Things you hate to here OTHER BASS PLAYERS say.

[Corevalay]

Bassists are idiots... oh ... wait...

[hudpucker]

"Can you tune this for me? My ear isn't so good..."

[Bert Slide]

"Tonight I will be playing a 30 minute improvised solo on my new 27 string fretless"

[TolerancEJ]

Originally Posted by shirky

"Jaco only needed 4 strings".

Of all the quotations given in this thread, this is the one that irks me the most.

We live in much different times now. 5/6 basses were barely in their infancy during Jaco's time. Today, a 6-string bass (SX or whatever) can be owned for less than $200. If they were readily available, I bet he would have at least fooled around with one.

Originally Posted by Blackmag+c

I get that smirk alot. Its like yeh...im playing higher ground...im on this...I own..

But usually its the only riff they can play...

My point isn't really performance related... Can we, as bassists, please NOT go into music stores, crank the bass amps and play RHCP's version of Higher Ground as loudly as possible? It's the bass-equivalent of a guitarist trying Sweet Child O' Mine or Stairway (Denied!)

Also, I've noticed the people who want to play this song the loudest are usually missing notes.

Originally Posted by DiabolicLow B

"How often do you change your strings? I change mine before every show, that's why I sound so good"

OMG! If someone says that to me, they better be ready to offer some sort of string sponsorship deal. I wouldn't mind changing them, but I couldn't handle that expense with each show.

Originally Posted by caeman

Any joke where the punchline is the drummer.

Yeah, I don't like those jokes either.

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

Of all the quotations given in this thread, this is the one that irks me the most.

We live in much different times now. 5/6 basses were barely in their infancy during Jaco's time. Today, a 6-string bass (SX or whatever) can be owned for less than $200. If they were readily available, I bet he would have at least fooled around with one.

Jaco was so high usually he probably thought he was playing an eight-string!

[Edward G.]

^^
I think most bass players are in their infancy.

[Vegas_Local]

Read all 25 pages of this thread. Hilarious stuff. Maybe a quote of my own would make the list. "Not enough talent to play guitar, not enough rhythm to play drums, not enough charisma to sing... so I play bass."

[Vince Klortho]

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

My point isn't really performance related... Can we, as bassists, please NOT go into music stores, crank the bass amps and play RHCP's version of Higher Ground as loudly as possible? It's the bass-equivalent of a guitarist trying Sweet Child O' Mine or Stairway (Denied!)

Where I used to live (in Oregon) there was a Led Zeppelin tribute band called "Stairway Denied" and they were really, REALLY good ! Their singer was the closest to a young Robert Plant that I have ever heard. Great band ! I got to mix the sound for them a couple of times and it was a lot of fun.

[eukatheude]

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

Of all the quotations given in this thread, this is the one that irks me the most.

We live in much different times now. 5/6 basses were barely in their infancy during Jaco's time. Today, a 6-string bass (SX or whatever) can be owned for less than $200. If they were readily available, I bet he would have at least fooled around with one.
r.

Me, i hate all that "real bassists don't use picks" crap. And i'm not a pick player, i hate playing with a pick. I just don't see why should it be the same for everyone else.

[Shardik]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyforge

When you pump out so much bass you sound synthesized then we're not going to see eye to eye on tone.
[...]
Every style, tone, and piece of gear has it's place whether or not it's to your liking.

I agree with the latter, but that first statement does not quite seem to be in tune with that.

I love natural tone, but there are some kinds of music where a synth like bass tone is the best choice. I like versatility.

To keep in line with the thread (almost), like many others I play both bass and guitar (although in band settings I am a bassist).

On a couple of occations, the guitar player in one of the bands (a really nice guy, meaning no harm) seem to pity me somewhat:
"Are you SURE you don't want to play guitar on some songs? We could do the bass lines on keyboard, you know."

I hate that, the underlying assumption being that playing guitar is more fun/has higher status and that bass is just deep tones. I have heard less of it after I took up fretless on some of the songs, though.

[jmclearnon]

Nice Jaco Pic

[Srirachaglo]

Random guitard/amateur bassist: Why do you play flatwounds? ...Doesn't that kill your sound [or insert other false assertion here]?

Me (in my head): Kill yourself.

