Guitar vs Bass?

[scalpy]

I've decided to come clean. I sometimes gig on guitar. I was wondering how many other BCs do this and if they have a preference, and if so why?

For me it ranks like this.

1. Bass
2. Acoustic Guitar
3. Electric Guitar

Playing Electric is great as long as I don't have to play solos. I can, but for some reason it doesn't sit comfortably with my personality. Acoustic means I can get rid of the plectrum and relax a bit, fingers feel more natural... Bass means the dynamic and feel of the music and feel is mine to control, and I can leave the gig without being recognised! However, given the choice of high paying guitar gig or low paying bass gig I'd dust off the tele asap. Anybody else in this pickle?

[essexbasscat]

Frequently played a guitar at home for years and years, but came to gig with one a year or two ago and found I still thought as a bassist as a band member.
Could easily pick out each guitar part at home and recorded heaps with guitar , but couldn't busk on my feet in real time. I still pulled my gun like a bass player, every time

Guess it's payback for every time I've sat back expecting a predictable outcome when guitarists pick up a bass and say "It's only got four strings, got to be easy".

[DaveMal]

i've played guitar for 16 years.. im a guitarist first, then a bassist.. but i only play with a band on bass..no guitar... even though im a better guitarist than both of the lads in my band. strange situation really

[Musicman20]

I play a little guitar, but bass is better. Feels better for some reason.

One thing I cannot stand is guitarists picking up a bass and playing it badly, expecting it to be 'an easier version of guitar'.

[Blademan_98]

I play acoustic guitar in a duo.

Started to play bass because some of the songs called for it really.

I have now sold all but three electric guitars and one acoustic.

I own three basses and three bass amps.....

(oh an a VOX AC15 , an Ashdown Peacemaker and a PA lol)

[Hobbayne]

I,m a much better rythym guitarist than a lead guitarist due to my stubby fingers But I can pretty much play any chord if asked (except G#+) when I tried to play The Beatles - Something middle 8

[Blademan_98]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1190994' date='Apr 6 2011, 08:35 PM']One thing I cannot stand is guitarists picking up a bass and playing it badly, expecting it to be 'an easier version of guitar'.[/quote]

Best not come to any of my gigs then

[Doddy]

I've only ever done a couple of gigs on guitar-and I haven't done that for years.

[GarethFlatlands]

Same here, picked up bass after 3 years of playing guitar but started off playing bass in bands for 3-4 years before guitar. I now play both in 2 different bands and like switching between the 2. There's more freedom and less pressure with bass but I write most of the material with the band I play guitar in so there's more control and say in the direction but more pressure.

[icastle]

I can play guitar, but not to the standard that I'd feel comfortable to perform at.

[stingrayPete1977]

I have a USA Fender Strat in classic black with white pick guard but for home use only and not been out of its case since christmas as the Ray 5 has pinched its spot on the nearest stand.

I started on the acoustic guitar like many of us then went electric at the start of high school but switched to bass in the 4th year as I was enjoying playing my mates dads SG replica bass more than my nice Ibanez guitar that I saved up so hard for! Never looked back and only ever performed as such on guitar at local blues jam nights with a terrible penatatonic solo in E here and there, I fitted in well at most jams

Edited April 6, 2011 by stingrayPete1977

[Blademan_98]

[quote name='icastle' post='1191022' date='Apr 6 2011, 08:50 PM']I can play guitar, but not to the standard that I'd feel comfortable to perform at.[/quote]

Ah another one who needs to stay away when I perform

[Cat Burrito]

I was a bassist for years and then I accidentally stumbled into guitar around 2005. I played really seriously for until 2009 when I caught the bass bug again. Playing lead solos in a band was very different to being a bassist and I enjoyed it at the time. I was ill and needed to scale back on my musical commitments though so something had to give. I feel more comfortable on bass so went back to my roots. I'm not against the idea of playing guitar again but would always prefer the role of bass player as it feels more [b]me[/b].

My preference for band role is something like;

1) Bass Guitar
2) Upright Bass
3) Mandolin
4) Electric Guitar
5) Acoustic Guitar
6) Banjo

Ultimately I'd rather play a lesser choice instrument in a first choice band then bass in a third rate act! Right now I am indeed having my cake and eating it

[Ancient Mariner]

I'm really a guitarist that pretends to play bass.

I've actually been really enjoying the bass outings, but I've always had quite a strong feel for rhythms, so it's possibly much less difficult for me to get a feel for bass than if shredding were my normal style of play. Preference is still electric guitar first, then bass. Acoustic guitar languishes at the back with tramps, vagrants and drunks.

