unofficial guide to punk bass-playing

välkommen to the unofficial guide to punk bass-playing!
whether you’re already a musician or just starting out, this guide will provide you with all the tips and tricks you need to become a truly good punk rock bassist.

first things first, let’s talk about gear.

as a punk bassist, you’ll want a solid bass guitar and amp setup.

(plus some picks, but we’ll get into that in a second.)

make sure to look for a bass with a punchy and aggressive tone. brands like fender (precision or jazz bass), music man, or gibson (eb series) are popular choices. the jazz bass is a great choice if you’re looking for versatility. the eb series is an amazing choice if you’re looking for stage presence, i guess.
but don’t be afraid to experiment with other models! finding your own sound is crucial. a powerful and gritty amplifier is essential. brands like ampeg, orange, and gallien-krueger are known for their punk-friendly bass amps. maybe also a 100-watt tube amp.
and now for pedals. you'll want a good distortion pedal. i personally have one, so i really do recommend the bass overdrive odb-3.  but i've also seen some peeps recommending some other pedals that add grit and aggression to your tone. consider pedals from electro-harmonix (big muff), mxr (distortion+), or darkglass.
but my personal recommendation is the bass overdrive odb-3, dunno about those other ones.

Edit: okay, i kinda fumbled in this part here, i admit.. maybe get a good and cheap fuzz/distortion pedal, fuck it, maybe even one from a guitar. i recommend the od-1 os-1 (?) idk from boss. consider upgrading your pickups too, something like seymour, duncan, emg, or dimarzio. opt for medium or heavy-gauge strings to get a thicker tone. dunno about the brand, but get some new strings! it really does affect your tone. thank me later. also make sure to get one of these strong bass picks. (pic below)

now, settings! whether it's amp setting, pedal settings, active bass pickup settings.. you'll learn it all here.

punk bass playing often calls for an aggressive and punchy tone. while the stuff i've mentioned later WILL help you achieve that, the main stuff is right here.

amp settings:

gain: set the gain relatively high to add grit and aggression to your tone. bass: drop the bass. it adds warmth and to your sound. we don't want that in punk rock. midrange: keep the mids high to help your bass cut through the mix. set it around 4 or slightly higher. treble: crank up the treble to add clarity and bite to your tone. volume: adjust the overall volume to suit the venue and band dynamics. punk is often played loud, so don't be afraid to turn it up.

distortion pedal settings:

gain: set the gain to achieve the desired level of distortion. punk bass often calls for a gritty, but not overly fuzzy, tone.
tone/eq: adjust the tone control to find the right balance between warmth and brightness. a slightly brighter tone can help your bass stand out a bit.
level/volume: set the output level to match your clean signal or to provide a slight boost for solos and more intense parts.
for some active bass pickup settings, look here!

now, onto the interesting part,

playing!

you'll definitely want to play around the triads (playing root notes, thirds, fifths). while punk bass lines are typically simpler than those in other genres, they often include melodic elements that add depth to the music. the bass might follow the guitar riff closely or introduce variations to complement the vocal melodies. the bass contributes to the overall power and drive of punk rock. by delivering punchy, aggressive, and often distorted tones, the bass enhances the intensity of the music and helps create a sense of urgency. you'll need to play fast with a "f-you" attitude, basically. and with the distortion levels HIGH. you'll need the basics of music theory to make this work. as i've said before, you'll want to play around the triads. so you'll need the basic shape of a major chord and a minor chord on your hands to play around with this stuff. look it up, it's actually pretty fun. AND DON'T FORGET TO LOOK FOR BASS REFERENCES IN PUNK ROCK! YOU CAN'T BE A MUSICIAN WITHOUT A BASIS/REFERENCE. it almost never works. you gotta have someone to look up to, man. if you have any questions or didn't understand some parts, let me know! i'll be glad to help you on the journey to become a punk rock bassist.