lowdown Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='gareth' post='1162150' date='Mar 14 2011, 06:49 PM']the 80's which to me was like a musical desert - level 42, mark (bl..dy) king, shakatac, electric drums, keyboard bands, etc, etc You cannot possiby have any idea of what it was like, truly [/quote] Not my idea of a musical desert....... Chaka Kahn, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Anita Baker, Steely Dan,Toto, Quincy Jones, Yellow Jackets, Chick Corea, all my favorite LA studio players, and god knows how many rock bands and the list goes on...... Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 One man's musical desert is another's musical dessert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1162116' date='Mar 14 2011, 06:21 PM']It only gets lost in the mix if it's EQ'd badly,and it's popularity suggests that lots of people do like listening to it-just not particularly the 'fast chops for no reason' stuff,but even that has it's place.[/quote] Exactly. Despite saying earlier that I like slap - I bloody hate what that Tourette's guy was doing. Impressive for about 20 seconds maybe, and then you realise that he is simply pouting and preening like peacock on steroids... Compare that with some of the beautiful, lyrical slapped basslines from the "musical desert" of the 1980s (yes, I was there too!) by the likes of Abe Laboriel, Marcus Miller, Freddie Washington, Byron Miller, etc - and it's like saying that Jaco and John Deacon are the same because they both play with their fingers!! Wake up and smell the coffee guys. This is not about playing style, this is about some people being attention-seeking turds and others feeling the groove. And, of course, everything in between! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='dood' post='1161483' date='Mar 14 2011, 10:25 AM']Hey Clarky! Great to meet you at last! Totally agree - Even at BassDay, I tried to demonstrate the more subtle tones of Shuker basses to passers-by - but I couldn't bloody hear anything because of all the shed building coming from a stand opposite (and to the right a bit) - My mate Darryll was demo'ing on the stand directly opposite to me and we just ended up pulling faces at each other everytime Mr JackHammer started off in his one man cruisade to rid bass players of their hearing. I have to say, not that I was every much of a slapper anyway, these shows are really putting me off the technique. Seems to be a lazy excuse for talent, when it is done badly.[/quote] With respect and acknowledgement that you personally were not slapping, the Shuker stand with (Hannah?) slapping all day between your demos and guidance of punters was by far the biggest contributor to the slap machine gun noise at BassDay 2010. Closely followed by the guy with the flat cap and lippy beard who is a staple act at bassday now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='obbm' post='1162220' date='Mar 14 2011, 07:40 PM']One man's musical desert is another's musical dessert. [/quote] Brilliant!!! Mind if I use that in my sig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='gareth' post='1162102' date='Mar 14 2011, 06:08 PM']For me instead of calling this thread:- God I hate ........ slap bass, when used purely for showing off at bass shows (and in shops) It should have been called:- God I hate ........ slap bass! The main reason I gave up bass playing for some 20 years, cannot stand it. Always lost in the mix and if it is'nt who wants to listen anyway? Bass is all about soul and feel and about restraint and choice of the right notes for the right context Rant over and just IMHO[/quote] lost in the mix??? yeah, if you are on of the "smiley EQ fraternity"... whilst I like some sounds better than others, I can't imagine hating a whole technique so much that would stop me from playing an instrument. That's just... weird. There's a hell of a lot that you can do without slapping a single note. Unless you really really wanted to slap, deep inside, and gave up because you could not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Conan' post='1162237' date='Mar 14 2011, 07:46 PM']Brilliant!!! Mind if I use that in my sig? [/quote] Be my Guest - oh didn't they import bananas? I'll have to create a new dessert and call it the banana slap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='gareth' post='1162102' date='Mar 14 2011, 06:08 PM']God I hate ........ slap bass! The main reason I gave up bass playing for some 20 years, cannot stand it.[/quote] I bet you got some drama Queenage out of that little performance. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='LawrenceH' post='1161999' date='Mar 14 2011, 04:49 PM'] [/quote] That sir, is the balls. Thanks for posting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soloshchenko Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Clarky' post='1161930' date='Mar 14 2011, 03:56 PM']Here's the Rotosound slapper extraordinaire, featured in an earlier BC thread [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=15986&hl=Clutterbuck"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...;hl=Clutterbuck[/url] The guy obviously has amazing technical ability but ....[/quote] How can anyone, even a drummer, possibly listen to that with any sense of enjoyment? Appallingly bad taste. If I built basses I think he'd be the last bloke I would have demoing my gear. He makes everything actually SOUND crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomKent Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Clarky' post='1159468' date='Mar 12 2011, 04:21 PM']Just back from London bass show at Olympia. Say no more[/quote] HA. My exact thought really (sorry, I haven't read 10 pages of this). I told one of the stalls to, jokingly, put up 'no slappers allowed'. Alas, they did not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='TomKent' post='1162279' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:09 PM']sorry, I haven't read 10 pages of this[/quote] I will summarise: I started the OP to moan about machine gun, uber-loud show-off slapping and how it ruined bass shows Then some people said they hate slapping altogether, others said the anti-slappers are plain ignorant and missing out on bass' rich tapestry, and most said slapping is fine when done to suit the song (which is my position). Saves you wasting 20 minutes of your life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomKent Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Clarky' post='1162287' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:13 PM']I will summarise: I started the OP to moan about machine gun, uber-loud show-off slapping and how it ruined bass shows Then some people said they hate slapping altogether, others said