Bass for Total Newbies

[funky_numba]

Hi Guys,

I finally got my very first bass and amp today and it only cost me £50 for the two items (second hand of course).

I've got a Wesley (Jaguar) Bass Guitar (about 5 years old) and a Starfire TEC20B 20 Watt Bass Amp. I think the bass has two humbucker pickups and 3 control knobs. I don't know if that's good or bad.

Had a quick tryout just to make sure it worked. It worked!!! However, there is some buzzing from some or all of the strings. For example, when I strum the lowest sounding string, it hits off the frets in the middle. Don't know whether I should raise the bridge thingy to heighten the string(s). Should I raise the pickups?

What things would I need to do to bring the bass back to perfect working order?

I was thinking of replacing the strings but I don't know whether to get Roundwound or Flatwound and what gauge. I heard that if the strings are too thick, it might add too much tension to bass neck. I'm totally lost.

Want to learn to the bass mainly to practice Soul, Funk, Jazz but will try anything decent (Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, blah, blah) to get me up and running. Obviously need to learn all the basics first. Hard work awaits me!!

Can any of you please give me some help/ advice for this newbie.

Many, many thanks!!!

[Circle_of_Fifths]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1010278' date='Nov 2 2010, 07:52 PM']Hi Guys,

I finally got my very first bass and amp today and it only cost me £50 for the two items (second hand of course).

I've got a Wesley (Jaguar) Bass Guitar (about 5 years old) and a Starfire TEC20B 20 Watt Bass Amp. I think the bass has two humbucker pickups and 3 control knobs. I don't know if that's good or bad.

Had a quick tryout just to make sure it worked. It worked!!! However, there is some buzzing from some or all of the strings. For example, when I strum the lowest sounding string, it hits off the frets in the middle. Don't know whether I should raise the bridge thingy to heighten the string(s). Should I raise the pickups?

What things would I need to do to bring the bass back to perfect working order?

I was thinking of replacing the strings but I don't know whether to get Roundwound or Flatwound and what gauge. I heard that if the strings are too thick, it might add too much tension to bass neck. I'm totally lost.

Want to learn to the bass mainly to practice Soul, Funk, Jazz but will try anything decent (Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, blah, blah) to get me up and running. Obviously need to learn all the basics first. Hard work awaits me!!

Can any of you please give me some help/ advice for this newbie.

Many, many thanks!!! [/quote]

This is one of those times when I think I should say that you need to make a personal friend of a bass player.

You've got a lot to learn - and it's all fun and very rewarding - but you really need someone to show you all the things you asked for on a one-on-one basis.

Not that I can do you any good in that realm as I am in the US - far to the left coast in California - but I am sure on that tiny little island - if you actually are in the UK - you could prolly walk down the street and find someone who is a member of this site pretty quick.

The things you ask - and believe me that none of them are individually hard to help with - it's just that you sound like you are at ground zero and need some help.

Any volunteers? Are you on that island somewhere?

Bring beer - that helps a lot. Make sure it's cold.

[Musky]

It sounds like your bass is in need of a good set up. It might just need the strings raising, but could well need the relief (the amount of bow in the neck) adjusting as well. There's a good guide to setting up a bass [url="http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]here[/url], but there are plenty of others on the net as well.

Actually Joe's suggestion is a good one. There are plenty of BC members in Glasgow.

[funky_numba]

[quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1010282' date='Nov 3 2010, 03:43 AM']This is one of those times when I think I should say that you need to make a personal friend of a bass player.

You've got a lot to learn - and it's all fun and very rewarding - but you really need someone to show you all the things you asked for on a one-on-one basis.

Not that I can do you any good in that realm as I am in the US - far to the left coast in California - but I am sure on that tiny little island - if you actually are in the UK - you could prolly walk down the street and find someone who is a member of this site pretty quick.

The things you ask - and believe me that none of them are individually hard to help with - it's just that you sound like you are at ground zero and need some help.

Any volunteers? Are you on that island somewhere?

Bring beer - that helps a lot. Make sure it's cold.[/quote]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for your honest remarks and yeh, you're right, i'm at ground zero with bass guitars. Didn't know they would be so different from acoustic guitars. How wrong I was!!!!!

Maybe i've been landed with a real duffer of a bass. Yuk!!! Don't think so tho. Think it's been used a lot and needs a major fine tuning.

I tried all four strings earlier on and they all seem to buzz and when I 'slapped' the strings, they all hit against the frets near the middle. I tried an ibanez precision bass at a local shop the other day and I as far as I remember, there was no problem with the strings hitting the frets when I slapped the strings. The sound that was produced was very clean, crisp and no buzz. Don't know if that was because of the make of the bass or whatever.

I'm confused about the stuff re the trussrod and the bridge. I did notice that there is an awful lot of play with all the strings. Maybe they are too loose and need tightened up to lessen the buzz, however I'm just guessing here. Like you said, I think I may need to meet up with another bass player to point me in the right direction. Free beerz.. now that's a good idea.

