Fired/not recruited for playing the wrong brand.

[Phormlyss]

It's like that popular saying goes; if you don't love me at my Warwick Bootsy Collins Space Bass then you don't deserve me at my '63 Fender P.

 

[TonyP-]

When I was younger I took a gig were they only wanted a Fender.
I did it for a while, but eventually I walked.

I get it, they BL had a vision of what He wanted.
However I choose not to be part of that vision after a while.
Not for that reason, but that kind of control was seeping in elsewhere.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

More maddening is when a band mate has top of the line, brand name gear or brings 3 expensive guitars to practice and guess what? Still sounds like poo.

 

[Dominic D]

I've had one drummer voice his displeasure at some of my bass choices, but he had no power in the band. I'm frequently in positions where bands seek me out so I almost always have free rein.

 

[wboyd68]

I missed out on an Americana gig once because I had a boutique bass.

 

[JC BASS 91]

Pretty sure I wouldn't want to be part of a group that was that superficial and cared that much about "image". Sounds like drama...and I have a severe allergy to drama.

 

[ashtray]

I answered “yes” but don’t have proof that was the reason the band rejected me - but I didn’t appreciate the audition process either, so, we ghosted each other.

I auditioned for a band in LA - I had recently moved to the area and didn’t realize just how far 30 miles was in LA terms! So after a 90 minute drive to the audition, I set up my rig. I brought a no-name brand (Ventura?) bass, and a cheap 2x10 combo. It sounded and played fine. I wasn’t bringing $$$ gear to an unknown place to possibly get mugged or whatnot.

One of the band members looked at my gear, said “Ventura?” and made a face. Note, he had not said “hello” or anything before this point! That was our full interaction. As for what he was in the band, I don’t know. They brought me in to a studio room with no instruments in it, and played a couple tracks they had without the bass track. Only one band member actually shook my hand and talked to me. It was brief and strange. They had good music though.

I auditioned for another band much more local to me - a cover band. Brought the same gear. One guitarist asked about the brand. We had a conversation - imagine that - like adults, and I mentioned I usually play a Jazz bass (which is true). I joined that band, and played a Jazz bass half the time - and the other half I brought whatever weird bass I had laying around or just bought. Never was an issue, and we’d talk about which sounded better in the mix.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

Once or twice in my 50 years of playing, I did not get the gig, I never, ever thought it had anything to do with my gear. PBass and a variety of amps. Personality is a bigger dividing point as far as I am concerned.

 

[brianrost]

My guitarist has ASKED me not to ever show up with the stienberger spirit at any gig.

Try bringing this to the next gig.

 

[LowendG]

Never, ever(that I'm aware of at least). But I certainly consider the vibe/image, etc etc of the artist in making my decision on what basses will be a good fit, and not just sonically--it's the whole package. We're performers, after all.
But it certainly doesn't appear as if you're bringing something entirely inappropriate for these scenarios - like it's a retro 60's/70's country band wearing full-on Nudie suits and hats, and you're coming in with a six-string headless coffee table bass.

 

[Harper]

Sounds like they did you a favor.

 

[JimmyM]

I had a band that thought they were the next big thing reject me because I had a 5. That was back in my days of wanting to play a 5, but I never really got along with them so I soon went back to a 4. And they went nowhere.

 

[LowEndOperative]

Nah. Heard something once about I'll "never get within 50 miles of Nashville without a Fender Precision", though. Well, I have two Precisions now and Nashville has yet to call me.

 

[Bob Rhett]

I don't think any band I've been in ever noticed what bass I played.
I did have a studio guy not like my '68 Tele because it grinds. I used it anyway and he fixed it in the mix.

 

[Jefenator]

"Only A Gibson Is Good Enough" was an okay slogan, but I couldn't think of a worse requirement for the bass player.

I say this as a current owner of a Gibson bass.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I was twice.
The first time, the band I was playing was on an upward trajectory, I was in that band for two years, playing the band owned Squier Mickey Way Mustang Bass when at some point the band leader wanted me to change that bass for a more serious model as we were getting traction. So I brought my Yamaha BB614 just to be laught at, the band leader wanted a Rickenbacker (as the previous bass player used to own...well a cheap copy really). As I said that at that time I could not afford a bass that was two month salary for me, he showed me the door.

