Vibrating G String Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='lojo' post='1112803' date='Feb 2 2011, 10:47 AM']I was wondering what the cheapest bass we could confirm was, being used in an expensive situation I mean, in a famous band or a backing band playing in a venue that seats 10s of 1000s etc[/quote] When you consider the whole point of Fender was to make cheap disposable substitutes for real instruments like acoustic basses the field really opens up. Didn't Jaco pay something like $90 for one of his? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vibrating G String Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Abe Laboriel has a super cheap Goya fretless that's seen tons of gigs and recordings. On guitar Jimmy Page used some cheap Sears catalog stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='Vibrating G String' post='1113402' date='Feb 3 2011, 07:08 AM']Abe Laboriel has a super cheap Goya fretless that's seen tons of gigs and recordings. On guitar Jimmy Page used some cheap Sears catalog stuff.[/quote] Yeah, Page uses a Danelectro for slide. Talking of which, Fat Mike (NOFX) uses a Danelectro as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Kim Deal used an aria pro II cardinal for much of her time with the pixies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 There were some pictures on Talkbass of Herbie Flowers at the O2 arena playing a Squier affinity... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Last gig I was playing the Retrovibe Rickenfaker at £249 and the guitarist had his Alden Bluesline at £125. A proper Tele and Precision were on stage as back ups though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 gotta be brian may. oh sorry, thought you said ass player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Didn't Roger Waters recently bought a Sue Ryder P-Bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettsguitars Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='Ghost_Bass' post='1113604' date='Feb 3 2011, 10:41 AM']Didn't Roger Waters recently bought a Sue Ryder P-Bass? [/quote] yea. he's on here looking for a jazz neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 There's this bloke called Squire who sometimes plays some old bit of 70s JapCrap - an Electra, I think... J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I played an MIM jazz to 8000 people in a German tennis stadium does that count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='jakesbass' post='1113633' date='Feb 3 2011, 11:02 AM']I played an MIM jazz to 8000 people in a German tennis stadium does that count? [/quote] 6-0; 6-0 ...you should have used a racquet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1113354' date='Feb 3 2011, 01:39 AM']Yeah I know about the EB1,but I seem to remember an old interview where he says that Fenders were too expensive, and that was why he went for the Hofner,because he wouldn't buy it on tick.[/quote] I remember reading the same but about the Gibson IIRC he liked the Gibby because there were no left hand basses available and the EB1 wouldn't look too bad played left handed. Sir Paul, if you are out there and are one of the 'famous bass players on BC' can you please set us straight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 All this does prove something, doesn't it? I am not altogehter sure what but something. I would surmise that this confirms that, when all is said and done, the music is bigger than the gear we play it on. We all obsess about the nuts and bolts of the gear; which wood, which era at Fender, hand made or machine, passive or active etc. But, when you throw in the individual player, personal taste and preferences, personal skills and talent, strings, pick ups, effects pedals, amps, speakers, cables, different mics and DI boxes, a studio engineer, a desk, various monitor speakers, the cutting or copying processes, the hi fi we play stuff on, the venue we see bands at, the live mixing engineer, the size of the audience and on and on and on we are left with the fact that the bass that is played is about 1% of the overall effect achieved. One of the things that YouTube has taught me is that the ability to buy a Fodera/Alembic/any other top brand does not turn a crap palyer into a good one. It also means that a good player who can only afford a cheap bass is still a contender. My kid brother owns a Harley shop in Chepstow and tells me that the motorcycle world is very similar. Most of the people who can afford an 'off the peg' Harley are middle aged 'mid-life crisis' cases who are attracted to the glamour of the brand. Is it the same for top end basses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Bilbo' post='1113956' date='Feb 3 2011, 03:06 PM']All this does prove something, doesn't it? I am not altogehter sure what but something. I would surmise that this confirms that, when all is said and done, the music is bigger than the gear we play it on. We all obsess about the nuts and bolts of the gear; which wood, which era at Fender, hand made or machine, passive or active etc. But, when you throw in the individual player, personal taste and preferences, personal skills and talent, strings, pick ups, effects pedals, amps, speakers, cables, different mics and DI boxes, a studio engineer, a desk, various monitor speakers, the cutting or copying processes, the hi fi we play stuff on, the venue we see bands at, the live mixing engineer, the size of the audience and on and on and on we are left with the fact that the bass that is played is about 1% of the overall effect achieved. One of the things that YouTube has taught me is that the ability to buy a Fodera/Alembic/any other top brand does not turn a crap palyer into a good one. It also means that a good player who can only afford a cheap bass is still a contender. My kid brother owns a Harley shop in Chepstow and tells me that the motorcycle world is very similar. Most of the people who can afford an 'off the peg' Harley are middle aged 'mid-life crisis' cases who are attracted to the glamour of the brand. Is it the same for top end basses?