The thing is man I tried a six string bass and I didn't like it. but it would be a new challenge for me. Right now I like my 5 string

this

I didn't like the 6 string at first but now it's all I want to play. I don't even touch my four banger anymore.

Thats the way it is with my 5 string. My Les Paul bass that I got was discontinued in 98 and I think it is older than that, so I just want it to collect monitary value right now.

I also have a Conklin 7 string and am looking to get a 10 string from prometeus. I still admire four strings I just prefer the extended range. I came from a guitar background and the 6er came naturally.

Okay guys, super newbie question. I just got an effects pedal for Christmas. Now, do I plug my bass into it, then it into my amp, or do I use either the "effects loop" or "footswitch" plugs in the back of the amp and plug my bass in as normal?

Get two effects cables, connect the "send" portion of your effects loop to the "input" on your pedal, and the "return" to the "output".

Cheers!

The one thing you should never do is plug it into the footswitch plugs at the back of your Amp. That is only for signals to tell the Amp which mode to go into. Those signals are mostly a lot lower in both Voltage and Amperage compared to the signal you want to have amplified. That would effectively kill that complete section of your amp and probably more than that too!

Both other methods are usable although I would prefer the one Eligosianblasphemy recomended. These effectsloops usually have a blend knob which gives you a greater control over the effects-signal.

If you want to crank up your power just plugging it into the input of your Amp will work great for that although this too can cause some serious problems for the pre-amp section when the input signal is too high!

Off the discussion, I find this video quite inspirational:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy3V2Tl4g3s

This guy is a master.

I created a new topic to post this and I was sent here.

"I'm a bassist but I've never got into extreme metal with this instrument... What would you recommend me as daily practice? Working chromatics? Learning right from the start death/black/thrash metal tabs?
Thanks in advance."

There are several approaches mentioned in this thread. If you do some searching you will find it!

Effect pedals are usually made for instrument level signals, and not line level.
The effects loop on most amps are line level and made for rack effect units.

So, my recommendation would be to use the regular input. But seriously, some pedals work fine in the efx loop, and if you want the effect after the preamp sound that might be a good place to put it. Effects like reverb, phaser, flanger, tremolo etc might actually sound better in the loop if you use some preamp overdrive.

If it's a multieffect unit with amp simulation (POD or somesuch) you might just want to use the thing as a preamp, in which case you should just plug it directly into the efx return jack and completely bypass the preamp.

I got a wah pedal for Christmas, its fun as, it even seems to have an effect that makes someone sound like they're pig squealing underneath it all.

Use with moderation!

Obviously, but the pig squeal effect is pretty fucking funny.

any suggestions on distortion pedals?

One that lets you dial in the amount of clean signal so you can retain the lows you need to sound like a bassguitar!

like...?

what would be a specific example?

Digitech X-series Bass Driver Overdrive Pedal
Dunlop M181 MXR Bass Blowtorch Bass Overdrive Effect Pedal
To name two I just googled up for you!

Also, the Sansamp BDI.

thanks guys i'll check those out

So here's something to discuss, gents. What kind of distortion do you like best? I find that an overdriven GK (solid state) creates a tone that works swimmingly for black metal. Particularly the RB800. But my Goldline 500 works well.

To be honest I'm not a big fan of full-on distortion. I've found that some light grit/OD on the signal can work, but I dislike full-on distortion because it usually sucks the bass out of the tone.

On my studio recordings I'm using the DI and splitting it into a HP/LP signal. HP is getting some light TS grit (or some other light OD) and the LP is just a clean tone.

On an unrelated note:

I want to upgrade the pickups in both of my basses. I have my Ibanez GSR200 tuned to B standard (sometimes A standard) and the stock pickups sound decent but I feel like it could sound better. It's got an agathis body and a rosewood fingerboard. I need suggestions on whether to get an EMG set (looking at the EMG PJ-X set right now) or what.

My SX JSB62-5 fretless is the issue I'm having. I don't know if I want to upgrade the pickups or not, due to the fact that it was a $150 bass. Especially if I'm going for EMGs or SDs or the like, those are probably going to run me around $200 (I think the EMG JX set is like $180). Combine this with the fact that I can get a Brice 6 string fretless from Rondo for $299, and it doesn't seem worth it to me. But suggestions, all the same?

