Is there such thing as a "beginner bass"

Gear
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There are people who don’t like some of everything! :rofl:

But that’s okay. We all have our preferences and I don’t think anybody here is going tell you not to buy the thing you think is cool. That’s part of the fun in this whole process.

As for the Thunderbird specifically, I think the biggest complaint I’ve seen is people get tired of fighting the ergonomics of the instrument. But ergonomics isn’t everything. Sometimes you just have to go with what makes you want to pick it up and play!

The Thunderbird bird is iconic and plenty of folks on the forum have them.

That dirty, dirty pick! Real bass players don’t use a pick. Except for about half of all recorded bass was played with a pick. It’s a separate skill just like finger playing. It’s not about fingers or pick, it’s about choosing the right tool for the job.

All that and +1 to everything @Wombat-metal said.

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Schecter basses seem to be pretty popular for these genres.

Josh encourages beginners to take the course using fingers, which I did, and I’m glad I did. For the last year or so I’ve mostly been playing with a pick because the songs I’ve been playing were originally played with a pick. But I’m still glad I learned finger style first, but if most or all the music you listen to is played with a pick then have at it.

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This looks pretty sick man

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I have an old Peavey Zodiac I picked up
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I now have cheap Aliexpress flats on it and a low action.
I deliberately buzz and growl the frets on this and even bounce the strings off the pickup poles, the guys I play with seem to like it. I also made up some foam string mutes (like a violin mute) because it can ring for days and sound like a piano with little effort which doesn’t suit some songs (ie I Ran).
I started off strictly fingers only, but now find myself using a pick on some songs because they sound better, were recorded that way or are easier to play with a pick (Wishing Well, I Ran, Kiss or Paul Macartney).
I also use fingers on some songs because they sound better or are easier to play that way (Riders on the Storm, Love Me Two Times, Uprising)
Different tools and playing styles as needed.

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Whoa! Thats cool. Thanks for the before and after!

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Yeah, I was trying the notorious Billie Jean (slow workout) with a pick for a week beating my head against a wall, then used fingers and I think maybe, just maybe, I can progress to the next lesson. I’m definitely more aware of the right tools for the job.

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Don’t let Billie Jean beat you up too much.
Billie Jean is a Wicked Mistress

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This is going to vary a lot by band for post-punk and goth (and by extension, darkwave, as really darkwave emcompasses both of those).

  • Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order) used primarily Yamaha BB’s; He recorded every album with a BB1200S (P pickup active bass) and now currently uses mostly a BB734A (P/J) or a BBPH (P pickup). There’s also a Shergold 6-string he uses.
  • Simon Gallup (The Cure) plays P-Basses, Thunderbirds (double humbucker), and Schecter a lot (double humbucker on his Schecter signature model).
  • Steve Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees) Played a Jazz early on and I think switched to a Stingray.
  • David J (Bauhaus) uses a J-bass, I think.
  • Dave Allen (Gang of Four, Shriekback) used P-basses and Stingrays.
  • Patricia Morrison (Floodland-era Sisters of Mercy, Gun Club) played J-basses and Rickenbackers.
  • Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins) used, I think, a P-bass.
  • Will Heggie (Garlands-era Cocteau Twins, the most post-punk they got and by far my favorite) used a Rickenbacker.

Bottom line is, though, you can do those genres just fine with a P/J :slight_smile:

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Playing with a pick is a Yes, yes. If it works for you.

Also don’t be furious, be happy you found bass. You can make that into a poster.

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at one point I came kinda close to buying one of those goth birds, I think they’re pretty damn cool. really big though.

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Also look at Fieldy from KoRn

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I play with a pick 90% of the time. Nothing wrong with a pick.

Fingerstyle for the course is recommended because you should also know how to do it and it can be harder to learn; however, as far as personal style goes, you do you :slight_smile:

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I find fingerstyle infinitely easier than playing with a pick. I’ve tried to learn it several times, starting from scratch and taking it slow each time, but I just can’t do it.

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They each have different things they make easier. For me, muting is definitely easier with fingerstyle. Playing fast is much easier with a pick. String crossing to the next string is easier with a pick, going two strings is easier fingerstyle. It’s a mixed bag.

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Both styles are difficult in their own way. Personally, I use a pick for most of my lines, but can play finger style. To Mike, I find .73 is my favorite because there is give in my hands. The stiff 1.0 and 1.14 always bothered me. Therefore, I recommend .73 tortex for small fingers and for sausage fingers: 1.0 tortex flex triangle.

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Extensive discussion of pick preferences here:

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Thanks for the advice everyone! This evening I turned down the J pickup, turned the P all the way up, and increased the treble on my tiny practice amp. I ran through the B2B U2 With or Without you on fast with a pick, and the Squier definitely sounded more spiky.

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A “beginner bass " will always be a 'beginner bass” no matter how far you progress; and with practice and time you WILL progress. Meanwhile, that “begnner bass” stays what it is. Go out there and buy the bass that puts you where you want to go not where you started… Put some skin in the game and then make it count with your time and effort. You’ll never regret it.

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I think I want “Beginner bass will always be a beginner bass” on a t-shirt. Thank you.

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I think this is pretty cool.
If you come to the official B2B forum and ask… we may have to tell you to use your fingers… but on a personal note, I love the idea of finding resources and using them to get what you want from them.
If you want to get pick skills on a Thunderbird… hell.
Go for it, I say.

You may be bummed if you get deep into the bass and you find yourself wanting to have fingerstyle skills…
But then you can just start the course again and do it with fingers.

Make the sounds you want to make - that’s the ultimate way to stay connected to the instrument.
If you ‘should’ on yourself too much, you’ll get buried in ‘should’ and it won’t be that much fun.

Please don’t tell anyone I posted this here as I am supposed to be a reputable and responsible bassist and teacher.

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Update

My first impressions of the Epiphone vs. my Squier Affinity PJ:

The TB Goth feels more expensive. Not sure what the price point was in 2007 compared to Squier in 2023, but aren’t they not too far apart now? The build quality and finishing is better, the frets aren’t sharp, neck is smooth, knobs are more responsive, bridge hardware heavier and seems better milled.

I’ve been using both bass for B2B, repeating workouts with each. A lot of people here and elsewhere mentioned the length of the TB neck, and yeah it must be like what a guitarist who picks up a bass must think in reverse. Switching, I can find myself on the 5th fret of the TB thinking it’s the 3rd fret, because it would be on the Squier :sweat_smile:

I swapped out strings on both bass. The TB had very worn strings when I got it. However, the entire bridge is only held in by the strings! It’s kind of ingenious in an evil scientist way. On the plus, raising or lowering the action should be a lot easier on the TB, with three screws, vs, having two little sockets on each saddle.

I think criticism of the TB as too heavy, no place for your right arm, and neck dive are YMMV. I put a thick Levy strap on the Goth, and I wear it with the lower part of the strap over the body of the bass. It stays up as well as the PJ which is on a thick neoprene strap. The bassist who inspired me to buy this particular bass, Márgret Rósa, is shorter than me, and she rocks the Goth.

I like the sound of both. I took advice from this thread and killed almost all the J pickup on my Squier, have the P pickup on max. I set up the TB similarly, with the upper pickup vol up higher than the lower. Right now, it is fun to do B2B on two bass that sound so different. And I like that I’m getting the experience of two incongruent sizes of bass. I’d definitely play grindcore and black metal on the Squier, doom and goth on the Epiphone.

Thanks again for the replies.

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