beardybass Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 It's really weird over here, everytime I go into a shop, normally with my girlfriend, one of the assistants will say to her, "he's really tall so any bass would look good on him"... I'm 5'10"! Customers in Japanese shops do one of two things when I pick up a bass, either stare in awe at the foreigner, or get the fear and bugger off, I don't think anyone has heard a single note I've played since I got here! That's lucky for me though, unfortunately, one of the things I've inherited from my Dad, is a complete inability to remember any piece of music, so I go for the random blues-scale-based riffing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmpires Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I try not to be nervous but some idiots from the music shop just stay there staring at you, like you are going to decide on buying that Music Man in less a minute. I went to a shop once and asked to try the Music Man sub series, the basses where hanging high and the guy tells me "are you going to buy it or you just want to play" and I turned to him and said I don't know I haven't played it yet. I played the bass for about 5 minutes and the guy came over again asking if I was buying. Needless to say that I didn't and the shop closed shortly after. Wonder why What I find most annoying is people who think they can play in a shop at the same volume they play a gig. And if someone else in the shop is louder than them they will just crank up the volume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 If I'm trying a bass I'll play it unplugged. If I like how it plays I'll then ask to plug it in and play a couple of slow numbers to hear the quality of the tone and hear the notes ring. Most people in music shops seem to be playing without listening! I know I wouldn't last 2 mins working in a music shop!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I'm another one who (generally) plays it unplugged first. If some friendly assistant has plugged it in for me, it would be churlish of me to unplug it, so I just ignore the noise coming out of the amp while I have a play around checking for playability (and hope everyone else ignores it too). As for pieces of music, that'll be Mustang Sally, or the Toccata and Fugue in Dm by Bach (BWV 565, not BWV 566, which is a completely different Toccata and Fugue in Dm). And a slap bassline to an old original song or two (just slap, no pop), and another bassline to an old original song with sliding forced harmonics if it's a fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I usually spend ages looking at the bass & checking notation & just how it feels. Then I see how long I can play the bassline to "The Void" by the Beatles before I get chucked out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='538434' date='Jul 12 2009, 12:50 PM']Nothing makes me cringe more than hearing someone play slap.[/quote] Me too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDM Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 I usually end up playing some sort of RATM riff (ie Bombtrack) and then that little riff in Birdland 1:47 in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.