I've busked on my own with a Squier Jazz Bass and one of those little Roland battery powered amps. It had a built in drum machine - people drop coins if you make them groove!
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Busking
- Thread starter the harp unstrung
- Start date
I've seen people give money to someone hitting a plastic bag with a stick and 'singing' over the top of it, so if you can get down on your bass, even by itself, you're golden 
I will throw money at EVERY guy hitting a plastic bag with a stick...he doesn't even have to 'sing'! ...Drives my wife CRAAAAZEY...but I consider it a moral imperative. Hey, "Live Music Is Better"!
Busking on a bass??? Hmmmm. Ya better have some really hot licks if you want to have them throw anything at you. Better to learn some guitar.
I take my 12 string with me when we vacation in Ocean City Md. Just for kicks , I went out on the boardwalk a couple years ago. On a good day, I made about $60 in an hour or so. On a bad day, I played for a couple of hours and went back to the hotel room with $7 so it's definitely a hit or miss situation.
There's a couple of guys that do it down there all summer. Both have battery amps and run their guitars and vocals through them. One also has a small kick drum and a high hat. I wouldn't want either of them in a band for their singing or guitar playing, but they both seem to do ok probably averaging about $100 to $200 a day for about 4 hours playing.
If you know a lot of songs and can do requests, it loosens up the wallets. I've been tossed as much as a twenty for doing a request. Usually playing a request will get you at least a five spot.
Before you start playing, stick a fiver and a couple of ones in your case for bait. Change is a pain in the a$$ and scratches your guitar on the way back to the hotel.
I take my 12 string with me when we vacation in Ocean City Md. Just for kicks , I went out on the boardwalk a couple years ago. On a good day, I made about $60 in an hour or so. On a bad day, I played for a couple of hours and went back to the hotel room with $7 so it's definitely a hit or miss situation.
There's a couple of guys that do it down there all summer. Both have battery amps and run their guitars and vocals through them. One also has a small kick drum and a high hat. I wouldn't want either of them in a band for their singing or guitar playing, but they both seem to do ok probably averaging about $100 to $200 a day for about 4 hours playing.
If you know a lot of songs and can do requests, it loosens up the wallets. I've been tossed as much as a twenty for doing a request. Usually playing a request will get you at least a five spot.
Before you start playing, stick a fiver and a couple of ones in your case for bait. Change is a pain in the a$$ and scratches your guitar on the way back to the hotel.
Sorry - that's rubbish, at least round these parts. People banging out 3 chords and singing Oasis are a dime a dozen. Do something different and interesting and you will get attention! Try harder.
lol I don't do any Oasis and I don't see anyone else out there on a 12 string doing any Leo Kottke, John Fayhe, Steve Earl or Zepplin. There might be a reason you don't see anyone busking on a bass. I wonder what that reason might be?
We get one here at our weekly summer street festival. He plays a very percussive, slappy riff over and over. I think he mainly gets attention because he stands on his stand-up bass.
We get one here at our weekly summer street festival. He plays a very percussive, slappy riff over and over. I think he mainly gets attention because he stands on his stand-up bass.
It's amazing what a guy can pull off with a good schtick.
...they have the same needlessly negative attitude as you?
Anyway, I've seen plenty of people busking on a bass...sometimes solo, but usually with a drum machine or loop pedal. And guess what? They draw crowds because it's interesting and people like to boogie.
Yeah there is some killer bass busking vids on the youtubes. Learn some Wooten-esque technique and you'll do great.
I use guitar for busking, and a Roland Street Cube when amping. I've had days I barely made gas money, and ONE day I made $200 (including a $100 tip for singing "The Long and Winding Road" on request (and botching a few changes)
But it ain't anything even remotely resembling easy money.
I use guitar for busking, and a Roland Street Cube when amping. I've had days I barely made gas money, and ONE day I made $200 (including a $100 tip for singing "The Long and Winding Road" on request (and botching a few changes)
But it ain't anything even remotely resembling easy money.
I hadn't considered this ... perhaps you can make money from the passers-by who just want it to stop? 
I did it for a couple years with 2 acoustic guitar players when I still lived in NY. Was kind of an Acoustic Alchemy type band. I used a Pignose Hog30. Was just loud enough to work. We busked in parks all over NYC, The Bronx and New Rochelle/Pelham.
