Band with 2 bass guitarists and drums - how would you deal with playing live?

XyZed · #1 05-05-2008, 10:18 AM

I know of a local band whos line up is just two bass guitars and drums. I think they sound good (they use effects and distortion a lot). However, with 2 basses playing together how woud you avoid their frequencies causing problems like cancelling each other out?

At times things can get a bit muddy, and ironically there are times when they are both playing mid to high up the frets that they sound like they actually need a 3rd bass player playing conventionally as there's no "bass" sound.

Circus · #2 05-05-2008, 10:20 AM

Check out Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Girls against boys. They both had 2 bass players too. Ned's was kind of cool, one usually played a typical bass part, while the other played some cool melodic chords overtop. Almost like there was a lead bass part.

RedCoatMonster · #3 05-05-2008, 10:22 AM

Well Ive recorded songs where there was another bass track on it and I had to duplicate it. I did, but it sounds like ass IMO. It got very wurbly and stuff.

RedCoatMonster · #4 05-05-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circus

Check out Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Girls against boys. They both had 2 bass players too. Ned's was kind of cool, one usually played a typical bass part, while the other played some cool melodic chords overtop. Almost like there was a lead bass part.

Yeah that sounds alot better than what I had to do hahaha.

mjolnir · #5 05-05-2008, 10:23 AM

If I were in that position I'd establish (on a song to song basis if need be) a firm lead player and a firm rhythm player and make sure any solos fit the EQ of the person playing them.

I've actually been considering doing this for a while now, recruiting a bassist with a taste for ambient noise and adding my own brand of funky freshness to it. It's iffy if I ever will though.

XyZed · #6 05-05-2008, 10:31 AM

This band often have both bassists playing lead and rythmy stuff, this is when they sound like they need another bass player as it's all mids and highs with no bottom end.

They tend to share lead and rythmic roles. Could one use a graphic equaliser to drop certain frequencies to prevent clashes or would that not work? Am I even imagining that there could be frequency clashes?

Jools4001 · #7 05-05-2008, 10:40 AM

I've played/jammed on stage with a two bass player lineup - it wasn't a proper band - just a tenth anniversary of the band I was playing with inviting everybody who had ever played with them, past and present, up on stage to play to an audience of about 300 loyal followers.

Forget all about clashing frequencies or EQ. The only way to do it is for the bassists to show some self-restraint and discipline. You can't have both noodling away at the same time, it'll be a mess. You need one person to play simply and give the other space - then swap turns, AND you also need to respect the space a song or tune needs - and songs gotta breathe and having two bassists diving for every fill is gonna suffocate it

Have a look at how Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten and Marcus Miller do it - there's a clip of 'em playing School Days on Youtube. Marcus plays very simply for a lot of the time, just holding down the bottom end while Stan goes ballistic

Step · #8 05-05-2008, 10:41 AM

me and my nephew do it

unfortunately we're not that good, but we've recruited a drummer, so we might get better soon

about frequency clashes, those do exist and often happen, and is basically the biggest problem for an all-bass band
so I play with lots of effects to cancel out the problem, I mainly use distortion and delay and stuff and play lead stuff, while he plays rhythm.

but it's not really a performance band, more like a rehearsal fun band

four2oh · #9 05-05-2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circus

Check out Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Girls against boys. They both had 2 bass players too. Ned's was kind of cool, one usually played a typical bass part, while the other played some cool melodic chords overtop. Almost like there was a lead bass part.

+100 on Ned's Atomic Dustbin

queuing that up in my playlist now

Ric5 · #10 05-06-2008, 10:43 PM

Big Bottom by Spinal Tap ... 3 basses drums and vocals ...

BassieMike · #11 05-07-2008, 12:24 AM

It can be a bit difficult to get two basses together without sounding like someone moving furniture....
How do you get two piccolo players to play in unison? Shoot one of them

-mike

Phalex · #12 05-07-2008, 06:36 AM

If I were in that situation I'd keep doing what it is I do and find another bass player that does something completely different.

Beamrider · #13 05-07-2008, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XyZed

with 2 basses playing together how woud you avoid their frequencies causing problems like cancelling each other out?

One stays firmly on the rhythm, the other goes Peter Hook.

Will!!! · #14 05-07-2008, 08:36 AM

Man Is The Bastard and Dos are two that immediately come to mind....

Saetia · #15 05-07-2008, 09:27 PM

Check out Bear Claw from Chicago on myspace. They are a two bass band that rocks!!!!

http://www.myspace.com/bearclaw

The song Embrace is my all time favorite song by them as well as By Popular Demand, they have a lot of great songs though.

Plus they sound amazing!

Check them out.

Peace

-Benny

Anarchyok · #16 05-07-2008, 11:38 PM

check out the Aussie band Preshrunk, they did it with the same line up and made it sound very fresh and interesting, not muddy crap....

XyZed · #17 05-08-2008, 04:25 AM

Thanks for all your replies so far. Many people have pointed me to other bands that have 2 or more basses but although fascinating, there's no way of telling whether they use graphic equalisers to prevent frequency clashes or not.

This may be a controversial comment, but can anyone tell me the point of two basses other than a gimmick? Most of the 2 bass bands I've heard do not sound like they have 2 basses at all. Either one or both use lots of effects and distorion to result in a poor guitar emulation.

To me, if you have two basses why not proudly play them as two basses? Or get a proper guitarist which is infinately more versatile. None of the 2 bass bands I've heard so far sound unique enough to justify being so unconventional or do much that can't be done better with a good guitarist or keyboards.

noxweb · #18 05-08-2008, 04:43 AM

This is a band from Czech Republic (from those of you who don't know it's in Central/Eastern Europe), I've listened to them and they sound really good, it's 2 basses and 1 drummer, the vocalist also has a good voice in my opinion

anyways don't try to understand what they sing

Deverova Chyba

Edit: fixed the link

XyZed · #19 05-08-2008, 04:57 AM

Thanks for the link (I had to copy and paste it to make it work).

They sound good, but I can't help thinking they are like all the others I've heard in that I have a niggling feeling whilst listening that something important is missing. I just don't see it as an advantage in any way having 2 basses - especially if they are the only instruments.

pklima · #20 05-08-2008, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XyZed

This may be a controversial comment, but can anyone tell me the point of two basses other than a gimmick?

In metal it's very useful - the sound is much heavier (especially the distorted BG + bowed DB combination). Also, you can play in any key - don't have to worry about making the most use of the lowest notes as almost all guitar-based metal bands tend to do. I used to use guitar for metal, sold it before I moved across the ocean and never missed it.

I suppose for bassists who like to play more unconventional stuff it also lets them do more without having to worry about holding down the bottom end all the time. See Cop Shoot Cop for an example. I'm not interested in being unconventional, though.