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basses on you tube...really? Slap rant...

#101
Bass demos generally stink. No one plays the bass like they would normally play it in a band situation, and if its a 5 string, they barely use it. They usually slap or noodle around high on the register. I need to see someone rock the hell out of it. Cover videos are actually better examples sometimes.
Guitar demos aren't a lot better. Its always some light weight blues wanking or leads. I just want to hear someone do some quick riffing.
 
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#103
HolmeBass said:
The average person in a bar *loves* slap bass. That's why that Paul Rudd 'slappa da bass' meme has so much traction. And it never occurs to them that the intro to Seinfeld was played on a keyboard.

If I could slap better I'd do a lot more of it. People dig it.
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Yep, audiences love slap and slap has probably turned more people on to bass than any Duck Dunn groove (or James Jamerson line, for that matter) ever did. Part of the reason we have so many basses to choose from these days is that the market has expanded over the past three-to-four decades. This expansion, you can be sure, is largely due to the emergence of slap bass virtuosos/heroes like Stanley Clarke, Mark King, Les Claypool, Flea and Victor Wooten. The average person is barely able to pick out the bass line in most songs, let alone appreciate the supportive role of the bass in most popular music. "Stand at the back and pluck root notes and fifths (whatever those are) and lay the foundation so that the others in the band can sound good? No thanks! Be up front, play in-your-face bass and get attention from the audience? Well, I was going to take up guitar but, okay!".

So next time you see a video featuring a whole bunch of slapping and little of anything else, smile, nod and be thankful that we have so many great basses to choose from. :)
 
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#105
saabfender said:
Didn't I read a thread saying this about Jaco last year?
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For sure Jaco has turned a lot of people who otherwise probably wouldn't be interested on to bass. I wasn't suggesting the only bassists who have that effect on people are slappers. Flashy, virtuosic, not-just-a-support instrument: those approaches to the bass are going to get more attention than some low-end thing in the background and slap seems to epitomize up-front and flashy bass for many.
 
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#111
DWBass said:
Do we need yet another anti slap thread?
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Yes..at least until the slapping stops. :hyper:

I'm with the O.P.

It is extremely frustrating to click on a bass or amp review video and hear nothing but slapping, in most cases slapping that isn't even done well. It's an extremely overused technique.

It certainly has it's place in music and there are bassists who employ it well, but it's not the only technique out there.
 
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#112
Ugh I totally get you.

I was looking through videos to try to find some objective reviews of the Mesa Subway head and about 60-70% of them were literally all just slapping. I play in a few punk bands and heavy metal bands, the sound of slap isn't something I'm going to use much. Fortunately there was enough to go on in other reviews for me to make the (correct) decision to get it.

A review needs to show how a piece of equipment will sound when being used in all normal ways, not just one.
 
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#113
Excessive slap isn't at the very top of my review killing practices but it's certainly there. These are my review turnoffs, in order of annoyance...

1) Ambient sound (I like it RECORDED DIRECT, no mics, please!).
2) People not touching the low B when reviewing a 5 string bass (and in general people showcasing the upper register, this is called BASS for a reason, c'mon!).
3) Calling anything that only "explores" one sound posibility a "review" (I want to hear the whole breadth of what gear can do, not a nice solo playing along to a backing track with a honky neck PU tone).
4) More than 20% slap is too much.
 
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#114
andruca said:
Excessive slap isn't at the very top of my review killing practices but it's certainly there. These are my review turnoffs, in order of annoyance...

1) Ambient sound (I like it RECORDED DIRECT, no mics, please!).
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Preach, brother. Having the laptop's mic pick up the sound as well as the room's noise is utterly useless - any gear will sound terrible like that and makes the review a waste of time to make and to watch. Invest in an audio interface! Use the DI out, or at least have a good-quality separate mic on the cabinet or something.
 
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#115
With a Youtube video you can't see what strings are being used, the signal path, recording equipment, EQ, amp or DI. It's a crap shoot in terms of hearing what's really going on. Everything is relative and needs to be compared with a true A:B. Also...how many people actually use a quality pair of head phones...instead of those crappy 1/2" laptop drivers?
Most youtube vids aren't trying to give you a honest and balanced review, they are just trying to direct click bait traffic to their usually unspectacular web presence.
 
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#116
Back in the bad ole 80's we couldn't stop slapping our boat anchor Stingrays, eh? ....seems I now know better.
Anyway. Tube reviews?..ha, no thks...
Ok. I'll take back my snarky attitude if someone can find me a review of a new P bass but with it wearing old flats and being played with a light touch and making a nice punchy mid heavy tone. That's the way I play cause it cuts through with weight and everyone seems to agree, and if I buy a new P bass that is the way Id want to set it up.
 
#117
What if I told you that for absolutely no money you could downvote and reply to those people who post the videos? Shocking isn't it?

In all seriousness, give them some feedback that is polite but asks for something other than slap if you like the setup they're using. A lot of YouTube posters would love to have a reason to post up another video that someone might watch. It's getting harder and harder to make money on YT so video ideas will likely be welcomed to get more faces watching.
 
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#118
This is crazy! ... Could you imagine walking into Guitar Center, on any given Saturday afternoon, and not hear a trio of bad slap-bass played in varying degrees of the key of E and not turn and walk back out the door. ... What planet would that be on?
 
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#119
mark beem said:
I suggest you never attend a NAMM Show..
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Sounds strange. I attended 2017 and 2018 NAMM, been there all four days each time and could hardly see anyone slapping around. Although I agree with complains on youtube demos, it is very annoying when pickups or a bsss demo you've been searching for turns into another slap-a-da-bass posing.
 

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