[/quote] Seems to be that way for certain brands, especially guitars IMO. I will stick my neck out and say that Gibson are top offenders in this. The mid-life crisis market is a very lucrative one, especially for aspirational items such as motorbikes, sport cars, and musical instruments (rock and roll ones, can't see anyone splash out on a top of the range flame maple veneered bassoon to cure their crisis). People are cashing in on that! Edited February 3, 2011 by razze06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroybasslines Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='razze06' post='1113989' date='Feb 3 2011, 03:25 PM']Seems to be that way for certain brands, especially guitars IMO. I will stick my neck out and say that Gibson are top offenders in this. The mid-life crisis market is a very lucrative one, especially for aspirational items such as motorbikes, sport cars, and musical instruments (rock and roll ones, can't see anyone splash out on a top of the range flame maple veneered bassoon to cure their crisis). People are cashing in on that![/quote] Yup! It's all about the mid life crisis and that fact that many players are men, and as such born with a mild case of Asperger's! Collecting is part of the fun really. Owning a good bass don't make you a good player... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'll never forget the day I saw one particular bass player from a band using an incredibly expensive Spector live, and it sounded terrible. Really terrible. The next band that came on after them had a bass player with this crappy Tanglewood that looked like it had seen better days. They were a reggae band and had the same soundguy as the band beforehand, and they sounded just incredible, the bass sounded massive, well defined but really huge, miles better than a bass that I'd wager cost 10 times more. I don't put too much stock into buying the best gear. I like pricey basses: Sadowskys, Laklands, Pensas and F-Basses have all really appealed to me in the past but I'd be happy playing my beaten up U.S Jazz for the rest of my life if I was never allowed to own another bass again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robocorpse Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='BurritoBass' post='1112939' date='Feb 2 2011, 08:15 PM']Most of the top players are using endorsements....which are free! [/quote] Yes I know, but the thread is "cheapest bass in most expensive situation" and it seems odd that such high profile players as Bernie and John are not only using £100 axes at live shows, they are endorsed too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='razze06' post='1113989' date='Feb 3 2011, 03:25 PM']Seems to be that way for certain brands, especially guitars IMO. I will stick my neck out and say that Gibson are top offenders in this. The mid-life crisis market is a very lucrative one, especially for aspirational items such as motorbikes, sport cars, and musical instruments (rock and roll ones, can't see anyone splash out on a top of the range flame maple veneered bassoon to cure their crisis). People are cashing in on that![/quote] MB1. Would buying a Sue Ryder Precision be a Charitable Midlife Crisis ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus x-1 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='robocorpse' post='1114213' date='Feb 3 2011, 05:51 PM']Yes I know, but the thread is "cheapest bass in most expensive situation" and it seems odd that such high profile players as Bernie and John are not only using £100 axes at live shows, they are endorsed too.[/quote] just curious, do you think these will be the bog standard ones that are in the shops or pimped up Vintage axes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 [quote name='Cygnus x-1' post='1114225' date='Feb 3 2011, 05:56 PM']just curious, do you think these will be the bog standard ones that are in the shops or pimped up Vintage axes?[/quote] any bass will benefit from a proper set up, and I'm guessing these guys have their own techs - at least on tours? So IMO if they are the bog standard ones they probably play and sound that little bit better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 (edited) [quote name='razze06' post='1113989' date='Feb 3 2011, 03:25 PM']The mid-life crisis market is a very lucrative one, especially for aspirational items such as motorbikes, sport cars, and musical instruments (rock and roll ones, can't see anyone splash out on a top of the range flame maple veneered bassoon to cure their crisis). People are cashing in on that![/quote] A few years ago I brought a Ric, on the turn of 40 years old, for me that was an expensive non essential purchase, so obviously friends close to me started making jokes about midlife crisis My wife bumped into one of these friends, who made the comment to her about the guitar purchase in reference to my mid life crisis She replied "well if thats all he is going to do, he can buy 3" Edited February 3, 2011 by lojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vibrating G String Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1113956' date='Feb 3 2011, 07:06 AM']My kid brother owns a Harley shop in Chepstow and tells me that the motorcycle world is very similar. Most of the people who can afford an 'off the peg' Harley are middle aged 'mid-life crisis' cases who are attracted to the glamour of the brand. Is it the same for top end basses?[/quote] I think so. And Les Claypool with the Whamola for the win in cheapest bass, biggest crowd. Not counting washtub players Thought he Whamola is still probably cheaper than a good washtub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransistorBassMan Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) If I remember rightly, Joe Hubbard used Tokai and/or Squier Jazzes when playing with Gary Numan in 83. Edited February 4, 2011 by TransistorBassMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Beer of the Bass' post='1113511' date='Feb 3 2011, 09:46 AM']There were some pictures on Talkbass of Herbie Flowers at the O2 arena playing a Squier affinity...[/quote] Yep, that was me posting about that. He kept the blue Jazz in its stand all night. Edited February 4, 2011 by dave_bass5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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