I just want to thank you Nick for posting the www.Rockabillybass.com link! Visiting this site has given me pause. Pause to what, i'm not sure, but i've sent more email links to this site than any other since buying my computer. WOW!!!
I didn't know nick had posted a link but it is cool site. I've been lurking there almost as long as here at talkbass. Check out the pics. Its amazing what some people will do to their their axes.
I wouldn't use the word "cool" either. Again being an old fart, "bizzare" would work better. It is fun though....I saw a big, painted bass that looked suspiciously like a Klotz style bass. Which scared me. I have to wonder, has Arnold seen this? As an after thought, I loaded some of the sound clips, and the slapping didn't impress me. "Slappin' My Baby Around" Was one of the cuts. Milt Hinton could out slap any of the guys I heard. If anyone has knowledge of any of the clips that they consider good Slappin' let me know!
I suppose it's one of those "in the eye of the beholder" situations. To us, the basses might look gaudy, to the people in that particular "culture" they look awesome. Though, I must admit the thought of having a nice instrument done up like that is more than a little disheartening.:
I don't know if I should say "thank you" It's true some good basses get beat to hell and back, but there are some great slappers out there. Kent Blanton, Kevin Smith, Jake Erwin, Bill Stuve, Jimmy Sutton, Ric Ramirez (I've left out dozens more) are all great slappers, but they do more than straight rockabilly. Don't let the psycho-slap crowd ruin your impression of what slap bassists can do. rockabillybass.com has plenty o'information, and lots of laughs.
So, nick..which, let's say two, of those guys you mentioned, would warrant me downloading a clip to knock my socks off in the world of slap?
For full-on, steady time, clean tone: Kevin Smith and Ric Rameriz. Kevin can be heard on "High Noon" cds, and Ric can be heard on anything by Wayne Hancock. Go to Amazon/similar cd sites, and check them out.
Bob, They sure don't fit into my idea of what a good "midwest conservative luthier" would like. If I found someone had done that to a Klotz or other good bass I would want to kill them. This would be a situation where I would have no hesitation changing the bass back to original. Having said that; some of these guys are having a lot of fun and being creative. I wonder if they know where the notes on the bass are, or if they can just slap. Paul, there's a good young jazz player named Guerin who does a nice job slapping. John Guerin, I think. He's got some CDs. He loved Milt Hinton.
I share your feelings about a Klotz, but for the rest, I picture them as targets on a shooting range! Anybody got a gatling gun?
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