Could you perform your current role on a Squier Bass ?

[drTStingray]

8 hours ago, casapete said:

I have always liked that picture but it always struck me as a bit of an odd marketing ploy by Fender to advertise it's wares in relation to surfing long after the Beach Boys' surf music heyday and surfing music generally - although it is often perhaps associated with Fender instruments - the ad is late 70s/early 80s I think!! 

Unfortunately, as discussed many moons ago on this very forum Fender basses can't walk on water  - they unfortunately sink.

Anyway sorry for the interlude - back on topic 😀

Edited March 30, 2018 by drTStingray

[Passinwind]

2 hours ago, Bluewine said:

I'm a Yankee and I've learned that culturally we're a bit different, so here goes;

You'd have to be paying me a lot if you want to dictate what bass I should be playing.

 

I've lived in the US all but one year of my life Blue, but yeah, from what I've seen the Midwest is very different from Washington and Oregon for sure. The J knockoff was a loaner and I also prefer the other bass in question in this context, so there's no issue there on my part. But the OP asked if my bandmates or audience would notice if I brought a Squier, and at least one clearly would. Anyone I play with on gigs typically gets to choose between the three that I own (one fretted 5, one fretless 4, and one EUB) and if they wanted a Fender-ish bass instead I would gladly let them buy or loan me one if it meant that much to them. Same for upright, which one band does currently provide for rehearsals. It's just a tool in my world, not a religious artifact.

[Passinwind]

5 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

The people you play with get to choose?

From my three basses, yes. The 17 piece big band that I sub in prefers my fretless 4 to my EUB, for instance.

[la bam]

Im currently gigging with my vintage v4 reissue p bass and i genuinely think its as good in the mix as any high end fender p bass - no one would ever know it wasnt a high end p bass - and its cheaper than a squier. I can do everything on it i need - low end power and high end clarity, very easy to play too and finished beatifully.

I could get a high end fender p but why would i? Id be paying £1000 for that headstock decal, not for anything else that would improve anything to my playing or band.

Each to their own though.

[FinnDave]

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

The people you play with get to choose?

Why not? I often take 2 or 3 basses to a gig or whatever and select the most suitable for the sound required by the band and will ask which they prefer. The band usually has an idea of the bass sound they want.

Obviously, the doesn't apply with people you play with week in week out, but with new bands. For example, I rehearsed with a band last week that I am gigging with this weekend (my first gig with them) and tried a Precision with flats and a Jazz with rounds, finger style and with a pick. We decided the best sound was the Precision with flats, but more top would help nail the sound they want, so I have re-strung the Jazz with flats for the gig.

It's not people 'telling what bass to play', it's just trying to help the band to achieve the sound that they want, and not just from the bass. In my regular blues band, the guitarist will sometime suggest that the drummer use a different snare, or tune a tom differently. We are all part of a band, and the overall sound is all that matters.

 

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, Passinwind said:

I've lived in the US all but one year of my life Blue, but yeah, from what I've seen the Midwest is very different from Washington and Oregon for sure. The J knockoff was a loaner and I also prefer the other bass in question in this context, so there's no issue there on my part. But the OP asked if my bandmates or audience would notice if I brought a Squier, and at least one clearly would. Anyone I play with on gigs typically gets to choose between the three that I own (one fretted 5, one fretless 4, and one EUB) and if they wanted a Fender-ish bass instead I would gladly let them buy or loan me one if it meant that much to them. Same for upright, which one band does currently provide for rehearsals. It's just a tool in my world, not a religious artifact.

I guess it would depend on the level of the band. If it was a super good paying band I guess I wouldn't mind.

Blue

[paul_c2]

I've been in situations where I've offered (or could have offered) to use a different bass or an effect or a markedly different bunch of settings (eg back pickup, or big tone control changes). However in 100% of the cases so far, my first choice has been the right choice, in terms of myself producing the mose appropriate sound required for the situation. I appreciate that in a smaller group, it could be more "democratic" but in a larger group, its respected that everyone's an expert at their own instrument and will make those decisions. Its like an invisible/unwritten boundary you don't go over. I think in about 45 years so far, I've only once made a suggestion to another, which was for a trumpet player to take the mute out and play a bit louder, in a solo section.

[Bluewine]

8 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

Why not? I often take 2 or 3 basses to a gig or whatever and select the most suitable for the sound required by the band and will ask which they prefer. The band usually has an idea of the bass sound they want.

Obviously, the doesn't apply with people you play with week in week out, but with new bands. For example, I rehearsed with a band last week that I am gigging with this weekend (my first gig with them) and tried a Precision with flats and a Jazz with rounds, finger style and with a pick. We decided the best sound was the Precision with flats, but more top would help nail the sound they want, so I have re-strung the Jazz with flats for the gig.

It's not people 'telling what bass to play', it's just trying to help the band to achieve the sound that they want, and not just from the bass. In my regular blues band, the guitarist will sometime suggest that the drummer use a different snare, or tune a tom differently. We are all part of a band, and the overall sound is all that matters.

 

Makes sense Dave.

I guess I was thinking about my band. We just don't pay that much attention to those kinds of details. We should but we don't.

Blue

[Bluewine]

3 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

in a larger group, its respected that everyone's an expert at their own instrument and will make those decisions. 

Come to think of it I am pretty good at making those decisions.

Blue 

 

[FinnDave]

I'm not averse to making suggestions to other band members, either, it is a two way process. In one band, I often ask the guitarist to turn up (yeah, hard to to believe!) and am always asking the harmonica player to turn his amp down. Or preferably off!

[mcnach]

2 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

The people you play with get to choose?

 

I get to choose who I play with

 

now seriously... I've commented on the choice of guitar of some of the guitarists I play with (the strat was better than the Les Paul for our music, I thought) and they sometimes have commented on particular basses I may have tried... but the final choice always rests with the player.