the anti-slappers are plain ignorant and missing out on bass' rich tapestry, and most said slapping is fine when done to suit the song (which is my position). Saves you wasting 20 minutes of your life![/quote] The Saturday was horrific, I swear I've lost some of my hearing. The Sunday was good to an extent, except when the 30 minutes of silence was over it was a free-for-all. Thanks for the summary, I couldn't handle sifting through 10 pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Conan' post='1162227' date='Mar 14 2011, 07:44 PM']Exactly. Despite saying earlier that I like slap - I bloody hate what that Tourette's guy was doing. Impressive for about 20 seconds maybe, and then you realise that he is simply pouting and preening like peacock on steroids... Compare that with some of the beautiful, lyrical slapped basslines from the "musical desert" of the 1980s (yes, I was there too!) by the likes of Abe Laboriel, Marcus Miller, Freddie Washington, Byron Miller, etc - and it's like saying that Jaco and John Deacon are the same because they both play with their fingers!! Wake up and smell the coffee guys. This is not about playing style, this is about some people being attention-seeking turds and others feeling the groove. And, of course, everything in between![/quote] Good post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Soloshchenko' post='1162271' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:07 PM']If I built basses I think he'd be the last bloke I would have demoing my gear. He makes everything actually SOUND crap.[/quote] And let's not forget that this was the rotosound stand. If we want another basschat cliche comment... He must change strings every hour. Anyway, Nigel gets a fair bit of work playing "normally" and I would hazard a guess he makes a fair bit doing his party tricks around the world doing the typist pool thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Here's food for thought. If there was an overwhelming number of thwakity-wackers there, then perhaps they are the majority and "we" are minority.... and it is they who are keeping the bass industry alive which subsequently keeps the more rarer breeds of bass accessible to us "connoisseurs". Let's face it most of us on here are a little "niche" in some way or another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='gareth' post='1162150' date='Mar 14 2011, 06:49 PM']With respect, judging by your profile you were under 10 in the 80's which to me was like a musical desert - level 42, mark (bl..dy) king, shakatac, electric drums, keyboard bands, etc, etc You cannot possiby have any idea of what it was like, truly [/quote] Oh!! Like has been said there was a lot of good stuff coming out in the '80's. I think that there has been an abundance of rubbish over the last 10 years,but it wouldn't make me want to give up because there is also a lot of great stuff out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I've missed a lot of posts, as I can see what the general concensus about slap bass is. I reiterate: it's a unique style, but it has been overdone over the years. I got into the style in the 70s with Stanley Clarke, Louis Johnson and Pops Popwell (Crusaders). The machine gun technique was introduced mainly by Mark King in the 80s. At the time it was amazing, and I still think Mark is the best exponent of that particular style, as he is a drummer by trade, and introduced drum rudiments on bass guitar. But it's all about making it [i]musical[/i]. Don't concentrate on Victor's crazy triplet trade show licks, and listen to 'U Can't Hold No Groove' instead, and then make up your mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='Johnston' post='1162334' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:36 PM']His day job is as a Rotosound Rep isn't it??[/quote] Thats a pretty good job in itself as they only last a tenth of the time of other brands he must have his order book filled up every week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomKent Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1162360' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:47 PM']Thats a pretty good job in itself as they only last a tenth of the time of other brands he must have his order book filled up every week! [/quote] They last 3 times the length of my other strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Have the people that hate slap bass actually listened to the brilliant exponents of the style, or have you gauged your opinions on music shop/trade show show-offs? Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='TomKent' post='1162370' date='Mar 14 2011, 08:54 PM']They last 3 times the length of my other strings. [/quote] I have tried them [i]many[/i] times, Ding! Ding!......dong..dead...Another £15 down the drain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomKent Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1162378' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:06 PM']I have tried them [i]many[/i] times, Ding! Ding!......dong..dead...Another £15 down the drain [/quote] Nah, that's just a Stingray.. rubbish. I'm yet to find a brand better than Rotosound for 'my' sound, and how they stay bright for ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='TomKent' post='1162382' date='Mar 14 2011, 09:08 PM']Nah, that's just a Stingray.. rubbish. I'm yet to find a brand better than Rotosound for 'my' sound, and how they stay bright for ages.[/quote] All joking apart that amazes me, I have never had a pack last more than a couple of weeks before they lose their zing and Im not a zingy player IMO. Most the folk that defend them say they have had no issues and find them really bright and last well thats why they have had the same set of Roto flats on their 78 P bass for years, Yes thats why you like them then! I have no problem with someone wanted a dull thud sound in fact Im putting some flats on my P and maybe even on one of the 4 string Rays but as for Rotos lasting ages (I dont mean snapping, And I have that too) I cant afford to keep trying them when Elites or Ernie Balls are so good time and time again If I had a Roto deal and someone wanted to swap them once a week for me I would use them as they feel and sound great to my ears but not for long enough IMO, Im 100% certain if you find Rots last a long time then trying some Elites (2 sets for £30 Bass direct inc P&P I think) would last 20 times longer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) Ive never liked Rotos.. the zing lasts for a week and there dead as a Dodo.. although this really does depend on how clean you keep em Edited March 14, 2011 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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