general From bass to guitar, and vice versa?

[Probably Lee 197]

I have been playing bass for years, and have recently picked up the guitar. Let's just say picking it up would not be as quick as I anticipated. What are your guys' experience with going from a bass to a guitar, guitar to a bass, or any two instruments in the same family?

[hfiosdhvsdovsdio 86]

I've been playing guitar for 5 years, since I was 10, I went from guitar to bass, on both I play mostly metal (Metallica and Megadeth) they're two different instruments and are hard in their own ways though I can adjust from guitar to bass pretty well, I'm pretty sure you can adjust from bass to guitar pretty well too. Some pointers from my experiences, get used to being able to pick fast and well, and moving around, and using power chords as they're used a lot in guitar and sliding is also used a lot on guitar. this is coming from a guitarist who plays a lot of metal so I don't know what you like to play but I would still take my tips as they're universal.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Treeclimbyou

[Probably Lee 197]

I've been playing guitar for 5 years, since I was 10, I went from guitar to bass, on both I play mostly metal (Metallica and Megadeth) they're two different instruments and are hard in their own ways though I can adjust from guitar to bass pretty well, I'm pretty sure you can adjust from bass to guitar pretty well too. Some pointers from my experiences, get used to being able to pick fast and well, and moving around, and using power chords as they're used a lot in guitar and sliding is also used a lot on guitar. this is coming from a guitarist who plays a lot of metal so I don't know what you like to play but I would still take my tips as they're universal.

I enjoy playing most music. I have mostly been working on my wrist control. Since bass requires no wrist control, (unless you slap or pick) I have been trying to get down picking. I'm curious, what problems did you have going from guitar to bass?

[Hovershy 3,813]

I played guitar when I was pretty young, around 10 or so. Didn't really like it.

 

Started playing bass when I was about 15 and stuck with that ever since.  :comeatus:

[glen 3]

I started out by playing guitar, then about a year later, I started playing bass as well.

 

I now play both, and it's a bit weird to switch back and forth, but you'll get used to it.

[Vox 870]

I'm in the same boat, i started as a bass player and drummer primarily, two peas in a pod as the rhythm section. I bought a guitar not too long ago and have had a bit of difficulty myself trying to articulate around the tiny 6 string fretboard, used to those 4 strings and the jumbo-frets  . I'm quite accustomed to the bass as i play both the electric and the acoustic upright bass. I treat it as a completely different instrument even though looks may be deceiving.

[Metallic Strings 185]

Basses have a longer scale than a guitar and a guitar scale is shorter than a bass scale (at least for me) and as treeclimbyou said, there are lots of chords to learn on a guitar.

It's pretty cool to see all these other people on here play guitar and bass too!

Edited February 26, 2016 by Metallic Strings

[SugarfootWillie 383]

Obligatory background: Bass player of 8 years. I have a 4 string and a 6 string.

 

I use a lot of double-thumb slapping, chords, and 8 finger tapping; as a result there are not many complications I have when playing a guitar. However there are some which I will list below:

 

1. The spacing between the strings is really close, so I end up skipping strings or not putting my fret hand in the right place.

 

2. Guitars are really tiny, and I like to have a neck as thick as a baseball bat, so unless I'm playing a Spanish guitar, the problem of navigating the fretboard in increases.

 

3. Using a pick is next to impossible, but I circumvent this issue by using a flamenco strumming style.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I recently built my own guitar so eventually I will over come these issues.

Edited February 26, 2016 by SugarfootWillie

[hfiosdhvsdovsdio 86]

I enjoy playing most music. I have mostly been working on my wrist control. Since bass requires no wrist control, (unless you slap or pick) I have been trying to get down picking. I'm curious, what problems did you have going from guitar to bass?

Getting used to using the Index and Middle finger was kinda hard but i'm the type of person to adjust pretty fast so I got the hang of it in about 10 minutes and me being a shorter person with shorter arms was also kinda hard especially when the strings were bigger so I had to hold them down harder than on a guitar, like I said bass and guitar are hard in their own ways

 

Also just curious, what model of bass(es) do you use?

 

I use two guitar models

 

A 1971 Fender Telecaster, the neck and frets are original but everything else is rebuilt, looks just like this

Still worth around 2,000$ !

