Why the hatred towards guitarists?

[GBGLJE]

I see it all the time here, the term "Guitards". If you feel that way about your guitarist then maybe you are in the wrong band. I know most of it is only joking but some seem to be serious. The bass, guitar and drums are a team, if you don't have respect for the other musicians in your band do you really think you will get anywhere. Not a chance.

Do you think Geddy disrespects Alex, John hated Pete or Geezer can't stand Tony.

I'm the same person whether I'm holding a Les Paul or a Jazz bass. I'ld play everything if I could afford to.

Want to make yourself a better bassist? then play the guitar as well, and vice versa.

[OxJohnson]

I do play both, so...

It is all in fun man! Lighten up a little. My guitarist jabs at me all the time, but we are as tight as brothers. It is give and take and makes it fun!

Guitarists suck... bassists suck... drummers are mentally challenged... who really cares?! It is all in good fun. If it isn't then maybe folks should move on, but by and large I think it is.

BTW, Why do you care how my guitarist and I address each other? If I truly thought that he was a d!psh!t, why would it bother you?

Ox.

[Kenji]

+1
but you must admit guitarists sometimes just play for nothing/no-one but themselves. although i guess this would apply to any instrument but i just typically see it in our guitar slinging comrades more often.

[phat daddy]

Originally Posted by GBGLJE

I see it all the time here, the term "Guitards". If you feel that way about your guitarist then maybe you are in the wrong band. I know most of it is only joking but some seem to be serious. The bass, guitar and drums are a team, if you don't have respect for the other musicians in your band do you really think you will get anywhere. Not a chance.

Do you think Geddy disrespects Alex, John hated Pete or Geezer can't stand Tony.

I'm the same person whether I'm holding a Les Paul or a Jazz bass.

Want to make yourself a better bassist? then play the guitar as well, and vice versa.

I don't hate guitarists, but the nature of the "lead" instrument psychologically challenges most of the pro guitarists I've played with. It gives them a false sense of superiority in function and sometimes even in total musicianship over the other players in the band. Also the "Guitard" term points out that the guitarist is usually the most mentally dilluded person involved with the project. And that comes with the ego and superiority complex I previously mentioned.

I've met a lot of humble drummers and bassists, but only a handful of truly humble guitarists. And again I don't hate guitarists-- actually I find their dilludedness very humorous and always great for a laugh.

And I disagree about playing both instruments to make you better-- when I stopped playing guitar and put all my extra time into bass-- that's when I got a lot better at bass. They are to very different instruments in technique and function. For me it's better to be really good at one thing than mediocre on several-- the whole "jack of all trades, master of none" concept just reversed.

[phat daddy]

By the way, I'm not saying that any of you guys are Jacks of all trades, master of none-- but that's what I was until I stopped playing other instruments besides bass.

[aikakone]

I can appreciate humor and poking fun. We all know teasing and joking, but sometimes it does get out of hand. There are times when the jokes and insults become serious, and that creates a "hostile work environment."

I am guessing the OP might have meant something like the latter. A few of us can start to believe our lines, and then it really does stop being fun.



I generally don't make fun of guitarists. (I won't say I never have because that would be a lie.) I just know I am not a guitarist at all and have no interest in personally playing the instrument, so I am happy for those who do.

[GBGLJE]

I realize most of it is just joking.

It is called "lead" guitar for a reason though.

*I'm gonna check out some guitar forums and see if I find the term "Basstards".

j/k

OxJohnson. I was referring to the term being used towards all guitarists in general.

[One Bad Monkey]

I'm sure there are some that consider guitarists as just self-serving prudes that wank on their instrument. By and large, I agree with everyone else. Any time I play with a couple of close friends, the insults fly. It's all in good fun, and if anything, it's a term of respect.

[DanGouge]

Guitarists give as good as they get - at least most of them do. Some guitarists are self-serving idiots, but so are some bassists Since most bassists don't play with other bassists in the same band, we just don't notice it as much.

[Woofenstein]

No wonder there is animosity between musicians of different instruments. I see it all the time on Talkbass, and have often wondered "why even say it?" (the term guitard or others like it). I'm sensitive to it because I think that one of the main reasons for the muted hostility between musicians is that neither side will give up. Time to take the high ground : earn respect by being a good person and band mate, not by throwing out insults (even if they are a joke).

