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Great Advice From Marcus Miller

#41
Marcus is my boy but there is nothing wrong with playing an expensive bass "if it sounds good and you can play a whole set on". Well, There are plenty of expensive basses that fill that criteria (my basses being 2 of them). I think his real point was to not buy an expensive bass thinking it will make you play better (practice does that). Get the best bass you can Based on "your" pocket. For Some that's a few hundred and for others it's several thousand. After that... Practice your ass off to as many different types of music as you can get of.
 
#44
aye... the player + PRACTICE will be more of an influence on the sound... I could go out and buy a Fodera and it would probably sound a lot like my Cirrus (which I think should be the bass of the century lol) or EDC or Jazz... its more about the practice and technique... and as stated buying expensive isnt necessary for that, but to each his own.... I know if I could afford some expensive basses I'd have them...

Moral of the story PRACTICE on YOUR bass and get it to YOUR SOUND, no one else's.... unless of course you are in a tribute band (but I digress).... no need to go toss $5k on a bass when you don't have the $$, you can find just a good of a SOUND with something cheaper (don't eat my face for that I know some of you will)
 
#48
It's funny, but after I read the quote on his website and was thinking about posting it, I kept thinking about the fact that I have been playing Alembics and vintage Fenders for about 10 years and recently bought a Spector. Seems like I could have saved myself a ton of money if I had found the quote years ago.
 
#49
Rockmusician said:
It's funny, but after I read the quote on his website and was thinking about posting it, I kept thinking about the fact that I have been playing Alembics and vintage Fenders for about 10 years and recently bought a Spector. Seems like I could have saved myself a ton of money if I had found the quote years ago.
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Your bass buying purchases shouldn't be influenced by a quote. On the opposite end of the field, Anthony Jackson, who's played on even more records than Marcus and is arguably a far more influential figure, plays a $20k bass and has advised people to buy the best bass they can afford. I wouldn't alter my purchases based on either quote.
 
#50
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Your bass buying purchases shouldn't be influenced by a quote. On the opposite end of the field, Anthony Jackson, who's played on even more records than Marcus and is arguably a far more influential figure, plays a $20k bass and has advised people to buy the best bass they can afford. I wouldn't alter my purchases based on either quote.
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True, although AJ made his rep on a modified Fender. By the time he went boutique, he already had a major discography as a studio whiz.

Interestingly, the AJ Sig is as simple electronically as a bass can be. The uniquenss is in the construction, IMO.
 
#52
Dr. Cheese said:
True, although AJ made his rep on a modified Fender. By the time he went boutique, he already had a major discography as a studio whiz.
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Almost everyone did back then because there wasn't a whole lot else to choose from. The boutique market was extremely small, and he did try going boutique as early as '75- the bass Thompson made for him was unusable though. If Alembic made a six-string bass in the mid-seventies, he'd probably have used that.
 
#53
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Almost everyone did back then because there wasn't a whole lot else to choose from. The boutique market was extremely small, and he did try going boutique as early as '75- the bass Thompson made for him was unusable though. If Alembic made a six-string bass in the mid-seventies, he'd probably have used that.
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Alembic did make six strings pretty early on. I remember seeing an editor of Guitar Player with one back in the late Seventies or early Eighties.
 
#54
Dr. Cheese said:
Alembic did make six strings pretty early on. I remember seeing an editor of Guitar Player with one back in the late Seventies or early Eighties.
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I know they made a 5-string early on for Jimmy Johnson (IIRC). Hadn't heard of an early 6. Ken Smith was already making them for AJ in the early 80s- it'd be interesting to see if Alembic made one around the same time.
 
#55
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Your bass buying purchases shouldn't be influenced by a quote. On the opposite end of the field, Anthony Jackson, who's played on even more records than Marcus and is arguably a far more influential figure, plays a $20k bass and has advised people to buy the best bass they can afford. I wouldn't alter my purchases based on either quote.
Click to expand...

I actually do not let any one else's opinion influence my purchases. I play it. If I like I buy it. If I let people influence my decision I would be playing a Marcus Miller Jazz. I tried one once and it wasn't for me.

He did make a great point though. Too many people get caught up in wanting gear that they do not really need.
 
#58
Great post and I agree with him 100%. A few years back I tried active basses and kept going up to more custom types. The sound go thinner and in my terms got Hi-Fi sounding. I was told at a gig by the drummer brother to quit playing my active bass and go back to my Fender it was killing the band, so I did, sold the actives and have played Fender P basses with flats since and have never heard of that problem ever again.
 
#59
Marcus could hold a groove on a stick with a rubber band tied to it!

I don't think he was praising the virtues of less expensive basses - I think he was just sayin'

Although I agree with the man - it doesn't stop me from owning 5k+ basses (doesn't stop Marcus either)...

What kind of an interview question it that anyway?
 

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