Guest bassman7755 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 It strikes me as odd that, given all the boutique gear begin discussed on here, and on parade in the specialist outlets, I never actually see any of it in use when I'm out watching a local (wiltshire/avon area) band. All I see is endless parades of precision/jazz copies going though commodity gear (peavey/behringer etc, maybe trace or ashdown on a good day). Makes you wonder how aware people are of all this high end gear. Also those of you that do give your nice gear an airing in public - how often do you get anyone commenting on it like ?. I sometimes get people commenting on my status eclipse but mostly because of the distinctive woven graphite neck and how "cool" it looks (which it does to be fair), almost noone had even heard of the brand. Also in the ten years I've had it I've not had a single person recognize my epifani cab although quite a few comments on how good it sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I once got a comment "I thought your bass was going to sound like a cheap P-bass copy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Either: 1 - we're a small percentage of the bass playing community, or 2 - It doesn't matter that you play as long as you sound decent, or 3 - most people would rather concentrate on playing than spending all their free time on a bass forum, useful and helpful though it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='Delberthot' post='1322374' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:12 PM']Either: 1 - we're a small percentage of the bass playing community, or 2 - It doesn't matter that you play as long as you sound decent, or 3 - most people would rather concentrate on playing than spending all their free time on a bass forum, useful and helpful though it is[/quote] Don't forget the other point,that most of the 'boutique' gear that is purchased is played in bedrooms and not taken out to gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) I get comments on my sound, which I like, of course.. I take an interest in what people use...and how they make it work and it seems to me the biggest problem is with the core sounds of the bass. If you struggle there, nothing will rescue it, IMV..altho,also IME, some set-ups are hard to make sound poor, and others are hard to make sound good. But..what works, works. Edited July 31, 2011 by JTUK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlfer Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 The one that get's all the comments is the Green Jeanie, my '95 Attitude Special, the "cheap" version of Billy Sheehan's original Yam Attitude. Mind, a few folk have commented on the Orange . None of that lot is boutique, but they are bright! Karl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Bassists get spoken to after gigs???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Delberthot' post='1322374' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:12 PM']2 - It doesn't matter that you play as long as you sound decent, or[/quote] The sound is typically functional at best, I long to even hear someone use a set of strings that are not several years old - a fresh set of strings is pound for pound by far and away the best investment you can make yet most people I see just cant seem to be bothered. Hearing someone do some slaps/pops with dead strings especially makes me cringe. Edited July 31, 2011 by bassman7755 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 So if you turned up for 'your average pub gig' with a Custom shop Pino Palladino or similar, let's say £2.5+ks worth - how many people would notice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJE Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 In probably 12 years of playing bass and going to see bands I think once I have seen anyone using something boutique and that includes established bands. I have been lucky enough to own a couple of boutique basses and noone at any gig or rehearsal has really ever given a monkeys about what I am playing or what my amp is, people dont generally care, but they will comment when my bass sounds good which is because of the gear. They will recognise a Fender or Gibson and try and make small talk like "them Fenders, best guitars in the world they are" but that is about it in my experience. Someone once commented that they had heard of my Mark Bass amp.... I had a beautiful Overwater Jazz and took it to practice, the sax player and guitarist both at seperate intervals said something along the lines of "Cant afford a Fender" or "Fenders a bit too expensive are they" and that sums it up for me. 98% of the musicians I have know or met are happy with established brands and never deviate from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I have comments on my Sandberg when it comes out from time to time, that's probably to do with the fancy top mostly. Plenty of good comments on my amps too, loads of people have said they sounded the best they ever sounded when they used them. It's not proper boutique gear, but it's not the standard Fender/Ashdown/TE gear either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='bassman7755' post='1322385' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:22 PM']The sound is typically functional at best, I long to even hear someone use a set of strings that are not several years old - a fresh set of strings is pound for pound by far and away the best investment you can make yet most people I see just cant seem to be bothered. Hearing someone do some slaps/pops with dead strings especially makes me cringe.[/quote] Au contrair, mon ami - someone playing a well worn set of La Bella flats ONO would flick my switch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='KiOgon' post='1322391' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:24 PM']So if you turned up for 'your average pub gig' with a Custom shop Pino Palladino or similar, let's say £2.5+ks worth - how many people would notice?