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Blasting a Wasp Nest with Dynamite?

#162
You could donate a cheap bass to the church if they don't already have a house bass, something extremely basic/standard like a 34" scale 4 string with passive electronics. I donated my ~1996 Ibanez Gio after I gave it a deep cleaning/setup. Used market, it's worth maybe $40 tops, but it's the perfect house 'oh crud' bass. No battery to worry about, and 4 string normal scale that everyone will be familiar with.

Then, you only have to bring one bass. If worse comes to worse, grab the house bass. That's how I got around my 'I need a backup' worry, and the youth band uses the house bass now as well. Win-win.
 
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#163
Dr. Cheese said:
What is the point in caring about gear so much if don't actually need it for what I get paid to do? I guess some perspective does not hurt.
Click to expand...

Excellent question, Doc! This might be the most important thought of 2021. We worry way too much about our gear and way too little about our technique and our role in the ensemble. That's probably because it's a whole lot more fun to shop than to practice, but shopping is a much less useful pursuit. It's all about how well we play -- the tool we use is (or should be) secondary.
 
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#166
Pedalnetics said:
You could donate a cheap bass to the church if they don't already have a house bass, something extremely basic/standard like a 34" scale 4 string with passive electronics. I donated my ~1996 Ibanez Gio after I gave it a deep cleaning/setup. Used market, it's worth maybe $40 tops, but it's the perfect house 'oh crud' bass. No battery to worry about, and 4 string normal scale that everyone will be familiar with.

Then, you only have to bring one bass. If worse comes to worse, grab the house bass. That's how I got around my 'I need a backup' worry, and the youth band uses the house bass now as well. Win-win.
Click to expand...
I gave the drummer a Peavey Foundation several years ago. He still has it,.
 
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#167
BobDeRosa said:
Excellent question, Doc! This might be the most important thought of 2021. We worry way too much about our gear and way too little about our technique and our role in the ensemble. That's probably because it's a whole lot more fun to shop than to practice, but shopping is a much less useful pursuit. It's all about how well we play -- the tool we use is (or should be) secondary.
Click to expand...

For the last few years, I have really been struggling to come to terms how much more important technique and knowledge is than a bass or rig. I have gotten better, but I am not where I need to be.
 
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#170
I thought about this thread while I was at church today, playing bass. Congregation smaller than the band. I had a blast. I have a blast when people show up, too. This afternoon, I'm going to rehearse with the "classic rock" band. I currently own two (OK, three, but one's a four-string, and I never play it) basses. I have a Schecter Stiletto Elite (discontinued neck-thru model. Similar to the Stiletto Studio), and an ESP LTD RB-1005. I would play either of these basses anywhere, they suit me.

I looked at a used Alembic Mark King Balance K Omega 5 string years ago. It was the most impressive bass I ever played, and they wanted $8000. Probably reasonable. Oh yeah, LED's. If I had bought it, I would play it in church on a day when 8 people showed up like today. I would play classic rock on it. In fact, I have played and LEJ 7 string, and an Elrick 7 striing, both of which I used to own, in this same church. Haven't been excommunicated. Yet.

Yeah, some of the CCM songs are bonehead simple, and there's a very familiar 4 chord pattern. I just kind of allow myself to sink into the music, and try to play whatever will serve the music best. A lot of those songs you don't have to learn a bass line for, because they're not distinctive. If you play Slither, by Velvet Revolver (probably in a non-church venue), you probably will want to learn the bass line note-for-note.

It's frustrating when the singers can't get things right and the instrumentalists have to twiddle their thumbs while others are arguing about pitch and note duration. But that's part of band life sometimes.

Simple bass lines, in CCM, gospel, or pop, can sound great and do a lot for the song.
 
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#171
Flatwound said:
I thought about this thread while I was at church today, playing bass. Congregation smaller than the band. I had a blast. I have a blast when people show up, too. This afternoon, I'm going to rehearse with the "classic rock" band. I currently own two (OK, three, but one's a four-string, and I never play it) basses. I have a Schecter Stiletto Elite (discontinued neck-thru model. Similar to the Stiletto Studio), and an ESP LTD RB-1005. I would play either of these basses anywhere, they suit me.

