Basses and genres

[Holdsg]

I find it only interesting that the P bass has such a long following in both punk and country. Maybe already been discussed ad naseum on here. But you would be hard pressed to find two different genres relying on the same bass.

 

[Wesley R]

I've been at it for a while both as a listener and a player. I barely remember when the bass player in the band that my dad was in bought a Fender bass.
I've heard great bass guitars sound great and like crud. I have gear some truly budget crud bass guitars sound great.

 

[stuntbass77]

My Warwick thumb could sound good at anything, especially if I turned the tone down. I know they have a love or hate thing going on but with the right tone shaping they just sound great as far as I’m concerned.

 

[Topkat13]

Do you need a certain kind of fork to eat a salad? Or a certain type of toilet paper to wipe your a*s? Personally I don’t think so.

 

[socialleper]

I can't really vote since I don't understand the options since those aren't great examples.

But yes, certain basses are best suited to certain genres, or ill suited for others. And that includes Fenders. There are certain genres a Jazz or Precision are ill suited for.

 

[Passinwind]

25688520[/URL], member: 379563"]I'm not sure a B. C. Rich Warlock would go over to well on a country gig, but you never know.

Yep. The geezer front man I used to do country gigs with owns a Thunderbird himself and he loved my singlecut when I brought it to an open mike and played a set with him.

 

[yomichi]

Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion. ~Jack Kerouac

 

[Marc DLarosa]

You're going to look pretty funny wearing an embroidered westen shirt, Stetson and cowboy boots while playing a BC Rich Warlock, and Gene Simmons would've look hilarious playing a pink Hello Kitty bass.
Joing a punk rock band?
Don't buy a white Ritter Cora.
Dare to be different if you want to, but if you suffer from LAMS, don't let if effect what's important.

Gene Simmons looks hilarious, no matter what...

 

[GazzBass]

Of course no one cares what you play in the local pub but if you are playing in a professional band or doing session work you absolutely have to consider what is the right bass for the job in terms of both looks and sound.

 

[Sam Evans]

Do you need a certain kind of fork to eat a salad?

Who, me? Yes.

Or a certain type of toilet paper to wipe your a*s?

Also yes.

 

[A9X]

In pre-1974 Alembics, the humcanceller coil was glued inside the body, and the battery compartment was located between the pickups. I had them recreate that feature on my bass.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that as my oldest was an 80 S1. Still, from an ergonomics POV, it's an odd place for the battery compartment.

 

[waynobass]

There are no genres. Only good music and bad music.

You can use any bass for any music.

 

[A9X]

There are no genres.

Yes there are, there are 2. Country and Western.

 

[Hounddog409]

Carrots.

Anyone can use any bass in any genre.

Talent level does not alter this

 

[SunByrne]

Of course we can use any bass for any genre. And you can definitely do so without fear that your audience can tell what bass you're using, because the only people who really notice this (in terms of sound) are other bassists.

But still, there are differences between basses and there are expectations for certain kinds of sounds that go along with certain genres—as many people have noted in the thread. Can you violate these? Of course. But that doesn't mean that these associations don't exist. A lot of this is visual as much as it is sonic, as other people have pointed out.

But honestly I think the real answer is even more subtle than that. I have multiple basses—admittedly mostly because I just like buying basses—but I go so far as to want different basses for different individual songs within the same genre. I have a P-style and a J-style and two Rays (one of which is short scale) and a double-humbucker 5-string. Do I actually need all of them? Of course not; all you really need is one. But it sure is fun to have all those options and to try to match those options to what I'm hearing. It's not necessary, but it sure is entertaining.

I will say that I think the association between particular instruments and genres is even stronger in the guitar world. (My son is a guitarist.) You don't see djent being played on 335s and you don't see country guitarists playing, say, a Pettruci signature 7-string. But of course you can break those rules; see also this fun little video:

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Im not saying it cant be done its more a question of if you saw someone playing funk on a Ric would it surprise you. I guess I worded the poll wrong.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Dave Pomeroy with Don Williams in '82.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I was in a cover / party / wedding band for years and we played all sorts of music, except jazz, and I used my XL2 for all of it.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Were those years the 80s?
Seriously though, I’d love an XL2.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Ive gone for “hands>bass” as this is my ongoing experience. How you dress and present yourself at gigs is vastly more important in my opinion.

 

[A9X]

Were those years the 80s?

Mid/late 80's up until 96, only a few months before the big C took her.
Through those years, if we weren't playing we were out watching some other band at the Sands, or the Coogie Bay...

Seriously though, I’d love an XL2.

Best bass ever made. Mine was a gift from my wife, new, in 86.