Fancy basses for non fancy players...

[LukeFRC]

There's a bass in the sale forum that's got my attention at the moment.
It's got fancy wood tops,
and backs
a non traditional shape, (single cut)
and looks... well not very much like a fender! In most cases it represents everything I dislike about bass design... except it's been done very very well.

I also tried an alembic last year- which despite being as heavy as a heavy thing caused me to rethink a lot of my predujuces as... well it looked like a collision between a glue truck and a wood truck - but man did it play well - I found myself doing things I had never tried on a bass before - and this is trying somehting out in a shop.

but at the moment, I'm not a fancy player, I don't play chords or tap, or slap much... my main bass is a warwick SS1 which looks a bit different to a fender style bass, but does look 'right'.
And every youtube clip, (well 90% of them) of people playing single cuts, play sat down it seems.....


and yeah, where do the rest of you play your more fancy basses? and do you have them and play gigs where you may just be playing root notes the whole time (cos that's what the music demands)


(btw this isnt a "lets slag off the fancy basses, Leo got it right in 1957 so why change" type thread- more wondering where nad when folk play their stuff)

[charic]

My ACG isn't for particularly "fancy" music... atleast ever never heard death metal called "fancy" before. I play with a pick and I play it HARD!

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1347622028' post='1803115']
My ACG isn't for particularly "fancy" music... atleast ever never heard death metal called "fancy" before. I play with a pick and I play it HARD!
[/quote] do you have a pic of you playing it live at all?

[deefer_dog]

I don't, and never will own a 'Fancy' bass. For one, the cost, two, I'm not a fan of most of the designs. I don't play anyway fancy, I use my fingers, and play a bit of slap when called for.

I'd be much much happier using a middle of the road bass! None of my basses are fancy ( well, fancy as in handmade, hugely expensive ).

While I respect the craftsmanship, and the playability, they are something which I personally, wouldn't like. My two cents. ( Yup, cents, I'm in Ireland, after all )

[Conan]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347621782' post='1803109']fancy wood tops, and backs, a non traditional shape, and looks... well not very much like a fender![/quote]

My Status ticks most of these boxes I guess. But I've never thought of it as "fancy". I have played it at many gigs in all kinds of venues. It has been bashed, dinged and buckle-rashed.

I'm not sure I understood the question... but does this answer it?

[BigRedX]

I only play what could probably be classed as 'fancy" basses - Gus, Overwater, Sei, Yamaha BJ 5B - and I mostly play fairly simple thing on them these days.

Do I care?

Do I f***!

[charic]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347622343' post='1803124']
do you have a pic of you playing it live at all?
[/quote]

Not the best pics as the camera was a bit broken :

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1347623242' post='1803154']
I only play what could probably be classed as 'fancy" basses - Gus, Overwater, Sei, Yamaha BJ 5B - and I mostly play fairly simple thing on them these days.

Do I care?

Do I f***!
[/quote] I'm sure you've said elsewhere that image is an important part of music though.

[neepheid]

Play what you like, on what you like. I did raise my eyebrows once at a player who took a Warwick Infinity to an open mic night and thought it was a bit showy-offy but now I'm thinking "whatever makes him happy" and "a bass is a bass at the end of the day".

I don't know if any of my basses are considered "fancy" (they're certainly erring on the unusual) but I take whichever one I feel like to whichever gig I feel like. The material I'm playing at the time has no bearing on deciding which bass to take, because apart from the fact that I don't (and can't) play "fancy" stuff, I honestly believe that apart from a few serious listeners and a few bass geeks in the crowd, no-one else really gives a monkey's which bass you're playing as long as they can hear it and feel it.

The only exception was when I played at Belladrum festival this year - I took a somewhat ratty Yamaha BB300 with me on the grounds that it didn't cost me very much and it wouldn't be more than slightly irritating if it got nicked/lost/broken.

[Dingus]

I think people have very different ideas of what constitutes a "fancy" bass; to some people having a proper Fender is considered an extravagance, whereas to others having one of the more junior models in the Ken Smith or Alembic catalogue is seen as a utalitarian choice. In relation to your o.p , Alembic are an interesting point in case. I would consider them one of the more worthwhile fancy bass makers in so much as nothing else sounds quite like an Alembic- there is a significant end result to their design philosophy and their formiddable history as innovative guitar builders .
The other side of the coin is the myryad of lesser bass builders nowadays who set out to make an exotic wood bass for the sake of it, on the basis that thats what fancy basses should look like because allegedly exotic wood yields an exotic tone and then if stick fancy bridge and pickups on there and then you have another fancy bass to compete with all the other fancy basses on the market.
As a bass player in the audience watching other bass players , I would have to see which fancy bass they were playing, decide why they were playing it , and then make my decision on how ridiculous they might look. I have seen plenty of bass players who looked ridiculous with not- very -fancy basses, but that's a subject for another thread.
In relation to your original question, I don't think you have to be a flamboyant player to have a more upmarket bass , and whats more, I don't think you have to have a fancy bass to be a flamboyant player. Look at what Billy Sheehan did on his old beat up Fender, or Jaco or Marcus Miller.

