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9 string bass?

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#21
I love how if you express any opinion other than admiration toward ERB's here on this Forum so many will make assumptions about your intent and attack you.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forum

Forum: b: a public meeting place for open discussion c: a medium (as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas

I just dont see whats so wrong about having freedom to share thoughts without folks getting offended and feeling the need to defend their own personal decisions etc.
 
#22
I love em all: 4, 5, 6, 7, etc. I think it allows each musician to express him or herself in new and different ways. My 5 string basses go with me to band gigs, but I use a 4 or 6 string for solo shows. I was looking at a bass once that didn't have a deep cut away. the guy at the store told me don't worry, I shouldn't play past the 12th fret anyhow. HA! I also caught crap for playing with a phrase sampler and a guitar distortion. From time to time we challenge listeners and often they simply try to decide the role of bass because they need it to fit into familiar terms. I don't get bent about that, I just play and enjoy the positive feedback for pushing the familiar boundaries from time to time.

Heres a clip of what I mean.



I use a boomerang and zoom g2.1 u

More power to Al with his 9 string.
 
#24
azarias said:
I just dont see whats so wrong about having freedom to share thoughts without folks getting offended and feeling the need to defend their own personal decisions etc.
Click to expand...

Actually, I don't think this particular thread can be described as such. The OP expressed an opinion and asked a question (9 String Bass?), he received some responses, took the time to check out the suggested links and voiced his opinion, gave some examples of what he liked/likes in ERB playing .... kind of a decent exchange of opinions expressed here.

I wish all ERB threads were this civilized ..... ;)
 
#25
Ed: Good point(no pun, not really :D), as always.
Azarias: Not sure who your post is directed at, but a good read of TB rules might help. Watch for the word *respect*
NOT saying you're being disrespectful, but the post I quoted, IMO, was.
I play a 6 at times, so I'm barely/not quite qualified to comment on ERBs(depending on the definition), but I'd likely annoy the OP; on a 6 I tend to groove whereas on a 4 I get much more notey.
:D
 
#26
There have certainly been threads that get much worse than this one.
I was addressing more the usual outcome of threads such as this one.

I definitely agree with you about respect.
However, i dont believe its always possible to respectfully call a spade a spade...
There are some opinions that are just bound to stir up a big ole mess! Its my opinion that such opinions should not be censored just because they are controversial. 8)

I will be getting another 6 string someday soon. I still sit on the fence a bit though...Not sure where i draw the line yet.
 
#27
gimmeagig said:
I figure if you have a bass like that you better do something special with it or else you look just like a poser.
Click to expand...

Al is playing on TV. With one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Can't get less poserish than that.

And if you play 11-string bass, then that's why you play, regardless of whether you use all the strings in a song or not. If a guitarist's part in a song only requires him to play five strings, should he bust out a 5-string guitar? If the next song requires only three strings, should he then get out a 3-string guitar? Or should he just play the same 6-string guitar that he's most comfortable with and allows him to play as much or as little as he wants? That's what those ERBs do. They let you play as much or as little as you want.
 
#28
gimmeagig said:
I just saw a jazz show on TV with Vanessa Williams as the featured guest.The bassist had this monster bass.It looked like a 9 string bass.Is there such a thing?
At first I was really impressed thinking "Oh, this guy must be really good" but then as I listened I was thinking, what a hassle to drag this thing around and spend 120.- bucks on a set of strings and all of that only to do something that you could play on a 4 string just as well.
I figure if you have a bass like that you better do something special with it or else you look just like a poser.
Click to expand...

Gee, I guess Bill Dickens is a poser? When a player gets to be able to master a 7 or 9 string bass they're in a zone you may not ever visit. The fact you had no idea a 9 string bass existed ............ :o:scowl::rollno:
 
#29
gimmeagig said:
Sorry about not being quite with it on that one but I thought that extended range topped out at 7 strings....Oh well, I still ski on straight skis and my moutain bike does not have shocks.Shows you what I know :)
But 11 strings midi? Why??? Where is it going to stop?
I'll check out the links but if you need 11 strings to expresss yourself, why not just switch to keyboards?
Charlie Hunter has 8 strings and look what he does.How much more do you need? Seriously, are there any bassists that do something along the lines of what Charlie does?
Actually i did not call Al an annoying shredder because he was not shredding,Nor should he have.He was just playing the tunes in a very basic and appropriate way.I was just wondering why he was bringing a bass like that to a performance that did not need it.Like bringing a Bugatti Veyron to a vintage race.4 or 5 strings would have been plenty for that gig and it didn't have to be a Fender.
Click to expand...

