The Burning Questions of Bass Answered Pt. 1
Talking shop at BassBros mostly means talking bass (it’s a tough life) and over the years we’ve covered every topic under the sun. Some discussions crop up more often than others, however, and we’re going to take this opportunity to get some answers down on digital paper and set the record straight.
If you’ve got a question not answered here or elsewhere in the digital realm, fire us a message and we’ll see about getting it solved! With that said, here are our answers to some of the burning questions of bassists around the world. We plan to add more to this series, so keep your eyes peeled for part 2.
What is a short scale bass for?
Short scale basses have seen a surge in popularity in recent years but are all too often still seen as the second-cousin to our trusty 34” scale brethren. There’s certainly been some stigma around playing a shorter scale instrument, with some arguing that they lack the same definition of a long scale bass and are ‘cheating’ - a statement we find kind of ridiculous, personally. If it plays well and sounds good, it’s good!
Short scale basses absolutely have differences to long scale basses, the most notable being:
- Smaller spacing between frets and a shorter neck aids in playability and ease of use for those with smaller hands
- Lower string tension compared to long scale with equivalent strings improves playing speed but requires some technique adjustment
- Typically lighter weight improves comfort during long gigs and is ideal for anyone with back, neck, or shoulder aggravations
- Reduced transient tones and a stronger fundamental note due to reduced string length
Short scales offer several tangible benefits over long scale basses, especially in the playability and comfort department, requiring less stretching across frets to play the same riff and being less physically taxing to play. You can see a clear difference in the length of a 30" scale and 34" scale bass in the picture below.
Regarding tone, it is probably the biggest point of controversy and worth exploring if you can get your hands on a quality short scale bass. Due to the shorter length of the strings at only 30”, the tone of a plucked note is considerably darker and more rooted in the note itself. Long scale basses often have more pronounced overtones and transient notes accompanying the fundamental note you play, which can add dynamics and richness to your sound. With that said, many famous bassists have relied on short scale basses to drive their sound - Paul McCartney (The Beatles), Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones), and Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads) - so it’s gotta be good!
Are neck-through basses better?
While the majority of basses that pass through BassBros are bolt-on designs, where the neck and body are manufactured separately and bolted together, we are no strangers to some of the gorgeous neck-through basses that come our way. But which is better? Are they even different?
Well, it’s a difficult one to answer definitively, given the mutable nature of basses - different woods, electronics, scale lengths, construction processes, string choice, and more - but we have noticed a few factors worth considering.
In our experience, neck-through basses typically:
- Have a better feel at the upper frets due to a seamless neck heel
- Feel incredibly sturdy due to their interconnected construction
- Deliver superb sustain and a consistent tone
- Are less susceptible to ‘ski jump’ neck issues - where a bump can develop at the point the neck meets the body - than bolt-on basses
The main drawback to a neck-through bass is in repairability and maintenance. Given that the neck and body are permanently connected, any issues that do arise with your neck or body that can’t be remedied will likely spell the end of that bass guitar’s utility.
With a bolt-on, providing the measurements fit, it is a relatively common practice to swap out necks to meet the needs of the individual. These kinds of issues are incredibly rare in our experience and very few are serious enough to write a bass off completely, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless!
How often should I service my bass?
In a perfect world, our beloved basses would withstand all the travel, storage, gigging, and abuse/love (depending on your point of view) that we dish out to them. The reality is, however, that every bass on the planet is going to need looking at every so often.
There’s no hard and fast rule, as it largely depends on how much use you get out of that specific instrument, but we have a few pieces of advice that will help to keep your bass in top playing condition for years to come.
- Cleaning - every 3 months
- General check and adjustments - every 6 months or if the bass feels odd to play
- Full service - every 12 months
If you follow these guidelines, you should be in good stead to keep your bass from developing any issues and it will always be in playing condition when you need it. We always recommend learning how to maintain your instruments, as it can save you money and help you understand more about your instrument, but don’t be afraid to take your bass to a qualified luthier or guitar technician for the bigger services to get the best results.
How do you maintain a bass properly?
Bass maintenance is more than the setup itself, maintenance involves every aspect of handling your instrument. Here are our top tips for ensuring your bass is kept in the best condition:
- Store your bass in an upright position with the headstock at the top or store it lying down without weight on the case. If you are storing your bass for lengthy periods without playing it or checking on it, detune the strings to reduce the tension on the neck
- Keep your bass in a humidity-controlled environment whenever possible, and be sure to check neck relief and tuning whenever you have transported the instrument through numerous temperature or humidity changes
- Setup and check over your instruments regularly, following setup guidance for the best results, and get familiar with how your bass feels when set up optimally so you know when it’s changed
We’ll be releasing our step-by-step setup guide soon, the very one we use in-house when setting up basses for you to try in-store, so keep an eye out for that post. We’ll also be following this up with a part 2 answering more of the burning questions of bass in the future. That’s all for today!
