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What do you play if you're trying a bass in a music shop?


molan
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"Mustang Sally". It's the law.

I generally just have a little play around acoustically to see how they feel. Bear in mind that I'm not actually looking to buy anything these days (unless just the perfect 5-string fretless comes along for ten bob) but I'm open to checking stuff out anyway. I don't have anything as a normal piece to play and find myself struggling to think what to do, though it often finishes up being "Toccata".

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There is no kudos for playing well in a music shop. The whole point of being there is to eye up and try new basses/ guitars, so there's no need for extravagant or over the top playing in my opinion.

Keep it simple, get a feel for the bass, check the fretwork, neck, body and paint, sustain and judge how its sound will fit into your band/ project. ;)

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[quote name='Toadonroll' post='389200' date='Jan 23 2009, 12:55 AM']1) Play open strings
2) Fret all notes up and down neck
3) Check what the knobs do
4) How does it sound/feel? (you should know by now!)[/quote]

Close...
Check that it's in tune with itself using 5th and 7th fret Harmonics.
Check intonation at 12th fret (fretted vs. harmonic)

Moan.
Ask for tuner.
Ask for Allen keys.
Then 1-4 above.
They'll love ya.
Even if you can't play at all!

And the point is?
Shops! Set up your instruments!
Don't just get them out of the box, hang them on the wall and pray!

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I was using up the last of my 2008 holiday allowance last Monday, so decided to make a trip to a music shop whose website indicated they stock Traben basses (I really like the look of the Chaos Obsession model). I was looking forward to this, not having tried any bass out in a shop since 1985!

I play in a rock covers band so have plenty of material in my repertoire and strode into the almost empty store ready for action, only to find the full extent of their stock was Fender, Squire, Yamaha and some other brand beginning with “F” none of which “float my boat”. I asked about Traben basses, but the guy in the store hadn’t even heard of them. I left without being inspired to try any of the basses on display. ;)

This is another reason why many of us don’t waste time visiting music stores and go the online route instead, even if that has its own problems.

There’s good advice on this thread on how to try out a bass properly – but it’s not always easy to find the bass you actually want to try.

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For me I'll go all out and slap all sortsa stuff. with slapping the bass really does make a difference, the action, the placement of the pic ups and other stuff, it can all effect your slaping and poping so I beleive you need to do it before you buy. One bass might be good for double and triple pops, where as another might have a better feel for left hand slaps. you definatley need to go through your whole range on a bass before deciding on it. And I haven't even started talking about tone yet!

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Personally i usually play simple stuff, nothing too crazy as i like to hear things as clearly as i can.
If i'm seriously interested and looking to buy that bass that day then i'll wind it up a bit and start doing more interesting things and try and test my limits on it to see if I really get on with it, but still try to refrain from looking like a nob..
I don't really subscribe to the whole flash and no smash school of playing, but i did have to be a bit silly and throw as many fancy licks, taps and slaps in when i was in a certain bass shop in Denmark street and asked to try a pedal i wanted to buy that day.
The shaved baboon behind the counter asked what bass and amps i had and i told him, his eyes looked skywards and he said:
"of course you do, everyone says that",
which annoyed me, then he said
"how many months have you been playing" insinuating i only wanted to go in there to play on stuff i couldn't afford.
Ooh, that annoyed me, so i had to show him i could play, in a cocky, subtle and nonchalant way...
Tit.

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I usually let the instrument inspire me to play improvised stuff.

I reckon that if a bass is meant to be, you'll find yourself playing so naturally you won't even think about 'what' to play...you'll just play.

That's of course if you can get over the sh*te setup or get the bass off the knobend sales assistant that is 'tuning it for you'!

G

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