However, this could be different if I join a band where there's a clear leader in charge of the band's direction and sound. If I show up and he says "something like a Precision would be better suited than your Stingray for this", or he prefers a fretless or whatever... then I'd be listening, because the goal is making music, not for me to play an individual instrument. 

I guess what it boils down to is whether the band sound is decided collectively or there's one person in charge.

Edited March 30, 2018 by mcnach

[Woodinblack]

5 hours ago, Bluewine said:

I'm a Yankee and I've learned that culturally we're a bit different, so here goes;

You'd have to be paying me a lot if you want to dictate what bass I should be playing.

Blue

That is one area where there is no cultural difference. Tonight I think I will play my checkered iceman bass!

[stingrayPete1977]

To me I'd say the limitation is within the player rather than the Squier if they physically or more likely mentally could not perform a piece on a like for like bass ie a four string jazz bass. 

Of course there will be nuisances that are different but only in the same way there would be between a USA Fender and a Sadowsky, Sadowsky and Lakland etc

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by stingrayPete1977

[FinnDave]

Other members of the band are often in a better position to hear how the bass fits in with rest of the band than I am, stuck in front of my amp and inches away from the drums. And if anyone says I should move, you obviously haven't played some of the tiny stages I have!

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, FinnDave said:

I'm not averse to making suggestions to other band members, either, it is a two way process. In one band, I often ask the guitarist to turn up (yeah, hard to to believe!) and am always asking the harmonica player to turn his amp down. Or preferably off!

I have asked the guitarist several times to pour petrol over his orange combo and set fire to it. Still hasn't happened!

[Woodinblack]

Just now, FinnDave said:

Other members of the band are often in a better position to hear how the bass fits in with rest of the band than I am, stuck in front of my amp and inches away from the drums. And if anyone says I should move, you obviously haven't played some of the tiny stages I have!

When we are setting up, I go right out the front and listen (as I am wireless), makes things easier.

[FinnDave]

Just now, Woodinblack said:

I have asked the guitarist several times to pour petrol over his orange combo and set fire to it. Still hasn't happened!

I have also asked the harp player to relocate his amp as it would sound better. Preferably somewhere several miles away!

[FinnDave]

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

When we are setting up, I go right out the front and listen (as I am wireless), makes things easier.

Not something we can do at most of the pubs we play in. I'm playing at a proper music venue on Sunday, we will have a full soundcheck before the audience are around, different game altogether then. 

[Linus27]

Yes, no problem doing what I do on a Squire.

[Woodinblack]

Just now, FinnDave said:

Not something we can do at most of the pubs we play in. I'm playing at a proper music venue on Sunday, we will have a full soundcheck before the audience are around, different game altogether then. 

Why not? Most of our gigs are just regular pubs, just do money for nothing as a sound check and stand out the front to get it sounding right. If you don't do that how can you tell if it sounds bad unless you have someone else that can do it for you? 

In previous groups it was eaiser, my wife came to all our gigs and she would just say what was wrong, but she doesn't come to the current bands gigs.

[dave_bass5]

On 26/03/2018 at 20:02, lojo said:

I've voted yes , despite owning 4 Fenders , 1 musicman and 2 other basses 

Quite often i take my Squire CV's out instead of my MIA Fender. I gigged only my Squiers for about 5 years. Probably did over 300 gigs with them. The only reason i use my MIA P now is i like the look, and its quite a bit lighter than the Squier.

 

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 1, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[peteb]

2 hours ago, FinnDave said:

I have also asked the harp player to relocate his amp as it would sound better. Preferably somewhere several miles away!

It's the old adage on the blues circuit, that the definition of a gentleman is someone who can play the harmonica but refrains from doing so... 

Edited March 30, 2018 by peteb

[chris_b]

17 minutes ago, peteb said:

It's the old adage on the blues circuit, that the definition of a gentleman is someone who can play the harmonica but refrains from doing so... 

I've yet to meet a gentleman harp player!

[peteb]

5 hours ago, FinnDave said:

Why not? I often take 2 or 3 basses to a gig or whatever and select the most suitable for the sound required by the band and will ask which they prefer. The band usually has an idea of the bass sound they want.

Obviously, the doesn't apply with people you play with week in week out, but with new bands. For example, I rehearsed with a band last week that I am gigging with this weekend (my first gig with them) and tried a Precision with flats and a Jazz with rounds, finger style and with a pick. We decided the best sound was the Precision with flats, but more top would help nail the sound they want, so I have re-strung the Jazz with flats for the gig.

It's not people 'telling what bass to play', it's just trying to help the band to achieve the sound that they want, and not just from the bass. In my regular blues band, the guitarist will sometime suggest that the drummer use a different snare, or tune a tom differently. We are all part of a band, and the overall sound is all that matters.

 

I went and bought a Fender P because I knew that some of the people I was playing with (and also some of the band leaders that I wouldn’t mind playing with) preferred that sound image / look. The BL was gushing about how great the new bass was and said that his bass playing mate had said “I see that Pete has got himself a proper bass at last”!

Personally, I think that a lot of it is nonsense and that a decent bass will get a sound that will work in pretty much all situations. But it can’t be denied that a lot of people think that a ‘proper’ bass sounds and looks like the basses on the records they grew up with (be it Motown or the Clash) and ideally has ‘Fender Made in USA’ written on the headstock. So, I bought one because it would help me get more gigs.

I heard a story of someone auditioning for Mark Knopfler who turned up with a high end coffee table 5 string. The audition obviously went well because he was asked to come back but Knopfler said to him ‘next time you come, bring something that looks like a proper bass’! So, he went and bought a 5 string that looked like a Fender for the second audition and I believe that he got the gig in the end.