G&L: The Sounds & Players of Leo’s Swansong
G&L Musical Instruments is the final brainchild of the legendary Leo Fender after his departure from Fender. The company was formed in 1979 alongside longtime collaborator and friend George Fullerton, who is credited with contributing designs for the first solid-body electric guitar, and the name G&L is an abbreviation of their first names - a testament to the faith they had in the company and instruments.
The name G&L doesn’t come with quite the pedigree of heavy hitters Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, and Music Man in the music world at large, but ask any bassist worth their salt whether a G&L is a top-quality bass and you’ll get a resounding yes every time. The 45-year tenure of G&L in the bass world can be best described as a quiet rumble - often considered, never quite the mainstream.
A series of design innovations were implemented into many of their Fullerton factory products, such as the hi-mass ‘saddle lock’ bridge that uses a side-setting screw to secure bridge saddles and improve sustain, and Leo is on record saying that G&L instruments were ‘the best instruments I have ever made.’
What bassists use G&L basses?
You won’t find quite the stories list of bassists laying down grooves with a G&L in their hands as competitor offerings, but plenty of top artists swear by their trusty L-1000 or ASAT model as their go-to axe of choice, and the players we’ve picked showcase the capabilities and versatility of the G&L brand.
Before we dive into the tracks of the day, we have to give a special mention to David Steele’s incredible moves when performing with the Fine Young Cannibals and sporting his L-2000, it’s worth the watch.
With that out of the way, let’s get to it!
Tom Hamilton: Aerosmith’s Walk This Way (1975)
While eagle-eyed readers will spot the date of this track landing 4 years before G&L was even founded, we cannot discount that Tom Hamilton has been a longstanding player of G&L. He has used a G&L ASAT bass since 2000 and even has a signature model to his name.
Walk This Way is a classic Aerosmith track that exemplifies their stomping melodies and riff-based songwriting. Tom focuses on supporting the main guitar lines with an active bass line that moves around a C major during the verse - darting between the 4th, 5th, and flat 7th notes to create the verse, and a chromatic run off the A for the iconic main riff.
Check out Tom and the Aerosmith crew rocking it up just down the road from us at BassBros during Download 2014 in Donington Park. He’s sporting his signature G&L ASAT bass in all its sparkling glory.
How to get the Walk This Way tone
Realistically, any classic rock styling with a bit of gain is going to serve you well when playing this one back so don’t worry about being fussy with your tone, but here are our tips to recreate Hamilton’s sound:
- G&L ASAT bass
- Bonus points for playing the signature model
- Medium amount of drive mixed into a clean signal
- Mid and trebles boosted, small cut to bass
- Play with fingers to keep a smooth attack throughout the riff
Dee Murray: Elton John’s I’m Still Standing (1983)
Dee Murray is the longtime bassist for singer/songwriter and ivory key extraordinaire Elton John. His bass playing can be heard on no less than 13 of Elton’s 31 disc catalogue and has been featured on many of Elton’s biggest hits.
I’m Still Standing is a dance-led track that features quintessentially 80’s synths, a popping bass line soaked in chorus and flanging effects, and the dangerously catchy ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’ that’s just popped into your brain. The core of the bass plants firmly on the beat, driving a quarter-note pulse throughout the entire song. Murray throws in a number of octave pops that can be heard as he moves through the main chord progression, as seen below.
The key is to just focus on keeping a steady pace and colume throughout the whole run, which can be especially tricky if you're using a slap style to get the best sound and to throw in impromptu pops. We've left the specific octaves out of the tab above, so just experiment with adding various ones in and find the ones that work for you!
How to get the I’m Still Standing tone
Although we can’t be sure, it’s incredibly likely that there was a synth bass layered over the top of Dee Murray’s take. The sound of the bassline is so synthetic in nature that it would take a gargantuan amount of chorus and flange to get close to what we can hear on the record. So yeah, that’s the plan!
- G&L L-1000 with active pickups
- Heavy use of chorus and flange effects
- Mid and trebles boosted
- Play with a slap technique to make the pops stand out
The Bottom Line
We always feel that G&L don’t get the love they really deserve. Every single one that comes through the doors at BassBros feels incredible, sounds huge, and is endlessly versatile to suit a wide array of musical styles - from the Indonesian-made Tribute series to the top-of-the-line USA models.
Leo Fender has done more for the bass world than almost anyone, and G&L is the lasting legacy of a true musical visionary. If you’ve never had the pleasure of giving a G&L bass a spin, we highly recommend you take the time to - you won’t be disappointed.
We have a selection of G&L basses available at BassBros, so feel free to get in touch and arrange an appointment to find your perfect bass.
