The "tone is in the fingers" statement is very true, I sound like crap no matter what rig I play through.
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Character building
- Thread starter JimmyM
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So if anyone would like to argue that tone isn't in the hands, I've built a couple good days' worth of empirical evidence that tells me it is
Really?????
Hmmm. Were your hands going for a zero balls tone?? Cause if not, then the tone isn't in the hands.
Actually, despite my snarky comment, I agree with you about gear. I've played some crappy backlines, but I always made it work for me. It's part of the business. I used to carry around a SansAmp DI that saved me a few times, though I can usually get a working tone out of any amp.
I played a gig last night with our reggae band. The guitarist went direct to the PA through his pedalboard, I played a shortscale Stagg bass. The guitarist really has his sounds/gadget-chain together and sounded great (his system is essentially running all those pedals- a fancy preamp jig- into a poweramp- the PA). Not a tube within a Crow's mile.
He often uses an old Dean-Markely "Spectra" combo, which is little more than a ss practice amp. Thing is phenominal.
The Stagg bass wasn't half-bad either. Not hi-fi, but dark and un-glossy. The drummer noted the tini-ness of the bass, but there were no other comments beside the usual good communication and funky rhythm-section groovy stuff. That little bass, with it's less-than-stellar appointments and essential disposition, is probably getting a few mods and will remain in the clutch.
Would I rather have an Alembic Distillate 32" scale? Sure, I suppose; but the idea that "the only person who cares about what you use is you" can be liberating.
He often uses an old Dean-Markely "Spectra" combo, which is little more than a ss practice amp. Thing is phenominal.
The Stagg bass wasn't half-bad either. Not hi-fi, but dark and un-glossy. The drummer noted the tini-ness of the bass, but there were no other comments beside the usual good communication and funky rhythm-section groovy stuff. That little bass, with it's less-than-stellar appointments and essential disposition, is probably getting a few mods and will remain in the clutch.
Would I rather have an Alembic Distillate 32" scale? Sure, I suppose; but the idea that "the only person who cares about what you use is you" can be liberating.
So if anyone would like to argue that tone isn't in the hands, I've built a couple good days' worth of empirical evidence that tells me it is
Really?????
Hmmm. Were your hands going for a zero balls tone?? Cause if not, then the tone isn't in the hands.
++1 ! LMAO. Well done, Nicky.
I am believing that this was a comment strictly about the cab, not the player in the context of an ensemble. This was the thrust of the thread I think- that even though it was crap gear, the music didn't necessarily suffer for it. There are other factors... like the player...
Taking something out of context really does potentially alter the meaning of what was said, doesn't it?
Not currently being a big-time working musician I have never been tortured by having to play someone else's inferior equipment provided me.
Cross country gigs are something I have never had to do as all of my history has been within 100 miles of home and hauling my own gear.
While your predicament is in its own right rather cool, you jet setter... Just for James, I have now developed a new motto: "Fat Man" never leave home with out him.
The trick with that is finding a place to plug him in. OH another thread just popped in my head.
BOB
Cross country gigs are something I have never had to do as all of my history has been within 100 miles of home and hauling my own gear.
While your predicament is in its own right rather cool, you jet setter... Just for James, I have now developed a new motto: "Fat Man" never leave home with out him.
The trick with that is finding a place to plug him in. OH another thread just popped in my head.
BOB
I am believing that this was a comment strictly about the cab, not the player in the context of an ensemble. This was the thrust of the thread I think- that even though it was crap gear, the music didn't necessarily suffer for it. There are other factors... like the player...
Taking something out of context really does potentially alter the meaning of what was said, doesn't it?
Yeah, he's talking about the tone of the cab. How is that taking anything out of context? He said the tone of the cab was horrible---then he said that tone is in the hands. Furthermore, I said that I agreed with him---but to a point.
The tone of the cab was horrible. But playing in the band, the bass sitting in the mix was not horrible. He made it work, because he worked with it and played it well. ALso there was FOH, but still.
The tone was in his hands because he could do that. The gear might have lousy tone, but it's what you do with it. That's what "tone in hands" means.
The tone was in his hands because he could do that. The gear might have lousy tone, but it's what you do with it. That's what "tone in hands" means.
Yeah, I do that all the time. I make bad gear sound good in the mix. It's part of playing live with supplied backlines. This is nothing new. In fact, the bulk of the work I've done had some tonal obstacle to overcome---whether it was the room, or the PA, or the backline.
