Acoustic Bass Guitar Plans? The 49 Latest Answer

For other bass instruments, see Bass

Two acoustic bass guitars

The acoustic bass guitar (sometimes abbreviated as acoustic bass or initialized ABG) is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to a steel-string acoustic guitar, although usually larger. Like the traditional electric bass guitar and double bass, the acoustic bass guitar commonly has four strings, usually tuned E-A-D-G, an octave below the lowest four strings of the 6-string guitar, which is the same pitch as an electric bass guitar .

Because it can sometimes be difficult to hear an acoustic bass guitar without an amp, even in environments with other acoustic instruments, most acoustic basses have pickups, either magnetic or piezoelectric, or both, so they can be amplified with a bass amp.

The traditional music of Mexico features several types of acoustic bass guitars, such as the guitarrón, a very large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass guitar played in mariachi bands, the león, which is plucked with a plectrum, and the bajo sexto, with six pairs of strings.

history [edit]

Eston acoustic bass guitar without electric pickup, fretless but with fret-like markings, made in Italy in the 1980s

The basso guitar, built by the Regal Musical Instrument Company, was probably the first mass-produced acoustic bass to use a guitar-like body.[1] This was an upright instrument, too large to be played crosswise. The first modern acoustic bass guitar was developed by Kay of Chicago in the mid-1950s. Harptone began production of their B4 model under the Supreme name in 1965; Production ended in 1975. They also made a very limited number under the Standel logo. Ernie Ball of San Luis Obispo, California began producing a model in the early ’70s. Ball’s goal was to provide bass guitarists with a more acoustic instrument that better suited the sound of acoustic guitars. Ball stated, “…if there were electric bass guitars to go with electric guitars, then you should have acoustic basses to go with acoustic guitars.” Ball said that “…the closest thing to an acoustic bass was the Mexican guitarron…in mariachi bands, so I bought one down in Tijuana and tinkered with it.”[2]

Ball worked with George William Fullerton, a former Fender employee, to develop the Earthwood acoustic bass guitar, which was introduced in 1972. Production of this instrument ceased in 1974 and resumed a few years later under the direction of Ernie Ball’s collaborator Dan Norton. until production finally ceased in 1985. The Earthwood acoustic bass guitar was quite large (and deep) unlike most instruments in current production, which gave it more volume, especially in the lower registers. Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 The Ernie Ball company describes Ball’s design as “an idea before its time”; The instrument saw little use in acoustic musical performances until the late 1980s, when the acoustic basses were used in performances on the television program MTV Unplugged. The Earthwood was quickly replaced by the Washburn AB-40 designed by Mick Donner and Richard Siegle. The AB-40 and the less expensive AB-20 became the instruments of choice for bassists performing on Unplugged.[3]

Folk bassist Ashley Hutchings used the acoustic bass guitar with his Etchingham Steam Band in 1974 and 1975. An early adopter of the acoustic bass guitar in rock was English multi-instrumentalist and composer Mike Oldfield, who had one specially made for him by luthier Tony Zemaitis in the mid-1970s and used the bass on a number of his recordings from the period, a prominent example being his 1975 Album Ommadawn.

Construction and tuning[edit]

Unlike the electric bass guitar, which is generally a solid-body instrument, the acoustic bass guitar usually has a hollow wooden body similar to (though usually slightly larger than) that of the steel-string acoustic guitar. Most acoustic basses are fretted, but some are fretless instead. There are also versions with half frets, although they are quite rare. [citation required]

Like the traditional electric bass and double bass, the acoustic bass guitar commonly has four strings, usually tuned E-A-D-G, an octave below the lowest four strings of the 6-string guitar. As with the electric bass guitar, models with five or more strings have been made, although these are less common. This is partly because the body of an acoustic bass guitar is too small to resonate with acceptable volume at lower pitches on the low “B” string. One solution uses the five-string acoustic bass to add an extra high string (“E-A-D-G-C”) instead of adding a low “B”. Another solution is to rely on amplification to reproduce the low “B” string tones, or by making the body a little larger.

There are also semi-acoustic models fitted with pickups for use with an amp. The resonance body of these instruments is not large enough to amplify the sound. Instead, it produces a distinctive tone when amplified, similar to semi-hollow electric guitars. Thin-bodied semi-acoustic basses such as the violin-shaped Hofner made famous by the early Beatles and several Fender models are not usually considered acoustic basses at all, but rather hollow-body bass guitars. There are also semi-acoustic basses such as Godin Guitars’ “A-Series” which, once amplified, sound much closer between acoustic bass guitar and double bass (upright bass) and have been used in professional circles to “simulate” one. For transportation and other reasons, it would be impractical to use a full-size double bass. As with semi-acoustic electric guitars, the line between acoustic instruments with pickups and electric instruments with sound-enhancing bodies is sometimes difficult to draw. Some instruments can also be fitted with a variety of pickups such as piezo pickups, the ‘standard’ of acoustic-electric instruments, as well as synthesizer pickups which can reproduce ‘virtual’ double bass sounds and are much closer to a semi-acoustic double bass tonally. Saga Musical Instruments produces a four-string bass resonator guitar under their Regal brand name. Videos National Reso-Phonic Guitars also produces three models of resonator bass guitars.

Manufacturer [edit]

Other acoustic bass guitar manufacturers (not mentioned above) include Alvarez, Ibanez, Baton Rouge, Boulder Creek Guitars, Breedlove, Chesbro Music Company (Teton Guitars), Cort, Crafter, Jerzey, Dean, Eko, Epiphone, Eston, Fender, Furch, Gibson, Gold Tone, Guild, Ibanez, Larrivée, Lindo Guitars, Luna Guitars, Martin, Maton, Michael Kelly, Oscar Schmidt by Washburn, Ovation and its subsidiary Applause, Ozark, Prestige, Ribbecke Halfling Bass, Samick, Sigma Guitars, Sunlite, Sandberg, Spector, Stagg, Tagima, Tacoma, Takamine, Tanglewood, Taylor, Vintage Guitars, Washburn and Warwick.

