Fired/not recruited for playing the wrong brand.

[roccobass]

Never fired, but I was strongly pressured twice to switch from my tried and true 4 string Fender Jazz which had no complaints from 99.9% of the rest of my bands. Both times was when I came into a new band. Both were gigging pretty good too.

The first was they wanted a 5 string bass. Even though I could compensate with the drop D on tuner I had on it at the time, they just wanted “the look”. They relented and I went on to spend 15 years with them.

The second was when the BL/guitarist wanted me to switch to his own orange MM Bongo. It fitted the orange motif of the band. I couldn’t stand either the motif or the bass, but I liked his original music. For some reason he didn’t fire me and I stayed for a year until he moved out of town.

 

[ezstep]

If the rest of the band is that shallow, you are better off without them. I have shown up for gigs with Carvin, G&L, Alembic, Peavey (Foundation), even a p.o.s. Hohner acoustic/electric. All they want is for me to play well and they don't pay attention to the brand name.

I might have to borrow Lug's headless Steinberger to get their reaction.

 

[J Posega]

If it were a well-established band that was paying all the members' bills, I could see being reprimanded first for not "playing the right bass," but not some weekend warriors.

However, for things like musicals or themed acts, it makes sense. You don't show up for the Blue Man Group gig painted orange.

I've gotten looks when I showed up to blues or more traditional jazz gigs with an active six string bass when I was younger, but I just made sure I stayed in the pocket and that my tone fit the music and everyone was happy at the end.

 

[bassbrad]

It has happened to me more often that I care to admit. In the past my choice to play Carvin and Peavey basses and not something FSO has been a hamper, but truth be told I would likely not have enjoyed playing with such closed minded folk.

 

[bearhart74]

I don't want to be in a band with the type of people that don't want to be in a band with me solely because of the brand of instrument I play.

Ding ding ding.. we have a winner

 

[rojo412]

Not a story of "fired," but somewhat related...

My band was recruited to do a track for someone who was in school for recording. That gave us free studio time for one track and we were stoked.
One of the "teachers" or whatever was kinda disappointed that I didn't show up with a P bass and there were a few cheapo copies on their wall of the booth that had action higher than a giraffe's ass. I was almost asked to play one of those...

Instead of the Modulus Q5 I brought with me.

Well, I plugged in and you should have seen the look on that dude's face! It was like he'd never heard anything that nice in his life. I got an audible compliment on how nice it sounded.

 

[Dynacord]

Interesting... 3 times I was asked to play a different bass when I showed up with a ric 4003. Once in the studio I has handed their peavey t40 to track with, in a live band I went out and bought a P per their request. On a cruise ship gig with my 4003 I was asked by the bandleader if I had a more appropriate bass with me and I didn't so he lived with it.
Since those incidents I now show up with a P to avoid such drama....then after I gain trust I play whatever I like.

I had similar once when playing with a blues band. Had a new toy that was a Dingwall 5 string and the guitar player/BL did comment at the end of the night, "That bass sounds great but could you bring one of your Fenders or something more vintage next time?" It was a look/image thing and I got his point - and that it was a preference, not something to get fired over.

The Gibson thing is weird, because if it's a Thunderbird those basses aren't exactly polite and I would bet complaints would start about the sound (this is not a knock on them, but a guess that most guitarists are not familiar with the frequency range T-bird pickups tend to be in).

Interesting as my '64 t-bird is the only electric bass I've had BLs (a couple of them) specifically request and those were more blues/soul type gigs. The 60's bird pickups are voiced pretty differently than the later ones though - granted, the look might be too aggressive though can get more traditional tones easily.

 

[MynameisMe]

Only Gibson? Hogwash!

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I've had some negative comments on me bringing a 5 string and they would prefer a 4 string, but nothing more than that. Usually a quick explanation that I don't drone on the low notes and 5's are great for when the singer wants to transpose - kinda like a capo on acoustic makes transposition easy.

 

[Gustopher]

No, but some of the responses here tell me that some of you haven't been in bands. There ARE times when certain instruments are what are needed for that band. Tribute bands need to look fairly close to the original... brand doesn't matter as much as aesthetic. Also, wedding bands can be strict about colors... if the band dresses in tuxes and plays black/white instruments.. they aren't going to keep you around playing a colorful ANYTHING (guitar, bass, drums).

 

[seescottrock]

I have had 2 bands ask me for a particular sound, but never at risk of expulsion.

Band in college wanted an active bass with humbuckers, easy enough to oblige.

