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Basses and genres

Are basses genre specific to you?

  • Yeah, I only rock with a Ric or jazz with a J

    Votes: 5 1.6%
  • No, You can make anything sound right if you’re good enough

    Votes: 259 84.6%
  • Carrots shmarrots

    Votes: 42 13.7%

  • Total voters
    306
I voted no, but it's really yes and no.

Yes: any bass that's playable, stays in tune and has a usable signal can be used effectively in any genre.

No: I wouldn't take a fretless 6 or an upright to a rock gig, and i wouldn't show up to a jazz/standards gig with a precision. (But I could make any of those work if I had to.)
 
IMO is it about how you play and not what you play. From 1995 to 2021 I played single H stingray and single H sterling for everything. Rock, country, swamp pop, jazz, church choir, punk and what ever else I played during that time. No one ever said my bass sounded bad or out of place. I really don't think people notice. My basses are neutral colors (black ray, grey sterling) so they really do not stand out visually.
 
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Alembic fretless 5-string, with an oldtyme string band. Last Saturday.

NRB with Guests.jpeg


C14588 front (angled).jpeg
 
I voted no, but it's really yes and no.

Yes: any bass that's playable, stays in tune and has a usable signal can be used effectively in any genre.

No: I wouldn't take a fretless 6 or an upright to a rock gig, and i wouldn't show up to a jazz/standards gig with a precision. (But I could make any of those work if I had to.)
Scott of Scott's Bass Lessons claims his favorite bass for jazz is a P.
 
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