Bassists

[ultpanzi]

Being a bassist at times (and a guitarist as well) it makes me wonder if bassists deserve such a rant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX6sX3AF1ks
From experience, I have seen a lot of this which is true...
Thoughts? Do you also hate bassists?

[Scott J.]

Whoa! ... is that a can of worms I can hear being opened? ... yep, sure is! ... I cant wait to see some of the responses to this one!

Must admit he did make some good points (I especially like the comment about changing your strings more often than every three years! ... bwahahaha )

Found this funny too - "Things bass players say in the studio" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-zKMsj5rio

Playing guitar (very badly! ) in a couple of bands over the years as well roadie and sound for quite a few others, I've noticed one thing about band dynamics (especially when it comes to live performances) ...

"The guitarist attracts the gear-heads, the singer scores the chicks,
The drummer hogs the roadies and the bass player gets the shits"

[pablopepper]

Great video. This raises some very valid points. For me, the bass is a rhythm instrument with melodic capabilities. Timing is key. A good bass player keeps the band moving along while the rest have their moment to shine, and it's usually the flashy, prominently melodic players who get all the attention. Modesty is equally as important, because no matter what, the bass player cops it.

[Fretworn]

It seems to me that his rant was really about guitarists playing bass. He seemed to be preaching for viewing bass as "not" a guitar and therefore worthy of an independent technique. I have not problem with this. There are similarities between electric guitar, acoustic guitar and bass guitar. But they are all very different, requiring the development of different playing techniques and a different approach to rhythm. I can play bass, but I play it like a guitarist. I'd rather have someone who understands bass to be playing any time.

[Rob L]

It seems to me that his rant was really about guitarists playing bass. He seemed to be preaching for viewing bass as "not" a guitar and therefore worthy of an independent technique. I have not problem with this. There are similarities between electric guitar, acoustic guitar and bass guitar. But they are all very different, requiring the development of different playing techniques and a different approach to rhythm. I can play bass, but I play it like a guitarist. I'd rather have someone who understands bass to be playing any time.

Worn is right. His first 3+ minutes of his rant wasn't about bassists. It was about bad guitarists trying to be a bassist and how they shouldn't.
I don't like playing bass at all. I do it on all of my own recordings but I play it like a 6-string guitarist. I would make a terrible choice as a bassist in a band.
The bass player and drummer are 2 of the most important parts to a band. Problem is, they know this and many of the bassists and drummers I have played with tended to be arrogant jerks especially my last bassist who never did understand that every song doesn't require a complicated bassline.
I started out as a strictly rhythm guitarist because I was also the singer. That changed when we lost our lead player the night of a gig. I had to play 3 roles then and have been ever since.
A good bassist knows when to back off and play something simple. So does a good guitarist and drummer.

BUT, having said all that, two of the guitarists I have played with in the past have made fantastic bassists. In fact one is playing in a working band as bassist only and the other does double duty in his band and he wants to play bass on my new recordings. I think a lot of it is mindset. If I took the time to learn bass I'd be good at it cause I know how important the bass is in a band/song. Not being a shredder helps me with that.

[wokkaboy]

he makes some good points. No matter what instrument you play there will be people bagging you !

[ultpanzi]

Interesting responses guys. I thought he was a little harsh cos most bassists arent THAT bad. As well as, I quite like the feel of old strings (though...maybe not three years old strings.)

[ihasmario]

I don't agree with him on the idea of fresh strings on bass.

I actually like 'dead' strings, if we are talking round wounds. And flat wounds don't really need to be replaced.

Is there something I am missing? I get a lot of top end already. Maybe it's because I'm using a bass with modern technology B-)

What are they going to do in post anyway? They're going to either turn up or kill the treble and then cut out the mids. Shrug.

Interesting responses guys. I thought he was a little harsh cos most bassists arent THAT bad. As well as, I quite like the feel of old strings (though...maybe not three years old strings.)

While I am bad at both guitar and bass technician, I am a very good musician. I don't personally know anyone who rags on bass players outside of high school with the exception of how easy the bass is.

Not a single person complaining about how easy bass is can play jazz though so shrugs all round :P

[Scott J.]

He's just referring the "wannabes" who don't learn their instrument, don't practice ... and generally don't seem to care ... and end up wasting his time when they get into the studio ... so don't take it personally - he also rags on the "meathead wannabe" guitarists (like me! ) in another of his videos

On the "strings" issue though, I've got agree with him ... its not the top- or mid- or bottom-end that he's talking about, its the quality of the tone (of those top-, mid- and bottom-ends) ... a good set of new strings (or even re-conditioned ones) really do make a huge difference to the tone that you'll get out of your "stick" - whether its guitar OR bass

[dingobass]

Hmmmmmmmm..... I have a mate over East who is a pro Bassist.
His Bass has got the most amazing tone and he has been running the same set of flatties for over ten years....

He was at Wooten Woods last year attending a Bass clinic and the great Victor Wooten was blown away by how amazing his Bass was tonally.
Just goes to show that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to Bass strings and how old they are.

Every Bass will have its own tone or voice. Some sound better with new strings and others with old ones...