The pickups in your bass are the magnetic heart of the instrument. Out of all the characteristics of your bass, they have the most significant influence on your tone. And because of their relatively low cost when compared to the price tag of a new instrument, many bass players choose to first upgrade their pickups …
Upgrading your pickups may be the simplest and most cost effective way to significantly improve the tone of your precision style bass, and if you’ve held a solder gun before, you can do the upgrade yourself, in most cases. If you like the handling and feel of your p-bass but find the tone lacking, then …
As an integral part of any style of music, your role as a bass player will be to glue the band together and create a bridge between rhythm and harmony, laying down the foundations for both. Choosing a bass guitar isn’t an easy task if you don’t know what brands and features to look for. …
The bass guitar is a fundamental instrument in most musical genres and bands. They can take on multiple different roles, but the key to a great bassist is consistency and timing. A bass’s main function is to hold up the low-end in the mix and keep the band playing in a tight rhythmic pattern. They …
Music without bass is grilling a fabulous-looking dish without any herb or spices enhance the flavor. When we hear a great bass line we recognize its impact on the rhythm of the song, but bass frequencies are also critical to harmony (several musical notes being played simultaneously). Fun fact: Our brains hear all of these …
Commonly disregarded for their long scale relatives in the bass family, I consider short scale basses to be some of the coolest instruments out there. People would usually go for a longer and bigger bass but let me tell you, these little basses pack quite a punch so don’t be fooled by their size and …
A distortion pedal is one of the first stompboxes a bass player should purchase. It’s an easy way to increase your sonic versatility and to add oomph and aggression to your tone, often with dramatic results. So, you’ve been thinking about adding a little more dirt to your bass tone or wondering about what distortion …
Learning to play the bass guitar is similar to learning to play a traditional guitar. There are fewer chords to master, and the fingering techniques are not as complicated as the ones used in an acoustic guitar. The strings are heavier, though, making finger strength and dexterity very important. Of course, when starting out, it’s …
There’s something exciting about shopping for a new instrument. It may be the guilty pleasure of adding to a pre-existing collection, or the riveting feeling of embarking on a new facet of your life. Wherever that excitement comes from, it is quickly accompanied by a desire to learn more about the instrument you’re aching to …