Dingus Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 [quote name='seashell' timestamp='1389376957' post='2333624'] Oh no, you've played the clown card! Things could get messy :-0 [/quote] Mrs Dingus was a clown for a short time, apparently, and she's about as funny as the Gestapo . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389376199' post='2333608'] I'm sure...difference. [/quote] You are taking me far too seriously, old fruit. In any event, this whole thing merely reinforces the public perception of bassists as the Eeyores of the musical community. The acid test is 'Who gets laid more often?' and the whole world knows that it is Tigger. If we wish others to render solace to our secret places, we must abjure drab 'musicality. Let us instead embrace brightness and motion. [size=3]'I shall go and practice my scales,' sighed Eeyore.[/size] [size=3].[/size] Edited January 10, 2014 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 [quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1389379202' post='2333680'] You are taking me far too seriously, old fruit. In any event, this whole thing merely reinforces the public perception of bassists as the Eeyores of the musical community. The acid test is 'Who gets laid more often?' and the whole world knows that it is Tigger. If we wish others to render solace to our secret places, we must abjure drab 'musicality. Let us instead embrace brightness and motion. [size=3]'I shall go and practice my scales,' sighed Eeyore.[/size] [size=3].[/size] [/quote] I take your point, Skank, and I agree with you. I have to admit that I have become a sex symbol not because of my bass playing but in spite of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antnee Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) Looks fairly badass to me! Edited January 11, 2014 by antnee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Her tits have turned black and she's sprouted a beard. Pass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) [quote name='antnee' timestamp='1389473377' post='2334617'] Looks fairly badass to me! [/quote] Right on! Timmy C is a badass because he is a terrific bass player, not because of his posing skills. He wears it that height so he can play it better, and it works. I seriously doubt that Rage Against The Machine's music would be such a serious threat to the establishment were it not for his inventive, well-executed and cleanly-played basslines. He couldn't do that with his bass slung round his knees, and capitalism and social injustice of various kinds would go unchallenged as a result. Edited January 12, 2014 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389375526' post='2333597'] In that case, have you thought about joining the circus and becoming a clown ? You get to do all those things a lot more than you do being a bass player. [/quote] Just read that again and it sounds like a bit of a snotty thing to say... sorry ! I didn't mean it to be. Just be careful you don't wear your bass so low you fall over with it. I've seen that happen , and that new flying V won't be helping your centre of gravity. I've got a very poor sense of balance myself, and, funnily enough, it seems to get worse after drinking alcohol .Maybe that is why I prefer my bass at waist height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fionn Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1389292960' post='2332533'] Too high and it looks like you're stroking your beard, too low and it looks like you're scratching your nuts. [/quote] Brilliant!!! High slingers = Beard strokers low slingers = Nut scratchers Anyone in the middle is either a beard scratcher or a nut stroker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 It's irrelevant. The ability to create and play suitable basslines is what makes a player "cool". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 At risk of alienating myself (again) to suggest that bassists who have low slung instruments can't play and having a high slung instrument means the bassist can play their instrument and go widdly widdly all over all the frets which is in some way seen as better,frankly, is outrageous snobbery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1389541017' post='2335261'] At risk of alienating myself (again) to suggest that bassists who have low slung instruments can't play and having a high slung instrument means the bassist can play their instrument and go widdly widdly all over all the frets which is in some way seen as better,frankly, is outrageous snobbery. [/quote] It would be snobbery if it were that simple, but that's not what I am saying. There are two different but interrelated issues. Firstly, regardless of what is" cool" , for most people slinging the bass very low on a strap makes it harder to play with good technique. Whether you play fancy, widdly stuff with that technique is up to the individual, but you will probably have a better chance of playing any style of music properly and with greater ease. Secondly, how , why and with what validity did it pass into folk law that wearing a guitar slung low is cool , anyway? Is that assumption universally adhered to, and if so, why? Do the majority of people really believe that, and if they do, why do they do so , are they right to think that way , and should we all subscribe to that belief ? Edited January 12, 2014 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389544740' post='2335303'] Firstly, regardless of what is" cool" , for most people slinging the bass very low on a strap makes it harder to play with good technique. Whether you play fancy, widdly stuff with that technique is up to the individual, but you will probably have a better chance of playing any style of music properly and with greater ease. [/quote] That's never been an issue for me, I personally find harder to play with a high instrument, but as I've mentioned I have freakishly long arms.