Different Genres - Same or Different Gear for Each?

[Lozz196]

Was wondering earlier, as you do on a Friday, how many of us who are in different bands that play different genres use the same gear, or have dedicated basses/amps/strings for each genre.

 

To expand I’m a rounds guy, but keep feeling that my classic rock band would sound better with flats, that type of thing.

Edited November 12, 2021 by Lozz196

[TrypF]

I have three basses and, at the moment, they're all going to be getting a workout soon.

Sunday, I have a gig playing Musical-style kids' songs in a mostly acoustic vibe, so the fretless Precision with flats, played with fingers, will come.

Early December I have a rehearsal and then short gig with a punk duo who want a rhythm section for the last 5 songs of their Christmas show. That'll mean the souped-up Precision (my avatar) with round wounds, a dirty setting on the Sansamp and a big amp, played with a pick.

In between, I'm recording my own project which might use these two, but will mainly be my Cort Jazz, strung with flats and with a foam mute, played with a pick, which sits in the mix without any hassle.

 

Definitely horses for courses here.

[Merton]

I have too much equipment all being told, and some is designed for specific things but I would be happy using all of it in all the various situations I have.

That being said, this is what it seems to naturally fall into:

Function band: ACG Finn 5, Zoot Funkmeister 

Rock covers band: ACG TKO, ACG Skelf, Zoot

Original Pop/punk band: Zoot, ACG TKO

Blues band: Zoot, ACG Finn 4, Conway Taranis fretless

Kids rock band: ACG Finn 4, Zoot

 

Bass rig: Glock Blue Rock and a variety of Barefaced X10 cabs, used for all bands.

 

Pedals: one board to rule them all 🤓

[WinterMute]

Fretted 5 string, Fretless 5 string, Stomp HX, QSC K12.2, sorted.

[neepheid]

Regardless of whether it's the rock covers band or the <insert genre here> originals band...

 

I play whichever bass I fancy playing, the decision is on the same level as what shirt/t-shirt to wear.

 

I only have one amp/cab because I lack the funds, space and motivation to own multiple rigs.

 

Strings?  I only use rounds.

 

I really don't think it matters as long as I turn up with a bass, a rig (if needed) and preferrably, dressed.

Edited November 12, 2021 by neepheid

[LeftyJ]

I don't have much of a band anymore, but when I played in a metal band and a pop noir band (think Nick Cave) at the same time, I definitely needed different basses! In my metal band, I mostly played a Warwick Streamer LX5 and sometimes a MM Stingray 5. In the pop noir band I almost strictly played 4-strings, and varied between an Ibanez MC924, a Rickenbacker 4003 and an Italia Torino (semi-hollowbody). That band really needed a very old school tone, and when I recorded basslines for an album with them I was told my bass (MC924) sustained for far too long so I cut up a dishwashing sponge they had laying around and used it as a mute.

 

Amp-wise I used the same gear between bands: my EBS HD350 with EBS Proline 4x10. In the metal band, I started using an Ampeg tube preamp later on but up until then, the EBS worked fine for both. Prior to that I used an Ashdown ABM300 C210T combo and ABM115 Compact extension cab, but with the metal band it always drowned in the mix so I sold it in favor of the EBS. 

Edited November 12, 2021 by LeftyJ

[fretmeister]

I write rock and funk stuff but I play in a big band.

 

Same amp and cab but with different amp settings.

 

I play whatever bass I fancy on the day. Over the last few weeks it's been my Ibby EHB or my Sandberg TT4, both with roundwounds, but we've now got a new set list that includes older classics from the 1920s so this weekend I'm going to dig out the Precision with the ancient TI flats on it and see how that goes.

[la bam]

I like the idea of different rigs and basses for different bands, keeps things fresh. However, I will say make you you are comfortable swapping from one bass to the other regarding strings and neck length/width. Otherwise it's easy to hit a barrage of wrong notes as your frets may not be where they were on the other basses (longer neck/wider neck/more frets etc).

[Drax]

I think you can easily make one bass work across genres. I use 5 string PJ with flats on everything from jazz, electronic, pop and metal. 

Typically - also have rack at home with variety of J / P / MM / Flat / Rounds / Fretless to cover every occasion, but they mainly serve to trap dust. 
 

 

[ambient]

As my university tutor said, it’s how you play.

 

You’ll see a Fender Jazz being used in rock bands, funk, jazz, CW, blues.

 

I’ve seen fretless bass used in metal.