Mexican bass guitars [ edit ]

Mexican guitarrón acoustic bass guitar

The traditional music of Mexico features various acoustic bass guitars. The guitarrón is a very large Mexican 6-string deep-bodied acoustic bass guitar played in mariachi bands. The six-pair bajo sexto resembles a twelve-string guitar tuned an octave lower. The thick strings create a lot of string tension, but the guitar is relatively light. Musicians began adopting the bajo sexto in the 1920s with the rise of “Tex-Mex” music in Texas, and it continues to be commonly used for parts played by the piano in traditional American popular music. The tuning of these instruments is (upper case letters are an octave lower than lower case letters):

Baja Sexto: Ee Aa Dd Gg Cc Ff Bajo Sexto: Ee Aa Dd Gg Bb ee [citation needed]

There are also other Latin acoustic bass guitars like the Bordonua.

Gallery [ edit ]

Ashton acoustic bass

A man playing an acoustic bass.

See also[edit]

The scale length of a stringed instrument is the maximum vibrating length of the strings that produce sound and determines the range of tones that the string can produce at a given tension. It is also called string length. On instruments where strings are not “stopped” (usually by frets or the player’s fingers) or divided in length (like the piano), this is the actual length of the string from nut to bridge.

Stringed instruments produce sound through the vibration of their strings. The range of tones that these strings can produce is determined by three main factors: the linear density of the string, i.e. its mass per unit length (which is determined by its thickness and the density of the material), the tension applied to it, and the scale length of the instrument.

In general, on a stringed instrument, all the strings are approximately the same length, so the scale length can be expressed as a single measurement, e.g. B. with the violin and most guitars.

Bowed strings [ edit ]

Violin family[ edit ]

The two most famous violin makers, Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (1698–1744), both used an open string length of 12.8 inches (330 mm) for their violins, which had already been established a generation earlier by Jacob Stainer (ca. 1617–1683). Later manufacturers were not willing to deviate from this. (The earliest violins had variations in scale length, and nearly all violins currently in use have had their necks replaced, grafting the original scroll, so statements of a consistent scroll during this period are somewhat speculative.)

Smaller instruments are often used to teach younger players. Their size is described by a “conventional” fraction that has no mathematical meaning. For example, a 7/8 violin has a scale of about 317 mm, a 3/4 instrument has a scale of 307 mm, a half 287 mm and a quarter 267 mm. There are also 1/8th, 1/10th, 1/16th and 1/32nd and even 1/64th violins, which are getting smaller and smaller, but again in no proportion. (A full-size instrument is called a 4/4.)

Cellos come in a smaller size range than violins, with 4/4, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, and 1/10 being fairly common. As with the violin, the Stradivarius scale is considered the standard for orchestral work; That’s about 27.4 inches (700 mm).

Violas are usually described in terms of their body length and not – as with other instruments in the violin family – by a fraction. There are two reasons. First, unlike the violin and cello, the scale length of the viola is not standardized, but advanced players use whatever scale length suits them best. Second, student sizes are not required as often since most viola players who start learning at a young age start on the violin. Common sizes are 17 inches (430 mm), 16+1⁄2 inches (420 mm), 16 inches (410 mm), 15+1⁄2 inches (390 mm), 15 inches (380 mm), 14 inches (360 mm) and less commonly 300 mm (12 in), smaller than a standard violin; These measurements are nominal and approximate. At least one of the surviving Stradivarius violas has a scale length of 14 + 1⁄4 inches (360 mm).

double bass [edit]

There is some variation in the scale length of an orchestral double bass, generally in the 1,050–1,100 mm (41.3–43.3 in) range. There are also smaller versions of this “Full Scale” double bass with the same scale length but with a smaller soundboard intended for other musical idioms. Smaller instruments are also commonly used by adult players in jazz, folk music, and similar ensembles.

The system of conventional fractions is consistently carried out with string bass sizes, with a full bass (4/4) being unusual. Most basses are 3/4 or 7/8, and younger players can use 1/2 or even 1/4 size instruments.

guitars [edit]

Classical guitar[edit]

Like the violin, the scale of the classical guitar was standardized through the work of its most famous maker. Antonio De Torres (1817–1892) used a scale length of 650 mm (25.6 in), and later makers have followed suit. Since the mid-20th century, luthiers striving for more volume have moved to a 26-inch (660 mm) scale, which is now the standard for leading manufacturers like Ramirez.

Acoustic guitar with steel strings[ edit ]

The steel-string acoustic guitar typically has a slightly shorter scale length than the classical instrument, with the most common scale lengths ranging from short scale (24 inches (610 mm)) to long scale (25.5 inches (650 mm)). Small travel guitars and guitars made especially for children can have even shorter scale lengths. For example, a 3/4 steel string guitar might have a scale length of 23 inches (580 mm).

Electric guitar[edit]

Electric guitars mirror the range of scale lengths found on steel string acoustics. In terms of tone, a longer scale favors “brightness” or cleaner overtones and more separated overtones over a shorter scale that favors “warmth” or muddy overtones. According to Dave Hunter’s Tone Manual (2011), each scale length has its distinctive sound and tone, distinct from other sounds in the tone chain: strings, pickups, pedals, amps, speakers, and cabinets.

Most Fender electric guitars, including the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Esquire, and Jazzmaster, use a 25.5 inch (650mm) scale length. Some Fender models such as Jaguar and Mustang use a 24 inch (610 mm) scale length. Fender also built some 3/4-size student guitars with a scale length of 22.5 inches (570 mm) or shorter.