 

And a Jackson Dinky colored blue with a Floyd Rose pickup that can divebomb, worth about 350$ a good deal as it's a very high quality guitar, I use this one a lot of my playing

Edited February 26, 2016 by Treeclimbyou

[Probably Lee 197]

Getting used to using the Index and Middle finger was kinda hard but i'm the type of person to adjust pretty fast so I got the hang of it in about 10 minutes and me being a shorter person with shorter arms was also kinda hard especially when the strings were bigger so I had to hold them down harder than on a guitar, like I said bass and guitar are hard in their own ways

 

Also just curious, what model of bass(es) do you use?

 

I use two guitar models

 

A 1971 Fender Telecaster, the neck and frets are original but everything else is rebuilt, looks just like this

Still worth around 2,000$ !

 

 

And a Jackson Dinky colored blue with a Floyd Rose pickup that can divebomb, worth about 350$ a good deal as it's a very high quality guitar, I use this one a lot of my playing

Those are beautiful

My first bass was a piece of metal on a stick my dad played 16 years ago. Rest it's soul

My current bass is a Cort 5B OPM. The reciept is was is still in the case,  399$. Wood bass is light and comfortable to hold. I am still in love with the color.

The electric guitar I have is pretty bad quality. Gonna be picking up a acoustic soon. My aunt plays guitar, her arms are so short that her wife had to get her a beginner size guitar. For some reason, they company shipped two of them. I got numero dos.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Savage Lee

[IcyHaze 593]

I play both guitar and bass, and even though I started with gutiar and have a lot mroe experience with it, I'm a better bass player than a guitarist. As for difficulty, the only thing that I found awkward was the larger spacings and having to toughen up my fingers for hitting the strings. Blisters, man. Blisters everywhere.

[Probably Lee 197]

I play both guitar and bass, and even though I started with gutiar and have a lot mroe experience with it, I'm a better bass player than a guitarist. As for difficulty, the only thing that I found awkward was the larger spacings and having to toughen up my fingers for hitting the strings. Blisters, man. Blisters everywhere.

Huh, I have never had a problem with blisters on bass. I just got tough easy. When I started guitar though, I was running my fingers down knife blades.

[IcyHaze 593]

Huh, I have never had a problem with blisters on bass. I just got tough easy. When I started guitar though, I was running my fingers down knife blades.

I have a very agressive style on the bass - my biggest influences are probably Steve Harris of Iron Maiden and Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine, so I really hit the strings hard with my index and middle finger to get the sound I like :3

[Probably Lee 197]

I have a very agressive style on the bass - my biggest influences are probably Steve Harris of Iron Maiden and Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine, so I really hit the strings hard with my index and middle finger to get the sound I like :3

RATM has some pretty dope bass parts. Definitely one of my favorite bands. RATM is right next to Tool for me, as for bass.

[SugarfootWillie 383]

@@Treeclimbyou,

 

Yo I'm actually in the middle of building my guitar. I gotta rewire it though cause I read the schematics wrong for connecting the pickup selector to the input jack.

 

 

 

 

Ya'll ever listen to Nathan Hughes? Dude's a beast and I HAVE TO learn his technique.

Edited February 28, 2016 by SugarfootWillie

[IcyHaze 593]

RATM has some pretty dope bass parts. Definitely one of my favorite bands. RATM is right next to Tool for me, as for bass.

 

Yeah, I love throwing on Lateralus and playing along, especially since i got myself a proper delay pedal. Makes playing songs like the Grudge a lot more satisfying. I use a pl;ectrum on the Tool stuff though....judging by the sound, I think he does too. I mean I COULD play it with my fingers but like...it doesn't sound right to me.

[Probably Lee 197]

@@Treeclimbyou,

 

Yo I'm actually in the middle of building my guitar. I gotta rewire it though cause I read the schematics wrong for connecting the pickup selector to the input jack.

 

 

 

 

Ya'll ever listen to Nathan Hughes? Dude's a beast and I HAVE TO learn his technique.

Whoa... Take my money.

 

Yeah, I love throwing on Lateralus and playing along, especially since i got myself a proper delay pedal. Makes playing songs like the Grudge a lot more satisfying. I use a pl;ectrum on the Tool stuff though....judging by the sound, I think he does too. I mean I COULD play it with my fingers but like...it doesn't sound right to me.

Yeah, Tool's bassist does use a pick. I am not good enough with a pick to play tool parts, so I always just finger it. I have been wanting a distortion pedal. How much is a delay pedal?