But, what I'm saying is that if 'tone is in the hands,' there would be no bad backlines. But there are bad backlines. So some of the tone is in the gear. It doesn't matter if you make it work or not....bad tone is bad tone. It's the same reason that people lug around SVT's. If tone was 100% in the hands, then why would people carry around 100 lbs heads?
Look, I get the meaning of 'all in the hands.' I just think that it is an over simplification. Try making an MM into a GK sound like a P into an SVT. It's impossible. Both may sound good, but they are different.
I understand all that, buut it's subjective in nature- and we are bass players. We care about our "tone", but after it's all set up, after you're into your second set and the house is rockin', no one is listening for your tone. They are hearing what works and enjoying it, and dismissing what doesn't (the audience tends to take responsibility for their own fun). Besides, we all know that 90+ per-cent of the audience could care less what 'your tone' is- but we all know that.
Once in a while we run into a Jaco or some other superlative type, and we hear the "tone is in the hands" remark. Yep, it's more true sometimes than other times. But if you're a voice that your audience recognizes, then the tone is indeed 'in your hands', and it matters little what you're using to amplify your bass.
You can hear a good player no matter what he's playing through. There's my point (gasp!).
Yep, that's the band and gig! Well tell him I said thanks for letting me use his amp. It really wasn't bad at all...especially compared to that rig on Friday.
Hey! Thanks for the heads up on this web site.
The thread has been pretty cool. JimmyM and his band (themselves, very nice guys and played extremely well) handled the equipment challenges without complaint and delivered a great show for the audience at this outdoor, (Hampstead) NH venue.
The local, "first-time" promoters, in a move to keep a lid on expenses, had the artists' players (5 of them) use our gear. We are only four pieces! (oops) The sound guys, for the most part, did a decent job and, overall, the show sounded pretty good.
The thread speaks to both the expectation and the reality of performance art "on the road", where experience with diverse, sound amplification equipment, rather than negatively impacting the show, conditions a player's skill/mind set toward professional, innovative and creative solutions.
The thread has been pretty cool. JimmyM and his band (themselves, very nice guys and played extremely well) handled the equipment challenges without complaint and delivered a great show for the audience at this outdoor, (Hampstead) NH venue.
The local, "first-time" promoters, in a move to keep a lid on expenses, had the artists' players (5 of them) use our gear. We are only four pieces! (oops) The sound guys, for the most part, did a decent job and, overall, the show sounded pretty good.
The thread speaks to both the expectation and the reality of performance art "on the road", where experience with diverse, sound amplification equipment, rather than negatively impacting the show, conditions a player's skill/mind set toward professional, innovative and creative solutions.
Small world! Thanks again for letting us use your stuff. Hope you all weren't too bummed having to hang out so long...we went a bit overtime. Out of my hands...they give us a set list and we do it.
BTW, I should make clear that it wasn't your gear that was the problem. Friday night's gig suffered for gear, especially for me, but the problem with Saturday was mainly that there wasn't enough gear to go around I probably should have worded that a little differently, but hey, gotta play up the drama for the internet, you know? 
Anyway, we had a really good time playing there and meeting the folks up there...hope we get to do it again in the near future!
BTW, I should make clear that it wasn't your gear that was the problem. Friday night's gig suffered for gear, especially for me, but the problem with Saturday was mainly that there wasn't enough gear to go around
I probably should have worded that a little differently, but hey, gotta play up the drama for the internet, you know? Anyway, we had a really good time playing there and meeting the folks up there...hope we get to do it again in the near future!
Jimmy you are one of the few guys who I can really get a flavour of your personality over the interwebz.
Splendid.
Splendid.
The Invalid Link Removed?
Almost, he has the HT-5 combo. Fantastic little box of wonderjuice.
Of course it's good, that amp was designed for studio and tour use, not bedroom playing.
If you handed Picasso some crayolas and a grocery bag, he would still turn out a Picasso.
Not to say that it isn't important or meaningful to have the best tools to realize whatever your sonic vision is - only that when a push comes to shove a great artist will be a great artist because he or she just is.
I've played a lot of backlines that I hated, but ultimately have had no detrimental effect on the overall performance - it's about the ability to bring music to life.
Not to say that it isn't important or meaningful to have the best tools to realize whatever your sonic vision is - only that when a push comes to shove a great artist will be a great artist because he or she just is.
I've played a lot of backlines that I hated, but ultimately have had no detrimental effect on the overall performance - it's about the ability to bring music to life.
