ROConnell Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Why? Genuinely curious, do they think something to do with the tone or demonstrating the sounds is better with slap? Can't we just have more of an emphasis on NORMAL playing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 To demonstrate the ability of whatever kit to produce a full frequency range, especially the high bit? You can always turn it down, but can't add it if it's not there in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROConnell Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1485517848' post='3224520'] To demonstrate the ability of whatever kit to produce a full frequency range, especially the high bit? You can always turn it down, but can't add it if it's not there in the first place. [/quote] Fair enough, thought it would be something like that! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Like it or loathe it a lot of players do slap, and not all basses are well suited to it, so if a manufacturer wants to appeal to the widest potential market it's worth them demonstrating how the technique sounds on their product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Perhaps bass players in 80s tribute acts have been identified as a particularly high-spending demographic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) Often I think this is down to ego, some 'reviewers' like to show off their 'chops' and slap (while a valid form of playing), is an easier vehicle to do this; easier than, say entertaining someone for the duration of the review using more core techniques - e.g. playing solo Jamerson lines with any degree of accuracy Not all reviews feature slap solos as a statement of tone - See Dan Veal's (Aka Dood) reviews - there is another way. Edited January 27, 2017 by No lust in Jazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Bass players don't do the reviews. They just get some guitarist to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Because it shows off how many chops the bassist involved has. Also, because its a recording, whatever is being demo'd is heavily processed and will sound nowt like what you will get. If its the bass it should be recorded flat, played open strings, harmonics, octaves and chords, while adjusting the guitars pots. That would show the range of the guitar. For an amp/combo they could use a P bass, as they are common, and again go through the tone and volume capabilities of the product. How fast and how many notes a tester can get into the demo should have nowt to do with it. Personally I want to hear the frequency range an amp or an instrument can produce and its overall tone. If the tester slapped and popped the strings a couple of times to let us hear the tone that would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='ROConnell' timestamp='1485516978' post='3224511'] Why? Genuinely curious, do they think something to do with the tone or demonstrating the sounds is better with slap? Can't we just have more of an emphasis on NORMAL playing... [/quote] So the person watching can have an idea of how it will sound when they're slapping in their bedroom... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1485518605' post='3224533'] Often I think this is down to ego, some 'reviewers' like to show off their 'chops' and slap (while a valid form of playing), is an easier vehicle to do this; easier than, say entertaining someone for the duration of the review using more core techniques - e.g. playing solo Jamerson lines with any degree of accuracy Not all reviews feature slap solos as a statement of tone - See Dan Veal's (Aka Dood) reviews - there is another way. [/quote] Thank you! I am touched, I really appreciate the kind words. If I had to have a tag line, a mantra if you will, it'd be "No Shred, No Ego." Plenty of people complain about my reviews but I've always endeavoured to get the voice of the bass or equipment over and explain the limitations of the medium we are working with as well. I've recorded over 250 HD videos and written a magazine article for all of them too. I don't think a 2 minute slap-fest is a useful video and if it needs to be 15 minutes long to demonstrate, well, so be it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Dean Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I think Dans demos are very good , I just want to hear the tones the equipment is capable of . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 When the slapping starts, I switch off. It tells me nothing about how a piece of kit will perform for me. YMMV etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LayDownThaFunk Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Slap reviews - all flash, no smash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) The best reviews should cover most styles/techniques.Like most I'm after how the bass performs. Not how there ego performs. But there needs to be a capable bass player playing. As usual with most things. Balance is everything. I've seen some amazing slap bass. But it's just slap, we don't all slap so it's not a bass review. Edited January 27, 2017 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1485523321' post='3224608'] The best reviews should cover most styles/techniques.Like most I'm after how the bass performs. Not how there ego performs. But there needs to be a capable bass player playing. As usual with most things. Balance is everything. I've seen some amazing slap bass. But it's just slap, we don't all slap so it's not a bass review. [/quote] Absolutely spot on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Most gear demos are bad, and that's being kind. I tend to only rate Ed Friedland and Dan's reviews. Unfortunately Ed seems to have stopped doing reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 The people spending the big money are the same people that go to the big bass shows and you'll know what they sound like if you've attended one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Funny thing is most younger blokes I've spoken to doing slap in shops and at bass shows don't even listen to proper funk, RHCP maybe but they are absolutely, no way funk. I love slap but it doesn't fit in with other genres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1485524443' post='3224623'] Most gear demos are bad, and that's being kind. I tend to only rate Ed Friedland and Dan's reviews. Unfortunately Ed seems to have stopped doing reviews. [/quote] Being rated side by side with The Bass Whisperer himself! That's really cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROConnell Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 OK it's clear I need to look at dood's stuff then for reviews that are worth my time. Yeaaaa, keepin' it in the BC circle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='dood' timestamp='1485536322' post='3224783'] Being rated side by side with The Bass Whisperer himself! That's really cool [/quote] But there's a lot of truth in that comparison - you both demonstrate the gear comprehensively, not yourselves. Curious as to what the complaints are about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1485534281' post='3224756'] Funny thing is most younger blokes I've spoken to doing slap in shops and at bass shows don't even listen to proper funk, RHCP maybe but they are absolutely, no way funk. I love slap but it doesn't fit in with other genres. [/quote] In your 50s with a Level 42 T shirt is not a younger bloke, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbass Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 [quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1485522664' post='3224598'] Slap reviews - all flash, no smash. [/quote] Yep. A quick slap line portrays a kind of cleverness and brilliance in a very short space of time which is nigh on impossible to do played finger style/pick style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 As soon as I hear slap I go onto the next video if I'm trying to get an idea of the sound. I wonder what percentage of bass players actually slap live at gigs or on recordings - 5%? less? So to most bass players it's irrelevant. Same goes when I was trying to get an idea of the sound of a Hofner violin bass. Every Youtube video had the reviewer playing with a plectrum as that's what McCartney used. I play with my fingers so, again, the videos were useless to me. As for fretless, don't get me started. I don't want to sound or play like Jaco, I just want to hear what the bass sounds like. Yes you can slide about the place and use vibrato as that's what a fretless allows you to do but I'm not interested in most of the other stuff I'll never use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 [quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1485593981' post='3225109'] As soon as I hear slap I go onto the next video if I'm trying to get an idea of the sound. I wonder what percentage of bass players actually slap live at gigs or on recordings - 5%? less? So to most bass players it's irrelevant. Same goes when I was trying to get an idea of the sound of a Hofner violin bass. Every Youtube video had the reviewer playing with a plectrum as that's what McCartney used. I play with my fingers so, again, the videos were useless to me. As for fretless, don't get me started. I don't want to sound or play like Jaco, I just want to hear what the bass sounds like. Yes you can slide about the place and use vibrato as that's what a fretless allows you to do but I'm not interested in most of the other stuff I'll never use. [/quote] +1 Nicely said Sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.