I don't think that playing different good quality instruments would make me play better or worse. However, I do think that playing a cheap, poorly setup bass with knackered strings and bad tone would be detrimental to my playing.
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Does what you play make you better?
- Thread starter willop
- Start date
Yeah, but then go see Sting and listen to how his bass tone is exactly what most of us have been trying to avoid our whole lives.
Fixed it for you.
I've played some poorly set up boutiques, including an Alembic on which the ebony fingerboard had shrunk so much that the fret-ends were sticking out like razors. 
I'm probably as biased as the next guy, so what I see someone carrying onto the stage likely makes me expect one thing or the other - a beat up P bass will make me expect something different than an exotic wood 6-string.
That's however just the initial impression - my opinion of the player will be based on what is actually played and how it serves the music. If the 6-string guy plays too much and steps all over the music, no matter how technically skilled, he will be lower in my regard than a P guy who plays root notes all evening but makes the music groove like no other. And vice versa. It's not the instrument, it's what you do with it.
That's however just the initial impression - my opinion of the player will be based on what is actually played and how it serves the music. If the 6-string guy plays too much and steps all over the music, no matter how technically skilled, he will be lower in my regard than a P guy who plays root notes all evening but makes the music groove like no other. And vice versa. It's not the instrument, it's what you do with it.
Very tough question to answer honestly. We'd all like to say that it doesn't influence our first thought about musicians, but we all know musicians and bandleaders who wouldn't take us seriously if we showed up with a cheap bass and amp on an audition. Maybe once we started playing and rocked the house, they would take us more seriously, but then you're fighting an uphill battle. And let's face it, landing gigs is as much about psychology as it is your playing.
That said, I have 9 electrics, most are very inexpensive, only 3 cost me between $1000 and $1500, and all of them put together wouldn't cover the price of a Fodera. Our guitarist doesn't have a single guitar that cost him over $500. I also know a lot of musicians who travel on flights and bring cheapos so their good stuff doesn't get bashed up, and nobody questions their abilities ever.
But if I'm showing up for an audition with someone I don't know, I'm bringing one of my good Fenders as I know it's a game and I'll play it to make the money come in. Now if there's no money involved, they get what they get
Agreed with all of the above...
- georgestrings
no.
how someone else creates their sound doesn't matter. theres certain gear i will never buy because i think its cheaply made and uninspiring. it's totally normal for me to work with someone / hear someone else play that uses that gear that i personally dont like, but yet i really like how they sound.
sometimes if you see someone using something cool, like a nice fodera, or maybe a really cool looking old fender or whatever, you might say to yourself that you like their instrument or whatever, but it should not change how you actually feel about the music they make. if you really dont like their sound, that should affect your opinion of them though.
how someone else creates their sound doesn't matter. theres certain gear i will never buy because i think its cheaply made and uninspiring. it's totally normal for me to work with someone / hear someone else play that uses that gear that i personally dont like, but yet i really like how they sound.
sometimes if you see someone using something cool, like a nice fodera, or maybe a really cool looking old fender or whatever, you might say to yourself that you like their instrument or whatever, but it should not change how you actually feel about the music they make. if you really dont like their sound, that should affect your opinion of them though.
For me it's different whether I'm watching a band as a spectator or conducting an interview/audition.
When watching, you can't help but form that opinion based on the band's gear, but the performance ultimately creates the lasting impression. Sometimes guys don't play "up" to the quality of their gear; sometimes guys play way "over" the perceived low end quality of the gear.
conversely, when auditioning or holding an audition, there's often a direct correlation between the abilities of a player and the gear they bring - sometimes even within the various dudes in the band I'm checking out.
When watching, you can't help but form that opinion based on the band's gear, but the performance ultimately creates the lasting impression. Sometimes guys don't play "up" to the quality of their gear; sometimes guys play way "over" the perceived low end quality of the gear.
conversely, when auditioning or holding an audition, there's often a direct correlation between the abilities of a player and the gear they bring - sometimes even within the various dudes in the band I'm checking out.
At first, I totally misunderstood the question. But I answered "no."
You're asking about gear? that's different.
