lowdowner Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 (edited) Picture the scene... you've walked into your favourite bass shop and you've asked to try out a tasty little number you've had your beadies on for a while now. The shop keeper, a scruffy and overly cool looking dude who in your imagination is probably an ex bassist of an 80's supergroup and possibly too cool to be in a bass shop, hands it to you and plugs you into a big, and very loud, rig. Probably under a spot light. He looks at you expectantly. The rest of the shop is stuffed full with loads of obvious expert shredders, just lounging around looking for the next axe for their upcoming sell-out world tour. They now too turn towards you, again all expectantly... What top three riffs have you chosen to help you 'try out' the beautiful bass that is clearly too good for your measly efforts? OK, this is a bit extreme, but it's usually how *I* feel, that's for sure. So do you have common songs, riffs, or snippets of stuff you like to noodle away at when trying out a new bass in a shop. Or do you just 'jam' in a confident sort of way? Just wonderin' Edited April 20, 2015 by lowdowner Quote
ribbetingfrog Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 Sweet emotion by Aerosmith every time for me, then something by The Doors. Quote
lowdowner Posted April 20, 2015 Author Posted April 20, 2015 The Doors? Great idea - riders on the storm? Quote
Cameronj279 Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 I barely try out basses in shops anymore (I generally feel bad wasting their time) but I generally just play a few sections of my own bands songs. They're the only songs I actually play and where the basses sound would matter the most for me. Quote
lowdowner Posted April 20, 2015 Author Posted April 20, 2015 Hey - a fellow 'thrope'! How unlikely is that?? Quote
dannybuoy Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 I just play some of my own original basslines - I hardly know any covers or famous riffs and it would be a little cheesy to play some of them in a music shop! Quote
lowdowner Posted April 20, 2015 Author Posted April 20, 2015 Cheesy? Oh... *that's* why they were pointing and laughing at me? Quote
discreet Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 I just play [i]The Enormous Room[/i] by Michael Manring - always gets a mixed reaction... Quote
Dandelion Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 They were laughing because your body was becoming hairy. Your teeth were growing and your claws were begining to impede your playing. Howwwwwwwwwwll. How about bad moon rising? Quote
timmo Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 [quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1429563077' post='2752722'] Picture the scene... you've walked into your favourite bass shop and you've asked to try out a tasty little number you've had your beadies on for a while now. The shop keeper, a scruffy and overly cool looking dude who in your imagination is probably an ex bassist of an 80's supergroup and possibly too cool to be in a bass shop, hands it to you and plugs you into a big, and very loud, rig. Probably under a spot light. He looks at you expectantly. The rest of the shop is stuffed full with loads of obvious expert shredders, just lounging around looking for the next axe for their upcoming sell-out world tour. They now too turn towards you, again all expectantly... What top three riffs have you chosen to help you 'try out' the beautiful bass that is clearly too good for your measly efforts? OK, this is a bit extreme, but it's usually how *I* feel, that's for sure. So do you have common songs, riffs, or snippets of stuff you like to noodle away at when trying out a new bass in a shop. Or do you just 'jam' in a confident sort of way? Just wonderin' [/quote]You must have travelled if you had been in a shop that had basses that you would want to try out Quote
cameltoe Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 I always ask to try unplugged for this reason. I'm not interested in how a bass sounds until I know whether it feels right. But then, I only play P's so I already know how they sound 😉 Quote
JapanAxe Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 Soul Man Heavyweight Champion of the World My Girl I have been known to take a list of songs with me just so I don't dry up! Quote
discreet Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1429566765' post='2752775'] I have been known to take a list of songs with me just so I don't dry up! [/quote] It's not a gig, you know... Quote
JapanAxe Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1429567157' post='2752780'] It's not a gig, you know... [/quote] I know but as the OP more than hints, you've got all these people watching and listening so you don't want to play some random lame Am7 riff, which is what happens otherwise. Anyway what better test of the bass than to try out the stuff you're going to end up playing on it live!? Quote
Lozz196 Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 Down In The Tube Station & It`s Too Bad by The Jam, Nice & Sleazy by The Stranglers. Quote
discreet Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1429567410' post='2752784'] Anyway what better test of the bass than to try out the stuff you're going to end up playing on it live!? [/quote] Well I suppose so, but hadn't you better take the rest of the band along with you too in that case..? Quote
SolomonHelsing Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 The main riff from black night, and a few of the other parts. Some 8th note pumping, and some scales. Luckily the last time I tried out a bass it was only the shop owner and I basically was just checking how the neck felt and the pickup position felt for resting on. About a month later I've changed the pup to a delano cause the old one was weedy. Going into a bigger music shop to try anything scares me pretty bad, Till I can actually pull better stuff out of nowhere haha. Quote
Happy Jack Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 The first 90 seconds or so of[list] [*]Honky Tonk Women [*]Alright Now [*]We Will Rock You [/list] Quote
CamdenRob Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 When trying out basses I generally just slap the crap out of it as fast as I can... maybe a bit of tapping too. Quote
Number6 Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 Normally something by J.S. Bach.....in an Entwistle / Sheehan stylee Yeah right 😂 Quote
discreet Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1429597023' post='2752897'] When trying out basses I generally just slap the crap out of it as fast as I can... [/quote] Ahh, so that's you, is it? Stop it at once! Quote
JTUK Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 Why would you play anyone's bass lines at all..?? I just noodle with things that I've come up with and I'll be trying to the bass to sound like it could handle the sounds within the styles that I hear and play. I kind of laugh when I hear someone playing a standard bassline, tbh.. Quote
Leonard Smalls Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 I tend to slap an open E and A a couple of times, do the various harmonics to see how they sound, play a couple of chords both strummed and plucked then launch into a bit of "Showstopper" by Jamaaladeen, followed by a few riffs of my own followed by wild noodling until the shop owner comes up and says "Are you going to buy that $%£&*^! bass or not?" Quote
ras52 Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1429596621' post='2752895'] The first 90 seconds or so of[list] [*]Honky Tonk Women [*]Alright Now [*]We Will Rock You [/list] [/quote] Spooky, I'm sitting on a train playing those sections right now! Quote
CamdenRob Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 (edited) [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1429600416' post='2752928'] Ahh, so that's you, is it? Stop it at once! [/quote] My bass demoing technique is nothing compared to my guitar try out routine...I clear a space in the shop by moving the other guitars to one side and play bendy rock solos on my knees with the amp on max volume and cathedral reverb setting... sometimes I cry through the sheer beauty of what I'm playing and let the tears roll down my face... Edited April 21, 2015 by CamdenRob Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.