Ever use a "warm-up" bass?

Most of the time, when I'm in the jam room, I tend to use my Epiphone T-bird first, as it is a little more difficult to play, ( action is higher off the neck ) just to bust my balls a little, then switch to my Jackson-bird to finish out the session.

 

Yeah, I've done this a couple of times, and used my DiPinto semi-hollow to warm up, and then hit the stage with a Fender. The DiPinto has great playability, but the Fenders are a little easier. When I played "lead" guitar, I frequently practiced on my acoustic to make my electric even easier to play, and if I ever play guitar in a band again, I'll take the same approach.

 

All the time... I have a standup I practice with all the time just for the purpose of making me listen and read. Also do this with my stingray. I'm primarily a jazz bass player andit has the same effect.

 

I gig with my Sadowsky 5 these days but tend to practice with 2 Stingray 4's.

One is tuned EADG and the other flat. This allows me to practice to my iPod without tuning flat every time I play a SRV or Green Day tune.

 

No, I warm up & practice on the same bass with which I plan to perform/record. Sort-of a simulation thing - getting conditions as close to go-time as possible so there are no surprises. Practice makes perfect, so if I want to be perfect on my MTD, I practice on my MTD. Nuances are too important to pick up on-the-fly, IMO. YMMV.

 

Jaco did this with his fretted Jazz (P-Bass neck). He said it made playing on his fretless easier when he came to perform.

 

Not anymore, but many many years ago (i.e., ~23) when my only basses were a Steinberger L-2 and a Fender Elite Precision II, I would shed on the Fender -- which had a wide flat fingerboard with a ridiculously wide string spacing, like >20mm -- and then gig on the Steinberger, which had a much narrower neck & string spacing. Results were similar to yours; it definitely seemed like most stuff was easier to play once I picked up the 'berger.

...operative word there being "most". Unfortunately this was 1985 and I was playing in some trendy techno-funk-pop bands, replete with funny haircuts & flourescent GQ sport coats, and so a lot of wappity-wappity slap bass was de rigueur...the wide spacing of the Fender lent itself to that sort of spanky-wank playing, and so I started using that as my main bass. That was the last time I bothered with a "warm up" instrument.

And fwiw, I think your baseball analogy is dead on!

 

Are you quite sure you are going far enough with handicapping your self before getting used to playing your pride and joy again?.
What about adding lead weights to various parts of your anatomy
or better still rehearsing your set while inverted like the bass player of "earth wind and fire" You American chaps are so amusing! but I don't think some of you are really going that extra mile for your art these days.
Others have to suffer for it, so I think its only fair doo's that you do quite a bit of suffering too.
Slipping a copy of the good book under the bridge of an upright bass
while restringing it will give you a left hand grip of a gorilla and this penance will no doubt speed your passing into the kingdom of heaven.
May your Lire be on ultra lite's.
Far too much sack cloth and ashes for me mate! I like playing good bass guitars.
Regards Fairfax

 

I use my Dean Playmate Acoustic/Electric bass at home to practice with (big chunky neck), so when I jump on my Geddy at rehearsal or gig time, I'm FLYIN all over the fretboard.

 

It's a good idea. Reminds me of how bicyclists train on a one-speed, then when they switch to a 21-speed, they fly.

 

i like to practice on upright. much more effort goes into the notes on that monster. then i switch to my carvin 6 string and its a joke..

 

I like practicing on my Carvin XB75PF (WHICH I play most the time...) Then when I go to the B4 it's a piece of cake. It's a GREAT way to get ready to play what we play.
Kent

 

I used to do this (and used the baseball analogy too) a long time ago when I had only two basses. I used to teach myself songs on a big fat Epiphone acoustic and then after I'd learned it, switch over to the Soundgear and be pretty impressed with my skills.

I don't find myself doing it anymore. Probably because I no longer have two basses with such different qualities.

 

Makes sense to me. I used to attach a 10lb weight to my headstock and raise the action to 6 inches high to make myself a better player........

 

Generally in a full band setting I play the bass I plan to play at the show we're practicing for, usually my Marcus Miller IV. IMHO, the last thing I want to do is make myself unfamiliar with the tools I'm going to be using in front of a crowd and potentially jeopardize the sound of the band as a whole.

At home on my own time, however, I play pretty much exclusively on my Warwick Corvette fretless, mostly to work on my ears and my intonation.

...And, well, 'cause it's really fun.

 

I always warm up on my yamaha attitude bass, which has a huge neck before a show and I pretty much shed on it unless I'm writing.When I get on my jazz or Zon sonus it just feels effortless.The big neck definitely builds indurance and speed.If I can play something evenly and cleanly on the Attitude,playing the other bases is a walk in the park

 

If it works for you, then by all means continue to do so. As you can tell from the wide range of responses, there is more than one way to skin a cat, so you what you are comfortable with.

 

Not quite the truth but I see your point lol.