Gibson uses a 630 mm (24+3⁄4 inch) scale length on many of its electric guitars, including the Les Paul, Flying V, Explorer, SG and ES-335. Gibson has used different scale lengths on different models over the years. Gibson’s nominal scale length of “24.75” has itself varied, sometimes measuring 24 + 5⁄8 or 24 + 9⁄16 inches (625 or 624 mm), depending on the production equipment used. Since Gibson necks are not often interchangeable, this usually goes unnoticed in practice.

bass guitar [edit]

The first electric basses were upright electric basses built in the 1930s by fitting an otherwise standard upright bass with electric pickups, and therefore had a scale length of about 43″ (109 cm).

In 1951, the Fender Precision Bass shortened this to 86 cm (34 inches). This is still often considered the standard length for a bass guitar. On a modern bass guitar, 30 inches (76 cm) or less is considered a short scale length; The standard scale (also known as long) is 34″ (86 cm) for a 4-string and 35″ (89 cm) for a B-E-A-D-G-5-string, and there are also basses with an extra long scale of 36″ ( 91cm).

Other chordophones[ edit ]

Mandolin family[ edit ]

Mandolin: 14.1 inches (36 cm)

Mandola: 51 cm (20.2 in)

Octave mandolin: 58 cm (22.75 inches)

Mandocello 27 inch (686mm)

Ukulele[ edit ]

Soprano Ukulele: 35 cm (13.6 inch)

Concert Ukulele: 14.75 inch (37 cm)

Tenor Ukulele: 17 inch (43 cm)

Baritone Ukulele: 51 cm (20.1 in)

Upright Bass Ukulele: 50.8-53.3 cm (20-21″)[2][3]

banjo [edit]

Banjo: (Gibson five-string standard and plectrum) 26 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (67 cm)

inch (67 cm) tenor banjo (19 fret) 22 + 1 ⁄ 4 inch (57 cm)

piano [edit]

The scale length of a piano is the length of the longest string. Since this is usually the lowest bass note, it is a single string.

wings [ edit ]

Concert grand pianos range in scale from about 7 ft 6 in to 9 ft 0 in (229 to 274 cm), or occasionally more. Notable grand pianos include:

The Steinway Model D, at 8 ft 11 + 3 ⁄ 4 in (273.7 cm).

8 feet inches (273.7 cm). The Imperial Bösendorfer, at 9 feet 6 inches (290 cm) with 97 keys.

The Fazioli F308 at 10 ft 2 in (310 cm).

Smaller wings differ in naming. The larger models, measuring about 180 cm (6 feet) or more, can have the full grand piano action and are used in smaller concert halls. Others are intended for larger households and may have a simplified action without the replay lever, useful only for advanced players.

Baby grands are the smallest and are intended for households, restaurants and similar applications where the grand piano style is also desired at the expense of the longer scale length and better sound that an upright format would allow in the space available.

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Click to expand…

In this guide, let’s see if you can use your guitar amp to play bass guitar, or if you need to buy a dedicated bass amp.

If you want to learn how to play bass, working on these bass guitar exercises is a great place to start.

If you have guitar pedals and are interested in using them with a bass, check out this guide to see if you can use your guitar pedals for bass.

An alternative to playing bass through a guitar amp is to make your guitar sound like a bass. Find out how to make your guitar sound like a bass in this guide.

Can you plug a bass into a guitar amp?

Yes, you can plug a bass into a guitar amp. While guitar amps aren’t designed to handle bass input, it will work. However, there is a risk of damaging your guitar amp with a bass at high volume.

Connecting a bass guitar to an amp is easy because both bass and guitar use the same cables.

Just plug your bass into the guitar amp input.

But before you plug a bass into your guitar amp, let’s look at the potential risk and how to make sure you don’t blow up your amp.

Differences between a bass amp and a guitar amp

The main differences between a bass amp and a guitar amp are speaker size, power output, amplifier capabilities, and frequency response.

Bass guitars use very low frequencies that move a lot of air. When you hear bass at a gig, you feel the air moving more than you hear it.

Bass guitar amps tend to use larger speakers (e.g. 15 inches) and use a lot of force to move the speaker.

Guitars use a higher frequency range compared to bass guitars, so guitar amps are designed to use smaller speakers (e.g. 8-12 inches) and drive those speakers in different ways.

Because of this, there is a potential risk to your guitar amp if you connect a bass to it. Guitar amps are not designed to drive the speaker the way a bass amp is designed to drive it.

If you crank up your guitar amp with the bass plugged in, the bass guitar’s low frequencies can quickly become a problem for your guitar amp’s speaker.

While small bass practice amps use small speakers (e.g. 8 inches), they are still designed to drive the speakers in a different way than a guitar amp with the same size speakers.

The animation below shows a vibrating subwoofer speaker. Notice how far the center of the speaker moves.

Subwoofers and bass amps have to move far in order to be able to reproduce low frequencies.

Now imagine a guitar amp trying to swing that far. Guitar amps don’t have to deal with extremely low frequencies, so they’re not designed to travel very far when vibrated.

If a guitar amp’s volume is turned up and you try to play a bass over it, the audio will clip (poor sounding distortion) and the speaker can be damaged.

How to distinguish a bass amp from a guitar amp

Distinguishing a bass guitar amp from a guitar amp is easy once you know what to look for.

You can tell a bass amp from a guitar amp by the size of the speaker and the features of the amp. Bass amps typically have larger speakers and fewer controls than guitar amps.

Here are a few examples to help you tell the difference between a bass amp and a guitar amp.

Bass vs. Guitar Practice Amp

When comparing small bass and guitar practice amps, it can be difficult to tell them apart.

The clear indication that the left amp is a bass amp is the words “Bass Systems” on the front.

Many bass amps will say “Bass” somewhere, or use a “B” in the model number (e.g.: Vox Pathfinder 10B).

If you look at the number of knobs on the two amps above, you’ll see that the guitar amp (right) has far more knobs and controls. This is common as small bass amps tend to use few volume and EQ controls.

