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GOSPEL BASS PLAYERS,STEP UP!

#41
quallabone said:
Your church is definately nicer sounding than mine. If I "Slapped the hell" out of my bass in church I would be shot within seconds. The day I started playing at the church the minister came up and told me "Now some of the older congregation really don't like bass, drums, and electric guitar so be sure to keep it down."

As for me I play my fretless Fury Tornado's (sometimes the fretted ones) and I've played my space bass once in church. The looks on peoples faces were priceless.
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Yea my church is pretty laid back and I get away with a lot stuff when I'm playing. But then again all the music they make me learn has a lot of thumpin and slapping. The stankier I make the groove the crazier the poeple get and the more they love it. It's interesting that the way I play during the praise and worship determines how the rest of the service is going to be.
 
#42
I use a Ken Lawrence Brase 5 most of the time, but do alternate with a MTD 535 and a Lakland 55-94 - all of them do the job well, but I just feel more attached to the Brase.

BTW, I've seen everything from a trashed "I've been hosed" to a $8K Fodera used - it is not the bass, it is the player!

Dan K.
 
#44
1954bassman said:
:) There are many great sounding basses out there, and yes playing Gospel Music requires great variations in style and tone. Most of this comes from your heart through your mind and then executed by your hands. I agree, fretted and frettless, more than 4 strings (to get those low Eb's and Db's) (and to compete with the Hammond), and have quality equipment. Of course, an attitude of praise, and giving God the Glory are foremost to playing Gospel Music.

Having top shelf gear lets non-Christain musicians who come to hear us play that we are indeed serious about our Music and our Mission.

deBassMan

PLAY SKILLFULLY WITH A LOUD NOISE
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I agree, especially with your last paragraph...and the last sentence of your first!

But there are some amazing players out there that don't have access to "quality" gear. They be praising all the same despite what some would call "limitations" due to not having the best equipment out there!
 
#46
Though I may be the only one here who does, I use a Modulus Q 5 for all our praise & worship. We play primarily contemporary up beat songs with a praise tem rather than a true choir. I like the clean bottom end of the Mod, and I get a good sustain. I find that I can easily change the sound I'm trying to get with either the eq or some effects, I.E. Sans-amp, bass chourus. (by the way I use the modulus for all stuff because it was so expensive my wife won't let me buy another bass for at least 40 years, I also own a peavy foundation but it hasn't seen any action in 2 years. The mod was expensive but well worth it!!!!)
 
#47
Well, I think alot of Fred Hammond's stuff is done with an F bass, so that's gotta be up on the list. Personally, I like P-basses so that's what I play more than not. However, I've got a 5-string with EMG jazz pickups when needed. I'd also say a good Lakland bass with Duncan pickups would do the job quite nicely! And, one of the coolest gospel sounds I heard was from a guy playing an old headless Steinberger bass (4-string, but strung BEAD)...it didn't hurt that the keys player and drummer used to play with "The Time"...
 
#50
malthumb said:
The thing I've found to be most important about playing contemporary gospel (Fred Hammond, Kurt Carr, Isreal & The New Breed) is you'd better have a good B string.

If I were to take a tour of Detroit area churches, especially the mega-churches (3,000 members and up) I'd expect to find mostly Ken Smith and Fender Jazz, with some Sting Rays sprinkled in.

As for myself, my 1st "church bass" was a Ken Smith Burner 5 string. I've long since switched over to my main bass, a 5 string Alembic Series II. It's overkill, but I like it ;) .

Fire-Starter,

When I first read your tag line under your screen name, I figured you were a Fred Hammond fan. That's one of the refrains from "Let The Praise Begin". For anybody who cares, that song has a really tight thumpin' bass line. Marcus Miller would be proud of it if it were his :bassist: . And, btw - nice set of toys listed in your profile.

Peace,

James
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I did my first Gospel gig in years this morning.

I was asked a couple of weeks ago by a drummer I work with if I'd be interested in working with his church sometime. I told him yeah but I really hadn't listened to much Gospel music. Thursday of this week he called and said his church choir was doing their summer concert and asked if I'd be available. I got the cd of the 8 songs they were going to do (including "Let the Praise...") and between my dayjob and out of town Friday and Saturday gigs I listened every chance I got and committed them to memory.

It went great. Big fun too. With just three pieces (bass, drum and the choir director on keys) we filled the room to say the least. Great direction made the myriad modulations and accents pretty easy to nail. Looking forward to the next time.


Now, as far as what to use... IMO use what you got;). As long as you play together everything will usually be fine. I don't see how this is different than any other situation gear-wise. I guess it's a matter of asking yourself if you're trying to mimic others or be yourself... and as some already know, even having the same gear won't get you there.

I agree with Jeff Rader, why not use the best you can if you can? I used my first Brubaker, an NBS-Custom 5 that I've had for a couple of years. Took an Elrick 5 as a second. The Bru did everything I wanted it to do, including dishing out monster tight lows. Slap, fingerstyle, whatever. I have a Smith, Fodera, MTD, F Bass and Fenders, all of which would just as easily get the job done. I prefer the Bru.

Used my regular rig, a ThunderFunk TFB-420 amp through two Nahas cabs, a 1-12 and 1-15. Little big rig. Sweet. No PA support needed.
 
#51
Lots of great basses for Gospel mentioned.

For fretless, which I use about 70% of the time at church, I can't imagine anything working better than my Zon. For fretted, I use my Cirrus 6 most of the time. It has that gospel/R&B Ken Smith/slap sound, in spades! Perfect for any style of Gospel, IMHO.

I will occasionally take my Nordstrand, or one of my 4 stringers.

The Nordie gets used almost 100% of the time in my Christian rock band, so I have to play the Cirrus at church. It would be a shame for such a nice bass to sit around and not get played!

I played the district conference for my church's organization in Little Rock a couple of weeks ago, and took the Nordstrand. Lots of compliments on the looks, and the tone. The bass player for the host church made me give him the web address, and is planning on ordering an SC5.:)

Like most of the others have mentioned, I prefer having a B string for gospel. It is a necessity, due to the flat keys, and the nature of the music. On the rare occasion that I take a 4, it feels a little strange not having those lowest notes.

Keep the faith, brothers!:cool:
 
#53
Great thread.

Lots of great basses mentioned, but would agree with the comment that it is the player and attitude that counts most.

As far as my gear goes, 90% of the time I use my 7 string fretless Sei. The rest of the time my fretted Ken Smith 4 string. Both give awsome tone and either could easily carry the day. I play through a Sans Amp stomp box for some grunt then through an Acoustic Image Clarus into an Epifani cab. Hope to pick get an Accugroove Cab to go with it as soon as they arrive in the UK. :hyper:

Regards

Matthew
 
#59
Fire-Starter said:
Does anyone know what bass Terrance Palmer plays for this group? it looks like the Tobias I saw him playing with Fred Hammond when he was with him...not sure though :hmm:
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I've never seen Isreal & The New Breed live, but the one time I did see Terrance Palmer live (w/ Fred & RFC) he had a Peavey Cirrus 5 string. It was a dark wood, either walnut or bubinga.

Peace,

James
 

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