Going country...

[Eight]

It's a story for another time but i might be doing a bit of country/rockabilly bass playing. Eventually I'd hope to use the double bass, but I'd be starting out on this project with bass guitars.

If you ask me, my Schecter (+ flatwounds) sounds fine for this, but wouldn't look right. So I was considering whether I should get something like this:


However, £2k is too much and I'd rather have a full scale neck if possible.

A Fender would work... but assuming (for a second) I'm after the hillbilly look, just wondering if anyone has any ideas for suitable alternatives to these Gretsch things?

Cheers.

[Ou7shined]

The '51 P sits pretty good with country... but doesn't look very rockabilly (unless it was pimped).
It's a new one on me to combine the genres. Which bands are country/rockabilly?

[icastle]

How about an Ibanez AGB200?

[essexbasscat]

[attachment=76564:018.jpg]


A Yammy would probably do the job nicely !

[Happy Jack]

If you haven't played a hollow-body on stage at full gig volumes, then tread carefully.

Completely hollow bodies (old Hofners & Gretsch's, for example) were never designed for performing in front of a 500W amp driving a 4x10, and will feedback like a bitch unless you're really careful. The entire body starts to resonate at certain frequencies, and it can be really very difficult to get it back under control.

Those with a central block running from heel to tailpiece are much less prone to this, but of course rather less "trad".

Despite owning several vintage Hofners, and playing in a band that does a fair amount of country rock, I find that a Precision strung with flatwounds is really all you need.

[Cat Burrito]

I think your best option is the 51 P-bass with flats. It fits the look & sound and from experience there are some muso snobs around that scene who may not appreciate an Ibanez. The 51 P-bass plays it safe & delivers

[Eight]

Some great ideas there, thank you.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1186831' date='Apr 3 2011, 04:54 PM']If you haven't played a hollow-body on stage at full gig volumes, then tread carefully.[/quote]
Ok now you've scared the crap out me. I have no idea what I'm doing on stage... and really wouldn't need to be worrying about feedback etc as well as everything else.

Think I'll stay away from hollowbodies and semis until I can hire a guitar tech to deal with it all for me.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1186807' date='Apr 3 2011, 04:21 PM']The '51 P sits pretty good with country... but doesn't look very rockabilly (unless it was pimped).
[b]It's a new one on me to combine the genres. Which bands are country/rockabilly?[/b][/quote]
I just looked it up. Now I know. :facepalm:

[Eight]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1186868' date='Apr 3 2011, 05:23 PM']I just looked it up. Now I know. :facepalm: [/quote]
Lol. I was trying to think of a good way of pointing it out.

When I first started listening to rockabilly/psychobilly, I even posted on the internet asking what kind of drum makes the slapping noise on those records.

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1186807' date='Apr 3 2011, 04:21 PM']The '51 P sits pretty good with country... but doesn't look very rockabilly (unless it was pimped)[/quote]
Sorry, missed this before.

Gene Vincent's bass player used one & it don't get much more rockabilly than that

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I do a fair bit of rockabilly and what some might call country. I use flatwounds thomastiks and usually take a my mustang or Epi thunderbird pro-v, although I have been known to use a precision, ns upright or ashbory depending on the gig.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[BigRedX]

Whenever the Terrortones do a "proper" Rockabilly gig I'm the only one who isn't using an Upright Bass.

[RhysP]

I've been a member of the Gretsch Discussion Pages for years & have quite a few friends who play rockabilly & country music.
The ones that don't use a double bass (which most of them do) all use Precisions.

[chris_b]

Rockabilly tends to demand a double bass but top US country bass players seem to play a lot of Laklands. BC Rich is definitely out but anything Fender-ish seems to go down well.

Edited April 4, 2011 by chris_b

[Eight]

Cheers guys.

I'm definitely keen on bringing in the double bass as soon as I can. But it looks like maybe a cheapish Fender-P will do in the mean time.

@BigRedX - remind me to check your Myspace page when I'm not at work. Dick Venom and The Terrortones is such a cool name.

[alanbass1]

I would have thought a Double Bass or a Fender (P or J) the ways to go as these seem to be the main stay of the original bands

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='alanbass1' post='1187456' date='Apr 4 2011, 09:53 AM']I would have thought a Double Bass or a Fender (P or J) the ways to go as these seem to be the main stay of the original bands[/quote]

Bloody Hell, Alan!

We all spend ages convincing him it's OK to play a Precision, and then you go and tell him he can use a Jazz! Next thing you know, he'll be wondering about a Thunderbird ...

[Eight]

Lol.

I figure if I keep this thread going long enough, someone will tell me it's ok to take the Vampyre to a country show.

[Michaelg]

Ideally you'd use a hollow bodied bass - yes they resonate and feedback easier than standard bass guitars, but if you're in a country band then its not like you'll need to have your amp cranked. I have the gretsch bass you linked to (well the slightly older model) and although it would sound great for the country band set up, you can get much cheaper alternatives that prove just as effective for your set up. Try the epiphone jack casady bass!

[fatback]

In country, I'm wondering why it should matter. The punters will only notice if your guitar looks silly. And who cares what other musos think?

I use a fretless Yammy bb400, and nobody complains. imo any precisiony thumpy sound is going to work fine.

Rockabilly is a bit different, cos it's a really visual genre. Its gotta be the upright there.

[hillbilly deluxe]

Im Country and have used allsorts of basses,P,Jazz, EB-3,Hohner 2ba,etc.If you're going for a look,a 51 type P would suit as has already been mentioned.

[BigRedX]

If it was more rockabilly and less country I would suggest that from a visual PoV the Vampire might be a good fit.

[Eight]

I just don't want to stick out like a sore thumb... and my current roster of guitars all look a bit too metal. Shouldn't really be buying another bass at this point; but it's the first sniff of a band I've had in ages so I'd like it to be successful.

[Eight]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1187621' date='Apr 4 2011, 12:06 PM']If it was more rockabilly and less country I would suggest that from a visual PoV the Vampire might be a good fit.[/quote]
It's country really. But I'm excited anyway, especially at the prospect of maybe getting to play the upright one day.

Hell, I'd love to do rockabilly/psychobilly/gothabilly at some point - that's the stuff that got me interested in playing bass.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Dean Stylist perhaps ? (mine's yellow) or a Telebass?