Of course, being an avid gear-hound, the first impression I might get of a player may be from his equipment (or clothes or hairstyle, etc.)... if it's good stuff, I'd expect that the player COULD be an accomplished one. If it's a Crate and a Cort, I might expect the player to be an inexperienced one. Natural assumptions.
But that BS stops when the drummer clicks us in. Sometimes the presumptions are correct, sometimes they're totally off base. The Crate/Cort weilding player might be fantastic, the guy with the good gear may be a timing-impaired root-ridin' Jesus.
So, the answer is still...NO.
You're asking about gear? that's different.
Of course, being an avid gear-hound, the first impression I might get of a player may be from his equipment (or clothes or hairstyle, etc.)... if it's good stuff, I'd expect that the player COULD be an accomplished one. If it's a Crate and a Cort, I might expect the player to be an inexperienced one. Natural assumptions.
But that BS stops when the drummer clicks us in. Sometimes the presumptions are correct, sometimes they're totally off base. The Crate/Cort weilding player might be fantastic, the guy with the good gear may be a timing-impaired root-ridin' Jesus.
So, the answer is still...NO.
Agree on this- all things being equal in terms of setup, a good instrument won't make me better, it'll probably make me sound different though. Playing a badly setup bass is like wearing platform flip flops in a 100m Race. You may have the talent, but the equipment is working against you. So yeah, you'll sound terrible.
What influences me is the MUSIC they are playing. I thought maybe that would be what you were asking. Cause playing better music makes your playing better
Only my opinion of the size of their bank account.
With out a doubt, absolutely. The material my band writes is commonly out of reach of my current ability, so I wood shed it until it is. Then, during rehearsals and gigs it just becomes part of my available toolbox. Part of this is possible by the bass I play - a Bongo 6HS. Sure, I could pull off a lot of it without the 6 string, but some would be incredibly difficult and some impossible. So in that sense it does enable me. I think we're starting to level off where the music no longer will really push me though... I'll likely be looking for another avenue to keep learning. I might start learning to slap, though it's really not my thing at all... but it can't hurt to know how! I don't see a need to change gear to learn that, though.
Looking back at my gear, I don't see any piece of gear really holding me back by build quality or tone. Some physical limitations of course, but usually the instruments were just or more capable than I was My current gear sure does inspire me to practice and play though, so there's that angle too.
Looking back at my gear, I don't see any piece of gear really holding me back by build quality or tone. Some physical limitations of course, but usually the instruments were just or more capable than I was
My current gear sure does inspire me to practice and play though, so there's that angle too.
Hey man, fake it till you make it! Smoke and mirrors and all that.
JimmyM is right about about psychology being as important as ability. I'm by far the crappiest bass player of anyone I personally know in a working band, yet I have the most accomplished resume of any of them. Hell, I'm only the third best bass player in my band and we're a trio. I'm living proof that it never hurts to show up with a Rickenbacker.
JimmyM is right about about psychology being as important as ability. I'm by far the crappiest bass player of anyone I personally know in a working band, yet I have the most accomplished resume of any of them. Hell, I'm only the third best bass player in my band and we're a trio. I'm living proof that it never hurts to show up with a Rickenbacker.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
My gear slutdom is usually concentrated toward the lower end of the gear range, so if I see somebody playing a super-boutique bass, I'm dumb enough to think it's probably something really cool built in Japan in the 1960s.
Many great posts! Personally, I pay very little attention to what type of gear a player uses these days. When I was starting out, I played very close attention, but back then, most top players were using Fenders.
For myself, I'm devoting my playing time to my 6er, as it makes me think more about my fretboard at this point, and it also presents more challenges for me to play it cleanly without glitches in my technique.
One of the amazing things to me is how different the tone of my favorite players' vary, even though many of them use very similar basses and amp setups.
For myself, I'm devoting my playing time to my 6er, as it makes me think more about my fretboard at this point, and it also presents more challenges for me to play it cleanly without glitches in my technique.
One of the amazing things to me is how different the tone of my favorite players' vary, even though many of them use very similar basses and amp setups.
This guy's living proof. If he wasn't living in what looks like a cubby of his parents' basement & had a good income, I bet he'd be a boutique builder's best bet at clearing out some of the B stock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgSX61JcWWk&feature=youtu.be
