Archive for the ‘Bass Guitar Package’ Category

Famous Bass Guitarists

Guitar-Heaven June 25, 2010

There’s nothing quite as distinctive as that bass guitar sound, and for that reason, it has been utilized in rock bands and popular bands for decades. Some of the most famous recording artists of our day (and yesterday) include players of the bass and electric bass guitar. If you’re not convinced that bass guitars create charismatic and noted musicians, just think of Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Epitomizing the 90s rock sound, he is considered by many to be one of the most talented bass guitarists around.

Going a bit farther back in music history, there is also Paul McCartney of The Beatles. While their music ranged from love ballads to rock anthems, McCartney’s skill with a bass guitar always stood out. And who can forget John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin or Jack Bruce of Cream? Both these men brought their own unique style and musical tastes to the iconic instrument. But the list is not completely dominated by men. Female rockers have also rocked the bass guitar, including Kim Deal of the noted alt rock band The Pixies.

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For Me It’s All About Bass

Joe Miranda June 12, 2010

I don’t know about you but I love most types of music. From classical to rock I can always find something interesting in most kinds of music.

Songs that really get me going are the ones with the bass guitar playing more than just root notes. When ever I get a chance to watch a group play, I not only listen to the music, I am also watching them to see how they play. By this I mean their style, using me for an example I am an OK bass guitar player but I lack style. Style is something the best bass guitar package can’t give you, like me you might be able to play but you don’t have that charisma that makes people notice you.

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Uncredited Bassist

Joe Miranda June 3, 2010

If you grew up in the 60′s like I did you grew up listening to the sounds of music coming from the newly formed Motown record label. The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Miracles and Stevie Wonder were among the top music acts at the time.

Did you know allot of the songs done by these artists and others were backed up musically by the bass guitar of James Jamerson and the rest of The Funk Brothers. The Funk Brothers were Motowns’ session musicians who recorded on most of the songs recorded at Motown. Other guitar players for The Funk Brothers were Robert White, Eddie Willis, and Joe Messina.

One could say that Jamersons’ influential bass style was ahead of time. You can hear him playing on songs like “Shotgun” by Jr. Walker & The Allstars, “My Girl” sung by The Temptations, ”Dancing In The Street”, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, and “For Once In My Life” just to name a few. His favorite bass guitar package was not a guitar package at all, it was a stock Fender bass guitar.

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My Bass Favorites

Joe Miranda May 30, 2010

I have been blogging for some time now and it’s no secret my favorite instrument is the bass guitar. It is for this reason that I have come up with what I like to call my favorite bass guitar package, which is my favorite bass guitar players.

I put Paul McCartney at the beginning of my list. His early songs with The Beatles revolutionized the way bass guitar is played. His style wasn’t flashy but his bass lines were, he employed a bass style that made me say to myself, hey I can do that, and I did.

James Jamerson is another one that let his bass guitar do his talking for him. He was basically a session musician who played on just about every famous song that came out of Motown along with The Funk Brothers. His bass playing some suggest is what molded Motown into the power house it was to become. He like McCartney got away from just playing root notes and bass patterns that were repetitive, in its place he would play a bass guitar that was more improvisational, “For Once In My Life” by Stevie Wonder is a great example of this.

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Every Bands’ Got One

Joe Miranda May 13, 2010

I love playing bass guitar. When I’m not playing music I am usually listening to music. I love watching a bands live performances, as I watch I find myself checking out the bass players bass guitar package.

The evolution of electric guitars has been incredible, and bass is right there with the electrics. I find it fascinating because I think I have a certain guitar figured out then I find out it is a custom high end knock-off.

In my mind there’s nothing better in music than a great bass line being played with just the right bass and amp combo. Whenyou listen to the song as a whole the bass is like the glue, it holds the entire song together.

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Electric Guitar Packages

Joe Miranda May 4, 2010

Are you an advanced guitar player, or maybe someone who is just starting out? No matter what your skill level electric guitar packages are something you need to know about.

