Many players ask what kind of bass rig to buy, and the answer is: "The one that makes you sound and play great!"

It starts with a great sounding bass: set-up well (no buzzes), intonated, and properly installed fresh, high-quality strings. It's easy for players to spend many years playing "OK" sounding basses - just getting by.

They do this partly because of the high price of custom basses, or maybe they just haven't experienced what a difference a really fine bass can make to their playing and sound. Your bass sound is your musical voice. Your perceived ability to play is very dependant on your tone. If you don't sound great, you probably won't be perceived as a great player.

Your best tone starts with your hands: a firm stroke of the string with plenty of the pad of your fingers addressing the string; with your plucking hand placed between the bridge and the end of the neck (not right by the bridge, this yields a thin tone).

Play with a firm attack at all times, but without killing the string by playing too hard. Learn to back off a touch when a verse or soft section comes around, while still playing your notes with authority and not losing control of the bass (the term, "velvet hammer" is appropriate here). Jazz great, Bob Magnusson taught me the following when I took my first upright bass lesson with him: "Playing strong is fine, but can you play good bass and not wake up your sleeping baby in the next room?.. Touch is everything."

Continues:
http://www.basslicks.com/rightbass.html

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