You can use any bass for any style of music!!! I almost went off on the guy...

basschrs · #1 06-29-2009, 08:25 AM

So, I need to rant for a minute. I was checking craigslist for bands looking for a bassplayer, and I stumbled across this pop/punk band who seemed really good based on their myspace. I email them and tell them my experience and such, and here is a snipet of the email they send me back:

"Hey man, we are def still looking. We have tried out a crapload of people but we haven't really found one that we thought 'this is the guy'* We are picky i guess. We are looking for someone who knows how to play and can contribute. We are a pop-punk band and we had a kid show up with a 6 string bass..the kind of luck we have been running into"

Now, if they had just said they wanted a band Image that included a guy playing a 4 string fender p, that's fine, I understand about image. But "the kind of luck we have been running into"? I kept trying to send back a civil email to them, but they all ended up saying things like: "you ignorant pompous _____ _______ (insert some explatives here), how dare you assume that a six string automatically meant that they couldn't keep up with your crappy music! What, you never need different tunings on your guitar to play other songs?!? If anything you should feel honored that someone brought a tool versitle enough to handle a wide range of songs, and my guess is if they play a 6er, they are probably too good at bass for you to handle anyway!"

you get the idea, I know they truely don't understand that a 6er is a great tool and probably think it's a nitche thing that won't fit in with their music. But it also proves they know approxamately nothing about bass guitar. Again if they had just said they wanted a 4 fir their image, fine. But they just seemed so arrogant and pompous by their statement, I can't even email them back without ripping them a new one. Man, I hang around these forums too much!

jaywa · #2 06-29-2009, 08:32 AM

Dude, you've already wasted too much of your life on this so-called band. Shake the dust off your feet and move on.

basschrs · #3 06-29-2009, 09:57 AM

Yea, I'm over it now, I just had to get it all out of my system. Had no idea that kind of thing would upset me like it did, but, I guess it does :-(

Mo'Phat · #4 06-29-2009, 10:14 AM

I'll go the opposite way. In the band's defense, it's their band. They want to 'look' like Blink-182, Green Day, and Rancid...then a 6 string bass doesn't go with that look, just like having a brand-spanking-new $4000 Paul Reed Smith guitar or some boutique guitar amplifier. Also, if the drummer shows up with a monster double bass kit with chains and racks all over...or tons of latin percussion or electric drums, he'd also probably not get the gig, regardless of his talent.

It's an image thing, and it's as real and as important (to some people) as the music itself.

PS: I don't agree with it, and I've been the victim of it a few times as well.

basschrs · #5 06-29-2009, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo'Phat

I'll go the opposite way. In the band's defense, it's their band. They want to 'look' like Blink-182, Green Day, and Rancid...then a 6 string bass doesn't go with that look, just like having a brand-spanking-new $4000 Paul Reed Smith guitar or some boutique guitar amplifier. Also, if the drummer shows up with a monster double bass kit with chains and racks all over...or tons of latin percussion or electric drums, he'd also probably not get the gig, regardless of his talent.

It's an image thing, and it's as real and as important (to some people) as the music itself.

PS: I don't agree with it, and I've been the victim of it a few times as well.

I kinda knew it was the image even as I read their email, but the way they dismissed it is what got me. Seemed like they figured there was no was a 6 string could ever fit in regardless of talent, just because he plays something they aren't used to.

I wish they would have just said "we want a fender p 4 string for our image" rather than just making it seem a guy playing a 6 was the worst possible thing that could (and did) happen to them.

Mo'Phat · #6 06-29-2009, 10:36 AM

Look on the bright side, country and blues were always accompanied by a P-bass. Now, it's quite rare to see one. I see more Tobias and Warwick out there. Times change. All it'll take for punk to follow suit is for an iconic punk bassist to bust out a Fodera or something, and there will be a paradigm shift.

Sadly, the Mike Dirnt and Mark Hoppus both have signature Fenders that look just like P's or J's....and Matt Freeman plays the same bass he has for years...a '77 P bass.

