drTStingray Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1488535937' post='3249707'] there's something there about wanting to be yourself etc... for sure, don't be a pushover. But a band is a group of people and that is going to mean discussion and compromise, unless you're all clones and think 100% alike all the time, or you're all hired hands (in which case you'll do as told,, full stop, and smile for the cameras if they want you to ). I think many hobbyist musicians (like myself) can get a little too precious about their gear and what they play. I've seen this coming from insecurity in some cases, from sheer bloodymindedness in others, selfishness... and a few times because their artistic integrity was superior. In other words: I've never experienced that attitude to be a positive thing. Just like being a pushover will also not take you to anywhere nice either. It's a balancing act. You have your preferences. Others have other preferences. Together you push and pull and discuss and sometimes even argue, why not? an argument does not have to be something where someone is trying to subjugate another... in the end, if you have sufficient in common, you end up moving in a direction you've collectively decided, and carry on. You need to be flexible. And balanced. Leave your egos in a pocket of the gig bag, locked. You'll have more fun. [/quote] I tend to agree with this, in all aspects except instruments and equipment (unless there's a particular sound issue). My personal experience over 40 odd yrs as a semi pro has been this issue crops up rarely but when it does it's usually a portent for other 'controlling' behaviour - it's also notable that most of the people doing it I have encountered have been technically weaker or indeed the weakest musician in the group, and simply ill informed or wrong (not just when commenting on fellow musician's instruments or sound either). You have to decide whether you can tolerate it or not. I have known people asking others to have their guitars resprayed because it doesn't match the band (in one case the self styled leader had an aversion to a certain colour!!). The bottom line is you do come across controlling and irrational behaviour in music groups but thankfully it's not a regular issue in my experience. A high turnover of musicians is often a pointer to potential issues!! Edited March 3, 2017 by drTStingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Depends. A pro project with a plausible reason for using a particular bass? I'd probably go along with it. A half-assed hobby band that plays once a month for nothing and it's about one guy being a dick? Probably not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocker Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 [quote name='peteb' timestamp='1487776170' post='3242740'] Like it or not, image is a large part of what we do and that includes how the instrument we turn up with is perceived by the audience and the band leader. For that reason I now own a couple of fenders again. Having said that, I would have thought that the attitude would have worked in a prog band but then what do I know... [/quote] I disagree. The majority of punters don't know that there is a difference between bass and lead guitars, let alone the different makes and types of instruments. Looking confident and in control will get you through... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 [quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1488538319' post='3249745'] I tend to agree with this, in all aspects except instruments and equipment (unless there's a particular sound issue). My personal experience over 40 odd yrs as a semi pro has been this issue crops up rarely but when it does it's usually a portent for other 'controlling' behaviour - it's also notable that most of the people doing it I have encountered have been technically weaker or indeed the weakest musician in the group, and simply ill informed or wrong (not just when commenting on fellow musician's instruments or sound either). You have to decide whether you can tolerate it or not. I have known people asking others to have their guitars resprayed because it doesn't match the band (in one case the self styled leader had an aversion to a certain colour!!). The bottom line is you do come across controlling and irrational behaviour in music groups but thankfully it's not a regular issue in my experience. A high turnover of musicians is often a pointer to potential issues!! [/quote] I was mostly talking about "being told what to play" type of comments. About what bass to play... I'd be flexible too, but much less so, I need to have a very good reason why my Precision or my Stingray cannot be used here. If it comes to the way they look... I'm unlikely to give in. Unless they come with lots of money. Money tends to make me more compliant but I have never experienced that kind of situation. If it is about the way an instrument sounds, then I'm open to discussion, why not. I have also encouraged a guy to go back to using a strat rather than the Les Paul he was borrowing, because I thought it fitted much better. Others did too, and in the end the guy thought "yeah, it's true" and is again using a strat. It's ok to suggest, why not? I never would bully him into dropping the Les Paul, but I speak my mind and expect others to do the same. I suspect in the 'pro' world these things get trickier, because as it is I do not depend on gigs for a living, so I can afford to chat, discuss, and disagree. If my bread is bought with the money from the gig, you've got to be even more careful. But that's like any other job. There's often unreasonable people we need to put up with at any job you do. Instead of hating the colour of your guitar they may have an issue with the place you've chosen to store certain lab equipment or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 [quote name='Rocker' timestamp='1488539526' post='3249759'] I disagree. The majority of punters don't know that there is a difference between bass and lead guitars, let alone the different makes and types of instruments. Looking confident and in control will get you through... [/quote] so true... I only found out two weeks ago or so that my girlfriend (whom I met from her becoming a fan of the band and appearing at most of our local gigs) didn't know initially that the guitar I was playing was a bass. And before the obvious jokes start: yes, before we started dating she knew very well I was the bass player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1488539528' post='3249760'] I was mostly talking about "being told what to play" type of comments. If it is about the way an instrument sounds, then I'm open to discussion, why not. I have also encouraged a guy to go back to using a strat rather than the Les Paul he was borrowing, because I thought it fitted much better. Others did too, and in the end the guy thought "yeah, it's true" and is again using a strat. It's ok to suggest, why not? I never would bully him into dropping the Les Paul, but I speak my mind and expect others to do the same. [/quote] Multi-guitar bands are a special case when it comes to instrument choice IMO. A friend's band added another guitarist a couple of years ago to free up the singer from playing guitar so much. The existing guitarist was playing a strat style guitar, and when the new guy started he was playing a tele. I saw them live like this a few times and felt like the mix was never quite right. Then last year, the second guitarist changed to an SG and everything seemed to fit together much better. One guitarist is playing a strat into a clean amp and fuzz pedal, the other is playing an SG with a bit of overdrive, the two sounds don't tread on each others toes and each has its own distinct role. But apparently he'd always fancied the SG and didn't have to be nudged in that direction. Conversely, in the one-guitar band I play in, no-one seems to bat an eyelid whether I bring the jazzmaster or 335 type guitar, but oddly I get comments when changing my echo box... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 EQ mixing. It's why when you have a two guitar band you often get the volume wars where neither can hear themselves or each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1488543827' post='3249836'] EQ mixing. It's why when you have a two guitar band you often get the volume wars where neither can hear themselves or each other. [/quote] It [i]can[/i] work with two similar sounding instruments and setups, but in that case the roles of the two guitars need to be carefully thought out, like Television for instance. Edited March 3, 2017 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1488543922' post='3249838'] It [i]can[/i] work with two similar sounding instruments and setups, but in that case the roles of the two guitars need to be carefully thought out, like Television for instance. [/quote] Yes. You need them to think about their arrangements. Which requires them to think musically rather than with their ego... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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