Auditioning & Gear

[bluewine]

I have notice several new threads on auditioning.

Some of you are new to the business and auditioning for your first band, some of you are veterans looking for the right fit or match (like me) and some of you, I understand have no interest in live performance (still something I will never understand)

There are some harsh realities to auditioning I have had to deal with and while I don’t think they make sense, they are a part of the process some of us are going to have to deal with.

Let’s assume we are talking about auditioning for an established working band.

I think some of these bands are good at being a band, but not necessarily good at assessing talent or really knowing who is a fit for their band. I think they can access rather quickly who is not a fit.

Now, back to the topic, Gear & Auditioning. Question;

Do you want to be judged buy your gear?

It’s nice when a rig is supplied, who wants to load up gear if you don’t have to. However many bands want to see what you have, in many cases, simply proof that you have pro-level gear (and you know how to use it) which many bands require. I have no problems with this.

I like to audition with a bass that I am most comfortable with, in my case my Dan Electro Long Horn or my Hofner Club bass.

Well, I can’t do that anymore. I am auditioning for younger contemporary Pop/Rock Bands. I know for a fact I have been judged before I even start playing when the younger musician looks at these basses that are foreign to his generation and music genre.

From now on I am auditioning with my Fenders, probably my Jaguar Bass and I will play with a pick.

Not my cup of tea, but it’s how the game is played.

[MNAirHead]

If I meet with someone first time, I'll send them a gear list and let them pick.

Once they see it they're normally over gear.

I'll commonly bring some type of 5er and a kickback amp with DI out.. this way I can setup fast and go through the mains.. set the amp next to the drummer.

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Judged on gear.. kind of yes kind of no.. I keep 7s, fretless, and upright around to clobber the competition.... .. I'm not a fan what most guys would call staple gear.. I have it on the list and normally ask to keep it at home.

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I avoid bringing an upright.. huge amp etc.. both of these waste their time setting up

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Good sound.. fast setup.. jump right into singing and selling.

[bunkaroo]

I made the mistake of auditioning for a band with a bass I had not played through my main rig before. (Bongo 5 into an older WT300).

The bass wound up being way too hot for the input and before I knew it the head was shutting down to protect itself. I'm sure I looked like a stroke for not having working gear. And I had been playing 20 years at the time so I should have known better.

I think they were also turned off by the fact that I didn't drop tune to play some of the songs I learned. Half of the stuff was standard tuning, the other was Eb with a drop Db (go figure). So I just brought one bass and covered the drop stuff on my low B. Maybe I should have brought two basses but that seemed like overkill for an audition.

[plankspanker13]

Amen to the above. If I am auditioning, the mini-rig of doom (3x10, 300w) is what comes along, since I can carry it, my small pedalboard, bass, and mic stand all in one trip, if I want to. Most of the time, I am offered help, and we all laugh about it then. Great ice-breaker, and then my sound can do the rest from there. If they need more, the DI out is available. If I happen to bring my large pedalboard (some projects need it), which has a VT Bass Deluxe, then I am taking 2 trips (or getting help) to load, but also have a lot more sonic sculpting and looping at my feet. Entirely situation-dependent, of course.

[JimmyM]

it boils down to doing your homework. if you're auditioning for a band that you know image is important, or they drop tune, or they hate non-fenders, then play along with it or don't do it. righteous indignation doesn't pay the bills.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by bunkaroo

I made the mistake of auditioning for a band with a bass I had not played through my main rig before. (Bongo 5 into an older WT300).

The bass wound up being way too hot for the input and before I knew it the head was shutting down to protect itself. I'm sure I looked like a stroke for not having working gear. And I had been playing 20 years at the time so I should have known better.

I think they were also turned off by the fact that I didn't drop tune to play some of the songs I learned. Half of the stuff was standard tuning, the other was Eb with a drop Db (go figure). So I just brought one bass and covered the drop stuff on my low B. Maybe I should have brought two basses but that seemed like overkill for an audition.

I know, I have an audition for a band that drop tunes.I am not familiar with how that works.Nobody drop tuned back in my day.

[LiquidMidnight]

I don't show up with a full-stack, but I always show up with a professional rig. While tone isn't everything, it should be important to pro-minded musicians. I want to convey that I have good tone.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

I don't show up with a full-stack, but I always show up with a professional rig. While tone isn't everything, it should be important to pro-minded musicians. I want to convey that I have good tone.

The guys I am auditioning have already mentioned tone.I think tone is relative, what I think is a nice tone might not be what you think is good tone.

And I have a hard time with non-bass players dictating tone.

[ric stave]

Well, there's 'good tone' by itself, and there's 'good tone' as how it fits in the mix of the whole band. Both are still subject to interpretation, but if the band auditioning wants a certain bass sound/tone and they don't like what's being produced, then you probably won't get the gig.

[A Strohman]

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

If I meet with someone first time, I'll send them a gear list and let them pick.

+1

I do the same thing. I'll email them my gear list along with a pic (I call it my "family potrait...its a pic thats got all my gear in it...) and ask them what they'd like me to bring. The reaction to such an email is part of *my* auditioning process.

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by bluewine

The guys I am auditioning have already mentioned tone.I think tone is relative, what I think is a nice tone might not be what you think is good tone.

And I have a hard time with non-bass players dictating tone.

I agree to an extent. Some may prefer the sound of an all-tube amp to an all-transistor amp, or some cats may like 10 inch speakers over 15 inch speakers.

However, there is an objective quality of tone. For example, scooped mids just rarely work. It won't cut through a live mix and it kills any note definition that you could have. Also, there is a big difference between a non-professional tone and a professional. It's easy to differentiate when it comes to guitar.

For a point of reference, plug into a $150 Crate guitar amp and play. Then plug into the Mesa, Orange, Blackstar, Bogner, (high end) Fender, or (high end) Marshall sitting next to it. The tone of the other amps may not be your thing, but I guarantee that they are going to give you a more professional sound than the Crate. Also, your sound engineer is going to prefer dealing with one of those higher-end amps than the Crate. I know that sound engineers were a lot more happy when I went from a $350 bass to a $1200 bass. It was easier to get a good tone from the higher end instrument.

For the record, I'm not saying that more expensive always = better sound. I'm just using that as a frame of reference.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by bluewine

And I have a hard time with non-bass players dictating tone.

well just remember the golden rule...the one with the gold rules

[kcole4001]

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

........... I know that sound engineers were a lot more happy when I went from a $350 bass to a $1200 bass. It was easier to get a good tone from the higher end instrument.

For the record, I'm not saying that more expensive always = better sound. I'm just using that as a frame of reference.

Our drummer who does sound gigs frequently, and is quite good I might add, says this ALL the time.
Cheap bass = crappy sound.

[MNAirHead]

Originally Posted by bluewine

And I have a hard time with non-bass players dictating tone.

Bass isn't the focal sound.. 99.999% of us are paid by non bassists..

Sales 101 = Deliver exactly what they want to buy (when they have cash and are ready to pay)