Posts Tagged ‘Bass Amplifier’
I would have to say that playing bass guitar in quite a few bands was really memorable. For those of you just starting out playing electric guitar, you might want to start thinking about who you know that plays guitar, drums, or any other kind of musical instrument and see if you could get together with them.
Playing in a band you will find your learning curve will increase. Your concentration will definitely be better, and your learning resources will increase. I know for me in the 60′s we fed off each other as well as helped each other when someone had questions on how to play something.
Some of us had expensive electric guitars while others had cheap electric guitars, while others new how to play but had no guitar and would borrow one from someone else. When someone had a gig and needed either a guitar amplifier, or bass amplifier, or maybe a twelve string guitar the word would go out and before the gig someone would be there to lend you that guitar.
Being in a band for me was the best of times, I learned to share music as well as made friends for life.
Ever since The Beatles exploded on the scene in America in the 60′s, bringing with them their new concept on what to do with electric guitars and bass guitars, the music scene has never been the same. They were pioneers in a new music as well as the way this new music was presented.
Their outdoor performances brought about changes in the way we listen to music. The electric guitar packages they used were armed with guitar amplifiers made by VOX. They used 100 watt amplifiers which were at the time innovative, unfortunately at the concert at Shea Stadium in Flushing NY they proved to be not enough power, so that gig spawned the making of guitar and bass amplifiers with more power. Using their experiences the makers of guitar amplifiers and bass amplifiers have made the monster amps you see your favorite bands use today. This is one more example of what we owe The Beatles.
This time of year everyone focuses on red ones, blue ones, green ones, yellow ones, and I’m not talking about Christmas decorations either. What comes to my mind is bass guitar packages and electric guitar packages, and the choices that you have when looking for that new musical instrument.
When it comes to electric guitars the styles and colors vary so much that it almost makes it difficult to pick one out. The stratocaster (strat for short) style is by far the most popular and don’t overlook the SG, or LP style either. The telecaster (tele for short) is a good choice along with the jazz style guitar. After you pick out your new guitar it’s time to match it up with the right guitar amplifier, or bass amplifier, if you are a bass guitar player like me.
When you first start out playing guitar the first thing you do is go out and buy an electric guitar and a guitar amplifier. Being new you are so excited you plug the amp into the wall, plug your electric guitar into your new amplifier using the guitar cable, turn up the volume and start to play.
After a while of playing you start playing around with the controls knobs on your amplifier, you know the ones that say treble, middle, and bass on the cheaper amplifiers, and on the better ones like 125,250, 500, 1k, and 2k. What these controls are referring to is equalization, with bass controlling the low frequencies, middle the mid, and treble the high frequencies. There is no right or wrong way to set these, it is all up to the sound that is pleasing to you.
Don’t feel left out if you play bass guitar, the only thing that changes for you is that you need to use a bass amplifier. Bass amplifiers are many a little beefier to handle the low frequencies. If you play an acoustic electric guitar you have an added advantage, you acoustic guitar comes with an on board equalizer built into the controls of your acoustic guitar, all you need is an amplifier.
Each on of these can be found in guitar packages for bass, electric and acoustic guitars.
Electric guitars and electric bass guitars are great instruments. There’s just one catch, you can’t play an electric guitar without having a guitar amplifier, and if you are planning to play a bass guitar make sure you use a bass amplifier.
Luckily you can purchase either one in what is called electric guitar packages and bass guitar packages, instead of getting each piece separately. Acoustic guitars are a bit different, to play an acoustic guitar you don’t need an amplifier unless you are going to be playing a gig, then you would need an acoustic electric guitar that has a built in pick-up and can be played with or without an amplifier. This too can be found in acoustic guitar packages.
When it comes to playing electric guitars, acoustic guitars, or bass guitars just picking up a cheap electric guitar isn’t enough. Everyone needs an idol, you know someone who you look up to. The person or people who made you want to play guitar.
When The Beatles started out they admired Buddy Holly, and the sound that he introduced with just a double bass, a drummer, and an electric guitar. Their vocals were taken from the Everly Brothers. Check out Bruce Springsteen, one of his influences was Woody Guthrie. Look up any artist who might be your favorite and you will find they all had idols.
The Internet has made finding information about musicians and the equipment they prefer easy. When I started you learned about bass guitar packages by going to a music store with whatever money you could afford, trying bass guitars and bass amplifiers that fit your budget and purchasing them.
When I first started playing bass guitar I had only one bass guitar. I was perfectly content with the idea of having only one bass guitar, but then it happened. I don’t know when it happened but it happened.
Suddenly I had two bass guitars and to go with those two bass guitars I had two bass amplifiers. I currently own four bass guitars along with three bass amplifiers. The first two bass guitars I purchased separately. I followed each one by obtaining a bass amplifier afterwards. My last one I found this great bass guitar package that had everything I needed. Bass guitar packages didn’t exist when I first started to play but I’m sure glad they exist now.
As far as the title of this blog, yes it is still happening today and it has spread because I now own electric guitar packages along with acoustic guitar packages. Ain’t life wonderful.
Electric guitar packages are a great idea because like the title says, it’s in there. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out, or a seasoned veteran playing an electric guitar what you get with an electric guitar package is everything you need.
Oh by the way if your preference is bass guitar or acoustic guitar don’t feel left out, there are bass guitar packages as well as acoustic guitar packages. Do you want to play guitar, it’s in there. Do want an guitar or bass amplifier, it’s in there, how about a digital tuner, gig bag, and a guitar stand, they are in there too. How about an added bonus of a guitar polish and cloths to keep the appearance of your guitar looking new, it’s also in there.
Practicing bass guitar which is what I was trained on since I was a teenager, is no different than someone playing and electric guitar, or even acoustic guitar. I have found through the years that playing guitar is a lot like life itself, you have good days, bad days, and days that are down right ugly.
For me I’m happy to say at least to date that most days are good days. I define good days as days that I not only listen to the music I am playing, but I also feel the music. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying I don’t have bad days because I do. For me a bad day is one that I am listening to the music but not necessarily feeling it. Of course life wouldn’t be complete without those ugly days, you know the ones, for me it is the ones I don’t hear or feel the music, those are the days my practice sessions are very short.
If I find myself having a few of those ugly days in a row I will try changing something like using a different bass amplifier or anything else that would give me new bass guitar packages that would change my sound and increase my awareness.
When I started out in music in that mid 1960′s I purchased my very first bass guitar with the money I made on my paper-route. When it was time to play with other musicians in the neighborhood I found it amazing and sometimes funny to see the custom guitar packages that each guy had put together for themselves.
I had just a standard 4 string bass guitar along with a bass amplifier both being knockoffs, while some guys had Fender guitars teamed with Fender guitar amplifiers. The one thing I remember about jamming with a group of friends, as well as the bands I have been in through the years is that when it comes to music everyone shares information. The knowledge they had accumulated being better musicians than me they past on to me, just as I do with someone of lesser talent than me.