Put a Jerzy Drozd in their hands, and kids all over will be cuttin' up their moms butcher block to make neck-through 7 strings with tremolo bridges and piezos.

alembic5 · #7 06-29-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo'Phat

I'll go the opposite way. In the band's defense, it's their band. They want to 'look' like Blink-182, Green Day, and Rancid...then a 6 string bass doesn't go with that look, just like having a brand-spanking-new $4000 Paul Reed Smith guitar or some boutique guitar amplifier. Also, if the drummer shows up with a monster double bass kit with chains and racks all over...or tons of latin percussion or electric drums, he'd also probably not get the gig, regardless of his talent.

It's an image thing, and it's as real and as important (to some people) as the music itself.

PS: I don't agree with it, and I've been the victim of it a few times as well.

This is very true, but THEY placed the ad in the first place. If they didn't want to be "bothered" by all the people with inappropriate gear for their image, then the responsibility is on them to indicate that in their ad. Yeah... it's their band, their choice to make on who they want to play with them and the image they want to see. But from what I read in the email snippet above, he guy was obviously irritated that they hadn't gotten what they were looking for. That's not fair to people that have no idea going into the audition that they never had a chance to begin with just because they pulled a 6er out of it's case. To each their own... IMO... and all the other disclaimers apply!

Mo'Phat · #8 06-29-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alembic5

This is very true, but THEY placed the ad in the first place. If they didn't want to be "bothered" by all the people with inappropriate gear for their image, then the responsibility is on them to indicate that in their ad. Yeah... it's their band, their choice to make on who they want to play with them and the image they want to see. But from what I read in the email snippet above, he guy was obviously irritated that they hadn't gotten what they were looking for. That's not fair to people that have no idea going into the audition that they never had a chance to begin with just because they pulled a 6er out of it's case. To each their own... IMO... and all the other disclaimers apply!

They are a punk band. If their ad had a coherent sentence, it's a step up for craigslist.

PS, I agree with you. The key to getting who you want is spelling out exactly what you want and don't want in the ad. Don't leave anything to chance or interpretation.

Mo'Phat · #9 06-29-2009, 10:42 AM

You want to know something messed up? A band I tried out for had a guitarist that went out and bought a brand-new Les Paul. Brand.spanking.new. Because it was the best and he loved the tone. Then, he melted tar onto it, then scraped it off with a chisel. Put paper stickers on it and scratched them off with a steak knife. Sharpied 'penis' on the back in black, then took a silver paint marker and wrote "Your Mom loves" right above it.

His reason: the band wouldn't look right with a pristine Les Paul.

basschrs · #10 06-29-2009, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo'Phat

They are a punk band. If their ad had a coherent sentence, it's a step up for craigslist.

PS, I agree with you. The key to getting who you want is spelling out exactly what you want and don't want in the ad. Don't leave anything to chance or interpretation.

Their ad requested these things:
1) good quality gear and transportation
2) a job
3) willingness to tour and be serious about it
4) over 21

that was it. But yea, leave stuff to the imagination and you get all kinds of 6 string playing yahoos

bigblondeafro87 · #11 06-29-2009, 11:07 AM

^^^How is that messed up? If you buy a maserati and put cigarette burns in the seats and spray paint all over it, thats your own choice. Some people have a hard time becoming attached to a pristine, plastic covered guitar and I don't blame them if they want it to be unmistakably their own.

mkrtu9 · #12 06-29-2009, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo'Phat

You want to know something messed up? A band I tried out for had a guitarist that went out and bought a brand-new Les Paul. Brand.spanking.new. Because it was the best and he loved the tone. Then, he melted tar onto it, then scraped it off with a chisel. Put paper stickers on it and scratched them off with a steak knife. Sharpied 'penis' on the back in black, then took a silver paint marker and wrote "Your Mom loves" right above it.