Music Man: The Sounds & Players of the StingRay
Formed in 1974 with the silent support of Leo Fender after selling Fender to CBS, the Music Man company quickly cemented its place in bass royalty with the 1976 release of the StingRay. Widely considered the first active electronic bass to hit the consumer market, the tone shaping and EQ capabilities were unlike anything on the market and it became a pioneer for funk and aggressively-positioned players across the globe.
Music Man experimented with the production of guitars and amps as part of their product catalogue, but nothing had the same appeal or staying power of the StingRay and were eventually discontinued. Ernie Ball purchased the Music Man company in 1984, leading to the brand we’re used to today - Ernie Ball Music Man. Since this acquisition, the brand has gone from strength to strength, reintroducing guitars and other bass models to the roster - we’re looking at you Bongo Bass - and launching the daughter brand Sterling to provide a budget alternative to the StingRay line.
What bassists use StingRays?
Many bassists have chosen Music Man basses as their tool of choice, and some of the most iconic basslines in history have been recorded with this storied axe. Notable players include Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie), Pino Palladino, and Joe Dart, along with the bassists we’ve featured below. Let’s explore some of the iconic players of the Music Man StingRay.
Tony Levin: Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer (1986)
The mad hatter of bass himself, Tony Levin is one of the most creative and experimental bassists alive. He has pioneered new techniques, including the creation of the ‘funk fingers’ - small sticks that attach to the fingers for a unique slap sound - and the use of the Chapman stick instrument. Tony is notably the longstanding player for Peter Gabriel and King Crimson.
One of the finest examples of Levin’s approach to simple, hooky bass lines would be Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer. This romping 80s anthem is built on a rock-solid drum beat that maintains a consistent energy, giving Levin’s funky bass line space to create the movement that the track is so well known for. The iconic verse riff is played within an Eb major scale with a flattened 7th (Eb Mixolydian for the theory buffs), giving it that funky edge. Check out the notation and tablature below to play along.
How to get the Sledgehammer tone
Upon hearing the first note, it’s clear Levin’s got something going on here beyond just the groove. Here’s our tips to dial in the Sledgehammer tone on a Music Man StingRay:
- Active StingRay with a small push on bass and slight roll-off on treble EQs
- Bonus points for playing fretless as Tony does on the track
- Octave pedal with a blend of input signal and 1 octave below
- Chorus pedal dialled to your preference
- Play with a pick to get the attack in the riff
Louis Johnson: Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean (1983)
We’re willing to bet you can already hear that unmistakable bass line in your head - Louis Johnson put down that defining lick for Michael Jackson in addition to others from the Thriller album, including Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ and P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). Johnson’s bass playing can be found all across the disco and funk era, and he’s considered one of the pioneers of slap bass alongside Larry Graham - Louis even earned the nickname ‘thunder thumbs’ for his aggressive technique.
The Billie Jean bassline almost writes itself but is firmly rooted in the song’s key of F-sharp minor. It plays a consistent line throughout the majority of the song, and the ticket to the tone is to play evenly throughout the entire riff. Here’s the notation and tablature of the song’s main bass line.
The bass heard on Billie Jean is composed of three layers of synthesisers augmenting the core bass itself, so you can get creative with how you want to approach it. Instead, here’s some additional listening to get your fix of Johnson playing with Brothers Johnson on the disco hit Stomp!
Garry Tallent: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s Prove It All Night (1978)
Perhaps one of the most underappreciated bassists in the hard rock landscape, Garry Tallent is a founding member of the legendary E Street Band that has played alongside Bruce Springsteen since the early 70s. Although today you’ll see him rocking a Spector Shorty live, Garry spent a good deal of the early years on a StingRay bass.
Prove It All Night is one of the best snippets of Garry Tallent’s… well, talent, and shows that a well-rooted melodic bass line can elevate a song and make it something special. Played in the key of A major, the main riff that runs through the intro and majority of the verse is played within an A major scale, using the triad notes A (1st), C# (3rd), and E (5th) as the core, with generous use of the F (6th) to complete the riff and add intrigue. Here’s that riff below to play along.
How to get the Prove It All Night tone
Tallent isn’t known for shaking things up in the tone department. His signature sound has remained consistent throughout the decades, focusing on being a foundational cog in the Springsteen wheel instead of taking centre stage. Here’s how to get the tone:
- Music Man StingRay with 3-band EQ preferred
- Small boost to bass and a roll-off on mids and treble EQs
- Play with fingers to get a smooth attack and rounded sound
The Bottom Line
If you’ve been on the fence about whether a StingRay - or any of the Music Man and Sterling catalogue - is right for you, the answer is a resounding yes. The innovative active electronics defined a new generation of bassists leading into the 1980s and the StingRay is widely considered as iconic as any Precision or Jazz bass you’d find.
There really is nothing like it, and Music Man’s strive to craft the finest quality instruments possible from their San Luis Obispo factory in California ensures that any StingRay you add to your arsenal will become a mainstay.
We have a selection of Music Man basses available at BassBros, so feel free to get in touch and arrange an appointment.