Music Factory

There’s nothing quite as distinctive as that bass guitar sound, and for that reason, it has been utilized in rock bands and popular bands for decades. Some of the most famous recording artists of our day (and yesterday) include players of the bass and electric bass guitar. If you’re not convinced that bass guitars create charismatic and noted musicians, just think of Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Epitomizing the 90s rock sound, he is considered by many to be one of the most talented bass guitarists around.

Going a bit farther back in music history, there is also Paul McCartney of The Beatles. While their music ranged from love ballads to rock anthems, McCartney’s skill with a bass guitar always stood out. And who can forget John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin or Jack Bruce of Cream? Both these men brought their own unique style and musical tastes to the iconic instrument. But the list is not completely dominated by men. Female rockers have also rocked the bass guitar, including Kim Deal of the noted alt rock band The Pixies.

Rock fans everywhere would readily admit that the lead guitarist gets most of the critical and popular accolades. In many cases, this is the same individual who handles lead vocals, and the popularity and acclaim increase accordingly. Even drummers are tossed an occasional bone as they are allowed a solo or two on rare occasions. But the true backbone of any traditional rock band is ineffably the bass player.

While guitarists go off on their boundless sonic tangents, noodling aimlessly, bass guitars are left with the task of keeping the rest of the band grounded in a discernable rhythm. Without this guiding presence, the band would be lost in a sea of incongruous racket. Certain jam bands might be able to survive without an outspoken bassist, jazz and rock bands simply cannot.

If your pickup is not performing like it used to, or you want to modify your guitar to get a richer sound, you need to install a new electric guitar pickup. Pickups are an essential part of your guitars performance and replacing or adding one can change the sound significantly, especially if it’s done incorrectly. Here’s how to install an electric guitar pickup and get the sound you’re looking for.

• Assess which pickup is giving you trouble, unless you are looking to modify your pickup configuration. On a Strat, it’s easy to tell which one needs replaced by the toggle switch on the board. With others you may have to guess which one is the culprit.

• Acquire a wiring diagram for your electric guitar and take the time to learn how to read it. Pickups are fairly simple to wire, but if they are wired incorrectly, you may fry your whole system. If you have any doubts about your ability to wire the new pickup in place, take your guitar to the shop and let them do it.

• Select your new pickup. Expect to pay about 60 or 70 dollars for a single pickup, or about 110 dollars for a double pickup. Make sure you check compatibility, especially if you are doing modifications to your guitar’s wiring. Get a shops opinion on the brand and style selection for your electric guitar.

• Unplug and remove any battery power source before proceeding.

• Remove the old pickup and modify the body of the guitar, if necessary to accept the new pickup. Unscrew the pickup from the pick guard and gently pull it from the body. Read your wiring diagram and remove the wires from the pickup, being careful not to damage them. Gently open up the body to accept the new pickup, if needed.

• Rewire the new pickup and screw into place. If you have modified the body, you may need to fill and re-drill the holes to screw the guitar pickup in place.

• Plug it in and give it a try. If you’re experiencing any buzzing or other undesirable effects, ask a professional to look at it.

You may be great at blazing on the guitar with a pick, but don’t forget about that old standard finger picking. Learning how to finger pick involves looking at how your fingers can best access the strings for faster play. When you’re looking at a bass line, you won’t pick your bass line on a guitar the way a bass player would on bass guitars. In most cases, it’s going to be different.

• Alternate fingers. Bass guitar players do this all the time. For regular guitar, you’ll want to do it sparingly. However, it is one technique for finger picking on the bottom strings. If you’re not playing a full guitar melody on all strings, bass line picking with alternating fingers will get you a steady bass line. Practice using first your index, then middle, then ring finger on a string.

• Use your thumb. For most finger picking with full guitar melodies, your thumb will be in charge of the bottom strings, while your other fingers will be picking the higher strings. Practice assigning a finger to each string for faster play.

• Try your assigned finger picking with an open chord structure. Take the last step and apply it to this practice. Create a chord structure like A minor or C major with your left hand. Then, with your right, practice playing strings in sequence, with your thumb picking the lower strings.

• Try power chord structures. Another way you can pick bass lines on guitar is with power chords. For power chords on the bottom of the guitar, put your finger two frets higher on the A string than the E string, and you’ll have a two-note harmonic chord that you can easily pick with your fingers for a low, bass sound.

• Utilize techniques like sweeps. Sweep picking is generally associated with electric or metal guitar, but you can use it in picking bass lines with your thumb. Simply hold your chord position and sweep your thumb across multiple low strings to hear a fast note sequence. This technique and others can be worked into finger picking for faster, better sounds.