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Wrong bass for the job


Guest MoJo

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Anyone that has been on this forum long enough and spent enough money, because of GAS, will know, there is no such thing as the wrong bass for the job and that it’s possible to gig with any playable instrument, but my question arises from an anecdote my history teacher told me, many moons ago. He said, that back in the day of the Soviet Union, if you were a musician, you couldn’t pop down to the local Andertonskis and be greeted with a plethora of instruments to choose from. Instead, your name went on a list and the next instrument that became available was yours. Hence, it would not be unusual to see the guitarist in traditional folk bands playing a flying vee. I don’t know how true that is but it got me thinking. Is there anyone here, playing what would be considered, the wrong instrument for the genre/band they’re in? Someone playing a 7-string Conklin in a blues band instead of the expected Fender with flats? Someone playing a Status Kingbass in a Jam tribute?

I’d love to hear about folks bucking the trend. Those who say ‘Sod it, no! This is my bass and this what I play. I don’t care if Macca used his violin bass on this track, I’m using this fretless Bongo’

Edited by MoJo
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7 minutes ago, Nibody said:

I love Vampyres.. and Im not in a death metal band. Suprisingly versatile pallet of sounds.

 

If you follow Scott Whitley on social media, he has recently bought a five string BC Rich Widow bass as a project. It sounds ace when he plays it, bright and snappy when slapped and popped. Even Scott himself was pleasantly surprised with how good it plays and sounds. I couldn’t see him playing it with Big Country though

Edited by MoJo
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I was in a Beatles tribute band and used an Epiphone Gothic Thunderbird. I did later get myself a Rickenbacker.

I've also used a 12 string bass in a wedding band and a Riverhead Jupiter (Spector/Warwick clone) with stainless steel rounds in a big band & Dixieland Jazz band. I also played a Yamaha TRBII fretless in a classic rock band

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I saw The Zombies/Argent in, I think, 2016/17 and Jim Rodford was playing a headless Status.  Just looked wrong.  It was also EQd terribly and sounded like a tuba but that is common at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff - the sound man seems to like bass that way.

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6 minutes ago, Delberthot said:

I was in a Beatles tribute band and used an Epiphone Gothic Thunderbird. I did later get myself a Rickenbacker.

I've also used a 12 string bass in a wedding band and a Riverhead Jupiter (Spector/Warwick clone) with stainless steel rounds in a big band & Dixieland Jazz band. I also played a Yamaha TRBII fretless in a classic rock band

You’re a prime example. A troublemaker by the sound of it 😂

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Not in a band, but I play folk tunes, "popular" music and classical music from sight reading, on my 4 string basses. All tunes; not basslines.

(Why am I here? I've obviously got the wrong instrument!) But I love the bass tone.

Edited by Grangur
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Was a bloke at my local open mic night that used to turn up and do All Right Now every week on a really flash active 5 (possibly 6) string.  It was a dark honey translucent finish multi ply thru neck with figured wood.  It always thought it was a bit inappropriate when he turned on the LED position markers for the interlude.🤮

I think the original was played on an SG bass, although Andy later switched to something a bit more exotic looking.

 

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16 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

Not bass but when I saw ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley in the late 80s at the Hammersmith Odeon, he had a Floyd Rose tremolo on his Gibson Les Paul. It was a bit like touching up the Mona Lisa with a sharpie!

I wonder if that's where Alex Lifeson got the idea from.

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54 minutes ago, MoJo said:

If you follow Scott Whitley on social media, he has recently bought a five string BC Rich Widow bass as a project. It sounds ace when he plays it, bright and snappy when slapped and popped. Even Scott himself was pleasantly surprised with how good it plays and sounds. I couldn’t see him playing it with Big Country though

Apart from the "pointy gothic look" the vamps have the same pickup arrangement and configuration as a Warwick Infinity - They dont sound quite as dead sounding as some of the BC Rich's Ive tried - will have to look up Scotts socials to have a listen. At the other end of the scale Ive just ordered a set of Dave Ellefson (Megadeth) pickups to drop in my harmless looking Spector.. =D

 

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36 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

Not bass but when I saw ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley in the late 80s at the Hammersmith Odeon, he had a Floyd Rose tremolo on his Gibson Les Paul. It was a bit like touching up the Mona Lisa with a sharpie!

Like this: https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/electric-guitars/les-paul/gibson-alex-lifeson-les-paul-axcess-in-royal-crimson

 

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30 minutes ago, Nicko said:

Was a bloke at my local open mic night that used to turn up and do All Right Now every week on a really flash active 5 (possibly 6) string.

 

I have played all right now with a checked iceman. And  gibson 5 string, and a spalted poplar SR, and a wenge SR, and a blueburst SR and..

ie, its on our setlist and it gets played with whatever is to hand! Probably even played it with an 8 string

 

and I would turn on my fret lights if I had any!

 

Edited by Woodinblack
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When I joined the ska band, they gave me some live recordings to learn along with... one of the bassists they'd worked with had been a superb player, very competent indeed, but her bass (never found out what it was) sounded totally wrong for the job -- a nice tone, but far too modern and hi-fi and smiley-face-EQd for the music. 

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1 hour ago, Paul S said:

I saw The Zombies/Argent in, I think, 2016/17 and Jim Rodford was playing a headless Status.  Just looked wrong.  It was also EQd terribly and sounded like a tuba but that is common at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff - the sound man seems to like bass that way.

I saw "The Commitments" (only 2 of the original lot were in the band, including the guy who was the mad drummer in the film but was now doing lead vocal, and not much cop at that sadly) some years ago... the bassist was playing an Alembic Mark King with a huge Trace stack, and yes he took a slappy solo. I do remember looking at my watch a few times.

 

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I must admit, I do like the instruments played to match the band style..... but a lot of models e.g.  precision can fit a lot of situations, whereas cricket bat bass has limited application for my money.

I need to like the look of my instrument and like it to fit the band.

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I sold a bass amp to a guy from Cumbernauld (what`s it called?) who played in a Free tribute band, I think they were called Tons of slobs but maybe I made that bit up!

He played a five string fretless Stingray. Andy Frazer and his Gibson must be turning in his grave :shok:

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