Small guitar amps usually offer more features like multiple channels, dedicated gain controls, and onboard effects.

Bass vs. Guitar Combo Amps

With larger combo amps, the differences between a bass amp and a guitar amp become obvious.

The amp on the left is an Ampeg BA-210 450 watt combo bass amp. From the name of the amp it should already be clear that it is a bass amp.

450 watts is a ridiculous amount for a guitar amp, but very common for bass amps. The guitar amp on the right is 100W, which is typical (and very loud) for a large guitar combo amp.

Notice the odd speaker layout in the bass amp (look closely to see the diagonal layout and portholes)? The height and placement of the speakers in the bass box are designed to move as much air as possible. That’s why bass amps tend to be as big as this one.

Guitar amps, on the other hand, tend to be short and wide to produce a punchy tone.

Here’s the front panel of the bass amp above so you can see how it differs from a guitar amp:

You may notice some strange features on the front, such as B. the line-out socket. This is a common feature of bass amps where they can be plugged directly into a mixer.

Bass vs. Guitar Stack Amps

When comparing bass and guitar stack amps, the differences are obvious at a glance:

Guitar amps use 12-inch speakers at most (typically 4×12 as shown above), while bass-stack amps can use massive speakers.

Some bass boxes house a large 15-inch speaker, while others cram in many smaller speakers.

Even at this size, you can see that the bass amp’s control panel still has a very limited number of buttons. This one includes EQ sliders, but the other features remain basic compared to a typical guitar amp.

How a bass sounds through a guitar amp

When you plug a bass into a guitar amp, don’t expect it to sound as good as a real bass amp. Guitar amps are designed to make guitars sound good, which doesn’t work very well for bass.

Here is a simple example of a bass being played through a bass amp:

If you listen to this with headphones, you’ll hear the bass sound thick and sonorous. The amp gives the bass plenty of clarity for a nice clean tone.

Now here’s the same bass played through a guitar amp on the clean channel:

Bass sounds muddy and lacks the clarity you can hear in the other sample.

You can maybe tweak the tone with the amp’s EQ controls and get a little closer to a decent bass tone, but it’ll never sound as good as a real bass amp.

For cheap at-home practice, this will work. But if you’re serious about playing bass, you need to find something that works with bass, as explained below.

Guitar amps that work with bass

What if you want to play bass and guitar but don’t want to buy separate amps?

While you can use almost any amp as explained above, there are some amps that can be used for both bass and guitar.

A guitar and bass hybrid amp (or combo amp) can accept either bass or guitar input. These amps are designed to play both instruments with good tonal quality.

The Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 was designed to work with three different instrument inputs: electric guitar, acoustic guitar and bass.

That means you can use the same amp for both bass and guitar (as well as acoustic if you want).

This type of amp is a modeling amp and there are different amp models for bass and guitar.

When you connect your guitar, you can set up presets suitable for guitar tones. When you connect your bass, you can set up different presets suitable for the bass.

This type of amp is perfect for home use when you want to practice bass and guitar.

If you wanted to play bass at gigs, this amp is not for you. You need a dedicated bass amp or a direct connection to the mixer (known as DI: Direct Input).

Check out my review of the Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 here to learn more about the amp.

How to use a guitar amp with bass

Suppose you have a small guitar amp that you want to use with a bass guitar. Let’s look at how to get the best possible bass tone.

First, make sure your amp is tuned to a clean channel. If your amp doesn’t have multiple channels, make sure the gain is set low to avoid clipping or distortion.

Remove any built-in effects from your sound, like reverb, chorus or delay. While bass guitarists occasionally use effects, start with a dry tone.

Next, plug in your bass with the master volume low. Play around with the volume and see how high it gets before you start hearing the audio clipping or sounding like the speaker is having trouble.

Adjust the EQ controls to get the best possible tone. The most important EQ control is the Bass control. Adjust that to see how many bass frequencies you can squeeze out of your amp.

The Mid knob changes the overall shape of your tone. You’ll probably want to lower it to avoid making your bass sound edgy.

The Treble control affects the higher frequencies. Depending on your amp, you may want to turn this down to draw attention to the lower frequencies.

The key to getting good bass tone when using a guitar amp is adjusting the EQ and keeping the tone as clean as possible. Every guitar amp is different, so play around with the EQ until you find the best settings for your bass.

No matter how much you tweak your guitar amp, it will never sound as good as a real bass amp.

So keep that in mind when you start taking bass seriously. With a quality bass amp, playing the bass can be incredibly fun.

Play bass through your computer

Instead of using a guitar amp to play bass, you can use your computer and any speakers connected to it.

The benefit of using your computer is that you can use any amp modeling software to model bass amps.

If you use decent speakers with your computer, you’ll get great bass tone. The tone will be way better than what your guitar amp can produce.

The screenshot above shows the AmpliTube 4 modeling software modeling a bass amp.

An inexpensive audio interface is all you need to connect your guitar or bass to your computer.

Find out how to connect your guitar or bass to your computer in this in-depth guide.

While the guide above was written for guitar, exactly the same advice applies to connecting a bass to your computer.

Cheap bass amps

If you are learning bass and want better bass tone than your guitar amp can produce, you may want to buy a cheap bass amp.

A cheap bass amp will sound better than an expensive guitar amp, and you don’t risk damaging your guitar amp’s speakers if you want to turn up the volume.

Here are some popular and cheap bass amps worth checking out:

Fender Rumble 15 v3 combo

The Fender Rumble 15 v3 is a 15-watt combo amp with an 8-inch speaker.

It’s one of the cheapest bass amps you can get that still produces a great tone.

Other models are available if you want something larger ranging from 25 watts all the way up to 500 watts.

Check out the Fender Rumble Range here (link to Amazon for details on all models).

Ampeg bass combo 20 watts

Ampeg is an incredibly popular brand of bass amps and they make a wide range of amps.

