Jump to content
Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

playing with pics


martyedward

Recommended Posts

Hey everyone im new to the forum and was just wondering if any of you could help me. I have been playing bass for a few years now and i play with a pic. I was wondering if any of you knew if theres a certain way i should set up my rig. Like for example more bass, less mid.. that kind of stuff..you know to complement the sound of a pic.

 

any help would be apreciated.

 

thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 9
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Welcome! We have had quite a few "Pick" topics lately (search button bla bla bla). Check them out, they may be helpfull.

 

Bassically, if it sounds right to you, it is right. If you're playing in a cover band or tribute band things may be different.

 

Warning! There are some people that really frown on pick use among us bass gods, but more and more of us are open minded these days.

If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's really all about personal preference Marty. Each of us must play with our settings and technique to produce the sounds that make us happy.

http://www.acousticalsolutions.com/

Basses:

'73 Fender Telecaster Bass

'85 Modulus Quantum 6 Thruneck Custom Pre-Serial

'86 G&L L2000 Fretless

Opus 5 String "Frankenwood" Fretless

www.Ebassist.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've tried pick playing, but I cannot seem to get the angle right, so I stick with finger-style. When I use a pick it seems to scrape across the strings more than anything else.

-- Joe --

 

"If you think you're too old, then you are." --Lemmy Kilmister

"I have not seen a man who is not god already." --Austin Osman Spare

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originally posted by jmrunning3:

I've tried pick playing, but I cannot seem to get the angle right, so I stick with finger-style. When I use a pick it seems to scrape across the strings more than anything else.

I played with a pick for many years when I started. It was on my Gibson EB3. Fast forward 30 years, and I take out a pick to try on my Kinal 5 string. It sounds bad, and I realize I'm scraping the strings.

 

I've fixed this a bit by concentration on technique and by changing the way I hold my hand and moving back toward the bridge. I'm convinced that part of the problem is the placement of pickups and most of all, the finger ramp. I can't pick well where the ramp is, and moving my hand away puts me at an unnatural angle.

 

Tom

www.stoneflyrocks.com

Acoustic Color

 

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the bigger issue is that a lot of folks seem to forget to use the tip of the pick, not the side of the pick. On guitar, you can get away with using the side... not so with bass. You end up with a lot of noise and no sound except for some scritch-scratchy stuff... which is actually pretty cool sounding, but it's generally not too wonderful when you want notes and not noises.

 

In truth, you don't really need to hit the strings with a lot of pick surface--just the point. Hit the string and get off of it... I just grabbed a pick and checked out the way I hold it... Maybe a quarter-inch of the pick sticks out below my fingers when I play.

 

As far as amp settings, that really depends on what you want in a bass tone. To my ear, the real "joy" in pick-playing happens somewhere in the low-mids, where you can find lots of nice growl while maintaining bootiliciousness.

 

But mainly, I'd say it's best to keep yoour EQ fairly flat at first and then play... and listen... if you know how to work your EQ, you'll hear what needs to but cut/boosted to get the sound you want.

\m/

Erik

"To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

--Sun Tzu

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...