Second time, I show up to give a try to a band, nothing too serious, weekend warrior type with a few paying gig a year. I showed up with my Yamaha BB434M and was immediatly told "you do not have a real bass?". That band was loosing gigs because they cant find a bass player and they didnt wanted me to play with them because only Gibson is good enought for them (actual quote).

So I was thinking about that these days (the tread about the guitarist requesting the bass player to change his gear comes to mind, standing your ground) and I wondered if that happened to other peoples. I have noted Bass Brand, but it can be anything really, like people wanting you to play a certain rig.

Can’t say I’ve been fired, but I’ve alway had appropriate looking gear for the gig’s I’ve had.

However, my first pro quality expensive bass was an EB3 short scale that brought along a lot of helpful suggestions that I needed a 34” inch scale bass like a (hint) Fender. After a few years ago these suggestion, and at the strong urging of our guitarist, I bought a Rick 4001 which stopped the helpful suggestions I was fielding from the band.

But bands being bands, this one was like most and broke up shortly after, and I started doing session work. The first session suggestions came at every one. “I wonder what this would sound like with a Fender bass?” Or more to the point, “this would sound a lot better on a PB or JB!” So I started using PBs stating in the mid 1970s, and haven’t had a helpful suggestion since.

Looking back at my experience is that in some cases the visual can cause biases and or can be off-putting, but most of the time it’s likely the tonal factor that is a the root of the problem.

 

[Jeff Elkins]

I was contacted by a local band that found my “seeking situation” ad on Craigslist. During the phone call, the guitarist said, “Now, you play a nice, American bass, right?” My main bass at the time was a CIJ Ibanez. My backup was a Vantage.

They were other flags that informed me it wasn’t a match, so I ended up thanking them but not auditioning. (The band followed up by reposting my ad with a “this guy doesn’t actually want to gig” post. Bullet dodged.)

 

[Pings Bass]

The last time I was in a rock band, the leader/singer/songwriter was disappointed when I brought a four-string stingray to a rehearsal instead of my then-usual L-2500. No biggie, I'm willing to come with a tool best-suited to the job.

That said, if somebody's gonna get snooty about Squier vs Fender in a hobby band, come on...

 

[Low End Scum]

I've sorta been on the reverse side of pick discrimination, but never bass/brand snobbery. I got told the other night that the fellas I have just started gigging with are SO happy that they have a "real bassist" now. One of the auditions they did before settling on em was a dude who was in their age group (early 20's) and was a shredder but "couldn't play without a pick". Ironically most the covers we do are played by the original band with a pick and I have nearly 0 proficiency with a pick. They said it's cause he's really a guitarist. I find this all to be a little humorous cause I'm a failed guitarist that just has had the benefit of people taking the chance on me in my early 20's when I was learning the sensibilities of being a bass player.

Sometimes you get hired or fired for really stupid reasons. I have my career because I got fired from a craigslist band, got into a different band one of those dudes was in, the guitarist of that band got me an interview doing IT, and when they were about to wrap up the interview and not hire me cause I had no experience I made a Star Trek joke and they thought "he's a big enough dork. He'll be alright". The people who had interviewed me told me that like 6 months into the job.

It's like that popular saying goes; if you don't love me at my Warwick Bootsy Collins Space Bass then you don't deserve me at my '63 Fender P.

My favorite version of this saying is "If you don't like me at my worst, my best is basically the same"

 

[DWBass]

As I mentioned in another similar thread......this must be a ROCK thing!!! I play R&B music. I have never, in my 40+ years of playing, ever, ever been asked to change or play a certain bass!! I can see if it is a tribute band and you are trying to capture the look and vibe of a certain band but outside of that, I'm not posing for anyone or band. I play what I want.

Having said that.......if you want me to play a particular instrument that I don't own......you buy it.......and I'll play it. I'm not buying anything.