For the first part of what you are telling: I'm also not a big fan of OD/Distortion on my bass. I only crank my tube-driven pre-amp to full and that is about it. When I want to do something freaky I do have a Boss Rocker Distortion pedal which lets me vary the amount of ditortion the same way a Wah would be operated. The major setback is that this fries the lows in my sound.

Getting to the PU stuff: EMG's are very clean sounding and therefore reasonably neutral in affecting your tone. If you wnt to add some more balls to your tone, however, you could try some Bartolinis. It's a matter of what you want to get out of the bass. Ideally I would say that you try all replacement sets you think might suit you and buy the sets you like best after some thorough testing, however I can imagine that not every store lets you try out different sets in order to find exactly the right set.
If a store not too far away from you wants to co-operate it might just be the ticket.

Regarding your fretless: Is the Brice you cn get a better playing instrument for you? If so: don't hestitate and buy it. If it feels different compared to what you are used to it might be better to upgrade your old trusted fretless. If you buy a new bass and it doesn't feel right to you chances are you probably end up not playing it and that is a greater waste than upgrading a cheap bass that feels comfortable in your hands!

I just ordered the MXR Blowtorch Distortion Pedal. I cannot wait to mess arround with this thing. I tried it out once before and really liked how you can keep your natural bass tone in tact with the distortion fuzzing away.

cool pedal, but good pedals always cost too much.

I hate it when people try and make their bass sound like guitar, their guitar sound like a keyboard, their keyboard sound like drums, etc. The instruments weren't for those things and it shows.

Sure, it was cool hearing Cliff Burton play distorted bass...for about 2 minutes. Then you realise the exact same stuff could have been played on guitar and it would have sounded a lot better.

Dude, bass distortion is something different entirely. I'm talking about the sound you get from turning up really loud, not by plugging a guitar pedal into the -10db input on your amp.

I hate when bassists get so up in their heads about what the instrument is, or what they "have" to do. Be a musician, dude. It's an instrument. It makes sound. Sometimes when you play loud, your signal gets distorted. Best case scenario, it comes out sounding warm and growly or bright and crisp. Worst case scenario, it gets fuzzy and you can't make notes out.

Some better examples of distorted bass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMnQCP34RlM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf0qaIzaYDc

Dude that wasn't someone trying to make a bass sound like a guitar, that was called lead bass. A guitar couldn't sound like that. And most of the bassists people talk about, calling them the best will cite him. Bass would still be known to most as "that weird broken guitar with only 4 strings." He was one of the only bassists you could actually hear, because he wasn't trying to sound like a guitar.

Anyone good with fixing amps?

I'm looking at an amp that has 1 out of the 4 speakers disconnected. He said in the posting that the foil is torn (?). How much would it cost to make such a repair?

Such an ignorant statement. Plenty of bass players, in rock and metal specifically, can be heard.

More like lead ASS.

Man, I'm so funny and clever.



Unless it's an expensive speaker, it might be cheaper to buy a new one. Install a speaker is straightforward enough. But fixing a speaker...I don't know, that sounds like a job for a professional. Don't try and use the cab unless there's a dummy load in the place of the missing speaker.

I wanted to suggest the same thing. Fixing the foil is very delicate work and risky if not done just right. That might help you blow the speaker for once and all!

Today is pay day, and after paying for a little bit of maintenance on my auto, I bought my second Lace Alumitone Bass Bar to complete the set, a battery clip to relieve some of the tension in my electronics cavity, and a new set of DR Marcus Miller Fat Beams (one set usually lasts me half a year). We're entering the studio soon, so I'll be able to post clips of how it sounds!

Hey anyone know what Necromantia uses for their set-ups?

Hey anyone know what Necromantia uses for their set-ups?

Has anyone of you, bassists tried recording two different bass parts for one song ? I have been thinking about this idea for a while, it is a temptation in a way.

Different like one playing roots and the other playing lead, or different like both playing lead (harmonizing or counterpoint)? In either case it ends up being too much of a hassle and too cluttered imo, especially in extreme metal.