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Great basses you never see anyone well known using

#81
While Spector has become a mainline bass in the metal community, I don't for the life of me see why they aren't just as popular in other types of bands. They sound great and you hardly ever read a bad review about them. You get the same neck on their Euro bass as on their USA bass, and you can get them in neck-thru or bolt-on design with a variety of passive or active pickups.

There is nothing about the Spector bass that qualifies them more for metal music than for other kinds of music. I saw a guy in Emmylou Harris' band play one years back, and there was of course Sting, but even on the Spector website the vast majority of featured artists are in metal or similar heavy forms of music.

Leigh Foxx of Blondie is one notable exception, and he gets marvelous tone out of his Spector and Blondie does music influenced by a wide variety of genres.....which suits a Spector bass to a "T" as that is what they are about.
 
#82
DiabolusInMusic said:
Some of the odd ball ones, like Carl Thompson who makes, what, maybe a couple hundred basses a year, no real wonder you don't see them all over the place.

I think we need to stick to major basses, like Joe suggested, a Warwick (Any warwick really is uncommon outside of their ads) or how about an EBMM Big Al, I get why you don't see them everywhere, but somebody somewhere must like them...
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Pretty sure Carl makes nowhere near that many basses per year.
:D
 
#83
LeDuck said:
While Spector has become a mainline bass in the metal community, I don't for the life of me see why they aren't just as popular in other types of bands. They sound great and you hardly ever read a bad review about them. You get the same neck on their Euro bass as on their USA bass, and you can get them in neck-thru or bolt-on design with a variety of passive or active pickups.

There is nothing about the Spector bass that qualifies them more for metal music than for other kinds of music. I saw a guy in Emmylou Harris' band play one years back, and there was of course Sting, but even on the Spector website the vast majority of featured artists are in metal or similar heavy forms of music.

Leigh Foxx of Blondie is one notable exception, and he gets marvelous tone out of his Spector and Blondie does music influenced by a wide variety of genres.....which suits a Spector bass to a "T" as that is what they are about.
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Graham Maby used an NS-5 with Joe Jackson. Ritchie Daly from Third World played an NS-2. Gary Tallent plays a USA bolt on with Springsteen's E Street Band. But, you're right, Spector has a hard rock/metal rep - but I've seen it used quite a bit in latin, jazz and gospel.
 
#84
How about USA Made Brubakers? Awesome basses and I really want one. I know some great (but locally known) players play on them but I've never see a guy on TV play one or a player for a nationally known act. I know Kevin Walker plays on them and he's awesome too, but then again I'm not into Justin Timberlake either :-)
 
#86
kreider204 said:
The only time I see contemporary rock bassists use a Thunderbird is when it's obvious that the whole band has a Gibson endorsement deal, and the bass player just got stuck with it. Yeah, I'm looking at you Kings of Leon ...
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Jared Followill has used thunderbirds from the very beginning of the band. Long before they could have a Gibson endorsement deal
 
#87
Well, I guess Spector earned it's name in the metal community as a "metal bass" when it belonged to Kramer which were known as a brand for "metal guitars" in the 80's. Jack Bruce, Sting, Kasim Sulton also come to my head having used Spector basses.
 
#89
BillMason said:
.................

I never, ever see Danelectros or Alembics.
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Jimmy Johnson has been playing a 5-string Alembic Series I with James Taylor since long before 5-strings were popular

Wierd Al's bassist, Stephen Jay often plays an Alembic Stanley Clarke Signature

And Stanley Clarke? Alembic Series I since early '70s.

Used to see a lot more in the '80s - '00s (Kool & The Gang, Mark King, Louis Johnson, Rose Royce, Marvin Isley of the Isley Brothers, several others that my pre-coffee mind cannot pull up right now.
 
#92
John Moyer of Disturbed has a couple sig Trabens of I recall. And of course yours truly. I have a Traben Array Obsession 5 in maple. It plays decent, but it's pretty clanky and the B reproduces awfully. Think I might give it a pickup upgrade soon as a last ditch effort. But, alas, I am not of legal drinking age; I'm 20 haha.

Disclaimer: my best friends dad owns a music store and basically gave me this bass.
 
#95
Other basses that you don't see very often or even hear of very often any more are Framus, Guild, and Hagstrom. All pretty decent pieces for their time.

billWymanFramusBass.jpg

Bill Wyman with a Framus

Here's a link to some pics of Guild Bases... https://www.google.com/search?q=gui...NIYuY8gTm3oCgAg&ved=0CFkQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=576

And here's a link to Hagstrom, Of course they were most famous for their 8 sting bass.
https://www.google.com/search?q=hag...z5IpOk8gTN6oBQ&ved=0CI4BELAE&biw=1024&bih=576
 
#96
Old Musicmaster or Musicmasters period. I did a show a few weeks ago and the bartender asked about my 73' Musicmaster I played that night. He played bass and guitar and was impressed by it and my tone and said "you changed the pup right? Nope! its all original and he could not belive a Musicmaster could be that ballsy with good deep tone... but it is.
 
#99
bassbully said:
Old Musicmaster or Musicmasters period. I did a show a few weeks ago and the bartender asked about my 73' Musicmaster I played that night. He played bass and guitar and was impressed by it and my tone and said "you changed the pup right? Nope! its all original and he could not belive a Musicmaster could be that ballsy with good deep tone... but it is.
Click to expand...

I never knew that it had a Strat guitar pup
 

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