Bass Guitars

Bass Guitars

Fender, Rickenbacker, Ibanez, Gibson; names for bass guitar players to conjure by. The bass is the foundation of the modern rhythm section. It lays down the beat for everyone else to follow. If a song had a skeleton, the bass guitar would provide the spine. It may not have the cachet of the lead guitar, but it's the instrument you feel in your chest.

Like most other electric guitars, the majority of basses have solid bodies; they need an amplifier to boost the signal so your audience can hear it. You can't just plug your bass into any Peavey or Marshall and expect perfect results; you need an amp that's designed for bass guitar. Bass amps focus on the bottom end, with an emphasis on low frequency response. The speakers are bigger so that you can feel the low notes of that driving beat. Remember, it's the amplifier that drives the speakers, so if it doesn't produce great sound the speakers won't either.

That "first real six-string" from the song was an electric guitar, but some basses have six strings, too. The difference is that for a base a six-string is as high as it goes. While some players swear by a Peavey or Ibanez six-string bass, most bass guitars make do with four like on the Fender American Standard. All that matters is that you get the right bass guitar for you, even if it's a five-string. If you want you can even play it upside down like Paul McCartney.

A bare guitar may be nothing special. You can play your bass with fingers alone, but to get the most out of the instrument you need a the right accessories. At the very least you want spare strings in case yours break, and a strap to hang it off your shoulders so you can play on your feet. Most people play with a pick, so you need a few of those. Don't forget the case. A hard shell case is great for players who spend lots of time on the road, shielding their precious from the school of hard knocks.

Even though it's not the lead instrument the bass guitar is probably the most important for getting people up and dancing. Nobody gets on their feet if you can't feel the beat, and that's where the bass guitar excels.