There?s definitely nothing cooler than strumming a guitar sitting on the lawns of one?s college or at a bustling book fair. The steps of every girl, or guy, depending on the sex, are guaranteed to slow down as they pass. And not necessarily because it?s great music that?s being played! It?s the instrument that attracts attention. But the truth is, most of those throwing admiring glances wouldn?t really know the make of the guitar being played, or if it?s has four or six strings.

If it?s a bass guitar, it won?t really look very different from a regular guitar, which usually has four strings, but can have five or six or seven strings as well, with a larger body, a longer scale neck and tuned an octave lower in pitch than a regular guitar.

If that?s aroused one?s curiosity and left one wondering where they are available, and who plays them, well, the answers should make them happy. Starting with late R.D.Burman to the modern genre of music directors and bands, they are very much used.

And while it?s true, that the bass guitar is less in demand than the six-stringed guitar, it definitely has a market and is very much available in Ranchi. Foreign and Indian brands, they are all there, waiting to be picked up and strummed.

With the growing number of rock bands in the city, there?s a growing demand for guitars. If they were traditionally played in coordination with the drums, guitars are now also being used with the tabla. Being increasing used in Indian compositions, what started as an acoustic double bass concept, which was a huge cello-like instrument, has now been redefined into the modern make of guitar.

For those interested, here?s what to look and where.

Take your pick

Horo Sounds: Apart from the double bass, normal bass guitars are available in three types. The four-string bass, five-string bass and six string-bass guitars. The more the strings in the bass, the more the base notes are taken into the song. Although, under normal circumstances, only a four-string bass is enough for a song, the added strings help in exploring a range of tunes and notes through the guitar. While in the four-string bass, one cannot play chords, people are fast doing it on the six-strings.

Starting from foreign bass guitars like Yamaha, Crammer, Fender, Ibanez and others of the Indian-make, all are available. Also available are a range of bass guitar processors, which can modify the quality of sound to a whole new experience.

Foreign bass guitars are more in demand because of their superior sound quality. Apart from that, one can also get a good feel of the fret board. There is a style called slap bass guitaring, which which is not always possible in an Indian make. Foreign ones are also more adaptable to weather conditions. In warm weather, the neck of the guitar tends to bend, which doesn?t happen in foreign guitars. There are also fretless bass guitars, and acoustic bass guitars, not easily available in the city. Also available are a wide range of bass guitar processors, of reputed companies like Roland, Digitex and Zoom. All that?s needed to start strumming right away.

First hand

Grasping the basics of bass

Ajit Horo, proprietor of Horo Sounds, is very optimistic about the future of the bass guitar in the city. He admits that at present there are not enough takers for it, as it is difficult to learn and play, with not enough prospects as yet, but the story is changing.

More people are showing an inclination towards buying and learning the bass. Most of them are going in for the foreign brands, as they play and last better, he said.