The Rickenbacker 4001 Bass Guitar

By Mark Flys

Rickenbacker's iconic 4001 bass guitar was launched in 1961. It was an updated version of the 4000 bass, and had two pickups.

It is famous for its well-known offset body and headstock shape which somewhat resembles a cresting wave when turned sideways. It is probably one of the world's best known and most famous basses.

The 4001's construction is unusual for a bass, because it utilises through-neck construction, whereby the neck travels all the way through the body and has the sides that make up the shape glued to the sides of the neck. Rickenbacker basses have a distinctive tone. The sustain at the bottom end is particularly striking, and by routing the two outputs from the stereo "rick-o-sound" output, the lower, brighter pick up through a guitar rig and the bassier upper pick up through a bass setup, the classic Rickenbacker bass sound is produced.

The 3000 series made from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s were cheaper instruments with bolt-on 21 fret necks. Like some other 1950s-60s basses, the 4001 was originally supplied with pickup covers, although only at the bridge pickup on the 4001. The Rickenbacker units were split at the top before the 1970s, when they were changed to a design similar to that of the Fender Precision Bass covers.

Paul McCartney received the very first 4001S (his was left-handed, and later modified to include a zero fret). He played this bass extensively through his years with Wings. Famous users of Rickenbacker basses include Chris Squire (Yes), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), Geddy Lee (Rush) and Lemmy (Motorhead)

Mark Flys is webmaster for the online guitar guide and guitar collecting.co.uk.

The online resource for all guitar and bass information, online lessons, tabs and cheap instruments. http://www.onlineguitarguide.co.uk

http://www.guitarcollecting.co.uk

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Fender Precision is the Bass Guitar For Beginners

By Or Keinan

It is vital to know the type of bass you playing and as much about its background as possible. Getting to know your bass will help you to understand much more about it as well as learn how to better take care of it. For instance, one of the very best bass guitars for beginners might be the Fender Precision.

If you have selected the Fender Precision as the bass guitar for beginner to play on, then you will want to find out all you can about that bass. You will want to know that the Fender Precision was created by The Fender Company and that the Precision was actually the very first bass that they produced and it is still one of the most popular basses on the market today.

The reason for this is simply the bass tone that the Fender bass is able to produce. It is the most recorded bass tone. In fact, as far as a line that basses are judged on the Fender Precision guitar sets that line. All other basses judge their bass tone by the Fender Precision bass guitar, and if you are playing this bass guitar for beginner then you are setting the margin for other bass players.

However, you would not have know that if you would not have studied or researched the bass you are playing. In fact, the Fender bass is responsible for defining the sound of the bass in the rock band arena. So, so far you have found through your research of your bass that it has set the world standard, it is easy to play, and it is the most popular on the market.

One thing about the Fender Precision bass is that if you can not make it sound good, then the only real thing wrong with it other than it needs to be tuned is that this is a bass guitar for beginner who needs to practice. This is a an excellent instrument for a beginner to learn on, plus it will give you a professional quality sound.

With the Fender Precision bass guitar, even the older ones seem to go up in value. This is a bass that you can learn on as well play for life, because it is that high of a quality bass. The Fender Precision is now available in two different styles. The original, which is known as the Standard Precision, and the American Precision. With two different styles you have much more to of a selection to choose from.

As we mention in the article, bass guitar instruction is very important if you want to learn the right way.
And this is why we giving you a FREE mini-course that will help you with the bass guitar instruction.

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Learning to Play Bass Guitar - 4 Guitar Playing Tips

Playing the guitar is one popular pastime nowadays. For some people, it is also a way of expressing themselves and elevates the hobby into an art form or sometimes, science.

Playing the guitar, however, is no joke. It requires a lot of patience and practice. For some people, they would rather study playing the bass guitar than the regular guitar. Here are some tips on learning to play the bass guitar.

1. Feel the beat

Playing the bass guitar differs primarily from playing a regular guitar because it entails an emphasis on the beat of the music. One can compare the bass guitar into a drum or percussion set that is made into a guitar. Beats are very important in playing bass guitar because this type of guitar gives depth and timing to any song.

If one grasps the notes of a regular guitar through his ears, a bass player grabs the notes of a bass guitar through his chest. The bass guitar pounds on the heart and gives it feelings through the depth of the music.

2. Learn the notes (single chords) on a regular guitar

The main thing about bass guitars is that they are tuned like ordinary guitars. The difference is that most regular bass guitars only have four strings which are far thicker than ordinary ones. This kind of strings allows the bass guitar to go very deep in terms of tone.

Take a regular guitar (which is tuned from the thickest to the lowest string- E - A - D - G - B - E) and exclude the two thinnest strings at the bottom and what is left is basically a bass guitar with thinner strings.

Bass playing is usually note-oriented and not chord-oriented. This means that single notes are hit more often in bass playing and this scheme is the essential element of bass playing. One should be familiar with the tunings and the notes in a regular guitar to be able to decently play the bass guitar.

3. Finger placing is important

Hitting the bass guitar fret board with the left-hand fingers is very important since it is a major factor that will determine the wholeness of each note. Try to place the fingers such that they are close to the fret on the right00003404. The right hand should also be practiced so as to give bass guitar playing a holistic approach.

4. Strengthen your grip

Another important thing to develop in bass playing is the strength of both hand's fingers. The bass guitar is a sturdy and solid musical instrument, strength is needed to play it.

