Sting and Snobbery

[merello]

Is it still fashionable to look down on Sting?
I think he's great and has some great bass lines. Love his old P-bass and he still has the 2-barrel bridge whereas many would swap it out!

So - big up for Gordie and his beat up bass! I'd love a shot of one - any info on how the sound?

[Cat Burrito]

I've not swapped mine. A lot of us like to keep it traditional rather than "improve"

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='merello' post='1107599' date='Jan 29 2011, 08:39 PM']any info on how the sound?[/quote]
Awesome.

There's no decent clips on YouTube, but hunt down the live CD from that tour. It sounds incredible.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='1107601' date='Jan 29 2011, 08:41 PM']I've not swapped mine. A lot of us like to keep it traditional rather than "improve"[/quote]
+1 besides only numptys can't get them to intonate.

[Lozz196]

I`ve been through the replacement bridge thing with my Fender Precisions (and pickups as well) only to realise that for me, I prefer the sound of the original parts. The addition of the "improvements" to my basses made them sound "un-Fendery".

[hillbilly deluxe]

I always liked Sting and his playing.No use for the added whatever on any of my basses that a non BBOT is claimed to provide.My latest bass has the threaded rod type BBOT and as with every Fender,or Fender type bridge that i've had,it does the job perfectly well.

Edited January 30, 2011 by hillbilly deluxe

[gub]

I for one could`nt give a toss if he is fasionabubble or not i think he is great bass player and done some great stuff over the years.

[Linus27]

I love Sting's bass and the whole beaten up thing. Its probably travelled the world thousands of times over and hasw played to millions of people. So very cool.

[NJE]

I think Sting is briliant, great song writer and clever bass player. I dont know why people are so quick to have a go at him (bet most of them know all the words to roxanne and every breath) a very talented individual who is not afraid to do something a bit different instead of doing some rather pathetic things with modern artists to try and remail current. I would also give a body part or two for his bass, I am desperately craving a 51 Precision at the moment, they look so good but you dont see many around which I like.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Linus27' post='1108402' date='Jan 30 2011, 06:10 PM']I love Sting's bass and the whole beaten up thing. Its probably travelled the world thousands of times over and hasw played to millions of people. So very cool.[/quote]

Or not,as the bass he uses pretty much all the time is a Custom Shop replica of his '53 Precision.

[Linus27]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1108473' date='Jan 30 2011, 06:57 PM']Or not,as the bass he uses pretty much all the time is a Custom Shop replica of his '53 Precision.[/quote]

Are you saying that his beaten up 53 is a fake and those scares etc are not genuine?

[Doddy]

[quote name='Linus27' post='1108481' date='Jan 30 2011, 07:04 PM']Are you saying that his beaten up 53 is a fake and those scares etc are not genuine?[/quote]

No....I'm saying that he leaves his genuine '53 at home and tours with a Custom Shop replica.

[Linus27]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1108485' date='Jan 30 2011, 07:08 PM']No....I'm saying that he leaves his genuine '53 at home and tours with a Custom Shop replica.[/quote]

OK, thats my point. The beaten up genuine 53 must had travelled the world and played to millions of people over the years to get that sort of wear and tear. Its not been sitting around doing nothing all this time. He also spent the early days playing Ibanez Musician fretless. I wonder if he still has it.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='Linus27' post='1108565' date='Jan 30 2011, 07:52 PM']OK, thats my point. The beaten up genuine 53 must had travelled the world and played to millions of people over the years to get that sort of wear and tear. Its not been sitting around doing nothing all this time. He also spent the early days playing Ibanez Musician fretless. I wonder if he still has it.[/quote]
Not quite it was pretty much beaten up like that when he got it. The story I recall reading was that he was about to do a video in New York & sent someone out to buy the most beaten up bass they could get and that's what they came back with.

[rjb]

[url="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5272453863&v=photos"]http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5272...63&v=photos[/url]




Good player, but seems to have a planet-sized ego....

Edited January 30, 2011 by rjb

[Linus27]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1108591' date='Jan 30 2011, 08:10 PM']Not quite it was pretty much beaten up like that when he got it. The story I recall reading was that he was about to do a video in New York & sent someone out to buy the most beaten up bass they could get and that's what they came back with.[/quote]


HAHA great story and explains a lot then.

[merello]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1108591' date='Jan 30 2011, 08:10 PM']Not quite it was pretty much beaten up like that when he got it. The story I recall reading was that he was about to do a video in New York & sent someone out to buy the most beaten up bass they could get and that's what they came back with.[/quote]
Sent his tech out for a video shoot (demolition man?) and he came back with the P-bass....his plan was to discard it but curiously he loved it and it became his go-to bass!

[brummie]

He's a ponce and a poser, no bass has ever been that naturally road worn no matter how many times it's been played (not saying Sting did it himself)
How often does he change his life story, in his autobiography he tells tales of when he was an infant school teacher - then re-tells the story that he was a senior school teacher!
He's a great bass player though

[Bilbo]

I don't get that a bridge can make that much difference..... I think its mass hysteria.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1109254' date='Jan 31 2011, 11:48 AM']I don't get that a bridge can make that much difference..... I think its mass hysteria. [/quote]

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='brummie' post='1109233' date='Jan 31 2011, 11:30 AM']He's a ponce and a poser, no bass has ever been that naturally road worn no matter how many times it's been played (not saying Sting did it himself)
How often does he change his life story, in his autobiography he tells tales of when he was an infant school teacher - then re-tells the story that he was a senior school teacher!
He's a great bass player though[/quote]

I dislike him too, and I have personal reasons for this, met him a couple of times, to do with charity events, but I won't discuss this further here, safe to say that to me he is a ****er and that all that fuzz he did in the 90's to save the amazon forest and the tribes there, was only a facade to attract attention to his stardom like status as it was fashionable at the time just like Bono tried to get into politics and all that.

As a bass player I was disappointed seing him live at the height of his career, back in the late 80's at a Police concert in Rome, with a bass strapped on his neck but with a back up bass player playing real basslines, right behind him in the shadows.

[JTUK]

If you culivate that look...you would have to go with it totally, so no, he can't change the bridge.

Reminds me of another story of an iconic bass being destroyed through playing ( 62 P-bass) and having another one made up to include the dug in thumb resting point and relic vibe..

Haven't got that much of a problem with it all... it is an image driven business, but whether they record with it, who really knows or cares.

As an artist, he can point to quite a body of work over quite a few years. That takes some doing to keep at the forefront of things.
Many artists would love to be able to do that with a semblance of credibility, which I think, Sting largely, has maintained.
Subjective,of course, but mostly I can watch him when he shows..if only because of the calibre of musician he can afford and attract.

[Rich]

[quote name='gub' post='1108373' date='Jan 30 2011, 05:53 PM']I for one could`nt give a toss if he is fasionabubble or not i think he is great bass player and done some great stuff over the years. [/quote]
+1. I don't care how naff he's supposed to be, some of his albums are among my absolute favourites of all time.

[danny-79]

Cant say that he has ever done anything musically that appeals to me so never payed any attention to him but guess there are a lot of fans an all of them cant be wrong so ......

[slobluesine]

if he doesn't tour with the original it's because it probably doesn't sound as good or play as nice as the custom shop

have to say the Symphonicity DVD 'Live In Berlin' is something else, maybe cos Sting doesn't play ANY Bass on it