Tell me about gear snobbery/prejudice in your present band - Page 5

boytcam · #81 09-12-2009, 08:40 PM

NoMy bandmates mostly all have open minds. My main bass is A Peavey Millenium AC BXP 5 string, and my back up is an 80s Greco p bass. Would play either of these before my old Fender. I also play guitar, and my main is A Mexi body with dragoinfire pickups that I had rhinolined. Rythym guitarist recently traded his American Tele for an 80s Peavey predator because he loved the tone.....Still tho, our lead guiitarist refuses to play anything but Jackson with a Floyd Rose and Seymour Duncans

Jazzdogg · #82 09-12-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassybill

Definitely prejudice rather than snobbery for this story...

Our keyboard player (and occasionally the guitarist) will sometimes comment about the rig I bring to some gigs. "Why do you need to bring so much gear?"

Most gigs I take a MB 210 combo, but when I take the 115 extension for louder gigs, that's when I get asked the question. The other night I played a gig where the 115 would have been handy, but I was feeling lazy so just took the combo. During the soundcheck, the keys player says "I can't hear the bass too well". Well, that's why I need the extension cab, ain't it?!

Luckily, when I cranked the 210 he could hear it just fine. But a 210 ain't ever going to sound like a 210 + 115. I know that. You know that. Why does he assume that he knows better?

Your experience mirrors mine. Our drummer is quick to voice his opinion and ask inappropriate questions, but seldom listens to anyone but himself. At rehearsals and small to medium gigs, I usually bring an EA Wizzy12M or VL208 and iAmp800. When I need more volume and testicular fortitude, I bring a Carvin B1500 to push two Dr. Bass cabs - a 2460 sitting on top of a 1580. No matter which rig I bring to a gig, he's quick to say I should have used the other one. The only time he didn't offer an unsolicited opinion was when I brought my old faithful 1x15 Polytone to a small private party. Go figure.

smeet · #83 09-13-2009, 04:46 PM

I guess I've always been lucky... Over the past 30+ years I've played in bands of pretty much every style and skill level, and nobody has EVER been gear-snobby. Well, except for one guitarist who convinced me to buy a Fender Jazz 5 instead of a Tobias 4. This was in the early 80's so that Tobias was the real deal, wish I had gotten it...

But really, everybody I play with is just interested in the music, we all offer each other musical suggestions, but not about what gear we should be using.

CBgaragebassist · #84 09-13-2009, 07:38 PM

this guitarist i play with at church criticized my bass($200 Baltimore) and said 'You need better stuff. get a Gibson'

i told him i dont like Gibson and he said get a Fender. I'm getting an Ibanez SG 5string or a Jet King.

Herrlster · #85 09-13-2009, 08:00 PM

I don't think there's any snobbery in my band. At the most, its my lead guitarist trying to help my rhythm guitarist with his tone. He likes a mid-scooped sound and my lead is trying to get him to use some mids.

I also bought my rhythm guitarist a footswitch for his amp for his birthday. It bugged me every time I saw him run to his amp to press a button to switch between distortion/overdrive and clean.

JimmyM · #86 09-13-2009, 08:29 PM

The only gear snobbery I've had recently is when I pulled out a new SX bass I got a couple years ago, and our drummer loved it at first until he saw the SX logo. He said, "Aw geez, I thought you got a real Fender." I said, "Hey, this bass came up on sale for $90! How could I not get it?" I'd still use it if my P Lyte wasn't a couple pounds lighter. Has nothing to do with the Fender on the headstock, I promise you.

Also, none of the guys in my band cared for when I was bringing a Markbass 112 combo. Everybody likes the head, but they all thought I was wussing out by using a 112 combo. I still used it, though. It was great at first, but after a while I missed having a beefier cab setup so I stopped using it on my own volition.

I can't say either scenario bothered me at all. I used Ampegs and Fenders all through the 80's when it wasn't fashionable, so I've dealt with way bigger gear snobs than that. They're not even really gear snobs...some of that stuff is just good business with as many different acts we work with. Image isn't everything, but it counts for a lot. Anyway, gear snobs are the last people on earth anyone should concern themselves with impressing. I know dudes who will smoke your average gear snob on a gig with $500 worth of gear.

fdeck · #87 09-13-2009, 08:40 PM

I'd play a P Lyte if I wasn't playing a cheap clone of one.

I once saw a really pretty one in mahogany that I should have grabbed.

Fortunately, jazz players seem completely oblivious to gear. Nobody's ever thrown me out of a gig for playing a wrecked plywood dog house. As for electric, a sax player once complimented the tone of my electric, and I explained that I de-fretted it myself. He said: "I didn't know electric basses had frets."

JimmyM · #88 09-13-2009, 09:59 PM

I want a P Lyte in black. They have this really cool charcoal black finish on some. Gotta gut the pickups and preamp and put overwounds or good actives on it, but it's a killer bass once you do. It's as good as any PJ at that point. But mine's white and I think I'd look better with a black one. I guess I'm the gear snob after all

Sammy_L_D · #89 09-13-2009, 10:13 PM

Even if the musicians I played with were complete gear snobs (many are gearheads, yes, but hardly snobs), most think my gear is better than theirs anyways; guitar included... :P

In truth, play whatever you have to the best of its capabilities. Who cares what some moron says about your wooden object with metallic strings on it, or your box that makes noise?