Annoying things about playing bass

[Firewood-player]

Hi I'm firewood and I play a piece of firewood. I need advice about annoying things and stuff to keep an eye on. Any body with experience got stuff to yap about?

Edited November 16 by Firewood-player
Forgot a sentence

[Dad3353]

16 minutes ago, Firewood-player said:

Hi I'm firewood and I play a piece of firewood. I need advice about annoying things and stuff to keep an eye on. Any body with experience got stuff to yap about?

 

Be careful what you wish for. 

 

...

 

 

[Firewood-player]

No

51 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Be careful what you wish for. 

 

...

 

 

Reeaaallly does anyone tho

[Downunderwonder]

People that call themselves musicians but don't know that without quiet there is no loud.

[Steve Browning]

Annoying things? Not being able to play something you want to. Luckily I've been playing long enough not to face that one.

 

Pub landlords who treat you as an annoyance when you're bringing people into their pub.

 

Not sure we'd use the final word you use in your last post. Just saying.

[SumOne]

 

It is a sociable instrument - not ideal for playing alone, but in a band you generally stand at the back and support the band. It isn't an instrument for showing off, people won't notice when you're doing it right - but they'll notice when you're doing it wrong. 

 

....I think it is guitarists that get made to play bass that'd get annoyed by that. 

 

(these are big generalisations though - obviously there are a few virtuoso bass players front and centre). 

[Leonard Smalls]

I'd ensure logs are seasoned at least a year, two for oak, and have a moisture content of below 20% before burning.

As for bass, you need a flashy one as it's all about showing off, so you'll need to stand at the front and slap it like there's no tomorrow, preferably while hiding any guitar players behind you. 

[Rich]

Please note that the word "retard" is not a pejorative. Thank you. 

[binky_bass]

Trolls be trolling... best response is no response (said the hypocrite...)

[SpondonBassed]

On 16/11/2025 at 01:46, Firewood-player said:

Hi I'm firewood and I play a piece of firewood. I need advice about annoying things and stuff to keep an eye on. Any body with experience got stuff to yap about?

 

I have already highlighted the treble v bass clef thing for you.

 

May I ask?  How old are you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lozz196]

Annoying things about playing bass, well up until recently the weight and portability of the gear. Then there`s the issues with sound-people "getting you a good sound" rather than just making your already good sound louder. And lastly it`s mostly being invisible, bah!

[Sean]

Something that annoys some but for me is a huge bonus; no one is interested in your gear. There always seems to be so much interest in the guitarists' gear, they have Fender and Marshall and huge pedal boards and loads of brands that the bedroom brigade are familiar with.

 

Only twice this year did anyone ask me anything about my gear and that was, "Is that a Warwick?". To which I replied, "Um, no" and the other was recently where some chap was pointing at my rig and calling to his mates, "Look! It's an old Mesa Boogie!". 

Edited November 17 by Sean

[Sean]

8 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

And lastly it`s mostly being invisible, bah!

A couple of months ago I went with the guitarist and singer to chat with the landlady and get our money. We were standing together in a kind of circle and the landlady looked at me apologetically and told me me that if I wanted a drink before last orders that Jason the barman would serve me and that she was busy dealing with the guys from the band as she pointed to the other two. 

 

That kind of thing happens all the time. 

 

We played one venue where the landlord and his missus wanted a photo taken with the band. As we were forming the huddle, he told me he'd take one with me in it after they'd taken the one with just "me, the missus and the band". I went back to packing up. 

[SimonK]

Guitarist

Keyboardist

Horn Players

Drummer

Singers

Any other Musician

The audience

Pub/venue landlord

Anyone on the roads/public transport in my way when driving to the gig

Family

Friends

Work colleagues

Strangers

People generally

Animals

 

....seems I get annoyed easily!

[cetera]

16 minutes ago, Sean said:

"Is that a Warwick?". To which I replied, "Um, no"

 

Urgh...... philistines..... 😠🤮😉🤣

[RogerDodger]

At a couple of gigs recently I've had someone coming up to me and saying how they "like my tone". I have to say that I don't try and achieve a "certain tone", and often it is probably the sound man who has made me sound how I sound.

Come to think of it, it may have been the same guy each time and he may have just been trying to chat me up...!

[Mrbigstuff]

3 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

I have already highlighted the treble v bass clef thing for you.

 

May I ask?  How old are you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Could you be a kid or maybe Leo Fender is bored in the afterlife

[fretmeister]

2 hours ago, Sean said:

Something that annoys some but for me is a huge bonus; no one is interested in your gear. There always seems to be so much interest in the guitarists' gear, they have Fender and Marshall and huge pedal boards and loads of brands that the bedroom brigade are familiar with.

 

Only twice this year did anyone ask me anything about my gear and that was, "Is that a Warwick?". To which I replied, "Um, no" and the other was recently where some chap was pointing at my rig and calling to his mates, "Look! It's an old Mesa Boogie!". 

 

 

I did a jazz gig with a Zon Hyperbass once - and someone asked me if one day I hoped to be able to get a Fender?

 

FFS.

[SpondonBassed]

8 minutes ago, Mrbigstuff said:

Could you be a kid or maybe Leo Fender is bored in the afterlife

 

Eh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sean]

10 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

 

I did a jazz gig with a Zon Hyperbass once - and someone asked me if one day I hoped to be able to get a Fender?

 

FFS.

I've had quite a few Japanese Yamaha BBs and I’ve had that exact experience a few times. So much so that one of my friends, who’s a drummer who has been there and seen it happen, asks me every time he sees me, “Bought a Fender yet, mate?”. It never gets old.

[fretmeister]

4 minutes ago, Sean said:

I've had quite a few Japanese Yamaha BBs and I’ve had that exact experience a few times. So much so that one of my friends, who’s a drummer who has been there and seen it happen, asks me every time he sees me, “Bought a Fender yet, mate?”. It never gets old.

 

One one hand I want to correct them, but I'd probably get really annoyed and do the "if I sell this I can buy 10 of them" type things...

and on the other I don't want to get mugged in the car park!

 

As it happens I did sell it and still didn't buy a Fender!

[Sean]

33 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

 

One one hand I want to correct them, but I'd probably get really annoyed and do the "if I sell this I can buy 10 of them" type things...

and on the other I don't want to get mugged in the car park!

 

As it happens I did sell it and still didn't buy a Fender!

 

Sorted. No conversation required. Just smile and nod.

[Jackroadkill]

41 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I don't want to get mugged in the car park!

 

But you're the guy with a metre and a half of wood in your hand - they'd have to be mental to take you on!

[Sean]

2 minutes ago, Jackroadkill said:

 

But you're the guy with a metre and a half of wood in your hand - they'd have to be mental to take you on!

I don't know about a Zon but in 2009 I despatched an attacker at a wedding gig with an NS5-XL. Neck through, solid maple wings, Haz pre-amp. Proper weapon. I missed the Middle 8 but the keys guy covered me with some tasty left hand work. 

[Jackroadkill]

Just now, Sean said:

the keys guy covered me with some tasty left hand work. 

 

It's how you find out who your mates are.