Why are loads of product demos etc. slap?

[ROConnell]

Why? Genuinely curious, do they think something to do with the tone or demonstrating the sounds is better with slap? Can't we just have more of an emphasis on NORMAL playing...

[MoonBassAlpha]

To demonstrate the ability of whatever kit to produce a full frequency range, especially the high bit? You can always turn it down, but can't add it if it's not there in the first place.

[ROConnell]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1485517848' post='3224520']
To demonstrate the ability of whatever kit to produce a full frequency range, especially the high bit? You can always turn it down, but can't add it if it's not there in the first place.
[/quote]

Fair enough, thought it would be something like that! Thanks.

[Cato]

Like it or loathe it a lot of players do slap, and not all basses are well suited to it, so if a manufacturer wants to appeal to the widest potential market it's worth them demonstrating how the technique sounds on their product.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Perhaps bass players in 80s tribute acts have been identified as a particularly high-spending demographic?

[No lust in Jazz]

Often I think this is down to ego, some 'reviewers' like to show off their 'chops' and slap (while a valid form of playing), is an easier vehicle to do this; easier than, say entertaining someone for the duration of the review using more core techniques - e.g. playing solo Jamerson lines with any degree of accuracy

Not all reviews feature slap solos as a statement of tone - See Dan Veal's (Aka Dood) reviews - there is another way.

Edited January 27, 2017 by No lust in Jazz

[TimR]

Bass players don't do the reviews. They just get some guitarist to do it.

[mikel]

Because it shows off how many chops the bassist involved has. Also, because its a recording, whatever is being demo'd is heavily processed and will sound nowt like what you will get. If its the bass it should be recorded flat, played open strings, harmonics, octaves and chords, while adjusting the guitars pots. That would show the range of the guitar. For an amp/combo they could use a P bass, as they are common, and again go through the tone and volume capabilities of the product. How fast and how many notes a tester can get into the demo should have nowt to do with it. Personally I want to hear the frequency range an amp or an instrument can produce and its overall tone. If the tester slapped and popped the strings a couple of times to let us hear the tone that would do.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='ROConnell' timestamp='1485516978' post='3224511']
Why? Genuinely curious, do they think something to do with the tone or demonstrating the sounds is better with slap? Can't we just have more of an emphasis on NORMAL playing...
[/quote]

So the person watching can have an idea of how it will sound when they're slapping in their bedroom...

[Dood]

[quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1485518605' post='3224533']
Often I think this is down to ego, some 'reviewers' like to show off their 'chops' and slap (while a valid form of playing), is an easier vehicle to do this; easier than, say entertaining someone for the duration of the review using more core techniques - e.g. playing solo Jamerson lines with any degree of accuracy

Not all reviews feature slap solos as a statement of tone - See Dan Veal's (Aka Dood) reviews - there is another way.
[/quote]


Thank you! I am touched, I really appreciate the kind words. If I had to have a tag line, a mantra if you will, it'd be "No Shred, No Ego." Plenty of people complain about my reviews but I've always endeavoured to get the voice of the bass or equipment over and explain the limitations of the medium we are working with as well. I've recorded over 250 HD videos and written a magazine article for all of them too. I don't think a 2 minute slap-fest is a useful video and if it needs to be 15 minutes long to demonstrate, well, so be it!

[Kevin Dean]

I think Dans demos are very good , I just want to hear the tones the equipment is capable of .

[JapanAxe]

When the slapping starts, I switch off. It tells me nothing about how a piece of kit will perform for me. YMMV etc.

[LayDownThaFunk]

Slap reviews - all flash, no smash.

[bubinga5]

The best reviews should cover most styles/techniques.Like most I'm after how the bass performs. Not how there ego performs. But there needs to be a capable bass player playing. As usual with most things. Balance is everything.

I've seen some amazing slap bass. But it's just slap, we don't all slap so it's not a bass review.

Edited January 27, 2017 by bubinga5

[Marc S]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1485523321' post='3224608']
The best reviews should cover most styles/techniques.Like most I'm after how the bass performs. Not how there ego performs. But there needs to be a capable bass player playing. As usual with most things. Balance is everything.

I've seen some amazing slap bass. But it's just slap, we don't all slap so it's not a bass review.
[/quote]

Absolutely spot on

[Marvin]

Most gear demos are bad, and that's being kind.
I tend to only rate Ed Friedland and Dan's reviews. Unfortunately Ed seems to have stopped doing reviews.

[stingrayPete1977]

The people spending the big money are the same people that go to the big bass shows and you'll know what they sound like if you've attended one.

[Barking Spiders]

Funny thing is most younger blokes I've spoken to doing slap in shops and at bass shows don't even listen to proper funk, RHCP maybe but they are absolutely, no way funk. I love slap but it doesn't fit in with other genres.

[Dood]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1485524443' post='3224623']
Most gear demos are bad, and that's being kind.
I tend to only rate Ed Friedland and Dan's reviews. Unfortunately Ed seems to have stopped doing reviews.
[/quote]


Being rated side by side with The Bass Whisperer himself! That's really cool

[ROConnell]

OK it's clear I need to look at dood's stuff then for reviews that are worth my time. Yeaaaa, keepin' it in the BC circle.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1485536322' post='3224783']



Being rated side by side with The Bass Whisperer himself! That's really cool
[/quote]

But there's a lot of truth in that comparison - you both demonstrate the gear comprehensively, not yourselves. Curious as to what the complaints are about...

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1485534281' post='3224756']
Funny thing is most younger blokes I've spoken to doing slap in shops and at bass shows don't even listen to proper funk, RHCP maybe but they are absolutely, no way funk. I love slap but it doesn't fit in with other genres.
[/quote]

In your 50s with a Level 42 T shirt is not a younger bloke, lol

[oldbass]

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1485522664' post='3224598']
Slap reviews - all flash, no smash.
[/quote]

Yep. A quick slap line portrays a kind of cleverness and brilliance in a very short space of time which is nigh on impossible to do played finger style/pick style.

[Delberthot]

As soon as I hear slap I go onto the next video if I'm trying to get an idea of the sound.

I wonder what percentage of bass players actually slap live at gigs or on recordings - 5%? less? So to most bass players it's irrelevant.

Same goes when I was trying to get an idea of the sound of a Hofner violin bass. Every Youtube video had the reviewer playing with a plectrum as that's what McCartney used. I play with my fingers so, again, the videos were useless to me.

As for fretless, don't get me started. I don't want to sound or play like Jaco, I just want to hear what the bass sounds like. Yes you can slide about the place and use vibrato as that's what a fretless allows you to do but I'm not interested in most of the other stuff I'll never use.

[Grangur]

[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1485593981' post='3225109']
As soon as I hear slap I go onto the next video if I'm trying to get an idea of the sound.

I wonder what percentage of bass players actually slap live at gigs or on recordings - 5%? less? So to most bass players it's irrelevant.

Same goes when I was trying to get an idea of the sound of a Hofner violin bass. Every Youtube video had the reviewer playing with a plectrum as that's what McCartney used. I play with my fingers so, again, the videos were useless to me.

As for fretless, don't get me started. I don't want to sound or play like Jaco, I just want to hear what the bass sounds like. Yes you can slide about the place and use vibrato as that's what a fretless allows you to do but I'm not interested in most of the other stuff I'll never use.
[/quote] +1 Nicely said Sir.