Playing bass on guitar?

Tamz · #1 04-23-2009, 07:37 PM

I was wandering if anyone has been asked to play bass on a guitar before. I was asked to do this last night by a guitarist and they were just like "sure it's the same"

but really it's not the same, and it kinda annoyed me that they said that. It's kinda random but I was wandering if this has happened to anyone else.

Sartori · #2 04-23-2009, 07:38 PM

May as well ask someone to play guitar on bass.

Sway420 · #3 04-23-2009, 07:43 PM

Ya..I've had friends tell me to tune it drop d and its the same as a bass..I just kinda laugh at them...

two fingers · #4 04-23-2009, 07:45 PM

Um... Da's dumb and I hate you got put through it.

Tamz · #5 04-23-2009, 08:04 PM

Yeah the first thing I thought when they asked me to do this was "are you serious?" but they did look quite serious. I think the problem was I was sitting with a bunch of guitarist who didn't really know much about bass. I've only been playing bass for a little while now and I'm starting to see why guitarists are so annoying, but I'm sure there not all like that just the majority seem to be.

Sartori · #6 04-23-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tamz

Yeah the first thing I thought when they asked me to do this was "are you serious?" but they did look quite serious. I think the problem was I was sitting with a bunch of guitarist who didn't really know much about bass. I've only been playing bass for a little while now and I'm starting to see why guitarists are so annoying, but I'm sure there not all like that just the majority seem to be.

You're beginning to see why we call them guitards.

ggunn · #7 04-23-2009, 09:46 PM

Actually, I saw a couple of really good guitarists trade off playing "bass" and rhythm/lead a couple of weeks ago in the Evangeline Cafe here in Austin. They used a couple of normally tuned Strats. There was just the two of them, and they both sang as well. I was amazed at how well they brought it off.

Phalex · #8 04-24-2009, 06:59 AM

Phfffffft!

A good guitar player can play his own bassline on guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFqiDcvRW2Y

Joe even has something for us bass guys! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcUhJ...eature=related

sarcastro83 · #9 04-24-2009, 07:51 AM

Scott Lucas from Local H used to put bass pickups on his guitars... kind of like that?

Hoover · #10 04-24-2009, 08:03 AM

If someone asked me to do it because they specifically wanted that sound, because that's what best served the piece of music, because it was an intentional choice by the composer/creator/producer, I'd have no problem with it. If someone asked me to do it because they were an idiot, I'd just laugh and tell them "no".

In my very first band when I was ~14 years old (and I was playing guitar) we went through a 6-8 month period where we couldn't find a bassist or a bass, so I wound up playing a lot of basslines on a cheap Korean department store electric guitar strung up with super-heavy roundwound strings ("super-heavy" for guitar strings at least; I'd guess the low E was maybe an .055 or .060?) Roll off the tone knob, crank the bass control on my amp, and voila! Thuddy/punchy midrange basslines. I could certainly imagine a producer wanting that sound...though not sure I'd want to listen to it for more than one song in a row.

Against Will · #11 04-24-2009, 09:53 AM

If you pull off the High E and B, it's basically a piccollo bass, so he's kind of right, it just won't sound as good.

smeet · #12 04-24-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

Phfffffft!

A good guitar player can play his own bassline on guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFqiDcvRW2Y

Joe even has something for us bass guys! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcUhJ...eature=related

Wow... Joe was the man...

The Golden Boy · #13 04-24-2009, 10:17 AM

Before the invention of the Electric Bass, remember that the Broadcaster/Telecaster and Esquire all had a selector setting to give a bassy sound to allow the guitarist to "mimic" bass lines.

Pilgrim · #14 04-24-2009, 10:37 AM

If they ask the question, it shows they don't have a clue about bass.

Sartori · #15 04-24-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Against Will

If you pull off the High E and B, it's basically a piccollo bass, so he's kind of right, it just won't sound as good.

Never understood the point of a piccolo bass.

Murder_Worship · #16 04-24-2009, 05:36 PM

the other day i couldnt bring my bass to school for band so i used the classical guitar instead, so, yes yes i have played the bass on guitar

Tamz · #17 04-24-2009, 08:18 PM

In case you guys were wondering what type of guitar it was, it was an unplugged acoustic. It's very different from me playing my electric bass, I really prefer to play bass on a bass instrument.