Acoustic-Electric Bass

I hate starting threads that are unnecessary but i really have to learn. :D

1) I just bought a bass cuz my "band" has no bass player and everyone can play piano but no one plays bass. I was wondering if could plug an A/E bass into a guitar amp w/o it blowing the thing out.

2) Is my battery dead or waht? When i press teh "Batt Check" button, nothing happens. is that LED light supposed to be a tuner, is it supposed to come on when i press it?

3) Why do i keep geting buzzing sounds when i play? I am cupping my hand in guitar-like fashion but it doesnt seem to work for bass and i still am not used to the change in action and thinckness.

Thanks a lot for any help!! :)

Originally Posted by: bunmiadefisayoI hate starting threads that are unnecessary but i really have to learn. :D

1) I just bought a bass cuz my "band" has no bass player and everyone can play piano but no one plays bass. I was wondering if could plug an A/E bass into a guitar amp w/o it blowing the thing out.

2) Is my battery dead or waht? When i press teh "Batt Check" button, nothing happens. is that LED light supposed to be a tuner, is it supposed to come on when i press it?

3) Why do i keep geting buzzing sounds when i play? I am cupping my hand in guitar-like fashion but it doesnt seem to work for bass and i still am not used to the change in action and thinckness.

Thanks a lot for any help!! :)

1) Check out this thread, it should answer your question: http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18515

2)I'm not really sure what you're referring to here...sorry

3)Is the buzzing coming from the amp or bass? If it's the amp it's probably the speaker. If it's the bass it's probably that you aren't holding down the strings hard enough. Bass strings are a lot thicker than guitar, you have to push them down quite hard in comparison to fret them.

Well hope this helps with some of your questions. More details would help us out, too.

Ok thanks but what details do you need again?

By the battery i mean the one that comes with the 4 band EQ on the A/E bass. Its not lighting up and i dont know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Usually if LED lights dont come on, its a bad thing. In regards to the buzzing, it is coming from the bass itself. The strings really are difficult to fret and my fingers keep slipping.

Another annoying thing is that i dont sound like a bass player, rather i sound like a lead guitar player who just plays a deep sounding guitar. :(.

Well it could help to tell what model the bass is, for one.

As for the rest, keep practicing and you'll be able to hold the strings down better. You will probably develop a better bass technique with practice as well.

Play your bass with your finger prints not your finger tips. You will get a whole new set of calouses.

Originally Posted by: MFergusonPlay your bass with your finger prints not your finger tips. You will get a whole new set of calouses.

See, now thats awkward but i'll try.

See, me I played bass before guitar so I'm all backwards :D

I would still like to know what model that bass is though...both curious and it could help with that light question.

Originally Posted by: acapellaSee, me I played bass before guitar so I'm all backwards :D

I would still like to know what model that bass is though...both curious and it could help with that light question.

OK as far as model goes, i bought it off eBay and all that came was Natural Acoustic-Electric. Then it had some numbers on it (im at work so i cant remember). I'm just glad i have a bass player here as i need a few questions answered. How do i fret teh thing? THe strings are too thick and i keep slipping, how do i NOT sound like a lead player cuz thats what im doing since playing roots is a bit boring. THanks a lot.

The fact that the strings are thick, honestly, is something that can't be helped. Bass strings, acoustic even more so, are thick, much thicker than guitar strings, which, obviously, you know. All you can do, really,is keep working at holding them down. Just work on a very simple run in the first position, like:

G|--------------------------1-2-3-4-|
D|------------------1-2-3-4---------|
A|---------1-2-3-4------------------|
E|-1-2-3-4--------------------------|

Use index finger for the first fret, middle for the second, ring for third and pinky for fourth. This shape can be moved to any position on the fretboard, and you should use it for playing any song. Practice that in different positions on the fretboard, ascending and descending, and use it to work on getting used to fretting the bass strings properly and getting used to the longer neck and wider distance between frets that a bass has. After you work on this for a while, you should be have no problems fretting and be ready for more advanced excercises and songs.