[Nashrakh]

Originally Posted by Srirachaglo

Random guitard/amateur bassist: Why do you play flatwounds? ...Doesn't that kill your sound [or insert other false assertion here]?

Me (in my head): Kill yourself.

Love that one. Another favorite is 'uh your strings feel weird dude, is there something wrong with them?', or when I go to a store, ask for a set of flats and the clerk has no clue what they are. (Same deal with 4 stringers tuned BEAD, it kind of blows their mind)

[phillybass101]

I hate to hear other bass players harp on how they think (scienfically) that a certain combo of bass cabs and or speakers won't work or is not correct. If it sounds good, it sounds good. Leave the arrogance and snobbery to other instruments.

[Mike Sorr]

I came across this a while back and thought it might add something to the discussion...I'm not exactly sure what, but something. The author of the blog is expressing his disgust about half assed lazy bass players sullying the reputation of the instrument in general and players who consider music a serious calling and have spent the time to hone their craft. Here's the link:

http://thegiggingbassplayer.com/the-angry-bass-player/

If nothing else it amused and annoyed all at the same time. I found one guy's comment so annoying, yet hilarious, that I use part of it as my signature, because I heard the exact same thing from an audience member at a gig once. Read it for yourself for a laugh and some thought provocation, but here' "Gino's" comment:

Gino September 16, 2012 at 7:46 pm

Yep, I’m the guy that pisses you off. I took up bass because everyone needs a bass player and it was the fastest instrument to learn well enough to get into a band, with the main objective to get girls and have fun. For me the bass was a tool for this purpose, and, at least at first, was little more than that. And to piss you off even more it worked like a charm. I hated taking lessons and I hated practicing scales. I hated learning theory and have forgotten most of it by now anyway. I liked playing easy covers like AC/DC and Judas Priest and never aspired to do anything more…and I was happy doing it. Somehow I managed to gain some proficiency and even a reputation as a decent player, but I keep it root note simple. No progressive rock or solo bass gymnastics for me, I don’t want to work that hard. Believe what you want, but NO ONE in your audience, aside from the other bass players you’re so desperate to impress with your chops and expensive gear, cares whether your playing a Fodera 6 string through an Eden rig or a cheap p bass copy through a Crate combo. As long as they hear boom boom boom coming out of the PA and it’s reasonably in tune, that’s usually more than enough. The average bar fly at your club gig, if he notices you at all, wouldn’t know how good you are compared with other players or how many hours you spend practicing modes with a metronome. Want to be really pissed off? Nikki Sixx is famous, rich and has banged more hotties than you’ve ever seen, and he probably still hasn’t learned where the notes are on the fretboard. Think about that the next time you’re forced to play some song you hate with your wedding gig in front of a bunch of blue haired old ladies. Ever read a top 5 greatest bass players list in a musicians magazine? I just did, Steve Harris from Iron Maiden usually makes the top 5…because he looks cool and has two fast fingers. You probably learned more music theory than he knows in your first two months of lessons…and he’s a legend.

Bottom line, no one but other bass players gives a crap about bass players. If you believe otherwise you’re ego is getting the better of you. Go ahead, go see a cover band and ask random non-musicians how good the bass player is. Wan’t to bet you’ll get more than a few who ask you “which one is the bass player?”"

[qervo]

I had a bass player tell me ( whom I can only guess was just intimidated by my playing) "yeah well, I didn't become a bass player to be good on bass , I just wanna be a rock star , I'm more of a performer on bass ".

Really????

[Vince Klortho]

Originally Posted by phillybass101

I hate to hear other bass players harp on how they think (scienfically) that a certain combo of bass cabs and or speakers won't work or is not correct. If it sounds good, it sounds good. Leave the arrogance and snobbery to other instruments.

I agree fully !!!

[petrus61]

I hate when bassists pretend that "it's not about the gear" when they are just making excuses for the crap they own. No, it's not about the gear, but you sound like butt. Guess its "all in the fingers"?

[Baird6869]

Best thing I ever had the pleasure of being told by another bass player was that he preferred Energizer batteries in his active basses as they sound slightly better than Duracell and others.

Most moronic thing I have ever heard.

[qervo]

Omg!! Man if that dude can tell the difference in sound by switching batteries , he's in the wrong business . He should be a sub sonar operator so he can hear enemy subs miles away.