[thumbo]

I started off on guitar, then switched to bass as I found I had a much better knack for writing bass parts and I got more enjoyment out of playing bass. My basses have been quite neglected over the past couple of weeks since I'm going through a bit of a bluegrass phase with my acoustic geetar!

[Vinny]

No, No, No!

If I pick one up it will be either to move it out of my way or to give it's owner a swift kick in the gentleman's region.

Filthy, filthy things!!!!!

[Ross]

I play mainly Bass. A fair bit of drumming when I can. A bit of guitar and flute. Some piano.
And I also quite like to produce dubstep/ dnb tracks (oh hello electronic age).

Bass is my best instrument, my first.
Been borrowing my housemates flute at uni to try and learn properly but thats a work in progress, I love prog rock a little too much.

[Bassassin]

In a straight fight bass would have guitar, no sweat, just on sheer physical bulk & strength.

I've played guitar for only a couple of years less time than bass, & I'd say in periods when I've been out of bands or am very involved in composing, it's pretty much been my main instrument. I've never entertained the idea of playing it live apart from one band where the guitarist & me would swap for one song (didn't play that one very often!), and a pretty abortive go at busking.

I think I can play well enough to get my ideas down credibly - in fact if anyone wants to hear me playing guitar (dunno why you would, mind) it's me on [url="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maya29/190452804313584?sk=app_2405167945"]all my band's demos here[/url]. Never wanted to do it live - I suppose that while I like playing guitar, I don't have the affinity, passion or love I do for bass.

I've always been intrigued by the antipathy there sometimes seems to be towards guitar from some bassists. OK, we all do lighthearted guitar/guitard-slagging banter, but genuine dislike for the instrument perplexes me a little. I suppose my perspective though is that of someone who's at heart a metalhead/rocker - and to love that music you really have to love the guitar.

Jon.

[geoffbyrne]

I played lead guitar from 1959 till 1978 when I gave it up when family came along - hardly touched a guitar for 25 years.

Took it up again and realised that I was hopeless at free improvisation, which is what it seems to be about these days, and so took up bass.

Apart from not being great at improv, I'm a reasonably competent rhythm guitarist & better than most of the leads I've played with - most of them couldn't play chords to save their lives. I'm certainly a better guitarist than the (only) guitar in one of my bands, but he's such a decewnt bloke (and he's not bad, really).

I've been playing bass now for 8 years.

G.

[Doctor J]

I started my last band and decided to play guitar simply because I didn't want to be in a band with a real guitarist ever again.

We searched for a real bassist for about three years and ended up with a guitarist playing bass

Now I've been asked to sub for another band for a while... on guitar

For me, playing bass is always #1

Guitar #2

Drums #3

Drums are the only acoustic instrument I play. Electricity rules!!!

[scalpy]

This all makes me feel better. "Guitar I can do, bass is more me" seems to be the gist of it. I wholeheartedly echo these sentiments!

[BigRedX]

At various times over the last 35 years I've played guitar, bass and synthesiser in different bands.

I started on guitar, mainly because a 6-string acoustic was all my parents would buy me (although I definitely remember being interested in being a bassist from the start). In my first band everyone played everything, towards the end I had gravitated to mainly playing bass.

In my second band I was strictly bass. Then for the next band I joined as the bassist, but almost immediately switched to synth as we were heading all-electronic and bass guitar simply didn't fit with what we wanted to do.

The next band I joined was looking for both a guitarist and bassist, and I initially auditioned as the bass player, but they preferred another bassist so I switched to guitar.

After that I was involved in a series of recording projects playing everything and anything as required.

The next band I joined was as the bass player. This band went through a series of line-up changes eventually ending up as SugarBox, by which time I had once again switched to guitar.

Since SugarBox split, I've only played bass live, but use all the other instruments for songwriting and recording.

[Lozz196]

I`ve flitted between bands on both bass & guitar over the years, but the way I describe myself:

I`m a bassist, that can play guitar.

Bass is no.1.

[MikanHannille]

Can do a bit of rythm. But yesssss, bass is more me.

[Shambo]

My preference would have to be:

1) bass guitar
2) bass guitar
3) triangle

and so I have now decided to call myself a multi instrumentalist.

In all seriousness I have never played or wanted to strum a single chord on guitar. Not proud of that or anything, just the feel of the little fiddly strings makes my toes curl, sometimes shrieking like a schoolgirl being introduced to a particularly large and hairy spider, and I have to give it immediately back to it's owner... perhaps it's a phobia? I can appreciate them aesthetically and I dig a good rhythm guitar player but guitar solos leave me stone cold.