Sooner or later you are going to need a bass guitar strap, so here are a few hints and tips about choosing and using one. Bass guitars tend to be heavier than regular guitars and you want it to be comfortable. Go for a strap that is at least 2-3 inches wide. This will spread the load over a greater area of your shoulder and will be much more comfortable than a skinny one. Read more »

In this article we take a look at what are not really bass guitar effects, but units that help control your volume. More accurately called dynamic controllers they control the volume under various playing conditions. We will discuss three types of dynamic controllers: compressors, limiters and noise gates. Read more »

An alternative to the pedal board with several bass guitar effects pedals held on with Velcro is one of the multi-effects units on the market. As the name suggests, these are several, often dozens, of different effects units combined in a single box. Only one power supply needed, programmable patches so you can have a different sound for every song if you like. So are multi-effects units the way of the future? Read more »

In this article we look at modulation. The effects units in this article modulate or manipulate the original sound in some way to produce a different sound. We will look at the three most common types of effects in this category: Chorus, Phase Shifters and Flangers. Read more »

Over time, bass guitar strings gradually become dull and lifeless. Sweat and oil from your fingers and general dirt become trapped in the string windings. The acid in your sweat will attack the strings and gradually prevent them from vibrating as well as they did when new. Read more »

Echo, delay and reverb are bass guitar effects that when used properly can add a little depth and interest to your sound. These types of effects are probably more suited to recording than for live performances. In rooms with poor acoustics, you will be trying your hardest to reduce echo and reverb, not add to it. However, these effects units do have their place in a bass player’s box of tricks and so lets take a little look at what they do. Read more »

One of the most popular bass guitar effects used today is distortion. It comes in many flavors from a subtle, sweet-sounding overdrive to a raunchy, full-blown distortion. The type of distortion for you will depend upon your playing style and the type of music you play. For example, a hard-edged, full-on distorted sound would not be well suited to blues. 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 »

Choosing bass guitar strings can be a daunting experience. There are many different types available and although the perfect strings for you are out there somewhere, finding them is not always easy. Bass guitar strings are quite expensive, so you do not want to be wasting your hard-earned money on the wrong choices. Read more »

In this final part in our series of posts on how to tune a bass guitar we look at electronic tuners. Available in pocket-size models costing around $20 to large rack mounted models costing several hundred dollars, electronic tuners are a highly accurate means of tuning any instrument and after using one for a while you will wonder how you ever managed without one. Read more »

There are several methods you can use for tuning a bass guitar. In this first post we discuss two methods: how to tune to a piano and relative tuning. We will also talk about the pros and cons of each method. Read more »