There was a time when bass guitars came with only 4 strings and choosing a new beginner bass guitar was relatively simple. Now 5 and 6 string instruments are commonplace and the choice is not as easy. Here are several points to consider before buying your first bass guitar. Read more »

The body is home for several components including the pickups, bridge, scratch plate or pick guard, controls and strap buttons. Read more »

Learning where each note is on the bass guitar fretboard is essential if you want to become more than what I call a parrot player. I am talking about someone who learns the bass line for a song by ear and just plays it like a parrot. He doesn’t know which notes he is playing or what key the song is in. This person is really limited by his lack of knowledge. A good knowledge of the fretboard will make you much more versatile and put you in control of your playing. Read more »

Continuing our discussion of the various methods of tuning a bass guitar, this post talks about an advanced method involving the use of harmonics. At several points along the strings, it is possible to produce bell-like sounds known as harmonics. These harmonics can be used to tune to a high degree of accuracy. Read more »

If you have been playing bass guitar for a while, you may be thinking about spicing up your sound. The easiest way to do this is by using bass guitar effects. Although effects units can be rack-mounted, the most popular ones are pedals or Stomp Boxes. They have the advantage for live playing as you can switch them on and off with your feet while playing. Apart from helping to shape your sound and make it distinctive, you will also improve your tap-dancing skills. Read more »