Wrong bass for the job

[odysseus]

I played a Status in a rock'n'roll band for a while.  BL looked askance at it but didn't say much as they'd had a series of jokers and alkies play bass previously.  He seemed a bit happier when I turned up with a Japanese Geddy Lee jazz.

[drTStingray]

9 hours ago, jezzaboy said:

I sold a bass amp to a guy from Cumbernauld (what`s it called?) who played in a Free tribute band, I think they were called Tons of slobs but maybe I made that bit up!

He played a five string fretless Stingray. Andy Frazer and his Gibson must be turning in his grave 

Interesting - a Stingray or Wal is much closer to the pumped up fat EB3 sound Andy used in Free than many people's popular choices these days - the popular choices sound far thinner, and often less defined (in fact Boz Burrell in the follow up Bad Company - played first a Precision fretless and later a Stingray fretless).

Ive played in a range of bands but have used, in no particular order:-

1) Stingray or Stingray 5 - blues/funk/jazz funk

2) Stingray Fretless - rockabilly

3) Stingray 2 band (coral red) - Cliff and the Shadows tribute

4) 60s R and B and pop - Stingray

With occassional substitution of an MM Bongo in band 1), 3) (for 2 songs once!!) and also in occassional Prince tribute stuff. 

To be honest, the playing style, sound and feel are more important than the actual bass. Palm muted playing on a Stingray, for instance,  is similar to a Precision with flats, with a bit more power/punch (and thus less effort exerted) and better definition. 

I liked @Steve Browning 's comment about doghouse v Precision - that used to be a common problem (various genres - people playing electric bass were looked down the nose at) - unfortunately the same sort of thing can apply to P with flats v anything else electric these days!!! As with its predecessor, it's snobbery and ignorance really! 😏 👍

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by drTStingray

[uk_lefty]

For many years my only bass was my five string fretless Kramer, metallic black paint, upside down banana headstock. I played it in an acoustic blues duo, with a female jazzy type singer, with a 90s indie type band, more appropriately with an 80s power ballad band... And in recent years with my covers band there is footage of me dressed as Lemmy (grew the handlebars and everything) rocking that fretless to Uptown Funk. 

[EMG456]

Far too many people here obviously listen with their eyes! 😯

[Beedster]

4 minutes ago, EMG456 said:

Far too many people here obviously listen with their eyes! 😯

Psychoacoustics research suggest that's true of most humans, so it's not surprising

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 6, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[EMG456]

Who said that?

 

[pst62]

12 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Geddy lee played a steinberger for a while. That never looked quite right

Neither did he around that time with that Davy Crockett hat looking mullet.

[Woodinblack]

52 minutes ago, pst62 said:

Neither did he around that time with that Davy Crockett hat looking mullet.

Well, true, but that wasn't a unique to him fashion statement at the time!

[stewblack]

I suppose I do kind of try to suit the bass to the band. Glitzy gold for the wedding band, shorty Hofner club for the punky folk band (the guitarist just got herself a lovely short scale acoustic and singer plays mandolin, so it fits in nicely) Precision for the workhorse pub covers, and the soul band gets anything as long as its wearing flats. 

I was a bit blinkered once upon a time because I remember being shocked seeing Sir Horace with a T-Bird when the Specials reformed. 

And if I play along with the Jam it has to be something Rickish. Even though Bruce played other basses. 

Oh God. What am I like? 

Edited June 29, 2020 by stewblack

[Woodinblack]

2 minutes ago, stewblack said:

And if I play along with the Jam it has to be something Rickish. Even though Bruce played other basses. 

He must feel really stupid then as he mainly uses a P bass

[stewblack]

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

He must feel really stupid then as he mainly uses a P bass

Who must? Bruce? I doubt it, seems pretty clued up guy. I did acknowledge that he didn't only use a Rick, I just like his bass lines played with a pick on something Rickish. But only at home. 

[Geek99]

14 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Like this: https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars/les-paul/gibson-alex-lifeson-les-paul-axcess-in-royal-crimson

 

Hugely impressed in paragraph 3 with the “series/parallel options” and also “series/parallel options” which are both available. Don’t they ever read this sh it before they post it ?