[Curtybob]

Originally Posted by GBGLJE

I see it all the time here, the term "Guitards". If you feel that way about your guitarist then maybe you are in the wrong band. I know most of it is only joking but some seem to be serious. The bass, guitar and drums are a team, if you don't have respect for the other musicians in your band do you really think you will get anywhere. Not a chance.

Do you think Geddy disrespects Alex, John hated Pete or Geezer can't stand Tony.

I'm the same person whether I'm holding a Les Paul or a Jazz bass. I'ld play everything if I could afford to.

Want to make yourself a better bassist? then play the guitar as well, and vice versa.

Yeah.

Some here seem to have made the insults and jokes a full-time ritual. I see too many times in a day where the word guitar is *'d out, or the word guitard is used, or there are drawn out discussions about how the guitar players are only good for wanking during what would be a good song otherwise, it goes on and on.

We bass players aren't any better.

I was reading a thread recently where a guy on here was talking about being in a backing band for a comedian or something, and that he kept "vetoing" the comedian's song choices. In a backing band? I believe he said he was surprised by the negative reaction of the comedian. And still, some of us think that guitarists are the ones with entitlement issues.

That's just one example of how we are just as bad. There are others, but we all know our own faults.

[Ozonbass]

I don't think the term applies to all guitar players...how about the ones that grab your bass and say something to the effect of..."can you play something like this instead...(insert Yngwie lick)"...

[John Wentzien]

"Political correctness"...When will it stop!

[Killibinizik]

Bassists have almost always recieved the butt end of everything in the band format whether it be jokes or insults ("lolo its only a 4 string guitar" ring any bells?), guitards is simply something we've come up with to retort to guitarists who are full of themselves.

If a bassist openly uses it to his bandmates simply in good fun I dont see a problem with it, if you actually start habitually hating on those who play guitar simply cause of the instrument choice then you need to reevaluate yourself.

[Stinsok]

I wonder if anyone has posted similar threads about bass player hatred on guitar forums?

[Twiggy Jr.]

wow
sounds like a preschooler...
i guess we rag on them b/c, for the most part, it is true...how many times have you heard a guitarist say (as he watched a band), "their guitarist sucks" or "i can play that better?" in all honesty, they do seem to have the biggest egos. as far as saying making fun of them to their faces, we do it in good nature.
one example is my wheelchair basketball team
we make fun our mulatto teammate with slurs about him ordering fried chicken, extra ranch or watermelon when we go out to eat...our coach we rag on cuz he likes to bag the bigger girls, another guy we rag on for being in the army, all that time he spent surrounded by other guys, another b/c he's a jew, and that's just too easy...would i say stuff to people i'm not super cool with? no....and they rag on me for...well, they have nothing they can, i'm a bassist, and, therefore, superior to all...hmm...with that attitude, maybe i should start playing the guitar :

[jeff schmidt]

Our friend in bass & destruction - the great Ruiner Severhead has coined the official antithesis of "guitard" - and it is "groove-tard" or "groovetard".

It's available under creative commons license so feel free to use it liberally at your next bass event.

A loose translation - Groove-tards typcailly worship jaco, know how to play "The Chicken" & do so often- like a NAMM and other bass events, probably slaps - but staccato bridge pick-up is their preferred method of "grooving" and above all- talk about "groove" as if it were the only thing important in music.

enjoy the groove if you must. but don't be a groove-tard.

[Tbirdbassist]

Why not?

[Pearldiver]

Originally Posted by GBGLJE

*I'm gonna check out some guitar forums and see if I find the term "Basstards".

j/k

I prefer "Basshole"

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by jeff schmidt

Our friend in bass & destruction - the great Ruiner Severhead has coined the official antithesis of "guitard" - and it is "groove-tard" or "groovetard".

It's available under creative commons license so feel free to use it liberally at your next bass event.

A loose translation - Groove-tards typcailly worship jaco, know how to play "The Chicken" & do so often- like a NAMM and other bass events, probably slaps - but staccato bridge pick-up is their preferred method of "grooving" and above all- talk about "groove" as if it were the only thing important in music.

enjoy the groove if you must. but don't be a groove-tard.