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Bass Smashing

basslyon

basslyon

Jun 24, 2007
471
47
42
Melbourne, Australia
Disclosures
Non fosters drinking alcoholic.
#1
Hey y'all

So I have a parts bass which has been my staple for a while, but its has some body wear, grounding issues and the strap pins never hold properly so when the strap pin f%^& up again last night i figured smash it and get a new body from warmoth.

so i gave it a good wack but it didn't smash. so guitar smashing techniques. whats the best way to do it?

i have a carbon fiber neck on it so thats not going anywhere. just wanna destroy the body.
 
#4
Lol.... Love how this is in the "Technique" section. I'll NEVER forget the night I smashed my Warwick Corvette just for the hell of it after our last song.

I basically did an overhand swing and made sure the rear strapbutton part of the bass landed flat against the floor, the bridge and bridge pickup were the first things to fly off. Second wack resulted in the body cracking right down the middle, neck getting very loose from the body, and strings flying around wildly. Last few wacks sent the bass in splintered pieces (including the neck) that the only thing that was left was the electronics and the wenge fretboard. Nowadays I could really use a nice Warwick....
 
#8
ZanaZulu807 said:
Lol.... Love how this is in the "Technique" section. I'll NEVER forget the night I smashed my Warwick Corvette just for the hell of it after our last song.

I basically did an overhand swing and made sure the rear strapbutton part of the bass landed flat against the floor, the bridge and bridge pickup were the first things to fly off. Second wack resulted in the body cracking right down the middle, neck getting very loose from the body, and strings flying around wildly. Last few wacks sent the bass in splintered pieces (including the neck) that the only thing that was left was the electronics and the wenge fretboard. Nowadays I could really use a nice Warwick....
Click to expand...

Why? :confused:
 
#10
I once saw Mike McCready of Pearl Jam try to smash his guitar and it wouldn't bust, either. Bashed it into the stage floor repeatedly and nothing happened. Anyway, not sure why you'd want to bust up your bass when it's already been done way better by Pete 48 years ago, but not my bass so whatever ;)
 
#11
Why not give it to some kid in the audience who would not be able to afford it? When Townsend did that any years back there were a great many people who thought he was just a spoiled little rich kid with a tantrum. When people do that (smash their stuff) there are quite a few people who really get disgusted by them.

Anyone could smash them: but it would show some style to pick out some poor kid and give it to him or her.
 
#12
john grey said:
Why not give it to some kid in the audience who would not be able to afford it? When Townsend did that any years back there were a great many people who thought he was just a spoiled little rich kid with a tantrum. When people do that (smash their stuff) there are quite a few people who really get disgusted by them.
Click to expand...

+1

you play a good show, you inspire someone else to play. It would be easy to spot someone in the audience who has been watching you.
 
#14
best and easiest way to do it in one shot is to do an overhead swing (like your splitting wood with an axe) and have it hit the top edge of a monitor, face down so right where the neck joins the body, the strings and top frets contact the monitor first. that puts the weight of the body behind the fulcrum point, and will crack off right at the neck. the only pressure you need is to dislodge the screws holding the neck. if you try and crack one sideways, (as in hitting the edge of the guitar body on the stage) you have to crack through both sides of the neck pocket, and crack off the neck screws. thats why the body usually falls apart/splits first.
 
#16
John Hiatt says...

He threw one down from the top of the stairs
Beautiful women were standing everywhere
They all got wet when he smashed that thing
But off in the dark you could hear somebody sing

Oh it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar

It started back in 1963
His momma wouldn't buy him that new red harmony
He settled for a sunburst with a crack
But he's still trying to break his momma's back

Oh it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar

He loved that guitar just like a girlfriend
But every good thing comes to an end
Now he just sits in his room all day
Whistling every note he ever played

There oughta be a law with no bail
Smash a guitar and you go to jail
With no chance for early parole
You don't get out untill you get some soul

Oh it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar

Late at night the end of the road
He wished he still had the old guitar to hold
He'd rock it like a baby in his arms
Never let it come to any harm

Oh it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good
Good
Guitar
 
#18
john grey said:
Why not give it to some kid in the audience who would not be able to afford it? When Townsend did that any years back there were a great many people who thought he was just a spoiled little rich kid with a tantrum. When people do that (smash their stuff) there are quite a few people who really get disgusted by them.

Anyone could smash them: but it would show some style to pick out some poor kid and give it to him or her.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've heard that argument before, but I'm not a fan of telling people how to spend their money or treat their possessions. I'm not in favor of smashing guitars and wouldn't do it myself (unless one really pissed me off), but it's his to do with it what he wants, and if he wants to smash it, that's his business.
 

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