[IcyHaze 593]

Yeah, Tool's bassist does use a pick. I am not good enough with a pick to play tool parts, so I always just finger it. I have been wanting a distortion pedal. How much is a delay pedal?

Well I originally came from guitar, so I'm well used to picks. I'm comfortable using plectrums or fingers on the bass, so I always try to use what the original player used. When I write my own stuff, it purely depends on the style and feel of the song.

 

A good delay pedal seems to cost over 100 quid online form what I can see - the one I have is the Boss DD-3 which I absolutely adore for either bass or guitar. I got it second-hand but in perfect condition for about 30 quid off a friend of mine. Couldn't say no to a deal like that!

I've never found a distortion for the bass that I've liked, but I did find the bass big muff to have an amazing tone if you want to create a massive wave of sound.

[hfiosdhvsdovsdio 86]

 

@Treeclimbyou,

 

Yo I'm actually in the middle of building my guitar. I gotta rewire it though cause I read the schematics wrong for connecting the pickup selector to the input jack.

 

 

Spoiler 

Where did you get that body, did you make it yourself, i'd like to know!  also good luck on the rest of it, hope it turns out well, i'd like to see it when it's done!

 

Also another curiosity, who are your favorite bassists and guitarists?

 

My favorite bassist would be Cliff Burton of Metallica, he managed to play the bass like a lead guitar, something a lot of bassists struggle with, just listen to these isolated bass tracks of Metallica songs

 

 

 

As for guitarists, i'd say David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, it's long but the solo's in there say why David Gilmour is my favorite

 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Treeclimbyou

[shy0wl 484]

I'm a guitar player, this year is my 3rd year playing. I picked up bass about a year ago and I don't really consider myself a bassist.  I can play it with knowledge from guitar, but I know it's much more intricate than just a guitar with thicker strings.

 

I was surprised that my bass, with only 20 frets, has a longer neck than my Les Paul with 22 frets.  I never expected that at first.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,294]

Not my experience, but my BBBFF is a very gifted guitar player. He plays bass a little, but doesn't care for it. He once told me he can't just go from guitar to bass in one session. He has to work into it for a little while.

(He tried to teach me guitar when I was little...It didn't work *sigh*)

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,816]

Same tuning -2 strings if you're going to four string bass, which I recommend. 6 string bass isn't tuned like a guitar. Instead it's BEADGC, so you'll have a struggle with all 4ths in tuning. I've tried my hand at 4-string bass from 6-string electric guitar, and it was pretty smooth. 

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Let me just say that moving to a cello after years of bass guitar is just as difficult and rewarding as I had imagined it would be. But dear celestia it's such an expensive second instrument.

[SugarfootWillie 383]

Same tuning -2 strings if you're going to four string bass, which I recommend. 6 string bass isn't tuned like a guitar. Instead it's BEADGC, so you'll have a struggle with all 4ths in tuning. I've tried my hand at 4-string bass from 6-string electric guitar, and it was pretty smooth.

I got my C tuned a half step down so I can have two B's

 

 

Where did you get that body, did you make it yourself, i'd like to know!  also good luck on the rest of it, hope it turns out well, i'd like to see it when it's done!

 

Also another curiosity, who are your favorite bassists and guitarists?

 

My favorite bassist would be Cliff Burton of Metallica, he managed to play the bass like a lead guitar, something a lot of bassists struggle with, just listen to these isolated bass tracks of Metallica songs

 

 

 

As for guitarists, i'd say David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, it's long but the solo's in there say why David Gilmour is my favorite

 

 

Aw man, don't make me choose one, it's too hard! I love Rob Trujillo, Jaco Pastorius, Bootsy Collins, John Myung, Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, et al. The same goes for guitarists: I like Alexi Laiho, Chris Letchford, John Petrucci, Jeff Loomis, Tosin Abasi, and Prashant Aswani.

 

I did not make that body, however I have a slimmer and more ergonomic alder body that I made. I changed my mind about how I wanted it to sound after I already built the first next and body. Threw everything to the side to use on another guitar, and coupled the mahogany in the picture with a maple on maple neck. Witth that and the three humbuckers this guitar is going to be insanely hot, bright, and crispy. Can't wait to play her.

[Rainboom Dash 1,055]

I've studied both bass and guitar, but I personally find bass easier to remember and use.