When I started playing in the 60′s there was no Internet to keep me informed on what I needed to complete my bass guitar package. I was in my teens when I purchased my first bass guitar and it wasn’t until I got it home that I realized I needed a bass amplifier. After I got my amplifier and could hear what I was playing, I realized I need some kind of a tuner or in those days a pitch pipe.

I guess you see where I’m heading with this. Today everything is available in an electric guitar package, plus if you get the right package you will receive other things you will ultimately need also. So check out some guitar packages, you’ll find they come in a range of prices to cover any budget.

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Replacing Old Strings

Guitar-Heaven May 1, 2010

Guitar players tend to dread the moment when their strings become too frayed to create adequate music anymore. In some cases a string will even break, reminding a guitarist that the other five should probably be replaced as well. Luckily, the process is the same whether you are dealing with  expensive electric models or cheap bass guitars. Begin by loosening the sixth string with a winder until it’s slack. Cut the string up near the tuning peg rather than along the body or the neck; this will prevent damage to the paintwork.

Take a new sixth string and feed its plain end through the bridge. Pull it toward the head of the guitar and through the opening in the tuning peg. Bear in mind that you’ll be turning the peg in order to tune the string, so leave a little slack. Turn the tuner in a manner that winds the string around the post. Bring it into tune and then stretch it a bit before retuning. Trim any excess string that’s sticking out from the peg. Repeat the process with the five other guitar strings.

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Starting A Band

Joe Miranda February 18, 2010

You don’t have to be the best guitarist in the world to be in a band. Being in a band doesn’t mean you have to play gigs either.

Starting a band is really quite simple, find a couple of people with their own electric guitar packages, get a bass player with his own bass guitar package, get yourself a drummer and you have yourself a band. If you know someone who plays keyboards invite them to sit in.

As far as what songs to play what I did with my first band is everyone in the band contributed with song and styles that they were into, we didn’t even have sheet music, one person would know the chords and yell them out as we went along. As we went on when someone came in with an idea for a song at the end of practice we would make the announcement learn this song by the next time we meet. At the nest session we would play the song, it needed some polish but for the most part the system we had worked.

The biggest thing to remember when forming a band is to have fun with it, your not doing it as a profession. One other thing is, it’s alright to make mistakes, it’s things like that that will make you better as you go on.

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One’s No Good Without The Other

Joe Miranda February 3, 2010

Did you ever purchase something just to find out you need something else to make it work properly? Like buying a hockey puck without a stick, or a hockey stick without a puck. How about purchasing an IPOD alone that didn’t come with ear buds or some other device to produce the sound.

The same thing applies to  purchasing a guitar. Whether it be an electric guitar, or even an electric bass guitar, without an amplifier the results would be same you can practice for yourself with the guitar but it would be awfully hard to hear anything without a bass amplifier or guitar amplifier.

From a logic’s stand point it makes much more sense to purchase an electric guitar package or a bass guitar package. Your wallet will thank you for this also as it is less expensive to buy a bass or electric guitar package. Along with an amplifier you would receive a guitar tuner ( also a necessity ), your guitar isn’t any good if it is not in tune ( bet you didn’t even think about that one ),

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More Adjustments For Your Bass

Joe Miranda February 1, 2010

Now that you have learned how to adjust the saddles on your new bass guitar you should take the following steps to set what is called intonation. Intonation is the term that refers to the open note on each string should be the same as the note on the 12th fret.

This is not as scary as it sounds, and like adjusting the saddles on the bridge is a very easy fix. At the very end of the bridge there are screw adjustments that will draw the string either in or out to adjust the intonation.

You will need a philips screwdriver and a bass guitar tuner like the one you received with your bass guitar package. Place your tuner on the head of your bass guitar and play the open string, lets say the A string tune the string so that it is dead on then play the note on the 12th fret, the notes should be the same, if they are not in tune adjust the screw until they are the same. After you are done with the first string do the same thing with the rest.

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