His reason: the band wouldn't look right with a pristine Les Paul.

scottbass · #13 06-29-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo'Phat

You want to know something messed up? A band I tried out for had a guitarist that went out and bought a brand-new Les Paul. Brand.spanking.new. Because it was the best and he loved the tone. Then, he melted tar onto it, then scraped it off with a chisel. Put paper stickers on it and scratched them off with a steak knife. Sharpied 'penis' on the back in black, then took a silver paint marker and wrote "Your Mom loves" right above it.

His reason: the band wouldn't look right with a pristine Les Paul.

I won't say "no picture = no messed up Les Paul" because it's obviously not yours. However, it would be SO COOL if you DID have some pictures...

...but you don't, do you?

Vic Winters · #14 06-29-2009, 11:31 AM

It's pop punk, image is 95% of it, and singing/whining through your nose is the other 5%. I could see a 5'er (Good Charlotte, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish) but a 6 is a bit much. If you can't see a 6 string being out of place in a pop punk setting I don't know what to tell you.

A nail gun may be cooler, but most of the time a hammer is the right tool for the job. It may not be as flashy and powerful, but it is and has been the standard for years for good reason. If you asked someone to hang a picture on the wall, wouldn't you rather see them with a claw hammer?

lousybassplayer · #15 06-29-2009, 02:19 PM

they probably suck anyway. Doesn't sound like a loss to me. I just wonder why anyone who bought a 6 string would try out for a sophomoric pop punk band. I mean, maybe I am stereotyping a bit, but it seems like a 6 is a tool for a job as the previous poster said. I am considering takinghte plunge into ERBs with one, but I am buying it to use in a metal gig. IF I tried out for a pop punk band (not bloody likely), I'd bring something else.

Mo'Phat · #16 06-29-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottbass

I won't say "no picture = no messed up Les Paul" because it's obviously not yours. However, it would be SO COOL if you DID have some pictures...

...but you don't, do you?

The only picture I can find is this one:

But the LP I'm talking about is the one in the back leaning against the wall, and you can't see any of the crap he did to it. I suppose his newer guitar is the one leaning on the amp, and he added stickers and stuff to that one as well.

Also, he is a sick guitarist with ungodly tone, so no disrespect intended. And to the poster who said that some people need to 'personalize' their guitars...I hear you, but that's not what this guy said he was doing. He said he did it for the look of the band...which is why I brought it up in the first place in this particular thread.

Also also, I played with this guy about six years ago. Who knows if that guitar still exists...or that guy, for that matter.

NickInMesa · #17 06-29-2009, 03:00 PM

I believe he meant the kid was a wanker, going all over the place, while punk is probably one of the styles where pocket bassists do usually just fine, that and hair metal.

RSJ4STRING · #18 06-29-2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

Dude, you've already wasted too much of your life on this so-called band. Shake the dust off your feet and move on.

+1. I totally get what you are saying, but if I were going to try out for a punk pop thingy then I would probably show up w/ my p bass, or some other 4, that's me.

TheVoiceless · #19 06-29-2009, 03:09 PM

Dude if you show up to a punk gig with a six string, then you did not do the homework. You can't ROCK out on a six string. I'm not sure why you are mad at them. They were right in saying that "DUH" why would you show up to a punk audition with a jazz instrument. Ok I am basing this on a lot of assumptions. But still name the last punk band to have a 6 string bass player? They are right and you a wrong for holding onto the belief any bass will do.

DeluxeRed · #20 06-29-2009, 03:16 PM

Any point to looking at this from the other side? If the ad had been for a tux-wearing Jazz/Fusion group and they had said "and some kid shows up with a beat-up 4-string...that's the kind of luck we've been having", would anyone have raised an eyebrow? Any problem with them looking for a sharp-dressed player that has, say, a 6-string?

Sure, the kid with the beater might just be the next Jaco. And the guy in the suit with the fancy bass might just be a poser. But which one would you prefer to audition for your Jazz/Fusion group, on sight?