What's a good cheap bass/bass amp, and a good pop/rock theory book?

July 18, 2005 5:36 PM

I'm looking to purchase a bass, bass amp, and bass or general music theory book.

The bass and bass amp part don't really have much of an extended explanation, as I know very little about either. I've been playing guitar for a few years and would like to try my hand at the bass. I wanted to know what's the best quality bass and bass amp I could get for under $200. The power of the bass amp isn't a big issue for me.

The second part of my question is more specific, and I don't even know if what I'm looking for exists. I'm not much interested in bass lessons (have neither the time nor money) and so I'll probably learn from example (Beatles, Beach Boys, Belle and Sebastian, etc...). However, I'm sort of theory-minded and would like to be able to have a vocabulary for the examples I'm learning from. I started off on Harmony by Piston et al (on the Classical canon), and I've also found Alan Pollack's Notes On... Series (on the Beatles canon) very helpful.

If I could get my hands on a book that was a combination of the Harmony book and a musicological analysis of various pop/rock songs, I would be in heaven. I'd prefer that if it is general pop/rock theory, it would not be restricted to guitar theory and would have a section on bass-leading, rhythm and things of that nature as well. Thanks!

posted by Frankieist to media & arts (10 comments total)

Try a value package from musicians friend. Many of them come with bass, bag and amp. Many also include theory books and they're all dirt cheap.
posted by cyphill at 5:43 PM on July 18, 2005

I would start with a used bass from eBay or whatever, and your current amp and then gradually move up to a bass amp. A tube Fender Bassman is an awesome amp for bass or guitar. Really, really awesome.
posted by caddis at 5:54 PM on July 18, 2005

for a book of examples, have a look at paul westwood's "bass bible" - they're taken from all around the world and he includes a smattering of theory. for more theory, try berle's "theory and harmony for the contemporary musician". you probably want a combination of the two, unfortunately, but i don't know of anything else.

for $200 for eveything, perhaps it's better to get the best secondhand bass you can find and a little headphone amp? if you stick with a guitar amp/cab keep the volume low.
posted by andrew cooke at 6:55 PM on July 18, 2005

1. Listen to the Minutemen. Mike Watt will teach you everything.

2. Play like you have a big dick. (And I'm not kidding.)

I've played guitar for maybe 20 years, decided to pick up bass, and that was the exact advice I got from an accomplished bassist. It worked, I rule now! Try it.

As far as your rig, just get something that stays in tune. Keep it cheap and have fun.
posted by snsranch at 7:49 PM on July 18, 2005

A really great music theory book that will help you "get it" instead of just knowing theory from a technical standpoint is Harmonic Experience by W. A. Mathieu.
posted by abcde at 11:53 PM on July 18, 2005 [1 favorite]

Rufus Reid's The Evolving Bassist is recognized as one of the best bass instruction books out there.
posted by wsg at 2:11 AM on July 19, 2005

I can't help you with the book / lessons issue. Never had a lesson in my life. Learning from example is definitely the way to go. It's also good to watch bass players you enjoy, to see the way they approach their job.

As for the rig, I'd recommend something like a Squire P-Bass or Jazz (budget versions of the Fender equivalents - the current P-Basses that Squire are making right now seem to be pretty solid), and a medium sized combo amp - from Behringer perhaps. I just picked up one of their Ultrabass combos and have been gigging successfully with it.
posted by coach_mcguirk at 4:26 AM on July 19, 2005

I agree with caddis about buying a used bass rather than a new one, because the quality of "beginner" guitars and basses is such that they'll literally hurt to play - so you'll never want to pick it up.

BUT!!! Don't plan on playing a bass through a standard guitar amp for any extended period of time. The low frequencies will sort of stretch out the speaker, which wasn't built to handle them, and you'll be left with an amp that sounds broken.
posted by electric_counterpoint at 6:51 AM on July 19, 2005

The low frequencies will sort of stretch out the speaker, which wasn't built to handle them

Hmmm. I don't think this will happen. The guitar amp won't really do justice to a bass as it can not reach the low frequencies as well as an amp designed for a bass, but played at reasonable volumes it won't hurt the speaker either. If it did, then imagine what playing music with bass notes would do the speakers in your home stereo, most of which roll off around 40 to 60 hz. Playing it too loud might not be good for it, and a bass will draw more power from the amp more easily pushing it into the levels of distortion which might damage the speaker. Of course these things are made to tolerate a fairly high level of distortion; that is often part of the fun.
posted by caddis at 9:48 AM on July 19, 2005

I remember reading a story about some player who got one of the first Precision basses from Fender and tried to plug it in to his normal amp and blew it up, bought another one and did it again, until he got one of the first Bassman amps too. So yeah, it's possible to damage a guitar amp with a bass, though I don't know the why that happens.
posted by abcde at 1:38 PM on July 19, 2005