The bottom bass combo amp is a 20-watt version with an 8-inch speaker.

Other models in this range include 40, 75, 150 and 450 watts.

Check out the Ampeg Combo Range here (link to Amazon for details of all models).

VOX AP2BS AmPlug 2

Either of the two bass amp options shown above will suit most guitarists looking to get into the bass range.

But if you’re looking for a really cheap option, the VOX amPlug 2 is about as cheap as it gets and can produce a good bass tone – as long as you’re happy using headphones.

The amPlug range are mini headphone amps that you can plug into your guitar or bass and listen to good quality amp tones through headphones.

This VOX amPlug 2 bass model is bass capable and won’t take up space in your house.

It may not be quite the same as a real amp, but some people may enjoy it.

Find out more about the VOX amPlug 2 series in my review here.

Is bass guitar easy to learn

If you can already play guitar, you might be wondering if you can start learning bass too.

Is bass easy for a guitarist to pick up and learn?

The good news is that any guitarist can learn the basics of bass playing quickly. Many techniques and fretboard knowledge are transferred from the guitar to the bass.

That doesn’t mean that bass is easy to learn, but if you already know the basics of playing guitar, you can get a head start in learning to play bass.

For example, here is a comparison of the guitar fretboard and bass fretboard:

The bottom four strings of a guitar pair perfectly with the typical four-string bass.

If you already know the notes on the guitar fretboard, you also know the notes on the bass fretboard.

If you don’t know the notes on the fretboard, follow this guide to memorize the fretboard with easy and effective methods.

Other techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides also carry over when you pick up a bass. You can even use a pick to play the bass, so you can learn how to play lots of riffs and bass lines very quickly when you first pick up a bass.

If you are a guitarist and interested in learning to play bass I would highly recommend it. Not only will you get a head start on your guitar skills, but playing bass can be incredibly fun.

Learning to play the bass will also help you come up with new ideas as a guitarist and become a better songwriter. The more you learn about bass, the easier it will be to talk and play with other bass players.

If you want to try learning bass, you can use your guitar amp as a starting point if you’re careful not to overload it.

Keep the volume low so you don’t put too much strain on the speaker. Or use headphones if you’re worried about damaging your guitar amp.

Then, if you decide you prefer to play bass, you can either buy a dedicated bass amp or use a hybrid guitar/bass amp like the Peavey Vypyr VIP 3.

To learn how to play bass, check out these 6 bass guitar exercises for beginners to practice every day. These exercises will help you get comfortable with the bass fretboard and speed up the learning process.

In this guide you will find a step-by-step method to learn how to play bass as a guitarist. This guide aims to help you make the transition from guitar to bass as easy as possible.

If you already have some guitar pedals, check out this guide to see if you can use guitar pedals on bass.

To learn more about what other inputs your guitar amp can accept, check out this guide to using your guitar amp as a speaker.

It’s also not possible to simply tune your strings down as they are far too loose to play. So your best option is to get an octave pedal to make your guitar sound like it’s tuned down an octave. Here are some octave pedal options to check out.

Behringer Ultra Octaver UO300

If you are on a tight budget then this is a great option. It gives you the important effect of dropping your tone an octave and has a sturdy design. You get an onboard volume control, and the pedal runs on both a power supply and a 9V battery. Check out the Behringer UO300 in Guitar Center.

TC Electronic Nether Octaver Effects Pedal

If you’re looking for something higher quality but still don’t want to spend over $50 then check out the TC Electronic Nether Octaver. You get similar features to the Behringer UO300, but with the addition of a tone control to further fine-tune your sound.

Boss OC-30 Super Octave Pedal

This is one of the best value octave pedals on the market. It’s a Boss pedal, so you know you’re getting great tone and a super durable design. It features a drive mode for adding distortion and volume controls. It is versatile and of excellent quality. Check out the Boss OC-3 in Guitar Center.

I know the neck pocket definitely needs more routing, but are there any other limitations?

The biggest concern for me is whether the proportions of all the pieces would be correct.

Click to expand…

The straightness of the bass guitar’s neck is commonly referred to as relief. The neck curves up (called an upward arch), or it can be straight, or it can arch backward (called a back arch).

Two things cause the neck to bend:

The tension of the strings pulls the neck up, the truss rod pulls the neck back

The bass strings add many pounds of tension to the neck of your bass guitar. Think of it like a bow, as in a bow and arrow.

The truss rod is a metal rod in the neck of your bass. The rod can be tightened or loosened. When tightened, it puts more pressure on the neck, forcing it to bend backwards in the opposite direction of string tension. When released, the truss rod relieves pressure and adds relief (up-bug).

Always use caution when making truss rod adjustments. If you over tighten it can break and ruin your bass neck!

You can see your neck by holding the body of your bass and looking from the bridge to the nut. (See image.) Targeting your neck will give you a quick idea of ​​how much relief there is in your neck.

Your neck needs at least some relief to keep the strings from hitting the frets.

Strings vibrate in an elliptical pattern. That means they swing wider in the middle of their length. So a little relief is needed to keep them from hitting the frets. If your neck is straight or arched back, the strings can rattle against the frets and cause an annoying fret buzz.

Next: Bass String Height

Back to Bass Setup Guide

Action refers to how far apart your strings are from your frets. When the distance between the top of your frets and the bottom of your strings is short, you have low action on your bass. Typically the low action ranges from 1/16″ to 9/64″ or 1.6mm to 3.5mm.

I’ve heard some string tension error actions, but it’s not the same. Action is simply how high the strings are lifted relative to your frets, and relates to the distance between them.

Action is a subject bassists often disagree on. So I’m going to give you the unbiased truth of what low action is. This allows you to determine what type of action works best for your playstyle and tone.

How do I know if my bass impact is too low?

The string action on a bass guitar is too soft if you start hearing a constant fret buzz. Additionally, when the action is too low, it’s difficult to get dynamics into your playing and your strings can’t sustain the notes for long.

