Greggo Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Do you ever find you can play one guitar or bass exclusively but then if you play another guitar you come up with riffs / ideas that you know you probably wouldn't have done on the other guitar? This happens to me, it's like different guitars draw different things from me. Why is this? I've been playing a borrowed strat copy for weeks and coming up with more fresh ideas than I have in months and months of playing my tele. I'm thinking different playability, different sounds are all part of it. Certainly a good case to own more than one guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Certain instruments tend to make you play a different way because of their sound and/or feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I write the songs in our band. On bass . I moved a jazz bass on a while back because I prefer playing precision necks. Didn't realise until it had gone, of course, that writing songs on the precision that replaced it seems less natural and the style is a little different. Go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliusmonk Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Absolutely. I blame it on neck profile, string spacing, radius, etc., but I also think there may be an intangible factor, a 'feel' that yields new licks and ideas. I'd go as far as saying that even the colour scheme can make you play differently. And the best is that: a) it seems to happen independently of how 'high end'/expensive the axe is; it (sometimes) changes with time - an uninspiring bass/guitar can be a nice surprise when you get back to it after a while, and vice versa... For me, this is a major driving force for GAS... Of course some may argue that you're just a slightly different person every day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 totally - it happens all the time. I have a mid priced Japanese strat which for years has been my main 'pick up and play' instrument (when I'm not on bass obviously). During much of that time i've had one of two nice Gibson SGs too, but they never bring out my playing in the way that modest little strat does. Part of it i guess is the scale/feel/neck shape, and that the strat is so played in that it feels like a pair of slippers now. Have recently added a jazz bass to my stock, after donkey's years of playing P basses, and there's a difference there too - i think the extra playing position over the bridge pickup opens up new doors there too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggo Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 It is quite a lovely phenomenon I have to say. In my case at the moment I'm just playing a 20 year old encore strat copy that I've borrowed and set up and it feels and sounds great. Makes a nice change to my CV tele but I'm sure going back to my tele will yield things the encore didn't and vice versa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggo Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 It is quite a lovely phenomenon I have to say. In my case at the moment I'm just playing a 20 year old encore strat copy that I've borrowed and set up and it feels and sounds great. Makes a nice change to my CV tele but I'm sure going back to my tele will yield things the encore didn't and vice versa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Can't say I've noticed this, but because I pick up a different bass every time I play I don't suppose I'm best placed to experience this phenomenon. I've never thought "it just isn't working out with this bass" and picked up a different one either. Maybe I should try that some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Probably something in your subconscious links the sound of the guitar to a song you've heard or a style of music. Something similar happens to me if I plug my bass into a multi FX unit and run through the different FX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I suppose a lot of it is down to how the guitar makes you feel. The same as playing with a clean or distorted sound. I feel different when playing my Ric, Thunderbird or Precision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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