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Online reviewers who slap! Pet hate!


lefrash
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This really annoys me about any youtube DIY review about any type of bass equipment. Whether its a pedal, an amp or a bass, they always seem to have the urge to start slapping. Quite often really badly too! If you're doing a review, surely the majority of viewers will be finger players or plectrum players so why not review it like that! The amount of pedal reviews I;ve watched that have a guy in a bedroom slapping thinkin he's mark king, but it sounds pish.... and puts me off the pedal! They almost always have that sound of sparkly strings through a practice amp too! Terrible!


Just a pet hate! Needed to get it out there! haha

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It's all because they aren't actually reviewing instruments...they are hoping that people will see them
and comment saying how immensely awesome they are and try and become famous for it. This isn't
limited to reviews-it also includes 'lessons' and play alongs.
It's worked for a few people.

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I write the bass department in Guitar Interactive Magazine and this OP is something I am very aware of. In every gear review I have done since we started the bass department last year, I haven't 'shredded' once. I play very simple and sometimes repetitive bass parts as it's the gear under review, not my playing. I will do examples of finger style, or maybe chords and a smattering of slap in order for the reviewer to hear in the videos how the bass, amp or pedal sounds.

I know my gear - I'm a geek lol but I also know that those reading my reviews are interested in the equipment, not how widdley the reviewer is!

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ah good. Im not alone! Just for balance i should mention there are a few reviews that are very good who stick to a loop or atleast basic noodling. So i might have been stretching it by saying ALL reviews are like this!

A cup of tea is the solution to everything! hehe


Fraser

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There was a guy on Talkbass who did a review of the Roland V-Bass system, let me see if I can find it, it's unbelievably ridiculous...

Here we go. The video description says it's a 'very very basic and simple' demo. He starts playing around the 2:20 mark. Each time he starts demoing a new patch it gets worse.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5hcC7QK93A[/media]

Edited by thisnameistaken
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[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1349126466' post='1822283']
This really annoys me about any youtube DIY review about any type of bass equipment. Whether its a pedal, an amp or a bass, they always seem to have the urge to start slapping. Quite often really badly too! If you're doing a review, surely the majority of viewers will be finger players or plectrum players so why not review it like that! The amount of pedal reviews I;ve watched that have a guy in a bedroom slapping thinkin he's mark king, but it sounds pish.... and puts me off the pedal! They almost always have that sound of sparkly strings through a practice amp too! Terrible!


Just a pet hate! Needed to get it out there! haha
[/quote]

+1 to the above! It's still the same in music shops too - whatever the bass kit, they have to launch into an epic solo slapathon. Personally I don't object to slapping and popping, especially in the case of the late Bernard Edwards, and one of my favourite bass-lines is the one from Bowie's [i]Ashes to Ashes[/i], but I have never yet been required to play in that style by any band I have played with! If I am trying out bass kit, I will usually play soul bass-lines and listen how the sound behaves as I move across the strings and/or up the neck.

Edited by JapanAxe
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[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1349188252' post='1822994']
There was a guy on Talkbass who did a review of the Roland V-Bass system, let me see if I can find it, it's unbelievably ridiculous...

Here we go. The video description says it's a 'very very basic and simple' demo. He starts playing around the 2:20 mark. Each time he starts demoing a new patch it gets worse.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5hcC7QK93A[/media]
[/quote]

that is Incredible!!! Funny thing is, there was a few occasions where he stopped and played 2 or 3 notes slowly and properly, and for that split second it all sounded quite nice! Didnt last long!

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That Roland demo is just absolutely ridiculous. He seems to be playing right 'on the edge' of what he can cleanly pull off and his demo sounds far sloppier for it. However, contrary to popular belief from pub rockers and people can't do it, slap still exists and bassists still slap, even just for fun. I'll admit though, most demo videos aren't much if it's just a Nigel Clutterbuck style slap assault.

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[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1349188881' post='1823006']
I'd like to see instruments reviewed in a band situatuion for a change.
Most of the sounds/tones that sound good solo don't seem to be much cop in a band mix.
[/quote]

Indeed! I don't think I've ever seen anyone do this. I guess it's harder to rope in other musicians out of the goodness of their own hearts.

However, on a larger scale, instrument/gear manufacturers need to start wising up to the fact that YouTube is the best place there is to research potential gear purchases. The amount of times I've gone to YouTube to get a sense of how a pedal sounds, only to find nothing... it's frustrating! EHX are quite good at this though. And EBS.

Of course sounds of YouTube aren't 100% realistic, but it's a damn sight better than just reading about it.

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[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1349188252' post='1822994']
There was a guy on Talkbass who did a review of the Roland V-Bass system, let me see if I can find it, it's unbelievably ridiculous...

Here we go. The video description says it's a 'very very basic and simple' demo. He starts playing around the 2:20 mark. Each time he starts demoing a new patch it gets worse.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5hcC7QK93A[/media]
[/quote]

I was interested in them Roland dealies.

Was.

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[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1349195280' post='1823124']
+1 to the above! It's still the same in music shops too - whatever the bass kit, they have to launch into an epic solo slapathon.
[/quote]
But if they played a scale up and down the neck or something like that no one would turn around and stare at them.

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1349195713' post='1823132']
Agreed! Why don't they just play Brown eyed girl or Sweet home Alabama?
[/quote]
Because people won't see how awesome they are.

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http://basschat.co.uk/topic/169846-warwick-triumph-eub-41-4-string-in-honey-violin-bow/

Not so much a slap artist as a slap head artist, and I bet the reason this Warwick Classic has not sold. I saw Marky years ago and was impressed with the overall slappiness but can't get on with the top end Zing. Listen to Peg, Steely Dan, thats discrete slap. James Brown's bass player never slapped, he would have been slapped, fined and sacked. Stick with the music.

You can tell I'm overseas again bored and with time to kill. ;)

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when im feeling really evil i like to go into music shops and try basses and play them really badly like plonk plunk plunk pink oops buzz plink plink rattle and like try and slap a bit but do it purposely really badly
:crazy:

if i get the (saving himself for lara croft) rock super-hero type response from shop assistant AND i can keep a straight face i will try and ask a really dumb question or two just for the coupe de grace :D

edit - oops sorry forgot ... and to keep in with the OPs theme ... i will then offer the shop assistant part-time rock superhero my verdict after reviewing said instrument :)

Edited by steve-bbb
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  • 4 months later...

Sorry for the thread resurrection! But just been looking at some reviews for the squier jazz deluxe V, and found this. Not only is his playing extremely OTT, he can also make the instrument sound gash! I've got one of these on the way.... if I watched this video I may have had second thoughts!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reOvF025cVQ

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