Bassist

Bass strings last a long time, but not forever. New strings sound bright and punchy, and that sparkle slowly fades without you even noticing. How quickly that happens depends on your hands, your playing style and your taste. 

A short scale bass guitar has a scale length of around 30 inches instead of the usual 34 or 35 inches, and that makes more of a difference than you might think. For years, a short neck was dismissed as a kids’ bass or an entry-level model, but if you’d rather stretch less, want to spare your shoulder or are coming over from guitar, you’re often better off with one. High time that image got an update.

Can you play a bass guitar through a guitar amp? I get asked that just about every time someone has bought their first bass and has an old guitar combo sitting in the corner. The short answer: at low volume it’s perfectly fine, but crank it up and you’re gambling with your speaker’s lifespan. The other way round, guitar through a bass amp, is pretty much always fine.

Starting out on electric guitar or bass guitar? At first glance they look like family: four or six strings, a neck with frets, an amp behind them. But in a band, they do something completely different. ‘Which instrument is the easiest to start on?’ isn’t really the right question, because guitar and bass both have their own technical challenges. The real question is simpler than you think: what do you think is cool?

The Fazley Core-FX series consists of two multi-effects pedals for guitar and bass: the compact Core-FX2 and the more extensive Core-FX3. Both pack amp models, effects, NAM captures, a USB audio interface and a rechargeable battery into one small box. The main differences are how many sounds you get and whether you want to use the pedal on stage.

A string winder: is it a genuine tool, or just a toy for guitarists who can’t be bothered to turn the pegs? Honest answer: you can get by perfectly well without one. But it saves so much winding and costs so little that you’d be daft to leave it on the shelf. In short: is it a luxury? Yes. Unnecessary? No.

Gig bag or guitar case? Every guitarist faces that question at some point, usually the first time you head out the door with your instrument. A case offers better protection, while a bag is lighter and more practical. Which one you need mainly depends on where your guitar is going and what it goes through along the way.

Lots of audio interfaces and mixers have an input labelled Hi-Z, Inst or with a little guitar icon next to it. So what’s it for? In short: a Hi-Z input is designed for the high-impedance signal of an electric guitar or bass, so it comes through clear and bright when you plug straight in. Plug your guitar in anywhere else and you’ll hear the difference straight away.

In heavier styles of music, it’s often the case that you notice the bassist isn’t playing before you notice you can’t hear them anymore. Only a handful of bassists rise above that. Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz is definitely a bassist of whom you can say that. Most fans of heavy metal will know him simply as Robert Trujillo from Metallica. In this blog, you’ll read what it is about his bass playing style that gives him such a distinctive sound.

You only realise how important the bass guitar is in music when it’s not there for a moment. The bass simply isn’t as upfront, and bass-guitar solos are few and far between. And if you do come across a bass solo, it’s often in an overplayed metal track. Guest blogger Marlies therefore went searching for lesser-known solos from funk and soul, among other genres—her favourites. Ten delicious bass solos in a row! Any additions?

Having written two blogs about her favourite instrument, the bass guitar: one covering the top 10 bass intros and one about the top 10 bass solos, guest blogger Marlies has noticed that female bassists have been overlooked. In this blog, she seeks to level things off by presenting a list of top 10 songs driven by bass lines penned by some of the most iconic bassists of all time – who also happen to be female.

Just started learning the guitar, bass, drums or any other musical instrument? Then you’ve made a wise decision! Making music is a ton of fun, and it only gets better when you play in a band. If you can’t find a band that plays your style, then you can always start your own using the tips we’re about to share.