Bass in a 3 piece band?

[southernrocker]

To fill space during a guitar solo, you need a massive sound. I dig in and push my bass to overdrive and lay down the low end while my guitarist goes soring high. The drummer also has to kick ass and take names.

In my 3 piece, it is like we have 3 frontmen. Noone can sit in the shadows in a 3 man band.

[CrankenStein]

Agent Orange!

[AltGrendel]

Think of getting an 8 or 12 stringer. It can help fill in the sonic gaps when the guitarist takes a solo.

Led Zep and Cheap Trick are an example of what I mean.

[NKUSigEp]

Originally Posted by yamark

Thanks for all the tips. I forgot I started this thread.

What's your opinion on this?

Normally, with this band, I play an Ibanez AGB140 with chrome flats.
I have a fender jazz sitting around with DiMarzio jazz pups and an audere pre with chrome flats. I am thinking that rounds may be the way to go with a 3 piece.

What do you all think?

Go with the jazz Want proof...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlX0Q9vSDbY

[NKBassman]

Ummm... ZZ Top? Great 3 piece.

Also, I am a huge fan of one of Zakk Wylde's projects from the 90s called Pride and Glory with James Lomenzo on bass and some drummer. Southern Rock with the very typical Zakk Wylde twist to it. Kinda cool, though the album had a lot of rythmn guitar over dubs on it. I think there should probably be some youtube vids of them live though.

[DeluxeRed]

Two things help me fill behind our gp when he solos: a very full sound sonically and more sustain on notes.

I push a lot of mids when the solos come along to fill that bandwidth. A mid-scooped sound can be very hollow all by itself. (I'm usually pretty mid-happy with my active Jazzes, anyway.)

I tend to palm- and finger-mute a lot more behind rhythm guitar and full vocals, leaving more space, and then when the solo comes along, I'm playing fully-sustained, unmuted notes, which also lets the mids ring through more.

On a couple of songs, I use my VT to add some additional crunch to help fill-in sonically. But that's just as much "that's a good sound for this song" as it is filling in more behind the solo.

[ShavedHippie]

Originally Posted by sirero

I love the Who, quite probably my favourite band, and I thought about mentioning them but I thought about it and especially if his Drummer is "tight and tasteful", I dont think the who is a good example FOR HIM. Because realisticly if you watch any videos of them on stage there role is completely different from EVERY other three piece.

Aside from the occasional Solo, Pete Townsend spends entire songs filling the role of the drummer, setting the tempo, and keeping the beat.

Keith Moon then locks in with him and plays the drums in way where the Frequency ranges of the parts of his Kit matter. Meaning he is filling the TRADITIONAL role of bass players, and locks in with the "Drummer" and playes what almost could be considered Bass linesthe way he plays the drums.

That leaves John Entwhistle in the TRADITIONAL spot of "Lead Guitarist" and his bass parts can then be looked at as melodic riffs, which they very much are.

And there's Roger Daltry, who is simply an exraordinary vocalist.

I'm not saying that there a BAD example, per se, I personally would LOVE to play in a band like this, and surprisingly my problem hasn't been finding a guitardist who can keep rythm as well as a drummer, its been finding a drummer who will play like that.

Very interesting interpretation of The Who. Not sure if I agree, but it's interesting nonetheless.

[bmc]

Originally Posted by AltGrendel

Think of getting an 8 or 12 stringer. It can help fill in the sonic gaps when the guitarist takes a solo.

Led Zep and Cheap Trick are an example of what I mean.

Pretty limiting to one type of sound for the whole band, aside from being stuck with an 8 or 12 string. An octave pedal can give an 8 string sound. The acoustics of a room can make it sound cluttered.

[amroach]

Fuzz.

[FindYourNess]

John Mayer Trio covering "Wait Until Tomorrow"

[sgbass321]

Originally Posted by NKBassman

Ummm... ZZ Top? Great 3 piece.

Also, I am a huge fan of one of Zakk Wylde's projects from the 90s called Pride and Glory with James Lomenzo on bass and some drummer. Southern Rock with the very typical Zakk Wylde twist to it. Kinda cool, though the album had a lot of rythmn guitar over dubs on it. I think there should probably be some youtube vids of them live though.

OMG...i love that band! but it seem like hardly anybody knows about Pride and Glory They made some awesome music

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by lunarpollen

What about the Who? sure, 4 guys but instrumentally a 3-piece...

Not a bad point. Led Zep too!