Cooler Just To Have One Bass?

john nam · #1 01-25-2012, 06:43 PM

Of course it's nice to have an arsenal of basses like many of us TBers do, but I'm starting to think it's cooler just to have that one bass that sort of defines you, like most of the bass giants have. Sure, they have other basses, but most of them play that one main bass which become synonymous with them, like Jaco and his fretless Jazz, Victor and his Monarch (sometimes Yin-Yang), Jamerson with his P, and Pino with his. Imagine if Victor played a different bass each show, from a Fodera to a Fender to an MTD, then a Sadowsky, Ken Smith, etc.? He would still sound awesome, but he would lose a couple of cool points, even though those are all great instruments, wouldn't he? Come to think of it, even the great local players around here have that one bass that they're identified by and they don't switch basses around much.

ksandvik · #2 01-25-2012, 06:49 PM

Try to find a bass guitar that few players use and make it your trademark. Let's see, Ibanez SRX has few representations, Fender Aerodyne, Epiphone EB-3s, ESP bass guitars, any of the new 2012 Schecter models...

millsbass5 · #3 01-25-2012, 06:55 PM

Cool..... What do you mean by "cool"? Like Fonzie cool? What's cool is when you have your turds in a herd,and are able to own and play different basses for different gig/studio situations. Now that's cool.

Isotonic · #4 01-25-2012, 06:56 PM

I remember Jaco playing some sort of boutique bass toward the end if his career, and it just didn't suit him. I have a bass now that is the best out of the last thirteen or so basses that I have owned. It sounds great in a lot of situations. I have one other that I will do for low volume small acoustic type work. It is too lush for most of the work that I do. I keep looking for a better bass and some day I may find it, but maybe not.

ksandvik · #5 01-25-2012, 06:58 PM

I was actually hoping ATKs would have been the one-and-only bass I needed. However, the more you try out bass guitars, the more you start to appreciate each one, what it's good at and so on...

amimbari · #6 01-25-2012, 06:59 PM

only one bass cool? hahaha no ******* way.
you got to be like the guitarplayers and bring at least 4 of them and let them sit in a multi-rack on stage to be cool

champlainbass · #7 01-25-2012, 07:02 PM

Thank you millsbass5 for my new favorite saying.

"turds in a herd".

Love it.

john nam · #8 01-25-2012, 07:03 PM

But even the coolest guitar players are known for that one signature guitar of theirs. Maybe "legendary" is a better word.

XtheDeadPawn · #9 01-25-2012, 07:05 PM

I agree with you john my ATK305 in the ugly Trifade is basically me in a bass.

It's kinda heavy

It's got a switch that can change it's character on the fly (Like me as I'm Bi Polar when I get a little angry)

It isn't real pretty (IMO it looks like puke but I can't bring myself to change it)

And finally the ATKs in general are not real popular (I and alot of people can relate to that as not alot of us can say we were the cool kids in school)

HOWEVER I disagree with you on Wooten losing cool points that just doesn't compute with me. I mean that guy couldn't lose cool points if he tried. (Victor please don't change man love you)

As for the Jaco thing I'd love to see Jaco try that play a different bass everynight thing if he did I think we wouldn't be talking about who builds the best Jaco replica we'd be starting contests to see who has the most.

Think of it if Jaco could've still found his voice no matter the bass that could have ended the seemingly neverending GAS we all have.

Darnell Jones · #10 01-25-2012, 07:05 PM

Any action contrived to be cool is inherently uncool.

**hvymetallurgist** · #11 01-25-2012, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darnell Jones

Any action contrived to be cool is inherently uncool.

Well put.

Darnell Jones · #12 01-25-2012, 07:32 PM

Thanks, it really needs hand gestures to get the best effect

Kwesi · #13 01-25-2012, 07:33 PM

What is Hip? - ToP 2006 Montreaux - YouTube

BagelBruin · #14 01-25-2012, 07:35 PM

I think most bassists are this. Even the studio guys I know have their number one.

Sartori · #15 01-25-2012, 07:46 PM

Lots of guys own multiple instruments but have a definite "main" axe. Or maybe alternate between 2 or 3 that they're seen with the vast majority of the time.