molan Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I was in a bass shop recently & trying a few different basses and going through some very simple patterns from songs I play in my functions band to try and hear how a bass might fit into my personal live gigging situation plus a few riffs I sometimes stumble over to get a good 'feel' for playability of each bass. Then a, much younger, bass player came in and chose a relatively stock Fender to try. He then proceeded to slap, pop & tap non-stop for about 15 minutes. He obviously had talent but most of what he was playing would never be used in a band situation. I don't have a problem with anyone giving something a good work out but the thing that surprised me was that he then said he was going to buy the only bass he'd tried purely on the basis of his widdle-fest. Am I alone in trying to play simple practical stuff I actually use when trying a bass in a shop environment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Nope. I'm more interested in how the bass feels, is it in tune, are the controls working, is the hardware OK and is the amp set flat. I used to be concerned about what the staff in the shop think about what I'm playing, but as the older I've got the less I've cared about that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I haven't tried a bass in a shop for about 10 years. I haven't been in a shop that had basses I wanted to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadonroll Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 1) Play open strings 2) Fret all notes up and down neck 3) Check what the knobs do 4) How does it sound/feel? (you should know by now!) Buy it... or not. 5) Slap the living sh*t out of it to make sure the staff know how god damn funky you are and that you are far too talented for an English A-level (for example). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 (edited) [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='389198' date='Jan 23 2009, 12:48 AM']I haven't tried a bass in a shop for about 10 years. I haven't been in a shop that had basses I wanted to play.[/quote] Same here,and why would i pay the extra money a shop charges? I take a chance when buying a bass i fancy and get the gen from forums or alumini who have recorded with it. My will to get better on bass comes from blowing people away in shops and impressing people at parties, i took it up because it feels right and its good to get girls. Edited January 23, 2009 by YouMa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudewheresmybass Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 tbh the first thing i'll do is switch the amp off that i've been plugged into, and just play acoustically for a while. if the unplugged sound is bad, then the plugged sound will most probably not be worth bothering with. once that test is passed, a general compilation of little riffs, walking patterns, band material, and pretty much anything else i fancy to see if the bass will perform on a broad enough basis for what i'm looking for. that will pretty much tell me whether the bass is suitable, what i feel it is worth TO ME, and usually how bad the house set up is!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 (edited) i think everyone digs basses in there own way, whether it be nieve,(spelling sorry) or experienced..His age may be a guess as to why he played the way he did,.. good or bad..im not a big fan of shop room Marcus Millers believe me, but no one in the shop cares, they want squids.. In his fingerstyle shop embarassment he may be a future bass master..so let him be, and get on with it..hopefully he didnt make a rash choice like buying a bass package. What was he playing???? All the same i played a Yamy TRB6 and within 2 chords some slap and some finger funk it was mine...Super Bass!!!!!!..2 minutes and i was in love..thats all it takes... Edited January 23, 2009 by bubinga5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='389198' date='Jan 23 2009, 12:48 AM']I haven't tried a bass in a shop for about 10 years. I haven't been in a shop that had basses I wanted to play.[/quote] Only takes me about 15 mins to get to the Gallery from my office so I guess I'm a bit spoilt. Popped in this week & had a quick try out on a US Spector, a Skjold & a Ken Smith - all played through an Epifani 502 & matching Epi 4x10 cab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 [quote name='bubinga5' post='389211' date='Jan 23 2009, 01:23 AM']What was he playing????[/quote] I think it was Fender Jazz 24, looked quite nice as it happens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 [quote name='molan' post='389216' date='Jan 23 2009, 02:32 AM']Only takes me about 15 mins to get to the Gallery from my office so I guess I'm a bit spoilt. Popped in this week & had a quick try out on a US Spector, a Skjold & a Ken Smith - all played through an Epifani 502 & matching Epi 4x10 cab [/quote] Well in that case i would probably be tying them in person as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Oh, if I ever did try a bass in a shop: I'd plug it through an analogue octaver so I could see how wide and how severe the dead spot was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 With basses I do the hardware check, check random frets depending on the setup incase there's any nasty buzzing, perhaps do some major scales to see how it sounds, then do a few riffs and the opening of a couple of classical pieces such as Ode to Joy, Greensleeves and Fur Elise. Occasionally do the opening Anesthesia as well, but that's almost to basses what Stairway or Smoke is to guitars, same as the main bass riff for Master of Puppets, Love Cats or Sunshine of Your Love (that one could just be my mates though). I'm interested in how it plays, soundwise (as long as it's alright acoustically) can be changed fairly easily on most basses so I ignore it to a large part, but feel can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 [quote name='7string' post='389196' date='Jan 23 2009, 12:43 AM']I used to be concerned about what the staff in the shop think about what I'm playing, but as the older I've got the less I've cared about that [/quote] Yeah, I couldn't care less now. I'll play whatever I want for as long as I want so that I can see if the bass works for me. It's not about impressing anyone with your playing. When I first went into music shops as a 13/14 year old (before I started playing), I was scared to try any basses because I couldn't really play anything apart from [i]Sunshine Of Your Love[/i] and I'd heard stories of rude staff. Then on a family holiday in NYC my folks let me waste an entire afternoon of the family's time in Manny's to pick out my first bass. I played [i]Sunshine Of Your Love[/i] and the assistant started singing along. I prefer service in the US! