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For You Session Players
- Thread starter zackmacak
- Start date
I'm going in for two pop sessions for a church tomorrow and Wed.
I'm bringing three different basses, each with different pickups for very different sounds.
I'm taking a Sadowsky Metro UV-70 5 string ( jazz bass), a Mike Lull P5 ( 5 string P bass), and a Music Man Stringray 4.
A jazz, a Precision and a humbucker is all you really need for pop. Out of the group, the Lull has that HUGE rock tone and more of a hard rock bass than any of them.
Now if it's adult pop or more sophisticated sounding. Jazzy, for example, I might take a bass with soapbars i.e. James Tyler.
Hope that helps
I'm bringing three different basses, each with different pickups for very different sounds.
I'm taking a Sadowsky Metro UV-70 5 string ( jazz bass), a Mike Lull P5 ( 5 string P bass), and a Music Man Stringray 4.
A jazz, a Precision and a humbucker is all you really need for pop. Out of the group, the Lull has that HUGE rock tone and more of a hard rock bass than any of them.
Now if it's adult pop or more sophisticated sounding. Jazzy, for example, I might take a bass with soapbars i.e. James Tyler.
Hope that helps
- Nov 18, 2005
- 475
- 87
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Dingwall Guitars, Ashdown Amps
In some cases looks really are everything. I love the sound of my Kinal 5 with the OBP3 preamp but some producers are looking for that "classic" Fender tone. I just bought a fender custom shop and had the OBP 3 put in it and it sounds very close to my kinal and nothing like classic tone. I just took them both into a studio and when I pluged in my kinal the producer just shook his head and said he was looking for the classic fender tone. So I pluged in my new custom shop dialed in the same tone I had on my kinal and there it was. He was happy. Same tone but the bass said fender. I had to laugh to myself, because that was the whole reason i bought that bass. To fool producers into letting me use the tone i wanted.
I've had similar things happen for example using a Sadowsky outboard pre on my old P-bass---definitely didn't sound entirely "classic" anymore, but it still looked the part!
Most producers are much more savvy than this fortunately and will still use their ears more than their eyes. I find this scenario more with artists--for example, singer songwriter types who really have an image in mind for . ..well, everything I guess. So when you pull out that Dingwall you get a look of shock and horror(unless your Lee Sklar I guess), but the sight of a well-worn Fender gives them comfort
But I'm not dissing this phenomenon entirely either--some of it IS justified, especially if what the session calls for really is a pbass, but the bass player shows up only with a fancy hi-fi bass that can "get any sound"(famous last words, I'm afraid) and then has to waste everybody's time trying to get it to sound right.
Don't expect that every time. There are people out there who can actually tell a difference.
I really don't get all the hubbub about not wanting to ever play a Fender style bass with some people. I understand them not liking Fenders, but not to the point where it costs them money not to play one. First off, you can buy a cheapo Mexican Fender and obtain the same positive results any other Fender will get you. Second, when you are hired to play, you are hired to make the person paying you happy. If he's happy with you playing a custom made graphite 7-string, rock on. But if he's not, you're going to cheat yourself out of money if you don't have a bass he likes. And everyone who doesn't play bass loves Fenders, so it's a sure hit, which can't be said for any other bass on the market. So it makes no sense to me to not have one laying around just in case, especially if your livelihood depends on playing.
I have recorded around 20 different albums in the last few years with different bands/styles of music.
I ussually take with me a good fretted and a good fretless bass. That is what you need in almost every situation.
In case you do not know the music, contact the producer or performer beforehand in order to know if they have any specific preferences as well (like a 5 string bass or upright bass). That takes you only five minutes, and people ussually appreciate that a lot (and sometimes it saves them some $$)
I ussually take with me a good fretted and a good fretless bass. That is what you need in almost every situation.
In case you do not know the music, contact the producer or performer beforehand in order to know if they have any specific preferences as well (like a 5 string bass or upright bass). That takes you only five minutes, and people ussually appreciate that a lot (and sometimes it saves them some $$)