Edited September 14, 2012 by Dingus

[BigRedX]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347624625' post='1803202']
I'm sure you've said elsewhere that image is an important part of music though.
[/quote]

Exactly and the fact that I use what are considered to be fancy basses is partly due to that. Of course, while they looks are what originally drew me to them, it's the sound and playability that caused me to part with my money for them.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1347628392' post='1803263']
I think people have very different ideas of what constitutes a "fancy" bass; to some people having a proper Fender is considered an extravagance, whereas to others having one of the more junior models in the Ken Smith or Alembic catalogue is seen as a utalitarian choice. In relation to your o.p , Alembic are an interesting point in case. I would consider them one of the more worthwhile fancy bass makers in so much as nothing else sounds quite like an Alembic- there is a significant end result to their design philosophy and their formiddable history as innovative guitar builders .
The other side of the coin is the myryad of lesser bass builders nowadays who set out to make an exotic wood bass for the sake of it, on the basis that thats what fancy basses should look like because allegedly exotic wood yields an exotic tone and then if stick fancy bridge and pickups on their and then you have another fancy bass to compete with all the other fancy basses on the market.
As a bass player in the audience watching other bass players , I would have to see which fancy bass they were playing, decide why they were playing it , and then make my decision on how ridiculous they might look. I have seen plenty of bass players who looked ridiculous with not- very -fancy basses, but that's a subject for another thread.
In relation to your original question, I don't think you have to be a flamboyant player to have a more upmarket bass , and whats more, I don't think you have to have a fancy bass to be a flamboyant player. Look at what Billy Sheehan did on his old beat up Fender, or Jaco or Marcus Miller.
[/quote] that's a good balanced answer there!

[JTUK]

McVie and Entwhisle aren't fancy players but played Alembic..but yeah, roots on a fancy top is a bit naff.
The basses are a bit 'look at me' so you should have a bit of a trick or two...IMO.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1347652870' post='1803735']
McVie and Entwhisle aren't fancy players but played Alembic..but yeah, roots on a fancy top is a bit naff.
The basses are a bit 'look at me' so you should have a bit of a trick or two...IMO.
[/quote]

BTW the bass I was looking at in the sales forum wasn't a Alembic, it was the ACG

[debwilliams]

Life is for living- enjoy playing whatever you want on whatever you want. If you're in a position to have this bass then why not? It's soooo good sometimes not to justify something, just say "YES".

Good luck with your decision!

[stu_g]

i think the most overkill i saw was a pub gig whre the bassist had 3 basses on stands if i remember it was a rickenbacker a stingray and a fender all normally tuned looks nice, but when i was gigging my main bass and a backup in the van sometimes, i also had a fancy topped g&l usa but i was afraid to play it it looked too nice so sold it on

Edited September 14, 2012 by stu_g

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='stu_g' timestamp='1347656778' post='1803801']
i think the most overkill i saw was a pub gig whre the bassist had 3 basses on stands if i remember it was a rickenbacker a stingray and a fender all normally tuned looks nice, but when i was gigging my main bass and a backup in the van sometimes, i also had a fancy topped g&l usa but i was afraid to play it it looked too nice so sold it on
[/quote]

yeah.... that sounds overkill!

[charic]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347656313' post='1803787']


BTW the bass I was looking at in the sales forum wasn't a Alembic, it was the ACG
[/quote]

Any bass is whatever make of it. Acgs are remarkably versatile a bass only links how you model it :-)

[7string]

If it plays the way you want and sounds the way you want then it doesn't matter what it looks like.

If you can, play the ACG and if it does what you want then buy it !!

[JTUK]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1347656313' post='1803787']
BTW the bass I was looking at in the sales forum wasn't a Alembic, it was the ACG
[/quote]

That is fine... same applies

[LukeFRC]

ah well, we'll see, a few things need to drop into place before I can buy. (and it may go by then!)

[AnalogBomb]

[quote name='deefer_dog' timestamp='1347622667' post='1803134']
I don't, and never will own a 'Fancy' bass. For one, the cost, two, I'm not a fan of most of the designs. I don't play anyway fancy, I use my fingers, and play a bit of slap when called for.

I'd be much much happier using a middle of the road bass! None of my basses are fancy ( well, fancy as in handmade, hugely expensive ).

While I respect the craftsmanship, and the playability, they are something which I personally, wouldn't like. My two cents. ( Yup, cents, I'm in Ireland, after all )
[/quote]

[ead]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1347652870' post='1803735']
McVie and Entwhisle aren't fancy players but played Alembic..but yeah, roots on a fancy top is a bit naff.
The basses are a bit 'look at me' so you should have a bit of a trick or two...IMO.
[/quote]

That's me buggered then I've been saving for ages and sold a couple of basses to be able to commission an ACG fretless to play. I'd be highly flattered if somebody described my playing as 'utilitarian'.

[lojo]

I think if your worried that it people may judge you by your bass, then as long as what you play is solid, however basic, then all anyone can say is well played, regardless of what bass you play

[ead]

I have no such worries, I just enjoy playing in the band.