Should i bought a bass or just program it?

[Blackspell-666]

I'm really interested in playing bass recently for recording my own music and playaround with some songs i like. i find their sound is really cool but as a guitar player i know absolutely nothing about it.

I mainly play modern metal on my 7 string guitar tuned to Drop G# and pitch shift to anything higher or lower. Example of bands like : Periphery, Meshuggah, Vildhjarta, Alpha Wolf, Monuments, Architects, Gojira.

I'm really not sure if i should start playing bass or just program it. I have my eyes on a 5 string Squier affinity Jazz bass and using Neural dsp Parallax plugin as my amp. Is a J bass capable of playing music like this interms of pickup,scale length etc. And what string gauge should i use? I see people recommended some Ibanez and Stingray but i really hate how they looks. Also should i be fine pitch shifting bass using the same pitch shifting plugins for guitar?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Follow your heart.

 

[Lozek]

If you want immediate 'perfect' results, Programme. If you want to learn a whole load of new skills by trial and error, push your range and understanding of music and find out what personal preferences you have, buy a bass.

 

[zerofocus]

I think if you wanted to something more than rather “basic” (you know more than just finger/pick like harmonics etc) bass then I’d get a real bass

however if you already tab your songs then programmed might be the fastest route in the long run, especially how good virtual bass in particular is getting

 

[DudeManBrother]

If you buy a bass, you can still program if you want.

 

[Captain Shoggoth]

Bass is a guitar but it really isn't played like a regular guitar, even if you use a pick. They're different beasts and should be written with different mindsets. Buying one will improve your ability to write for bass astronomically, plus they're fun to play

 

[Adieu]

You can downtune a 4 string, chances are you won't use the high string if you're a bass noob anyway

 

[Screamingdaisy]

Playing bass will produce a different feel than programming, particularly if you don’t play bass and have no idea how it’s supposed to feel.

 

[bostjan]

Step 1 - buy bass
Step 2 - pick up bass
Step 3 - try to play bass
Step 4 - get frustrated
Step 5 - program bass
Step 6 - ???
Step 7 - profit

 

[thebeesknees22]

I always toss my vote in with buying a bass vs programming. It just comes across as more natural. (plus bass is super fun imho)

Bass is just guitar tuned way way down. Same notes. You do not have to play with your fingers. Playing with a pick is totally fine no matter what anyone else says. lol

and did I mention bass is super fun. 'cause it's super fun. I recommend everyone have one, but that's just me. haha

*and get a 5 string to go with your 7. own two 4 strings and one 5. .... Just get a 5.

 

[Riverview]

Im not some crazy bass player but I'm starting to get professional equipment , and if you're tuning that low ( btw I've seen a 3rd of the bands you mentioned live ) you're going to need to shell out a fair bit for something that'll sound good .

Sounds like your pretty keen with computers and DAWs , so you can probably find a way , but of you're looking for the best sound quickly , programming is probably the best bet and less of a headache .

 

[Manurack]

Why not do the best of both worlds? Buy a bass, record the bass.

If not satisfied with the results? Then you can at least program the bass and possibly learn it on the real thing.

 

[TedEH]

I'm really interested in playing bass

Sounds like you answered your own question. Interested in bass? Try out some bass. Bass is fun in it's own way.

Is a J bass capable of playing music like this interms of pickup,scale length etc.

Lots of people play J-style basses for metal. I play a Jazz V, but I don't downtune much. If money was no object and I wanted to downtune really far, I'd probably look into a Dingwall Super-J. They look cool, probably play well, but they're gonna cost. J- style pickups work great for lots of things. Long scale lengths will help if you're downtuning, but they're not a necessity. Someone who knows better can answer the string gauge question.

Also should i be fine pitch shifting bass using the same pitch shifting plugins for guitar?

I don't see why not.

 

[Dayn]

I say both. I have a bass, but it's not suitable for the type of stuff I want. So I use a VST instead. Have fun playing the bass, avoid the hassle and program a bass until you can get the result you want when recording.

 

[ixlramp]

I'm really interested in playing bass recently

As stated by others, there is your answer. With music and instruments it is good to follow your intuition.

If you want a G#0 lowest string, beware of old fashioned bass guitars. A 35" scale will help tone, and to use really big gauges you will probably need a modern top-loading and slot-loading bridge. You can probably find an old-fashioned looking bass guitar with modern hardware.
I suggest a .145 for G#0 as a starting point.

 

[Blackspell-666]

As stated by others, there is your answer. With music and instruments it is good to follow your intuition.

If you want a G#0 lowest string, beware of old fashioned bass guitars. A 35" scale will help tone, and to use really big gauges you will probably need a modern top-loading and slot-loading bridge. You can probably find an old-fashioned looking bass guitar with modern hardware.
I suggest a .145 for G#0 as a starting point.

From where i live the biggest gauge i could find is .135, so what's the lowest note they could go on the "34 scale squier J bass? Also should it be fine go through the bridge slot and tuning pegs? If i have to fix all of that i'll probably just use vst.

 

[Riverview]

From where i live the biggest gauge i could find is .135, so what's the lowest note they could go on the "34 scale squier J bass? Also should it be fine go through the bridge slot and tuning pegs? If i have to fix all of that i'll probably just use vst.

135 will fit fine for 99% of basses on the market , don't worry about the tuners and nut . Going against the grain here , but you can probably go to a B on that thing but it'll get pretty floppy in my opinion , but I'm not you so maybe that's fine for your playing . Once you're getting to stuff below a 5 string bass in standard tuning ( BEADG ) you're going to want to go up to like 145 - 150 for anything lower .

 

[bostjan]

There's no magic threshold. Get whichever string you can get, and then tune it to whatever sounds good (and feels good) to you. If it's not enough, look into other workarounds.

Personally, I don't like the sound and feel of super thick bass strings. I think thinner strings tuned slack sound and feel better. I've used a .135" down to F0, and, if you use a gentle touch, it sounds better than a .160", ...to me. But, in order to find your own sweet spot, you have to try some different things first.

 

[WarMachine]

Is a J bass capable of playing music like this interms of pickup,scale length etc. And what string gauge should i use?

They definitely do. I have a 4 string squier jazz bass and it sounds great for metal. Im normally 9 times out of 10 a GHS Boomers fan, but for bass i'm really liking the D'Addario EXL160's 50-120's. They last, keep a good tone longer than the boomers do (for the bass at least) and handle down tuning very well. The highest i tune is C# standard, i normally stay in drop B/A# and they sound great in that range. No flub, just good grind and snap.

 

[Hexer]

Most 5-strings on the market are 34" scale as well. Personally I play a 34" scale 5-string tuned down one step to A-Standard and I like a pretty clear, snappy, aggressive sound. My lowest string is a .135 and it works fine. G is just another step lower so it should be possible, especially with a string that gives you a bit more tension. A longer scale may help some of course.

I personally love the sound of Jazz-Bass style basses (Ash body, dual singlecoils) for metal and also in general. My Esh Stinger I follows that basic concept as well but has active single coils.