Classic Rock Bass Soloing???

[Allighatt0r]

I've not long joined a local pub covers band, playing fairly decent, crowd-pleasing rock (Black Night, Doctor Doctor, Wishing Well, Alright Now, etc. etc.) And in a couple of songs (Born To Be Wild, Johnny B. Goode) I actually have a good go at blitzing through a solo.

To be honest I don't think anyone that can hear me really notices, but i do enjoy myself! I was just curious, if any of you guys get solos, and what you do, what effects you stomp on to change your sound, what settings you have them on, and more importantly what scales you use (I use the blues scale every time. (Root, flat3rd, 4th, flat5th, 5th, flat7th, Octave. I think, if anyone wondered.))

Also, is it worth trying to make a stand with the bad and get my own few bars to solo? (i tend to have to play about underneath a guitard's solo...)

Sorry for all the questions.

[Correlli]

I used to do the sax solo in David Bowie's Sorrow. I'd stomp an eq pedal with mid boost and a low cut with a bit more gain. when the solo was finished, I'd switch it off.

Personally, I would wait a while before making a stand. perhaps a few months then ask for a spot.

Another thought - do you sing? Reason why I ask, is that it's a good way off taking full control of a song.

[guitfiddle0409]

I play in a classic blues/rock trio...lots of I-IV-V type stuff. This is largely because we get about one rehearsal for every three gigs. Every so often our charismatic lead guitard guy will take an ego break and yell "BASS SOLO!!!" into the mike...

....so what do do....I find that I need to break out of the chord progression and start a groove. That often entails me giving the guitardist the "hairy eyeball" when he starts vamping on chords (often somewhat loudly) and asserting my almost mandatory need to break intro a highly chromatic segment with some pentatonic rubbish thrown in as well. This way I can concentrate on a rhythmic groove that keeps the ball rolling and not spaz out. I often need to think more rhythmically because there are drunk people dancing and I don't want to confuse them...

So much for my bass soloing philosophy....please throw me a fish...

[Bass Thunder]

Try playing a cover of Black Sabbath's NIB - nice long solo intro as long as you want. I used to play that one with a band and it always went over well.

[Bass Thunder]

Perfect for you would be Pat Traver's, "Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights" - nice section of bass and drums groove in a modern blues format.

Just work it.

[Allighatt0r]

Just looked up Boom Boom on youTube. Definitely looks like a song to suggest... (along with Jailbreak... and Golden Earring... why don't they ever commit to doing songs. :P)

Thanks alot for the suggestions, they all help.