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Ohhhh i nearly tried out that Skjold Lions Pride.. it was originaly sold by Bass Direct..I think i would sell my Sadowsky to get that bass..looks fabulous..any ideas how they play?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 i like impressing people with my playing,after all surely thats why i gig, to get a buzz make people get groovy and think im the dogs.I think if most people were honest thats why they play.What would the point of performing be if all i was going to do was go all buddhist on stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 [quote name='YouMa' post='389230' date='Jan 23 2009, 02:31 AM']i like impressing people with my playing,after all surely thats why i gig, to get a buzz make people get groovy and think im the dogs.I think if most people were honest thats why they play.What would the point of performing be if all i was going to do was go all buddhist on stage.[/quote] Yes, onstage - but in a music shop in front of music shop staff? Don't get me wrong, I'll blaze through slap licks to see just how user-friendly the particular bass is but it's not to impress the music shop staff or intimidate other shop users. I'd hate to put youngsters or beginners off trying out a bass properly because they can't widdle as much, so I tend not to try out a bass if there are many other people in the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leowasright Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 If you read my letter in BGM in the issue with the female Subways bassist (Charlotte ----?) on the front, you will know I would only try what I would do in a band situation.......THUD THUD THUD Those who widdle and slap and pop incessantly on bass should be playing guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I usually check the thing first then play the intro to Journey to the End of East Bay - Rancid, it uses all the strings with a pick (the way I play) there is a chord, pull offs, hammer ons and it goes up and down the neck. Goes like if you fancy a go, it's fun to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Well, given my skill level, the w***ery is out. Generally I'll play some riffs and simple lines, plus some pentatonic improvisation. [quote name='Toadonroll' post='389200' date='Jan 23 2009, 12:55 AM']1) Play open strings 2) Fret all notes up and down neck 3) Check what the knobs do 4) How does it sound/feel? (you should know by now!) Buy it... or not.[/quote] But that's what I should be doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Personally I feel you should play anything you like if it makes you happy. I don't give a toss what the staff or anyone else in the shop thinks, I'm the customer after all. I love to hear some good slap and pop if it's played well (I can't do it), but you can't beat a nice simple funk riff for example, and that's what I use, the same riff on all the basses I try. Wayne plays a good punk style riff because that's his bag, and that's what you should do, play [i]your[/i] thing, after all that's what you'll be doing when you get the thing home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 +1 on the bass check rather than playing. I check the hardware, build quality, straightness and just hold the bass in few different positions before playing a single note. Then i check the tuning & make sure all frets play in tune & for any buzz as well as get a feel for the bass followed by seeing how long a note will sustain for. Then I plug it in to see how it sounds & repeat the above. Do a bit of string bending & a couple of index pops & check to see if the strings are still in tune. Then I try a couple of scales to see if it's going to suit me, and then I play NV43345 (only kidding) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 [quote name='xgsjx' post='389302' date='Jan 23 2009, 09:30 AM']and then I play NV43345 (only kidding)[/quote] on a P bass? Made I laff Come on, people, the OT was [b]what do you play[/b] not what checks do you do ..... I like playing in music shops (though the basses are not usually set up to my taste) and it's fab to see some 14 year old slap and pop the hell out of something .. At 14 I could just about manage a few root notes and "House of the rising sun" .. I play some thinsg acoustically, fret buzz checks, make sure each note works then play The Princess Royal. It's an old Morris dancing tune we play which features lots of widdle, pull offs, bends, harmonics, that sort of thing. Typical old English folk .. Actually I should probably drop in some tappin'and slappin' too just for fun. or one of my originals' bass line that has a lot of widdle and maybe some of Stairway to heaven (the solo) just to anoy any old school guitar testers haning about. I quite like "Bach - Cantata 147- Jesu: Joy of man's desire" too 'cos it fits under the fingers easily and sounds great loud ... Or I jam along to the 13 year old shredder in the guitar section ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silky13 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 +2 on the bass check I always spend ages trying out basses, I like to have a good look around it to make sure it looks good and is good quality, then play the open strings a bit, then usually play a few warm up exercises that are difficult to see what the neck is like and how comfortable the guitar is to play. Then I play some basic bass lines, while changing the tone settings. That way i know it's going to suit what i play in the band. Then finally i have fun and play some metal tunes like Wrathchild and Peace Sells so I know i can play the stuff i like to play at home! But like what's been said before it didn't take me long at all to fall in love with my current bass... I loved the finish and as soon as i picked it up it felt right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Never seen that for a bit ^_^ Brilliant stuff. In reply to the OP, I don't really have something particular that I play. Usually a couple of my own basslines to see how it sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I tend to play a lot of walking lines and fingerfunk lines that I would use in a band situation and a little slap. Whilst slapping is a bona fide technique unless that is all you do in you're playing situation, you're not trying the bass correctly. This is often my complaint at music shows where all the demonstrators just slap the hell out of their instruments, when in a real life situation (unless in a Level 42 or similar tribute band) they probably wouldn't use this technique exclusively or maybe at all. Actual songs with recognisable lines that I tend to play are, Peg, Rhythym Stick, Runaway, Too Young To Die, Pump It Up and for a little slap Higher Ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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