Ol Grey Bear Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 (edited) The header says everything really. I'm new to bass guitar and need to learn quickly because I just finished building my combination part baritone guitar come short scale bass guitar last night. Then I suddenly realised that I haven't got a clue what bass strings I want for blues music on a combo self build other than short scale and regular light gauge, or lighter still. Are there even specific strings for blues music? I guess there must be since I see packs of Swing Bass and Jazz Bass strings. I just don't know which ones would suit me best according to my bass combo instrument, budget, and intended musical genre specific. Anyway. I'm 52, married to my beautiful angel of a wife for a couple of wonderful years, and I live in a small fishing village a couple of villages over from the boundary of the Northern Scottish Highlands. I'm keen to learn about all things bass, I'm not going to argue with your advice because I reckon everyone on this platform knows more about the bass guitar subject than me, and I've been considered a fast learner by most for most of my life. Of tiny significance to my membership on this platform (but since I'm introducing myself), I've been a full-time wheelchair user for the past 20 years, my condition is degenerative, but nothing ever stops me from reaching the goals I set for myself. There's not much I can't do, other than walk, run etc, I'll just do many things in a different way to accomplish the end result. Edited July 15 by Ol Grey Bear 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 15 Author Share Posted July 15 Here's the offending/offensive build itself. The reason I jojned BC and why I'm going to need advice on bass strings (2 bass strings 🤦♂️) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpondonBassed Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 Welcome OGB. That's an interesting bridge assembly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 15 Author Share Posted July 15 6 hours ago, SpondonBassed said: Welcome OGB. That's an interesting bridge assembly. I'm nothing if not odd 😅 😂 🤣 Those single saddle bridges are truly heaven-sent for the mad meddler. Thank you for your welcome and hi 👋 Bear/Dani 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 Welcome aboard! If you're starting out then any regular/ light strings will be fine. I played Ernie Ball slinkys for quite a while as they were what the shop strung the bass with. After quite a while I changed as an experiment and found others I prefer, with a much higher tension that take more effort. There are differences in strings, and they matter once you get to the place of being fairly fluid in playing and can feel and exploit the differences, but don't worry about it. Nobody other than another bass player can tell anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msb Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 Welcome. You’ve made an interesting thing. I’d suggest flat wound bass strings for blues , they have a better thump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 What is the scale length, and what are the bass strings tuned to ? Might have some odds or old sets, sure other BC members might have as well... Same goes for the skinny strings - tuned to? Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 14 hours ago, msb said: Welcome. You’ve made an interesting thing. I’d suggest flat wound bass strings for blues , they have a better thump. Thanks for the welcome, MSB, and the flatwounds suggestion. I'll be sure to look out for them. 10 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: What is the scale length, and what are the bass strings tuned to ? Might have some odds or old sets, sure other BC members might have as well... Same goes for the skinny strings - tuned to? Welcome! Hi Paul, The scale length is a long baritone/short scale bass of 30". I have strung up the baritone skinny strings now and they're tuned to GDg. The bass strings will be tuned to, you might have already guessed, GD. I'll be using the middle two strings from a short scale, regular-to-light gauge 4 string set. I just need to wait until the 23rd to buy some. Everyone is drawing purse strings tight right now, and that's us too. I can get some, I just need to wait. Thanks for your interest in the instrument I did done made 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 On 15/07/2024 at 22:21, Richard R said: Welcome aboard! If you're starting out then any regular/ light strings will be fine. I played Ernie Ball slinkys for quite a while as they were what the shop strung the bass with. After quite a while I changed as an experiment and found others I prefer, with a much higher tension that take more effort. There are differences in strings, and they matter once you get to the place of being fairly fluid in playing and can feel and exploit the differences, but don't worry about it. Nobody other than another bass player can tell anyway! That's comforting to know, Richard. I am indeed brand new to bass guifar playing and building. The most I know is to never annoy the drummer or the bass guitar player. They're the time keepers and can make a solid guitarist sound pants if they're annoyed enough 😄 🤣 I'd assumed that some sounded great, some sounded mediocre, and others sounded awful, or worse. I'm glad to know that most won't know the best from some others. All the best, Bear/Dani 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 I've just posted on another introduction, but in case you don't see that check out StudyBass.com for a really good guide to setting up a bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Missed this when originally posted - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 10 hours ago, Richard R said: I've just posted on another introduction, but in case you don't see that check out StudyBass.com for a really good guide to setting up a bass. Thank you for the info, Richard. I'll certainly be sure to check out StudyBass.com ! My first pointer of a learning platform and your friendly, generous sharing of this is very much appreciated. Thanks again, Bear/Dani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 7 hours ago, ezbass said: Missed this when originally posted - Thank you for the warm welcome, friend! Here's me hoping that I do find bass "EZ"! Haha. Thanks again, Bear/Dani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 I think that bass looks perfect for a chair user Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 1 hour ago, Ol Grey Bear said: Thank you for the warm welcome, friend! Here's me hoping that I do find bass "EZ"! Haha. Thanks again, Bear/Dani A username I regret. It’s not meant to mean easy, it’s the first 2 letters of my actual name added to my instrument of choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 3 hours ago, Geek99 said: I think that bass looks perfect for a chair user Thanks, Geek99. One of the reasons I started to build my own instruments, and stopped buying "factory made", was because the butt of everything available (butt below the waist I mean) was always so counterintuitive to use in a wheelchair with armrests. I've been building so-called "guitars" (I use "guitar builder" in the loosest sense possible 😄 🤣) for around 8 years and I've been a wheelchair user for almost 20 years now. The saddest part of this story however, violins at the ready, is that I now have a different wheelchair. With flip-up armrests 🤦♂️. Still, part of my argument that covers up being too cheap to buy an instrument may be gone but I enjoy the building so I'll persist 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Grey Bear Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 2 hours ago, ezbass said: A username I regret. It’s not meant to mean easy, it’s the first 2 letters of my actual name added to my instrument of choice. Ahh. That's understandable. I'll refer to you mentally as Mr EZ. 😊 😀 Though, I am slightly worried now that learning bass may not be as easy as I'd hoped. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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