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Do you play what they play?

I play P-basses almost exclusively except when I play my upright........... and I'm quite sure that a lot of my favorite bass players play precisions ...... but it took me 30 years and a lot of basses and amps to find my sound and my comfort.......... my first bass was "all I could afford" and I wasn't concerned with what other players had........ I have "tried" the basses of my heros...for whatever that's worth. I've pretty much settled on Fretless too, and I don't think I like any fretless players (or at least I'm not influenced by them) in fact, I just cannot get into Jaco no matter how hard I try.......
 
Seeing great modulus players like flea, Mike Gordon and Phil lesh live certainly influenced my to buy a q5. The q5 itself convinced me to use it as my main. I actually bought it as a collector with no intention of gigging it, but I just love that clicky attack so much....
 
Yes and no ! Since I started I've been trough different types of bass and amplifiers, always looking for whatever sounded better for me (within my budget of course). When I got to find the sound I feel like my own, I came to realize it is kind of a recollection of what the most influential bass players in my life use (even though most of them are far away from the style I play ) but adapted to my personal sound (pickups, tune, effect pedals, setups, etc).
 
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Do you play the same brand or style of bass that your favorite bassist plays? I mean the players who most inspired you to pick up the instrument .

Oddly enough no, and at the risk of getting pummeled to death I don't think people should seek to buy the same bass and/or gear that their favorite artists use.

Why............individuality!!!!!

It's great to have a favorite musician, song, color, type of food, etc. etc. but I think that we rob ourselves creatively by trying to "chase" someone else's sound/tone, whatever you want to call it that somebody else has perfected or made "their own".

There isn't one human being on this planet that can have their own set of hands and somebody else's at the same time...................if you know what I mean.

I'm not a big "tone" guy, but I do respect the fact many bassist live for nothing but tone and/or mastering their ideal interpretation of it.

I'm more into constantly trying to perfect my technique, timing, and abilities as a bass player.

For me the sound, and/or tone is a byproduct of my fingers, hands, arms, and naturally of course the bass I'm using, but I don't want to spend years or thousands of dollars purchasing multiple basses to get a "particular sound" or emulate "someone else's sound" as much as I just want to work with what I've got.
 
I have a white Spector Euro Mike Starr bass that's as close to an NS-2 as I'm going to get. While Mike isn't my favorite bassist of all time, he was definitely an influence on my playing and he had an incredible tone on those early AIC albums. Also, Sting played a white NS-2 on the Synchronicity tour which is pretty cool.

My other bass is an Alembic Elan 5. The only bassist I'm aware of who played one was Jason Newsted (although it was a four string model w/ three P/J pickups).
 
Yes - and no. I loved the look of a Ricky 4001 when I first saw and heard one, and years later, I have one. Had a good few Rics - but a 4003 is not the same IMHO. Geddy is a big influence on me - as is Lemmy, Roger Glover, and a certain Mr. Squire....

However, I love the tone and feel of the bass, I don't have it because of who's played one - they were my gateway to one.

Also have an AVRI '74 Jazz.....possible Geddy link? I do love his tone. But I again, love the 70's JB tone in general....and who in 70s pics doesn't look cool with a JB?
 
Yes! But it's purely coincidental.

Actually, one of my favorite players, who happens to be a good friend of mine, came over to my apartment back in 1998 with this new bass called Lakland. He was an early endorsee and got "a deal" on it. I thought it was totally cool so I got one too, albeit a few years later. Now I'm up to 4 Laklands and counting. Thanks friend!!!
 
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Yes.

I went with a Jazz because my step brother was the first bassist I ever really listened to (jazz bass guy) and also because Geddy was the first famous player that got me seriously interested in making electric bass my main choice of instrument!

Over and above those reasons, I absolutely love the tone, feel, thin neck profile, and versatility of a Jazz!
 
Once upon a time, stable mates were:
'64 Gibson Thunderbird(Martin Turner & others)
Series I Alembic(Stanley Clarke & Nick Ferber, bass player in New Orleans' band The Shieks)
1980's Steinberger(Nick Ferber &, later, Geddy Lee)

Now? None of the above remain but will confess to getting a Geddy Lee Fender Jazz after watching the entire set of DVD's in the R40 box set.....because the sound on "The Pass" as recorded on Live at Rio cuts through everything and even the fingernoise is recorded. YES, the Geddy bass does that.
Main player bass now? Whatever is "tuned up" and ready and gets grabbed on the way out. Last night was an 80's Peavey Foundation and a Gibson SG bass.
 
Short answer.. No.

All my favorite bassists play a PBass(James Jamerson, Matt Freeman, Pino)

After playing a Pbass for a number of years along with upright bass. I am finding The tone in my head is calling for a short scale hollowbody fretless which I am having made.