and plays guitar for some of our songs. He always plays guitar while he sings at practices just to keep his guitar playing up to par, but at shows it's usually only 2-3 songs.

That sounds pretty fucking awesome btw. If I had more time, I'd kill to get a gig like that. I have an exceptionally eclectic taste in music.

[Obev]

Anyone else have some unusual tunings you use?

Band's in C# standard, Black Sabbath tuning. I'm in that plus a low G#. Have to use a fucking mooring cable for the bottom string. .180 or some such nonsense. I rarely use the lowest notes; use it mainly to stay in one position rather than jumping all over the neck. It's great to have it there though; for some big ringing chord parts the low G# gives it a real rumble. It's actually quite annoying because whereas I think of all the notes on the fingerboard as being what note they actually are (open G# C# F# B E, and onwards up the neck), the guitarists just say what the equivalent would be in standard tuning. So now the first "fret" of my low G# is a C.

Apart from that I have two 4s in standard. One fretted, one fretless. Only really use the fretted for slap; you just don't get the same sound on the pop without the fretwire there for the string to rebound on. My main instrument, the five string, is fretless. Then there's the double bass, which is mid-refurbishment at the moment. Used to play that in a ska band - it's been disbanded since December but there's still some tunes on the myspace, and a fetching picture of me administering the bassline: http://www.myspace.com/motherskank

I'd post a myspace address for my current band, but none of my playing's on it as I'm the new guy. Once they've got me recorded there'll be a melodic two-handed fretless tapping break in one song, mainly just because I can.

[Gadritan]

I'd post a myspace address for my current band, but none of my playing's on it as I'm the new guy. Once they've got me recorded there'll be a melodic two-handed fretless tapping break in one song, mainly just because I can.

I know the feeling, lol. MOH had some shit up there with their old bass player for about a year after I joined before we hit the studio. It was like...I wanted people to hear it to know what the band sounded like...but didn't want them to hear it with him on there <.< Bump when you get a new recording, I'd love to hear it.

Are you actually a Sabbath fan though? I saw them at Ozzfest the year they had the full original line up together. Can't remember the exact year, but it was when Slipknot was headlining the second stage. Sabbath stole the fucking show though.