Can any of you please help? I'm just outside Glasgow.. in East Kilbride to be more precise.

Many thanks!!!!! and same goes for you too, Joe!!!!

[funky_numba]

[quote name='Musky' post='1010323' date='Nov 3 2010, 07:37 AM']It sounds like your bass is in need of a good set up. It might just need the strings raising, but could well need the relief (the amount of bow in the neck) adjusting as well. There's a good guide to setting up a bass [url="http://garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]here[/url], but there are plenty of others on the net as well.

Actually Joe's suggestion is a good one. There are plenty of BC members in Glasgow. [/quote]

Hi Musky,

Thanks for the valuable info. I don't want to do anything to my bass that may damage it. Loved the link you posted. It gave me far more info than I managed to google in the past week or so.

Best regards.

Paul.

[Circle_of_Fifths]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1011562' date='Nov 3 2010, 07:01 PM']Hi Joe,

Thanks for your honest remarks and yeh, you're right, i'm at ground zero with bass guitars. Didn't know they would be so different from acoustic guitars. How wrong I was!!!!!

Maybe i've been landed with a real duffer of a bass. Yuk!!! Don't think so tho. Think it's been used a lot and needs a major fine tuning.

I tried all four strings earlier on and they all seem to buzz and when I 'slapped' the strings, they all hit against the frets near the middle. I tried an ibanez precision bass at a local shop the other day and I as far as I remember, there was no problem with the strings hitting the frets when I slapped the strings. The sound that was produced was very clean, crisp and no buzz. Don't know if that was because of the make of the bass or whatever.

I'm confused about the stuff re the trussrod and the bridge. I did notice that there is an awful lot of play with all the strings. Maybe they are too loose and need tightened up to lessen the buzz, however I'm just guessing here. Like you said, I think I may need to meet up with another bass player to point me in the right direction. Free beerz.. now that's a good idea.

Can any of you please help? I'm just outside Glasgow.. in East Kilbride to be more precise.

Many thanks!!!!! and same goes for you too, Joe!!!![/quote]

Don't fault the bass. It just needs some lovin'.

Strings hitting the fret wires isn't much of a problem if the neck is rather straight or can be adjust to be so.

That's the truss rod's job - to make the neck straight against the pull of the strings.

You say that you might have to tighten the strings - uh.

This part kinda scares me [s]somewhat[/s] a lot::: [quote][color="#FF0000"][i]I did notice that there is an awful lot of play with all the strings. Maybe they are too loose and need tightened up to lessen the buzz, however I'm just guessing here.[/i][/color][/quote]

Where are they tuned now? - and remember that tuning might be a daily or frequent situation - so you're gonna have to learn how to do that very rapidly - if not sooner.



You really need a friend there in Glasgow - is that near Wandsworth? Wandsworth is the only place other than London I know in the UK. Well - there's Shropshire too - but that's a very long and involved story.

You fee for all this advice is to mail me a carefully wrapped beer of your choice to my home address.

I don't think you can send alcohol, so just label it: "Shoe Bomb Material" and it'll pass right through customs.

Don't shake the beer and put 'FRAGILE' on it too.

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[size=4][i][color="#8B0000"]WILL TUNE BASS GUITARS FOR BEER. [/color][/i][/size][/font][/center]

Edited November 4, 2010 by Circle_of_Fifths

[Musky]

[quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1011581' date='Nov 4 2010, 04:54 AM'][center][font="Century Gothic"]
[size=4][i][color="#8B0000"]WILL TUNE BASS GUITARS FOR BEER. [/color][/i][/size][/font][/center][/quote]
I like your style!

In the meantime Paul could try [url="http://www.tunemybass.com/"]this website.[/url]

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1011581' date='Nov 4 2010, 04:54 AM']You really need a friend there in Glasgow - is that near Wandsworth? Wandsworth is the only place other than London I know in the UK. Well - there's Shropshire too - but that's a very long and involved story.


[center][font="Century Gothic"]
[size=4][i][color="#8B0000"]WILL TUNE BASS GUITARS FOR BEER. [/color][/i][/size][/font][/center][/quote]



Why Wandsworth - worked there for 4 years and can't see what the attraction is (apart from the now departed Youngs Brewery)?

Edited November 4, 2010 by Mykesbass

[Ou7shined]

Funky, there are lots of capable Basschaters in the Glasgow area that could help you out. But if I were you, I'd give 7string a PM. He runs a wee setup service (£20 will get you the works) and will put you and your bass right.

[waynepunkdude]

If you want some new strings I have a couple of packs of Peavey strings laying around PM me your address and I'll send a pack up.

[Circle_of_Fifths]

[quote name='Mykesbass' post='1011608' date='Nov 4 2010, 12:36 AM']

Why Wandsworth - worked there for 4 years and can't see what the attraction is (apart from the now departed Youngs Brewery)?[/quote]

I had a girlfriend from there - Geraldine Road.

Funny - I Google-Map/Street View'd her house and it's under renovation. I can see a porta-potty in the front yard and some workmen inside the yard.