Before you start thinking about how deep your action is, you should focus on how playing your bass feels.

If there is fret buzz and hiss, the action is too low and you should raise it.

Low sustain or monotonous dynamics can be addressed by turning the action higher. These aren’t necessarily problems, however, and some bassists prefer to set up their bass this way.

As for the numbers, what constitutes low action is closely related to the quality of your bass. In general, it’s easier to get lower action on higher value options. That means low action will mean very different things on a $400 bass and a $4000 bass.

Related Reading: Does Expensive Bass Sound Better?

The table below is a rough estimate of how low you can set the action on basses of different qualities. It’s based on my own experience and asking knowledgeable bass players in different genres for their opinion:

Bass Description Action in inches (12th fret) Action in millimeters

(12th fret) Poor entry level bass Bought used or cheapest option available when buying new. 1/8″ – 11/64″+ 3.2mm – 4.4mm+ Entry-Level Quality Bass Good value bass from a reputable brand, roughly in the ~$400 range when bought new. 7/64″ – 5/32″ 2.8mm – 4mm Mid Bass Great mid bass in the $600-1000 range 3/32″ – 9/64″ 2.3mm – 3.5mm Professional quality bass high -End instruments generally used by advanced bass players. These basses cost around $1000 and up. 1/16″ – 1/8″ 1.6mm – 3.2mm

With regard to string action and bass quality, you have to be aware that poorer instruments usually have to be readjusted more often. Therefore, trying to get the lowest possible string action on a cheaper bass will usually affect the lifespan of the instrument.

Is lower action better?

While lower action isn’t necessarily better than higher action, many bassists try to keep their action as low as possible. This is because lower action generally makes the bass easier to play. Therefore, bass players who want to play as fast as possible tend to prefer a low action.

Everyone knows that lower action makes it easier to play faster. However, what many bass players are unaware of is how much the mechanics affect the sound of their instrument.

Depending on the bass, a lot of sustain is lost when the string action is set as low as possible. The difference between playing soft or hard is also reduced.

For some bassists, this isn’t a big deal, and they may even prefer the ringing sound that low action creates. For others, the lack of dynamic playability and sustain would completely ruin their style. Additionally, a lower action may be desirable for bassists with smaller hands, as a high string can make it more difficult to reach and press down the strings the way you want.

Rock and metal bassists like Geddy Lee, Steve Harris and John Entwistle all have fast playing styles and aggressive sounds that cut through. As such, they all preferred lower string action, both to play their complex bass lines and to create a sound appropriate to their genre.

Does higher action give better bass tone?

Typically, a higher-action bass will have a more resonant and open tone than a lower-action bass. Higher action usually makes the strings sound longer, making sustained notes sound fuller. It’s also easier to create more dynamic sounds when the action on your bass is high.

While there’s no such thing as “better tone,” I’ve heard many bassists think of increasing the action by trading playability for tone.

In my experience, this depends a lot on what genre of music you want to play. Yes, higher action gives a more resonant sound. However, if I want to cut through two distorted guitars and add drive, I’d much rather have a sound that’s aggressive, percussive, and metallic.

Sometimes higher action makes even fast basslines unplayable, and a preferred note is useless if you can’t play your basslines. A high string action can also make it harder to play or even produce a better sound when you thumb the bass.

Related Reading: Can All Bass Guitars Be Slapped?

For smoother or more groovy genres where a bass with a fuller tone has room to shine, I find that higher action is a perfect fit.

So as long as the genre isn’t too heavy and the bass lines aren’t so fast that I’m pushing my limits, higher action produces better tone.

Do lighter strings decrease action?

How lighter strings affect your bass depends on the neck condition of your bass. It’s possible that lighter strings will cause your neck to lose relief, resulting in higher action. If your neck doesn’t end up losing relief at all, switching to lighter strings will increase the action slightly.

In theory, your strings have very little effect on the action of your bass. The only difference is that heavier strings decrease action slightly just because they are larger and therefore closer to the frets. Bigger strings also take up less space because they don’t move as much as smaller strings, meaning you could place them closer to the frets.

In practice, however, changing strings affects many aspects of your bass guitar, and this can affect the action in different ways.

After switching to lighter strings and tuning your bass, you should always let it sit for 24 hours to see how it responds. It is quite possible that the action will remain the same, increase or decrease.

You can adjust the truss rod on your bass after you’ve adjusted the bass to the string change, allowing you to lower the string action if needed. Whether you can set it lower than you could with your heavier strings without fret buzzing depends on how your neck has adjusted to changing strings.

Conclusion

I try my best to avoid saying “it depends” as an answer, but when it comes to action on bass guitars, it really does.

The quality of your instrument, your strings, the sound you want, your hand size, the neck of your bass, and your playing style all affect where and how you should dial in your action. Therefore, you should use the above information as guidelines and not as absolute rules.

With that in mind, there are two main takeaways from this article:

First, when setting your action, you should disregard the number of inches or millimeters. Whether your bass has a “deep” or “good” action depends on how you get your ax to ring and how much playability has been sacrificed in the process.

Second, higher tension generally means better resonance and sustain, and so many musicians call this “better tone”. This is genre dependent and sacrifices playability. So make sure a higher action produces a tone that suits your musical style before blindly adjusting it.

Lowering your action is one of many ways to make your bass tone sound cleaner. To learn more about how to clean up your tone, keep reading this article: 6 Helpful Tips for a Cleaner Bass Tone

Needed tools:

Phillips/large flathead screwdriver or wrench

Allen key or socket wrench

6″ ruler with graduations in 1/32″ and 1/64″ increments (0.5 mm increments)

Electronic tuner

Neck brace to secure the guitar

capo (optional)

A good pair of eyes and ears

A good tool kit is very helpful for maintaining your instrument. We recommend Ernie Ball’s Musician’s Tool Kit.