[Delberthot]

As always whatever gear I have at the time is the right gear for the job

[paul_5]

I have a Jazz with rounds for my work with an 80s/90s party band, a P with tapewounds for study (cheaper than playing rounds all the time, and less taxing on my wrists), a fretless Jazz with coated Roto Nexus) for ‘me’

[thebassist]

5 minutes ago, ambient said:

As my university tutor said, it’s how you play.

 

You’ll see a Fender Jazz being used in rock bands, funk, jazz, CW, blues.

 

I’ve seen fretless bass used in metal.

I agree to a degree... but I'm not sure you could do a lot of what you and I do with a Fender Jazz

[bass_dinger]

Different instruments ??  I don't even have a different setting on the bass's tone, volume and balance knobs!  The amp is set flat too. 

 

I thought that it was all in the fingers, muting, note length, and where and how one plucks.     

 

[BigRedX]

Although both bands I currently play in are in roughly the same genre (post-punk/goth) I use completely different basses for each. One band is a traditional vocals, two guitars, bass and drums with synths and effects on backing; I use my Gus G3-5 strings for that one. The other is much more minimalist with just vocals, synths, bass and drum machine and I use an Eastwood Hooky Bass 6 for that. 

 

I have the same amplification for both but because it is a Helix into an FRFR, the patches on the Helix are completely different for each band, and apart from mostly using the same compressor and chorus models they don't have any other modules in common.

[chris_b]

I don't do a different sound per band, or even per song, like some seem to.

 

For 30 years like most of the guys, I only owned one bass, amp and cab. I still usually use the same bass and amp for all my gigs, from blues bands to weddings, although the number of cabs may change depending on the volume.

[Merton]

26 minutes ago, bass_dinger said:

Different instruments ??  I don't even have a different setting on the bass's tone, volume and balance knobs!  The amp is set flat too. 

 

I thought that it was all in the fingers, muting, note length, and where and how one plucks.     

 

Agree, and I know that's possibly counter-intuitive to my own reply here. As I said though, I'd be happy with any of my basses in any of the situations it's just that I tend to favour one over another. Frankly, I probably only need the Zoot or Finn 4 and it (whichever "it" be) would do for everything, but where's the fun in only having one toy if you like collecting pretty things

[casapete]

Although I agree that I could probably use the same bass and rig for my 4 different gigs, I choose to have different stuff just to ring the changes (and make me think they’re more suitable!)

 

Main theatre band - Fender P-Lyte with GK 10001RB head and GK Neo 410 cab.

Country band - Dano Longhorn, GK 800RB amp into BF Compact.

Deps / functions - Fender Jazz bitsa, GK MB800 and BF Compact.

Acoustic duo - Washburn AB20, either direct into Yamaha/Bose PA or Fender Rumble 100 combo.

 

(All amps into PA via either Sansamp or using amp’s DI.)

 

[Doddy]

I don't really have a specific bass for specific gigs.

For one of my regular gigs it was specified that I use a black Precision, so I use that for that gig. Other than that, since getting my F Bass I've played that on pretty much every other gig. I do like playing my Tobias 6 string on jazz gigs because I like the extra range for soloing and chords.  

The thing that I change the most is my pedal set up. I've got certain pedals that I always use, but then the others are changed depending on what's needed 

[ambient]

1 hour ago, thebassist said:

I agree to a degree... but I'm not sure you could do a lot of what you and I do with a Fender Jazz

You have to I guess adapt what you’re doing?

 

Michael Manring used a Musicman Stingray in his early days, before he started using Zon basses.

[Dazm66]

3 hours ago, la bam said:

I like the idea of different rigs and basses for different bands, keeps things fresh. However, I will say make you you are comfortable swapping from one bass to the other regarding strings and neck length/width. Otherwise it's easy to hit a barrage of wrong notes as your frets may not be where they were on the other basses (longer neck/wider neck/more frets etc).

This!

I'm more of a one band, 4 different basses bloke, but going from a Jazz to a Stingray to a headless Status to a 5 string Lakland causes all sorts of embarrassment!

[Nail Soup]

3 hours ago, neepheid said:

play whichever bass I fancy playing, the decision is on the same level as what shirt/t-shirt to wear.

The “what shirt” decision is agonised over by some of us you know!

[tauzero]

Whichever bass I fancy using that day. Normally the fretless Sei 5-string but not always. Same combo as it's very very lightweight.

[thebassist]

44 minutes ago, ambient said:

You have to I guess adapt what you’re doing?

 

Michael Manring used a Musicman Stingray in his early days, before he started using Zon basses.

@ambientI’m too reliant on the low B and high C nowadays 😃

[ambient]

25 minutes ago, thebassist said:

@ambientI’m too reliant on the low B and high C nowadays 😃

Me too.