Does anybody here play bass guitar? I’m debating on picking one up and learning to play. It doesn’t look that hard, and then I can play in the church band.
Here are some questions I have:
4-string or 5-string?
How many frets? Fenders have 20 frets, while Yamaha and Ibanez have 24. (Do you really need those last four frets? At least for a beginner?)
BEAD or EADG? (Assuming you’re on a 4-string.) I know EADG is the standard, but if you go that route, you can’t pick up those really low notes. And I’ve heard that you rarely use the G-string anyway.
Can you play guitar on the same amp as a bass?
Any answers, or any other advice would be most welcome.
IMA, It does’t matter, you can go for 4, 5, 6, or even 500,000 strings. Some might argue that you should start from a 4. Whatever works for you, go for it buddy.
This question depends on different perspectives, if you ask bass purist, they might say “No bass guitar will need more than 20 frets. Coz if you play that high on the fretboard then you’re not playing bass notes no more.” But for some players you could throw them as many frets and they will use all. Why? Because they can. Again whatever works for you, go for it.
I’m not sure where you’ve heard from about the G-string not being used. Of course, it’s used. Loosely speaking, most rock and pop songs will only use the lowest three strings (E, A, and D) that are octave below the six-string guitar. Because once you fret the second fret on the D-string on the bass it is the same note as the low E note on the guitar.
However, if you insist to the BEAD tuning then you might need to readjust the truss rod in case if there’s a fret buzz. IMO, why don’t you go for the 5- string bass if you really want that low B? So, you don’t need to do anything.
Of course you can, nothing will break. Bass amps have been used by guitarists for long time, such as Fender Bassman amp that is well known for. However, if you want the tone for your guitar in an organic way such as distortion, then it might not be well-delivered. Coz guitar amps are designed for multistage distortion. But the bass amps are designed for the BIG fat load without distortion.
You’ve made the right choice to be the bass player. You are now the foundation of the band and you have the power to control the root.
