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Do I need a "good" bass for auditions?

#41
I was a teen of the 80s. I auditioned for a cover band in the early 90s playing a metal flake pink Jackson complete with the pointy peg head. I got the gig. Learned all of the tunes, and we tightened everything up. The last rehearsal before the first gig I was going to play with them, the leader walks in with a fender jazz. He hands it to me and says "i want you to play this for the gig." So, I did.
 
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#42
Kipp Harrington said:
Pull out that Ibby and let them know you are "the guy", regardless of what type of bass you're using. Good luck.
Click to expand...

End of thread. If you show up with all the material nailed, good tone, ready to hit the stage you’re in. If they say no because of your bass then they just did you an enormous favor and saved you all kinds of future wasted time and aggravation. Be the Guy and they can Gig the next day. Band members with a professional minded attitude will see that instantly. Mental midgets won’t, and will also never accomplish anything.

That said, It seems the paid professional musician world may be a little different, but if your financial stability doesn’t depend on music then life’s way too short for that kind of silliness.
 
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#45
Sadly, it matters. People judge with their eyes as much as their ears. I auditioned for a cover band a couple weeks ago. I've been playing my (Made in Indonesia) Squier P-Bass with Bill Lawrence pickups a lot lately, so that's what I wanted to take with me. That bass slays...it hits like a freakin' sledge hammer. But I really wanted this gig, so I reluctantly took my (Made in Indonesia) G&L SB-2 Tribute instead. As soon as I took it out of the case, the lead guitarist said, "WOW, is that a G and S bass, those are great guitars, man. Really nice." So, I succeeded at making a good first impression. Unfortunately, I didn't get the gig. My point is, the guy took immediate notice of the bass I was playing and voiced a strong opinion.

Of course, you could take a cheap to to an audition just to see if it's the kind of band that judges with their eyes...if that's important to you.
 
#47
Do I need a "good" bass for auditions?
I think you should have a good bass for anything you do.
Good:
One that you feel comfortable playing
One that stays in tune.
One with good frets.
One with wiring that doesn't go limp in the middle of playing.

So; a comfortable , reliable instrument.

That#s what you need. ;)
 
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#48
I want to sound high-minded, but I would judge someone who pulled out entry-level equipment, regardless of talent, with a bit of skepticism if this audition was for a major gigging band.

From the few auditions that I've been in, you bring limited equipment - and it is a clue to what you would bring to the band on a larger scale. If someone showed up with one entry-level bass and plugged into the old bass amp that's been sitting in the corner of the basement jam spot for decades, I would take note to follow up with some very pointed questions about being able to play a professional gig, even if they had chops from heaven.

If the bassist has a $200 bass and uses the house amp, do they even have their own amp? Do they have a DI plan? Do they have a backup bass? Do they have a setup at home to practice and able to come prepared on a weekly basis?

I've been in the band that had to give other band members "loaner" equipment because they simply didn't own gear due to circumstances or life choices (too much money spent on drugs). I'm now highly suspicious of adults who say they are serious, but don't back it up with their actions.

On the flip-side, I'm just as skeptical of people who own expensive gear and don't know the material. Great gear collectors are not necessarily great players.
 
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#49
Bass Viking said:
Here's an epic thread where the auditionee was rejected because the band didn't like his Squier.

Got turned down
Click to expand...

The Squier thing is perhaps the stupidest of all because it usually involves squinting at headstocks. It's like visiting someone's house and running your finger over the baseboard so you can judge their housekeeping.
 
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#51
Yes, bass prejudice exists and you need to deal with it. Borrow the "right" bass and land the job, then go from there.

Your sound is your bass,, your strings, your amp and YOUR FINGERS.

I love it when bass players come up and ask me what the great bass de jour is, and I tell em its a GC el cheapo.

Active electronics are a great equalizer. So is the right amp.
 
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#53
When I audition for a player, I expect them to have pro grade gear and a professional attitude (unless of course, the project is just for fun).
In my book, however, 'Pro grade' means it sounds good, is reliable and well maintained. I never cared for brand names. When you bring a '64 Strat with all the bells and whistles, but one of the tubes in your boutique head has turned microphonic and the Strat's 1/4" jack is a bit wonky so it sometimes shuts off and you need to wiggle the Vovox cable a bit so it works again, that's not pro grade gear.
I'd rather have you bring a Squier that'll work for an entire gig and play through a combo that actually does what it should.
The professional attitude manifests through many a thing, amongst them the ability to actually learn the required material fast enough, the correct estimation of how many practices it'll take to do whatever this is meant to do and the freeing up of the necessary spare time to attend those practices and put in the work at home.
 
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#55
I have been judgemental about amps before. I want to know if it's loud enough. For guitar players I want to know if it's too loud. And I want to know if it'll take more than one person to move it and if that person is going to be me. If someone's playing an instrument that I associate with horrible sounds, I'd like them to show that they sound good through it. I've been surprised before. And I'm suspicious of cymbals that telegraph that the drummer wants their cymbals to be extra-loud.
 
#56
This bass might play and sound fantastic, but I’d never take it to an audition. Even if it was my only bass.
021AF238-521F-471C-A234-8329250CA2BB.jpeg
 
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#57
Depends on the crowd. my fancy basses attract and impress those who like that kind of thing.
they make others think I'm arrogant or something... and they become prejudiced against me.

My cheap basses do not impress those who base a lot on brand and stuff, but if I let them play them (if they actually know what they're doing), they are impressed in the end.
My cheap basses also make many assume I suck or am a beginner.


Then I play...

those in the first group who were biased against fancy basses do NOT seem to get over that bias.
those in the second groups who were biased against my cheap bass normally DO seem to get over that bias.

Just a personal observation from my own experiences.

I could make some assumptions and generalizations based on this info, such as "those who are biased against me because they believe I'm educated, rich, or a serious pro and therefore arrogant or lacking in ability to play their type of music like they can... have a greater chip on their shoulder than those who are educated about basses and assume I might be a beginner with a cheap bass, but see that I play well". ...

.....but that would be a generalization, so I won't make that judgement.

:-)
 
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#58
Pains me to say it but looks really matter in this situation, ime. You have to have an instrument (and outfit) that looks like what the hiring team wants to see, regardless of what you think might be a better choice. If you choose to go your own way in this, you might find that a worse player gets the job because they look the part - and the hiring team will just train them accordingly. It's happened to me twice before... Just like a typical job interview, you've got to come with what the employer wants - not what you think is best.
 
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#60
The other factor is to make sure your equipment looks well cared for. Pulling out a bass that is all smudged up, has tarnish all over the chrome, with a cable that is duct taped together, out of a case that has an inch of dust/gunk on it... You get the idea - it looks bad. If the impression is "this guy (or gal) takes care of their gear" before they even see the logo on the headstock you're already overcoming any brand prejudice someone may have.
 
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