In playing the bass guitar, one should always take one lesson at a time. Bass playing requires repetition and there's no sense in hurrying the learning process. One should feel the notes through his soul and through his heart and become one with the bass guitar.

To learn how to play guitar using the easiest to follow method, please visit http://www.Guitar-Playing-Tips.info/

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Fender Bass - Secrets To Buying The Right One For You

Fender Bass - Secrets To Buying The Right One For You
By Daniel Wright

Electric guitars have been popular almost since their invention. This is in no small part due to variety of sound options and special effects that are available through amplification. One brand that stands out above the others is Fender Bass. It is known as a best buy bass guitar for its quality and reliability and is known to so many musicians and fans just by the name alone as the must-have bass guitar.

The Fender brand has been around since 1946, ever since Leo Fender created his electronic solid body bass and opened his California-based company. While other firms produced electric basses, Fender's were the first to be successfully mass marketed. In later years, the Fender company was bought by a larger corporation, but then reacquired by the employees. Its headquarters are now in Scottsdale, Arizona, while the guitars are manufactured around the world in Korea, Japan, Mexico and Corona, California.

You can be certain that any Fender Bass will be an excellent instrument and carrying the standard and guarantees of the brand with it. However, choosing just the right instrument for any one musician may be an intimidating process due to the number of options and choices to consider.

Price is always important for any purchase, but in this case it is more important to find the instrument that best fits both your style and they way you plan to use the guitar. Some styles of necks, frets, keyboards, and body shapes will be good for one, but bad for another player. The sound also varies with the type of wood used to make it, as well as with the different designs and even the coating of the instrument.

Some guitars are better suited to rock music and others are intended for the more mellow sounds of jazz, and you can find one to meet either style, or many other styles like blues and country music. A list of those stars playing a Fender Bass or other style guitar from the brand will demonstrate how respected and versatile the brand is. Artist Freddy Fender renamed himself in honor of his guitar brand!

When you choose a Fender Bass model guitar, you will need to try it out, and find the one that is the best fit for you. Shop for the best price. Even if you must finance the purchase, it is better than settling for an instrument you will never be happy with. The smallest of details can make a very big difference. Even small things like a coating on the fret board will change the sound. Even good guitars are less desirable on a poor amplifier.

Dealer information is listed on the company website. You can visit a local dealer and try out the various models, including the jazz and classical precision lines as well as other models to see what best fits you. Most musicians will find that several models fit their style and can pick and choose based on their overall needs and price.

Browse dozens of Fender bass guitars and hundreds of other electric guitars at The Guitar Center.

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All You Need To Know About A Bass Guitar

All You Need To Know About A Bass Guitar
By Victor Epand

The bass guitar is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping or using a pick. The bass is similar in appearance and construction like an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and scale length, and usually four strings tuned, one octave lower in pitch than the four lower strings of a guitar.

Materials used for making a bass guitar

The bodies of these special instruments are typically made of wood although other materials such as graphite have also been used. The most common type of wood used for the body is alder, for the neck is maple, and for the fret board is rosewood, though a wide variety of woods may be used to make the body.

Other regularly used woods include mahogany, maple, ash, and poplar for bodies, mahogany for necks, and ebony for fret boards. The choice of body material and shape of these guitars can have a significant impact on the timbre of the completed instrument as well as on aesthetic considerations. Other design options include finishes, such as lacquer, wax and oil along with flat and carved designs. Bass guitar necks, which are longer than regular electric guitar necks, are generally made of maple.

A brief history

In the 1930s, inventor Paul Tutmarc from Seattle, Washington, developed a guitar style electric bass instrument that was fretted and designed to be held and played horizontally. Unfortunately, Tutmarc inventions never caught the public imagination, and little further development of the instrument took place until the 1950s.

In the 1950s, Leo Fender developed the first mass produced electric bass. In the 1950s and 1960s, the term Fender bass was widely used to describe the bass guitars, because of early popularity of Fender in the market for mass produced bass guitars.

Different components of the bass guitar

This kind of guitar uses various components to produce music. Some of these components are strings and its tuning, fret or fretless bass, pickups, amplification and effects.

Frets and fretless bass

Frets are a raised metal strips inserted into the fingerboard that extend across the full width of the neck. On a fretted bass, the frets divide the fingerboard into semitone divisions. The original Fender basses had 20 frets. Fretless basses have a distinct sound, because the absence of frets means that the strings must be pressed down directly onto the wood of the fingerboard.

Strings and tuning

The standard design for the bass has four strings, tuned E, A, D and G, with the original frequency of the E string set at about 41 Hz, making the tuning of all four strings the same as that of the double bass. This tuning is also the same as the standard tuning on the lower four strings on a 6 string guitar, only an octave lower.

Pickups

Most electric basses use magnetic pickups. The vibrations of the instrument metal strings within the magnetic field of the permanent magnets in magnetic pickups produce small variations in the magnetic flux threading the coils of the pickups.

Amplification and effects

The electric bass is always connected to an amplifier for live performances. Electric bass guitarists use either a combo amplifier, which combines an amplifier and a speaker in a single cabinet, or an amplifier and a separate speaker cabinet.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, and synthesizers. You can find the best marketplace for guitars, drums, and synthesizers at these 3 sites: guitars, bass guitars, drums, drum sets, drum kits, and synthesizers, keyboards

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