what do you play to try out a new bass?

[thatpatguy]

I'm curious, do any of you have a set of tunes, riffs, exercises, etc? that you play to try out/test a new bass?

Obviously if you are a guitar player you are required to play both Stairway to Heaven and Smoke on the Water .

I've always just kinda noodled around but I'm thinking now it might make more sense to have a song or two to get through, make trying out different basses more consistent.

Anyway.. just curious.

[jwr]

This actually is always a dilemma of mine when playing a bass in GC or other music stores. I seem to forget everything I knew how to play the second I lay my hands on a new bass in a store. Stage fright maybe? So I end up just playing around and making riffs up. Works well enough for me.

[ChrisBandicoot]

"To Defy the Laws of Tradition" by Primus and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. If a bass can get both of those lines sounding good, I know it will work for me.

[thatpatguy]

Originally Posted by ChrisBandicoot

"To Defy the Laws of Tradition" by Primus and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. If a bass can get both of those lines sounding good, I know it will work for me.

funny you should say that.. I was just messing around with Sledgehammer last night thinking it would be a good "test song".. nice!

[MysterMunky]

When bass hunting, I play songs that I always play by myself or if I was in a band, the band material. It's best to test a bass in real situations that you would use them in. For example, there is no need to slap the bass if you don't slap and don't plan on using it. Or, be prepared with a couple of songs that go for the bass tone you are looking for, like what ChrisBandicoot said.

[LegoBass]

I like to play "Sunshine of your Love" by Cream. It is a super easy song to play and it sounds good funky, smooth, crunchy, and bassy. It is a good quick song to see how many tones you can pull out of a bass, just my oponion though.

[puddin tame]

just make **** up really, keeping mind to try different techniques/tonal range combinations.

playing full songs seems a little uhhh... wanky to me. like you're putting on a show for the music store or something

[thatpatguy]

I remember reading an article with Les Claypool and he was saying his test song was Roundabout by Yes

[lareamond]

I do Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love" and SRV's "Pride And Joy." If I can get either one of them sounding the way I like, I'm sold.

[tangentmusic]

I do the riff from Heart of the Sunrise by Yes. You cover most of the fretboard that way.
You can really tell if there's any bad frets.

[MysterMunky]

Running with the Devil......

[JayB]

I usually do an improvised walking bassline that uses the entire range of the instrument. This helps me get a feel and check for deadspots across the neck.

[Pearldiver]

I usually just run scales/modes along with a pedal tone riff or two to check for tonal consistency across the neck. I try not to be "That Guy" in a music store.

[fourfinger]

I play a Christmas carol. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (the melodic instrumental riff)

In A, in first position, starting on C# so that all four strings are crossed and I can listen for string-to-string balance.

If I still like it after that, I may also play the Doobie Brothers' China Grove, which crosses all four strings a little higher up the neck, and Ramble On by Led Zeppelin, which has a lot of notes above the 12th fret.

[stratovani]

Hemispheres or Open Secrets, just to see if I can cop a Ric or Wal vibe. Otherwise, mindless noodling.

[zachoff]

I just noodle.

[Bufalo]

I usually just walk the blues in D, as it let's me cover the areas of the fretboard that I'll use in everyday life without having to think of any clever licks or suffer the glares from sales monkeys who are sick of hearing Just Like Heaven and Higher Ground.

[tplyons]

My Friend of Misery solo by Jason Newsted... I know EXACTLY how I want that to sound.

Some walking blues lines, some chords and if I get that clarity I want, it's a keeper.

[HaMMerHeD]

The Orion solo.

Also some scales.

[JTE]

"I'll Take You There", "Badge", "White Room", "Thank You (Falletine Me Be Mice Elf, Again)", the melody to "Summertime", "Boogie, Oogie, Oogie", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "Knock On Wood", major scales over two or more octaves, and the harmonized scale/arpeggios over the whole neck, and maybe a bit of "Portrait of Tracy" if it has a bridge pickup. Cover the whole neck, each and every fret/string combination.

But I never get past "I'll Take You There" on most basses. The first test is that the bass has to speak to me unamplified somehow before there's any serious consideration, and that's so very rare. It's happened very few times, but those basses that did speak to me have been wonderful instruments that I won't part with.

John