Adjusting the Truss Rod

The first step to setting up your bass guitar is to tune your bass for pitch and set your neck for proper relief. This refers to the amount your neck bends away from the strings. If your strings are old, out of tune, or have lost their mojo, the first thing you should do is install a new set. (I know we bassists have to shell out more money than the other guys in our band, but dig deep and get it out of the way now.)

Step One: Check Your Neck Relief

Install a capo on the first fret. (If you don’t have a capo, your finger will work just fine.)

Fret The lowest string (in pitch) where the neck meets the body.

What you’ve done is create a perfectly straight line down the length of the fretboard. Look at the gap between the top of the 7th fret and the bottom of the string. If you have a feeler gauge, you should measure it and write it down. It’s actually a good thing to have a little gap there, because a perfectly straight neck causes a lot of buzzing problems. Your strings need to be spaced enough to perform their vibration pattern. Imagine dropping a pebble into a pond. Wait… that’s a bass. Imagine dropping a boulder into a pond. Those waves emanating from the splash are what your bass strings do when you play, and you need to get the frets out of the way. Some target relief measurements range from 0.008″ to 0.014″.

Step Two: Adjusting Your Neck Relief

If you don’t have relief or your neck is backbowed towards the strings, you should turn your truss rod counter-clockwise. You’ll recognize this right away, as the straight line you created in step one causes the bottom of the string to rest against the top of the 7th fret. This causes excessive fret buzz on open strings and in the middle of the fretboard.

Federation. This causes excessive fret buzz on open strings and in the middle of the fretboard. If you have too much relief, you should tighten your truss rod by turning it clockwise. Too much bow away from the strings will result in unnecessarily high string action, intonation issues, and end-of-fingerboard hum.

Pro Tips:

Make only a quarter turn at a time.

Always re-pitch your guitar before checking measurements.

Do not over tighten your truss rod or make any adjustments you are not comfortable with.

If your truss rod reaches the end of its travel before proper adjustment has been made, take your guitar to a reputable luthier or technician.

Setting the action

Once your truss rod is properly adjusted, you should increase or decrease the distance your string has to travel to the frets. This is called an action. Do you remember that boulder we threw in the pond? Well, that boulder is your finger, plectrum, thumb, or whatever you use to strum your strings. Proper bass guitar action is entirely subjective and mostly depends on your playing style. Remember, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” (I believe John Entwistle said that.) If you play a lot of slap bass or have a really strong pick attack, you should compensate by using your Increase the action and allow the string enough room to circulate.

If you approach the bottom end in a more relaxed manner, or have a lighter touch with your fingers, you can likely get away with a lower action that makes for easier playability. A good bass setup is all about compromise, and as a guitar tech you always need to find the best balance between playability and maximum fret buzz that you can tolerate. Some common string action on a bass guitar is around 5/64″ to around 7/64″.

Step One: Measure the Action

Some luthiers prefer to install a capo on the first fret to take saddle height out of the equation. If you don’t have one, don’t let that stop you.

Using your ruler, measure the distance from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of your lowest string. We usually use small increments to be as accurate as possible. A ruler divided into 64ths of an inch is a great tool to keep in your gig bag or suitcase.

You want to play the bass and determine what action adjustments need to be made. If it feels and sounds good, don’t mess with a good thing. If you find that your bass is clunky to play and at the end of a performance your fingers feel like they’ve been hit by a truck, you probably want a lower action.

Fret buzz and loss of sustain are typical symptoms of low action. If your bass just can’t cope with the hits you throw, or you’re feeling a loss of clarity in your notes, a higher string is probably your next course of action.

Step Two: Raise and lower your action

Raise or lower your saddle or the bass side of the bridge about a quarter turn.

Retune the bass to pitch and take another measurement to get an idea of ​​how much further up or down you need to go.

Make further adjustments if necessary and always remember to retune the instrument before considering measurements.

Repeat these steps for the rest of your strings and the treble side of the bridge. A good rule of thumb is that on the highest-pitched string, you can get away with a string about 1/64 of an inch lower than the string you tuned your lowest string to. Because the smaller the string gauge, the tighter the vibration pattern. (Keep that in mind the next time your guitarist whines about how high their action is, and then calmly and rationally explain why they have it so much easier than us bassists.)

Pro Tips:

The lower your action, the more boomy your bass is.

Fret buzz is often not transmitted through an amplifier. If fret buzz is a deal breaker for you, make sure you verify that it’s actually being heard through your bass rig.

Don’t tune in your bass without getting a good idea of ​​how it will sound when plugged in.

Your ruler is your best friend. A good guitar tech will measure string action across the entire fretboard to consider the bigger picture. After all, we don’t just play in one place.

Also measure your action at the 3rd and 17th frets.

and 17 fret too. Your fretboard has a radius, and you want your string height to follow that radius. If you have a 2 post bridge you shouldn’t have to worry about that as your saddles are pre-slotted. When adjusting individual saddles, you must maintain that radius by cascading your measurements from the lowest string to the highest, or using a radius gauge to make the correct adjustments.

These are the basics of a bass guitar setup. A good setup is not just about measurements. It’s about how your instrument sounds and plays, and it’s a very personal thing that varies from one player to another. But these are some good references to get you started on the right path to choosing the perfect bass setup for you.

Now that you’ve mastered adjusting the truss rod and mechanics of your bass guitar, you should make sure to set your intonation so your instrument plays in tune.

If you need to tune your electric guitar intonation, read this article: How to tune your electric guitar intonation.

We hope this has helped you learn a little more about setting up your bass. As always, feel free to reach out to our SweetCare team if you have specific questions, or visit our knowledge base for over 20,000 articles that can help you solve an issue quickly!

But can it handle this mod and will it sound good at all? These two types are radically different in sound and performance. So will it work?