Edited June 29, 2020 by Geek99

[Geek99]

13 hours ago, Rich said:

I saw "The Commitments" (only 2 of the original lot were in the band, including the guy who was the mad drummer in the film but was now doing lead vocal, and not much cop at that sadly) some years ago... the bassist was playing an Alembic Mark King with a huge Trace stack, and yes he took a slappy solo. I do remember looking at my watch a few times.

 

Micah Wallace 

[Painy]

A few years ago @Stag kindly played a dep gig in my place (I think it might have been my wife's birthday or something) and apparently completely baffled our drummer by playing a Ric for the entire gig - only to switch over to his Jazz to play Ace of Spades! 

Edited June 29, 2020 by Painy

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

Who must? Bruce? I doubt it, seems pretty clued up guy. I did acknowledge that he didn't only use a Rick, I just like his bass lines played with a pick on something Rickish. But only at home. 

Last time I saw him play, which was a couple of years ago, he played a P bass. He also played a semi acoustic bass maybe a guild or something? Seemed a bit pointless, at the volume he was playing it sounded the same. There were no rick like basses for any of the jam stuff. 

[tauzero]

I've played a Warwick Thumb with a ceilidh band playing trad music, and a Warwick Buzzard with a social club band.

[Beedster]

8 hours ago, Painy said:

A few years ago @Stag kindly played a dep gig in my place (I think it might have been my wife's birthday or something) and apparently completely baffled our drummer by playing a Ric for the entire gig - only to switch over to his Jazz to play Ace of Spades! 

Drummers are of course easily baffled, especially by Rics it would seem (the singer in the band I mentioned above was also the drummer). That story has left a great image though, thanks for that Painy

[Hobbayne]

Not a bass, but I remember Eric Clapton struggling to play the solo on While My Guitar Gently Weeps on a 1950's Gibson Byrdland. I think it was the Bangladesh concert.

Such a big cumbersome guitar for the job instead of his usual Les Paul or Strat.

Mind you, he was at least 3 inches off the ground at that gig!

[miles'tone]

On 29/06/2020 at 07:59, Steve Browning said:

Whenever I play a Willie Dixon tune on my Precision with flats I think '$od you and your dog house bass'. Does that count? 🙂

No, because a Precision with flats is the electric dog house bass. 😄

[LukeFRC]

21 hours ago, chris_b said:

A few years ago I was thinking along the same lines. I was playing with an acoustic guitarist and an original rock and roll band so when a "double bass sounding" Rob Allen bass came up I jumped at it.

IMO it sounded pretty fantastic and perfect for both bands. The only reaction I got was indifference, and lukewarm indifference at that! I sold it shortly after and neither band noticed I'd changed back.

My main basses are a P bass and a Jazz so they fit in anyway, but that's the first and last time I spend money on trying to get a better fit for any band.

that's actually a really sad story

15 hours ago, paul_5 said:

Yeas, NOBODY looks good playing a Steinberger.

Dr Das pulled it off for Asian Dub Foundation 

 

[Beedster]

2 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

 

Dr Das pulled it off for Asian Dub Foundation 

 

Agreed, possibly the only person in history who has pulled that off

[Rich]

17 hours ago, paul_5 said:

Yeas, NOBODY looks good playing a Steinberger.

I beg to differ sir. Robbie could play a tennis racquet and he'd still look good.

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by Rich

[paul_5]

1 minute ago, Rich said:

I beg to differ sir. Robbie could play a tennis racquet and he'd still look good.

 

Touché 

[Mykesbass]

On 29/06/2020 at 08:46, Cat Burrito said:

Not bass but when I saw ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley in the late 80s at the Hammersmith Odeon, he had a Floyd Rose tremolo on his Gibson Les Paul. It was a bit like touching up the Mona Lisa with a sharpie!

 

On 29/06/2020 at 09:03, No. 8 Wire said:

I wonder if that's where Alex Lifeson got the idea from.

Do security at the Louvre know about this?