[/quote] Why would it matter if people noticed or not as to whether you took it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='Big_Stu' post='1322381' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:20 PM']Bassists get spoken to after gigs???? [/quote] Good point. To be honest, it`s probably only other bassists who would know bass gear. Every time I`ve bought something new, the other guys in the band I was in just said "something else that goes boom in the background". So even other musicians know naff all about bass gear. Bass gear just isn`t really looked at/listened to by anyone aside from us elite-folk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 (edited) [quote name='NJE' post='1322393' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:28 PM']Someone once commented that they had heard of my Mark Bass amp....[/quote] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EI7p2p1QJI#t=34s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EI7p2p1QJI#t=34s[/url] Edited July 31, 2011 by bassman7755 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 The high end gear makes little difference to the band sound for an average gig. Also a lot of it doesn't sound much better than my budget gear (in a band context) - in my humble opinion of course. Why risk getting a 3K bass dinged in a rowdy pub gig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='Delberthot' post='1322374' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:12 PM']3 - most people would rather concentrate on playing than spending all their free time on a bass forum, useful and helpful though it is[/quote] Id actually rather see someone play simple solid stuff though great sounding gear than see a virtuoso play with a dodgy sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='Adrenochrome' post='1322422' date='Jul 31 2011, 07:55 PM']The high end gear makes little difference to the band sound for an average gig. Also a lot of it doesn't sound much better than my budget gear (in a band context) - in my humble opinion of course. Why risk getting a 3K bass dinged in a rowdy pub gig?[/quote] I find the difference between a cheap and expensive amp is a big one. Basses not so much, which is why I find it surprising when I see people using expensive basses through Ashdown MAG combos and the like. I take an expensive amount of gear to gigs but it makes a difference that I can hear, as much as I enjoy playing for other people, ultimately I play for myself and it's what I think of my sound that's important. Using a Stingray through a Gallien stack beats the pants off a cheap bass through a cheap amp for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Unfortunately Basschat isn't as popular as we like to think it is. Although there's a good number of members from Nottingham that I've met at various bass bashes I've not met a single BC member while actually gigging - at least no-one has come up and introduced themselves and I'm not exactly low profile either here or in my gigging life. I have no problem using high end gear at gigs. For the last 20 or so years my gigging basses have been by Gus, Overwater, Pedulla and Sei. My amplification is a miture of Dr Bass, EBS and TechSoundsystems. The other bassists might not notice, but the local PA engineers love it when Dick Venom & The Terrortones are headlining as it means that most of the bands will be using my rig and the bass is nearly always going to sound great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 What do you mean [i]all[/i] the decent gear? Don't you know that there are only 12 decent amps, cabs or basses in the UK? Everyone takes turns at playing with them (having bought them off Basschat) and can only have them for 8 months. After that you have to relist them on BC. Only joking. Give the choice between taking an expensive £1k+ bass out to the 'dog and duck' to dep for a mate's Status Quo tribute night or taking a P copy I know which one I'd pack. I'm a bit loathe to take an expensive amp out too, as nobody really appreciates you after the 3rd or 4th song in (mostly), and other band members tend to share this lacklustre approach to the tone of the bass. Na, cheap combo for me, that way if/when some knuckle-dragging yokel spills ale / vomit / urine in or down it then its no great shakes. If my old Ampeg gets damaged then it's a different story altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bassman7755 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1322435' date='Jul 31 2011, 08:03 PM']I find the difference between a cheap and expensive amp is a big one. Basses not so much[/quote] Also a £300 bass with decent fresh strings on it will sound better than a 3k one with dead ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Unless you've got an amazing PA and a top notch sound guy you gear choice is going to be largely unrecognisable to the majority of listeners. I have pretty standard gear and although none of it is cheap stuff (tc head, berg cab, USA Jazz) the most I get is "nice playing mate" or "is that a 2x12 cab - that's not common". General pub / club acoustics don't let quality be heard and in 99% of cases none of us can do justice to the gear we have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Also +1 for the strings. Massively important IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 [quote name='paul_5' post='1322445' date='Jul 31 2011, 08:10 PM']What do you mean [i]all[/i] the decent gear? Don't you know that there are only 12 decent amps, cabs or basses in the UK? Everyone takes turns at playing with them (having bought them off Basschat) and can only have them for 8 months. After that you have to relist them on BC.[/quote] So that's what I've been doing wrong. I've been buying amps and speakers off Basschat to use and keep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooks79 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I reckon that basschat is a small portion of bass players, I've been playing about 15 years and have only joined this place this year. I do see some nice gear out in Manchester at times but I thinknwhen most gigs mean sharing gear, folks are less likely to turn up with their best gear for everyone else to use. I cringe when I have seen people popping their lead out without muting it, and hear my amp making all sorts of buzzing and crackling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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