Yes, it is possible to put bass strings on a guitar. Modifications are required to make them work properly, which may not be worth the effort. And some are irreversible. Also, the increased string tension might be too much for some guitars that could damage the neck.

But experimentation is the best way to test a theory. So if you’re ready to give it a try with an instrument that you might not care too much about, this article is for you!

Preparing an electric guitar for bass strings

One of the first things to consider is the new gauge of the strings and nut. The grooves in the nut are designed for guitar gauges. And in some cases, even when jumping up, a string gauge has to be changed to strings that are actually made for the correct instrument.

Bass guitar strings, on the other hand, are way too thick for the grooves. So in this case they need to be enlarged to properly hold the new gauge. First you need to choose a bass guitar set that is not too over the top.

For example, don’t go to super lows, let’s take it slow and see what works with the electric guitar. Remember that the neck will be subjected to more stress than it is designed for. A light to medium set might be the best place to start.

Once you have your strings, enlarge the grooves in the saddle to be able to hold them without being too tight.

The electric guitar bridge shouldn’t have any problems with this unless you have a Floyd Rose type. In this case, you need to block or hardtail the system. Even loaded with full spring tension it may not work.

But if it is a regular saddle, the strings should be loaded well. If not, you can always change the holes to accommodate the strings.

bass string tension

Once the strings are placed on the guitar and the machine heads are wrapped with them, you will notice the neck bow when tuning. The tension of a pitched bass string exerts a great deal of force on the neck.

Some will bend badly, others will take it like a champ. Your experience will depend on the type and quality.

If you’re good at it, you may need to raise the string height. Because the bass strings are thicker, they may end up too close to the fretboard. When this happens they will do nothing but hum against the frets.

Depending on how your guitar takes tension, you may need to adjust the truss rod. Now that you’ve gotten this far, adjusting the neck to play properly with bass strings is a must.

Make a guitar sound good with bass strings

There have been a few players who have made this mod and had mixed results. Some people withstood the string tension well and could play it like a bass. Others had poor results and poor sound quality.

I believe it has a lot to do with your expectations and the string gauge you choose. Putting this guy on the guitar and wanting to play low chords for metal music rhythms can end badly. Maybe it’s better to look for an 8-string model that can be pulled far down.

If you play it like a bass guitar with, say, lighter strings, you’ll likely get better results. In addition, there is the scale of the guitar and the quality of the instrument. If it was bad from the start, then it’s not right to have high hopes. After all, this is an experiment!

Possible intonation problems

Another problem that could arise is the fact that the scale length is much smaller than that of the bass guitar. Your standard guitar is around 25 inches long while the bass is much longer. When you tune the strings to the correct pitch, you may notice them ringing at certain points along the fretboard.

While this would be more obvious with chords, it also really depends on the guitar itself and its setup. Some people had no problems with tuning while others couldn’t get this mod to work because of it.

Do bass strings bend the guitar neck?

Another problem is that the higher tension of the bass strings could bend the neck. Again, this depends on the thickness you choose and how you tune the guitar. If you’ve picked a really heavy track and plan to tune it to pitch, it may be overloaded.

And while it may not bend immediately, it is possible for the neck to warp over time due to temperature and humidity changes.

However, if light or medium strings have been put on it, you should be fine. However, this depends on the guitar and how much tension it can safely handle. Concern about neck damage is long-term, not immediate. It’s the changes in the environment over time that eventually do the damage.

Can you put bass strings on an acoustic guitar?

In the case of bass strings on an acoustic, this would be the place to draw the line. An acoustic guitar would take damage pretty quickly. First, you would have trouble getting this type of string through the bridge, which would require drilling.

If you were to proceed with the modification, the body and neck are not reinforced enough to withstand the stress. So when it comes to putting them on an acoustic guitar I would suggest against it. Unless you’re ready to destroy the acoustic guitar.

Can you put bass strings on a guitar?

Yes, and it should work pretty well if you approach it with the right level and expectations. But to be clear, we’re referring to an electric guitar. Or at least a body and neck that could handle the tension. An acoustic guitar would collapse under the force and should not be attempted.

But in all honesty, if you want to play bass guitar, you should just get a real one. The scale length of the real deal allows you to get better sounds and note performances. The guitar limits the accuracy of the note and is likely to sound out of tune on certain frets.

Bass guitars are easy to come by as they are very common. So for a better experience, just grab a used one to play around with, you’ll be much happier and no need to hurt any instruments!

Acoustic bass guitar strings are available in both phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze. Phosphor bronze acoustic bass strings have a warmer, richer tone than 80/20 bronze strings. 80/20 bronze acoustic bass strings sound brighter and clearer than phosphor bronze. Most acoustic bass guitar strings are for long scale instruments (34 inches).

Some acoustic bass players prefer the tone of black nylon ribbon strings, available in the electric bass section. With black nylon strings you can give your acoustic bass guitar a sound like a double bass. Other players prefer to use electric bass guitar strings instead of acoustic bass strings on their acoustic bass. These strings, which are either stainless steel or nickel wound, give a brighter tone than bronze wound acoustic bass guitar strings. Players who prefer flatwound strings also opt for electric flatwound sets for their acoustic bass guitars. The use of electric flatwound strings on an acoustic bass guitar is not recommended unless you are playing with an amp as they sound very dull acoustically. If this is your first time changing acoustic bass strings, you may want to stick with regular acoustic bass guitar strings.

The first acoustic bass guitar produced for sale was the Ernie Ball Earthwood bass, introduced in 1972. Ernie Ball wanted to provide bassists with an instrument that more closely matched the tone of acoustic guitars than electric bass. The design of the Earthwood bass was largely based on the Mexican guitarron, the large acoustic bass guitar used in mariachi bands. The Earthwood was co-developed by Fender’s Ernie Ball and George Fullerton. It was much larger (both deeper and wider) than current acoustic bass guitars, giving it a richer and deeper tone.