I looked at a used Alembic Mark King Balance K Omega 5 string years ago. It was the most impressive bass I ever played, and they wanted $8000. Probably reasonable. Oh yeah, LED's. If I had bought it, I would play it in church on a day when 8 people showed up like today. I would play classic rock on it. In fact, I have played and LEJ 7 string, and an Elrick 7 striing, both of which I used to own, in this same church. Haven't been excommunicated. Yet.

Yeah, some of the CCM songs are bonehead simple, and there's a very familiar 4 chord pattern. I just kind of allow myself to sink into the music, and try to play whatever will serve the music best. A lot of those songs you don't have to learn a bass line for, because they're not distinctive. If you play Slither, by Velvet Revolver (probably in a non-church venue), you probably will want to learn the bass line note-for-note.

It's frustrating when the singers can't get things right and the instrumentalists have to twiddle their thumbs while others are arguing about pitch and note duration. But that's part of band life sometimes.

Simple bass lines, in CCM, gospel, or pop, can sound great and do a lot for the song.
Click to expand...


Yes, ultimately our gratification needs to come from performing our part to the best of our ability, no matter how simple it is.
 
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#174
gln1955 said:
That sounds like my church. It doesn't matter what the music director decides for the praise band, choir or invited performers, somebody is unhappy. Since April, we've had alternative services and no significant music program. There's a large number of unhappy church members, but somebody had to make the hard decisions to keep our aging congregation safe. I'm just going with the flow now and hope to get back to making music some time this year.
Click to expand...

After years in large and diverse churches and management I have decided that, if someone is not complaining, the organization is dead. I would rather listen to complaints.
 
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#175
Dr. Cheese said:
That's why I said I need an attitude adjustment. I owe to church, literally to God, to play the music with conviction.
Click to expand...
Wow! As a bass player of only about two years, I can't wait for the pandemic to end so I can play. Even being able to practice with our group sounds exciting at this point. A live gig - OMG! As to what you "owe to God": it sound like your playing in this group has become a "have to" as opposed to a "want to", which can take all the fun out of it. I ran a small not-for-profit and led workshops for decades. For years it was because it was "what I was supposed to be doing". Finally, as I was leading the workshop one Friday night, I thought "I really don't want to be doing this any more" and decided that, if it wasn't enjoyable for me then it wasn't what God wanted from me at that point. I gave it another six months and then walked away. I have since found other ways to make my contribution to the world. Still frequently ask God what it is that I should be doing but also expect it to be something I am passionate about.
 
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#176
At least you got to go to a rehearsal. The rest of us are wondering why we even own a single instrument at all during this loss of work. I sold off three basses yesterday just to see something stop collecting dust in my music room.
That aside, coming to a gig or rehearsal prepared never hurts, and is a positive reflection of your professionalism.
 
#178
I was living in Richmond 30 plus years ago. We were a new band to the area as we had moved the whole shebang to Virginia from Atlanta. We were playing a BIG open mic night with about 7 bands. We went on second. I broke an A string after the second song. Didn't bring another bass. Had four others at home, 30 miles away. NONE of the other bands bass players would lend me their bass. NONE OF THEM. My bandmates wouldn't talk to me for a week...needless to say, I carry a few basses to practice/gigs since that occurance.
 
#179
Dr. Cheese said:
I carried two basses to practice today. I only took one out of its bag. We went over three CCM songs that were all half and quarter note root notes in the first position. This is my only gig. What is the point in caring about gear so much if don't actually need it for what I get paid to do? I guess some perspective does not hurt.
Click to expand...
Just this last Monday I went to a rehearsal and had two bases in my vehicle one I had just bought a few weeks ago. That's the one I started playing when the strap button completely pulled out of the body. I'm glad I had the backup. In the last 35 years I have learned to always have a spare Bass with me if I can.
 
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