Blues Rock band preferred the sound of a J bass to a P bass so I played the J. Light work.

 

[Parzival]

Never happened to me. I would have words with them if it did. I love all my basses, past and present. That would touch a nerve. One thing I gotta get straight though. Did they really say you didn't have a really bass because you didn't have a Gibson bass? My response would have just been disbelief.

 

[Wasnex]

I haven't been fired or rejected, but I do remember being chided and coaxed early in my musical trajectory.

I guess I am a bit of a contrarian. My first bass was a Rick 4001, and I had a fair amount of people give me the line that Fender is the only "real" bass. At the time I found the idea of playing a Fender bass distasteful, and to this day I have never done a gig on a Fender bass. However, I own nine basses total, including a vintage Fender Precision Elite II.

Since about 1995 my #1 has been a Yamaha TRB6P. The first TRB6P I played was a military axe that I used till the end of my career. Shortly after I started the transition to 6-string, I bought a previously new TRB6P for personal use. I remember doing a gig early on where I played my 4001. It turned out to be mostly a jam gig and I wound up making up a bunch of funk and slap riffs. Several people in the audience came up to talk on the breaks and were comparing me to Flea. One of them kept going on and on about how he was so happy I was playing a 4-string. He also repeatedly said something like anything with more than four strings is not a real bass. I just smiled and laughed my way to the bank.

Would I ever play a different bass by choice. Yes. In fact, I think the last bass I gigged was my Tacoma Thunderchief. In general I prefer to play the TRB6P almost exclusively in order to maintain the highest proficiency and skill level. But if there is a reason I consider valid, I use a different bass.

I would also be willing to use a different bass if the compensation made it worthwhile. But in my experience, that vast majority of gigging musicians are doing it more for the fun than profit, and they are lucky to break even. If the pay was not worth my while, then I would insist on playing whatever bass I wanted to play. In this setting, a band or any member of the band who feels they entitled to make the choice for me, is not a good fit.

If a certain bass is required to meet a bands "purity test", it should be identified in the want ad. For example a Beatles tribute band might specify that you must play a Hofner violin bass. I don't own a Hofner, but I see this as a legit request as long as they are really a serious tribute band.

 

[mrjim123]

I'd never play with a dufus like that to begin with.

 

[Nedmundo]

I've played in several bands, and have never experienced this. Heck, sometimes they barely notice my basses at all. In one band, I played a five string exclusively. After about six rehearsals, the leader said, "Wow, you're playing a five!" He hadn't noticed until then.

Bass selection has only been an issue in recording, and it's always been collaborative, not dictated by others.

I do understand tribute/cover acts or wedding/corporate bands insisting on a certain instrument (or at least general type), look, or color, but I haven't dealt with either situation.

 

[chris_b]

I was asked by my first Pro band not to use my Gibson EB0.

Instead they asked me to play the bandleaders Danelectro Longhorn. I was glad to. I hated the sound of the EB0 as well!

 

[gln1955]

Never as an ultimatum. My current BL did say he like the sound of my cheapo Sterling short scale Stingray better than my $2000 Maruszczyk. He's right, it is the best bass for this band playing this music. Still, if I want to play the Maru on a particular gig, I do, and nothing is said. We all have several guitars we mix and match with.

 

[J Wilson]

Show up with an Alembic five-string:

'Is that one of those Olympics?'

and . . . .

'You don't have a Fender?'

 

[80jazz]

Interesting as my '64 t-bird is the only electric bass I've had BLs (a couple of them) specifically request and those were more blues/soul type gigs. The 60's bird pickups are voiced pretty differently than the later ones though - granted, the look might be too aggressive though can get more traditional tones easily.

I bet that was a nice choice for the gig.

 

[Cleezmo]

Nope, never been asked to change basses. Played a Peavey Dyna-Bass in a country band in college, played a Modulus Q5 in a cover/blues band post-college, play mostly G&Ls (and just got a Reverend) in my current 3-piece cover band. My bandmates like all of them and don't care at all which one I play that night, because they know any of them are going to sound good. Our guitar player is mostly a Tele guy, but he'll bust out a Les Paul or Reverend or something occasionally - and the drummer and I don't care, for the same reason. They all sound good.

Unless it's a tribute band (i.e., if you're in a Pink Floyd cover band, you probably want a black / maple precision, just like the guitar player will likely have a black strat), I'm not taking requests/demands for which bass I'm playing. If the band members don't like the bass I'm playing, I'm clearly in the wrong band....