Bass Players are Their Own Worst Enemy!

[R Briere]

Make no mistake, I sympathize with the plight of working musicians, and am conscious of not wanting to threaten their livelihood. But I believe the situation is much more complex than saying that hobbyists are ruining it for professionals. Maybe some are, and some aren't. I honestly don't think I've caused any musician to lose real work. I don't take this matter lightly.

In my view, there has always been a time and place for musical performances that are socially or culturally worthwhile but not commercially viable. And not all esoteric music attracts the interest of philanthropists. For some genres, if you want the music to be played, you have to just go out and play it. I'm willing to contribute to those ventures. But I don't play commercial music for free.

Believe me, we're talking about a tiny corner of the music business. In my view, larger factors in the decline of live music are: 1) Volume levels. 2) Internet and televised sports, which have grown exponentially in the past 50 years. That's hard to compete with.

I agree completely.. We're in a period of ENORMOUS change. We now routinely watch people walk into lampposts while staring at a 2 and 1/2 " screen held tightly in their hand and earbuds hanging from their ears. We go to concerts, stand 5 FEET from a Major act.....and watch the entire thing on our phone!!! Speaking ONLY for myself, I have a choice to make, as do you. I can go to an empty venue and watch a couple of guys in Bud light Tee shirts, shorts and sneakers......or I can stay home and watch Paul Carrack on a 2500 watt, 5.1 Home Theater.....while sitting in my bathrobe.....and playing along on my bass. The decision on which to do gets easier and easier to make....all the time. It simply IS what it is. I was fortunate enough to have lived in and been able to participate in the absolute Golden Years of Rock and Roll. I had a BLAST! I wouldn't trade those years for anything. We simply Adapt....or become Irrelevant.

 

[NailDriver]

Just saw this post. Yeah, it's old by now.

I got rid of my Ampeg 610 and 700RB to go class D, neo, light. I regret it. I tried a few different ones. Not the same.

I recently bought another class AB GK head and a pair of Eden 1x12 cabs. MUCH better now. Yes, it's heavier. But it sounds great and is still not as heavy as an 810 and SVT head!

But I do agree with the OP. It's better. We shouldn't compromise unless we need to.

 

[guy n. cognito]

There really is no One source of "blame" if you will.

Now that's logical.....it's a super complex issue to simplify it down to laying the blame on "hobbyists"....

I'll get around to googling you at some point...

 

[brainiac]

Shirley you jest. Wishing to play what you want to and like rather than what TB tells you to play?

...and don't call me Shirley!

 

[BadExample]

...and don't call me Shirley!

I'm glad someone finally caught that. Now, would someone please blow up the auto-pilot? Oh, I'm in over my head. I picked a bad week to give up sniffing glue. Then the dookie hit the fan.

 

[LoTone]

If you don't need to carry 200 lbs of gear to sound good, why would you?

I would like to think that we have evolved as a specie and, now, we are just smart!