Uh Oh. I feel a NGD coming on...

[RayCJ]

Been thinking of incorporating bass guitar tracks on my acoustic song recordings (need something to drown-out that voice of mine). So, Guitar Center opens in 1h, 45m and it's an 18 minute drive away. The Guitar Center catalog arrived yesterday.

Thinking about a low end Ibanez, Squire or Epi SG bass. -A little worried about what amp to get though...


Ray

[RayCJ]

Bingo. Just came home with an Ibanez GSR200 bass (dark brown) and a Fender Rumble 40 amp. Playing around with it right now. Very nice so far and hopefully will add a smooth bottom for the acoustic tracks to compliment the 12 string at the high end.


Ray

[Steve DeRosa]

As the owner of an SR405 myself, you'll want to string yours up with either flatwound or tapewound strings (I use the latter) if you're going to be using it to back up acoustic tracks. The caveat here is that Ibanez recommends light-gauge strings because of their ultra-thin necks (which I suspect drew you to this instrument in the first place); simply put, forget about LaBella/Fender/Rotosound tapes or any flats heavier than 45-105 (FYI D'Addario makes a couple sets that should work nicely, as will the LaBella 43-104 flats)...

I'd also use that Phat EQ bass boost very conservatively - Eminence or not it's still a 10" speaker, and it's not intended to give you colon-cleansing low notes at any kind of real volume; if you see a need for that kind of "oomph" in a live situation you might want to consider either adding a 12" or 15" cab or stepping up to a 12"/15" combo right now - good move in any event, as the additional power will give you more clean headroom...

Congrats, and use it well...

[RayCJ]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

As the owner of an SR405 myself, you'll want to string yours up with either flatwound or tapewound strings (I use the latter) if you're going to be using it to back up acoustic tracks. The caveat here is that Ibanez recommends light-gauge strings because of their ultra-thin necks (which I suspect drew you to this instrument in the first place); simply put, forget about LaBella/Fender/Rotosound tapes or any flats heavier than 45-105 (FYI D'Addario makes a couple sets that should work nicely, as will the LaBella 43-104 flats)...

I'd also use that Phat EQ bass boost very conservatively - Eminence or not it's still a 10" speaker, and it's not intended to give you colon-cleansing low notes at any kind of real volume; if you see a need for that kind of "oomph" in a live situation you might want to consider either adding a 12" or 15" cab or stepping up to a 12"/15" combo right now - good move in any event, as the additional power will give you more clean headroom...

Congrats, and use it well...

Well Steve, what drew me to it was the sale price of $199 (same for the amp). I played a few others in similar price ranges and this one seemed just fine. Thanks for the recommendations on strings. I'm sure I'll upgrade sometime soon.

So far, the amp seems fine for my purposes. I've got it set for a nice low, mellow sound. I'm really looking for presence and not a characteristic tone or voice. I won't be cranking it -that's for sure. Matter of fact, when I practice too loud, the African Grey parrot and cockatiel decide to sing along -which puts an end to recording sessions. I doubt if the gain, master volume or pickup boost will ever go past 3. Matter of fact, I can slightly hear the strings themselves while I'm playing.

The intonation on G was slightly off and it's fine now with a quick adjustment. I'll check it again tomorrow after it's had time to sit and acclimate to a new environment.

So far so good. Been making-up all kinds of bass lines... but it is a little odd pressing on strings somewhat akin to battery cables...

Ray

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by RayCJ

...when I practice too loud, the African Grey parrot and cockatiel decide to sing along - which puts an end to recording sessions...

[choucas09]

I bought myself a bass about twelve years back and it has become an integral part of my personal music scene. I really enjoy the challenge of coming up with interesting lines for my home recordings or just jamming on it. You've got a lot of fun to come.

[Dru Edwards]

Congrats Ray! How do your fingers feel on it?

[RayCJ]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Congrats Ray! How do your fingers feel on it?

No problem at all. Some years ago, I lost a fingertip in a mishap. It was re-attached and took a year to reach a normal state of function. It has very odd sensation but functions just fine although, it now has a 10 degree odd bend to one side. It was pinned into place during the healing process and my dog chased after a squirrel, the leash snagged the finger and bent the pin and bone off to one side. It healed that way. Two other fingers were deeply lacerated and they feel weird now too but, none of this is really impacting the guitar playing.

So far, I like the bass. Haven't had time to record yet but later this week I should have some time. It will probably take a day or so to setup another recording track and get the equalizer settings just right. I'll record a song and post sometime soon...

Ray

[RayCJ]

Well folks, here's an update on the bass guitar experiments... I haven't played as much but, (kinda) figured-out a bass line to "Let it be".

In this thread, I have a before and after with/without the bass. The first recording in the thread is just me and the guitar. The second recording, I added a bass track and a tiny bit of 12 string.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...32#post4817932

Bass is pretty tricky. No matter how softly you play, it carries -and any mistakes stick-out like a sore thumb. I made a few sour notes in this. I'm sure you'll hear them.

Ray

[dagobert]

Sounds good!

Playing the bass softly and cleanly is difficult.