Electric Bass or Bass Guitar?

[Dave Bassincus]

What terminology do bassists use most often? Do we play Electric Bass or Bass Guitar? Does either one imply a subtly different view of the instrument?

[doctorjazz]

I personally say electric bass, as it fills the place once occupied by the upright bass or bass range of a keyboard instrument. It takes the form of a bass guitar, that is to say an instrument designed like a guitar but with a lower range. So:

Form - Bass guitar
Function - Electric bass

Function trumps form in my book, so I say "electric bass."

[Silver Hammer]

I say bass guitar because it gets less "oh..."s and more "oh!"s.

[Orco87]

Originally Posted by Silver Hammer

I say bass guitar because it gets less "oh..."s and more "oh!"s.

+1

I'll usually say "I play bass" but then people automatically think I play upright, so it turns into bass guitar....

[acleex38]

It depends on my mood at the time and what kind of stuff I'm playing. But my favorite way to see it listed on albums (usually 70s jazz albums), it's "el. b".

[Debased]

It's not either/or; it's both, as in "electric bass guitar," so that's what I call it.

[Der Bluten Kat]

electric bass sounds cooler

[zcwilkes]

I say bass or bass guitar.

[SBassman]

Originally Posted by zcwilkes

I say bass or bass guitar.

I say bass, or actually, it's usually written on my shirt.

They say - "you like to fish?"

I say - "no, I like music."

They say - "those big things that go boom boom boom"

I say - "no, those smaller things that go doon doon doon doon..."

[eedre]

Bass guitar

Here's why:

You can buy electric uprights - this would be an electric bass ex: Warwick Triumph


If it's held like a guitar, can be (somewhat) played like a guitar -- it must be a Bass Guitar!

[kevs]

Originally Posted by Silver Hammer

I say bass guitar because it gets less "oh..."s and more "oh!"s.

Exactly. "Electric bass" sounds like something that someone that does not play bass would be prone to say.

[sedan_dad]

I just say that I play bass.
That covers electric or upright.

Then I'll add...
"It's only has 4 strings , how hard could it possibly be to play?"

[BellBottomBlues]

I say the Fender Bass, because thats what I was told originally.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by zcwilkes

I say bass or bass guitar.

+1 I just say bass, if I have to clarify then I will say bass guitar.

[Dave Muscato]

I can't remember who it was, but some famous old-timer bassist in a video once said that he learned to play the Fender Bass because something-something his brother played guitar and his other brother played drums or something... anyway, I thought it was funny that he said the Fender Bass like it was a different instrument than any other bass.

I usually just say bass, but if asked to clarify, I'll say electric bass - the assumption on my part being that they are asking whether I play DB or electric. I don't think anybody aside from bassists or producers thinks of an electric upright if you say "electric bass." Everybody else (IMO, IME) hears "bass" and thinks either DB or electric bass guitar, so I clarify by saying "electric" rather than "double."

[stillborn86]

I usually use 'bass.' But if that doesn't work, I reiterate with, 'electric bass.' The only reason I do that is, when I tell someone that I play the 'bass guitar' they instantly respond with, "Oh! It's a guitar!"

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by stillborn86

I usually use 'bass.' But if that doesn't work, I reiterate with, 'electric bass.' The only reason I do that is, when I tell someone that I play the 'bass guitar' they instantly respond with, "Oh! It's a guitar!"

Well, it is a guitar after all.

[bbehrens]

My vote for simply "bass" - NOT "bass" (as in the fish).

In the 30-40's it was "stand up".

In the 40-50' it was "stand up bass"

In the 50-60' it was "electric bass guitar"

In the 60-70's it was "bass guitar"

In the 80-90's it became simply "bass"

- my take on paraphrased history

How many times do people really get confused with this???

- bsb

[embellisher]

While Leo Fender's creation sprang out of the need for a lightweight, portable, amplified alternative to the upright, it is a member of the guitar family, so it is a bass guitar.

Great topic for Miscellaneous. Moved.

[keb]

"Electric bass" kinda leaves out acoustic bass guitars.