Let us know when you have a grip on the four strings on your bass.....Dude, you sound like a guitard here.
 
#30
Vakmere said:
Gee, I guess Bill Dickens is a poser? When a player gets to be able to master a 7 or 9 string bass they're in a zone you may not ever visit. The fact you had no idea a 9 string bass existed ............ :o:scowl::rollno:
Click to expand...


I am not hating but...
If you can call that musical or even pleasant to the ears then we speak a different language. I have no desire to enter his "zone"

There is always more to learn and accomplish. Nobody has "mastered" music.
 
#31
azarias: I don't know how to do multiple quotes, so bear w/me.. :rolleyes:
Yes there are worse threads- they're mostly locked now. :atoz:
Thanks for the agreement on respect. :)
*Spade*? IMO, not a well-chosen term, particularly in the context of respect(look up the origins of that phrase :hmm:).
Not commenting on opinions- yours is yours, mine is mine- I do believe they actually overlap a bit(see next comment :cool:).
I like 6s- can't play more strings(I tried :rolleyes:).

I don't see opinions being censored so much as rules being enforced- we're in someone else's house, & we need to be aware of what's acceptable here. :)
 
#32
After spending my first ten years on four strings, then another ten on fivers, and eventually sixes, I made the last jump to a seven last year.

After playing it—and LOVING it—for a few months, I made one more jump: Back to four.

It had nothing to do with appearances or what was appropriate to the gig: I just finally realized that I don't know the instrument well enough to play an ERB. If you can't instantly name every note on your four-string, or play through all the scales and modes on it, then you've got a lot more important steps to take than adding more strings.

So I stepped back to a four—for now. But as my hopeful candidate for president would say, "I'll be back."
 
#34
I'm trying hard to keep Mr Turner from having to step in here ... ;)

azarias said:

I am not hating but...
If you can call that musical or even pleasant to the ears then we speak a different language. I have no desire to enter his "zone"

There is always more to learn and accomplish. Nobody has "mastered" music.
Click to expand...


I, too, find this particular clip to be of little interest .... I have tremendous respect for Bill, and while the clip exhibits very technically challanging technique, it is not (to my ears) musically pleasant. I would encourage you to listen to some other examples of his playing from the large volume of work he has done .... :D

bassteban said:
I don't see opinions being censored so much as rules being enforced- we're in someone else's house, & we need to be aware of what's acceptable here. :)
Click to expand...

This is the case at TB, for sure. Opinions are welcomed, assuming that they are delivered from an informed or honestly questioning point of view .... while the OP may have words a few things a tad indelicately, it seems as though there was a genuine question in his overall postings .... and a few responses could have been wording a bit more thoughtfully, as well .... :)
 
#35
I just recently got a 6 string, and it's alot of fun, but it's a totally different animal from playing a 4 - or even a 5 - with the neck being so much wider.

I don't know if I'll ever play a 9, but I'll certainly try it if I see one.

and here's a pic from our last GTG of some ERBs:

attachment.jpg
 
#37
Further explanation of my personal situation regarding ERB's ....
I played 6 strings with wide spacing for over 13 years. I stepped back down to 4 due to injury.
I know i cant save the world but..I do honestly believe those uber wide necks are going to cause more folks harm than good over the course of their career.
There was a a few months where i thought i was just done with bass due to my injury. That was not a fun time in my life and i would hate to see anyone go through that.
Fortunately, i picked up playing guitar as an alternative (for some soloing but not all)
Its been a fun and challenging endeavor which i wont be giving up now that i am well.

One BIG word of advice. Learn to do stretches for your hands!
 
#38
azarias said:

I am not hating but...
If you can call that musical or even pleasant to the ears then we speak a different language. I have no desire to enter his "zone"

There is always more to learn and accomplish. Nobody has "mastered" music.
Click to expand...

Thats a 4 string you picked out, and that wasnt a song, just a crazy slap thing you can find anywhere on YouTube. Your argument is weak......
 
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