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389544740' post='2335303'] Secondly, how , why and with what validity did it pass into folk law that wearing a guitar slung low is cool , anyway? Is that assumption universally adhered to, and if so, why? Do the majority of people really believe that, and if they do, why do they do so , are they right to think that way , and should we all subscribe to that belief ? [/quote] Interesting. From a musician's point of view, I would suggest that one's musical heroes and influences would be part of that. JJ burnel and Paul Simenon ( both of whom seem fairly dextrous with low slung basses..) mean I think low slung basses look cool. If your hero and influence was for example Mark King then you might think high slung basses look cool. How that translates to the non musician fans of bands, I haven't got clue. The point I was trying to make,not referring to any individual's posts, was there seems to be an assumption that it's harder to be dextrous with a low slung instrument than a high slung one,and that low slingers are sacrificing ability for the sake of looking cool, and that, quite simply is not my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389544740' post='2335303'] how , why and with what validity did it pass into folk law that wearing a guitar slung low is cool , anyway? [/quote] I don't know about guitarists but Tony Goggle claims to be the first bassist to 'sling low'. According to his autobiography 'Goggle Box' (Random House) Goggle conceived the idea after seeing Jimmy Page at a New Yardbirds gig in Croydon. A few days later he debuted the new strap length while backing PJ Proby at The Marquee. Seeing this as an attempt to steal his limelight Proby fired Goggle after the gig. The story appeared in Melody Maker prompting a jokey poll about strap lengths. Reader response showed a positive 77% support for the practice and bassists everywhere followed Goggle's lead. Ironically, it was Goggle who popularised the 'high-roller' style during his time with Jan Hammer, influencing - among others - Mark King, Limahl and Bobby Proffit. [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389544740' post='2335303']Is that assumption universally adhered to, and if so, why? [/quote] Opinion is divided along demographic lines. 30-50 men have the highest propensity to agree 'Low is cool', with most instancing Dee Dee Ramone as a contributory example [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389544740' post='2335303']Do the majority of people really believe that, and if they do, why do they do so? [/quote] Depends what you call a majority. A recent concert-goer study by Ipsos Mori ('A Low Bass Is Cool') showed 27% agreed, 24% disgreed and 49% didn't know. When asked why, 86% of those who agreed did not know, 9% cited 'Punk Values' and 5% said it helped them to fantasise about what might 'lie beneath'. [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389544740' post='2335303']are they right to think that way and should we all subscribe to that belief ? [/quote] Whether they are [i]'right'[/i] or not is immaterial. Proponents of the Low Rider approach [i]believe[/i] they are right and are in a position to put their beliefs into practise. As for the ultimate arbiter, the Ipsos audience study shows the punters rank 'bass strap length' [i]above[/i] bass technique but [i]below[/i] the colour of the front-man's socks (if worn). As Simone De Beauvoir once said to me 'Cher Skank - je ne me soucie pas de sangles, mais seulement sur l'endroit d'où vient mon prochain banane'. Quite! Edited January 12, 2014 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) It may be right, it may be wrong, it's certainly illogical, but some things ARE cooler than others. Xilddx in his leather trousers and silk gloves is cooler than a bloke in a football shirt tucked into a pair of M&S jeans. And low slung basses look cooler. They really do. Why? Well come on everyone, we all know a bass is a phallic symbol so it needs to go in the appopriate place. Even if you're a girl. That said, I don't wear mine particularly low, because I'm one of those people who finds it more difficult to play low slung. But sadly I'm not all that cool. Edited January 12, 2014 by seashell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 I like mine to sit just above the waist, pointless stuffing all those socks down my jeans if nobody's going to see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seashell Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 [quote name='Jack Cahalane' timestamp='1389551056' post='2335442'] I like mine to sit just above the waist, pointless stuffing all those socks down my jeans if nobody's going to see [/quote] Top answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 [quote name='seashell' timestamp='1389549932' post='2335420']Why? Well come on everyone, we all know a bass is a phallic symbol so it needs to go in the appopriate place. Even if you're a girl.[/quote] So THAT'S why all bassists do actually "play solos" but try to deny it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achknalligewelt Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I have ridiculous gibbon arms and stumpy legs, so my bass looks pretty unremarkable on me. Strap it to someone else, someone with normal limbs, and they come over all Hooky. It also means no-one ever asks to have a spin on my bass, because I'm the only person in the world it fits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operative451 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Clowns are scary.. Anyway, IED already has a clown. We shot it. I actually play best with my bass where my arms hang rather than reaching up like a beseeching puppy, and the first RATM album pretty much taught me to play guitar... I think we need a funk-off... [attachment=152363:funk_puppy.jpg] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentalextra Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 (edited) You only have to watch a bit of music TV to see that 'eyeliner' seems to be the new cool thing! But at least video's are simple; from a drop down menu of either, on the beach at night with random bonfires, warehouse/industrial unit or back alley in the rain Edited January 14, 2014 by mentalextra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Back in my 'yoof' I played guitar and bass relatively low slung with no problems and found no issue with dexterity and did this purely because I found it the most comfortable, not for any feeling of coolness. However, I did find that after several years of doing so, I had developed joint pain in both my fingers, hands and elbows due to strain on the muscles. I tried several remedies, but the one that worked was raising the strap 4 or 5 inches so that is is directly over my tummy. I can now play almost pain free but I actually find that I can't play the more complicated lines with the strap higher, my elbow always seeems to be getting in the way and hitting my body and it feels all cramped in. And I think that Mark King and Duff McKagen both looked cool in their own way so I am not sure it matters.... Do what you like and what suits your physical frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Sadly, what most of you fail to grasp is that low slung is way more ergonomic! One just has to hold one's fretting hand _above_ the neck instead. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikanHannille Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I have my bass' neck joint directly on line with my belt buckle. Feels just right for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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