Ignorant bass comment thread

[Captain_Arrrg]

I only played with my fingers until I jammed with my acoustic bass this weekend with 4 guitards. The pick came out pretty quick when I realized that I couldn't be heard fingerstyle. These fingerstyle fanatics obviously have never tried to be heard on an acoustic.

It's been my experience that usually happens when somebody gets too carried away. Just recently a couple of my friends and I were having an acoustic jam session, and the guy playing rhythm started really sawing at his guitar (we were rocking pretty hard). So much so that not only could I not hear my self, I couldn't hear the guy playing lead, and by the inquisitive look that I got from him, he was having the same problem. Same thing happens with drummers (especially when you're playing acoustically). Some people have trouble with the whole "loud doesn't necessarily convey feeling".

I don't have anything against picks, I just loose them and give up on buying more. Distinctive, consistent tone. Consistent being the key word. I just ordered a dozen so I can fix the intonation on my bass, and precision tuning requires precision tone.

Do you play bass because you sucked at guitar?

Or this variation- "bass is easier than guitar"

Define easy. There are many guitarists and bassists who have spend their entire lives honing their craft. There really isn't a point were you say "I've been playing instrument x for y years, it's easy now!"

 

[bassteban]

Well, probably, but it's usually in reference to someone's new bass acquisition...

Point taken.

We could start a 'Pointless TB comments' thread; it would likely last oh, 3 posts...
Besides which, 90% of TB is pointless comments already(90% of mine included, of course).

 

[gottawalk]

We could start a 'Pointless TB comments' thread; it would likely last oh, 3 posts...
Besides which, 90% of TB is pointless comments already(90% of mine included, of course).

Yeah, but where else can you be totally pointless and get away with it?

 

[Bass Viking]

I'm sure Michael Manring, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Bill Dickens, and many others would love to have a word with you...

+1. That and "every bassist should own a Fender". Nonsense.

Good thing JimmyM got banned or else he'd be reaming me out for saying this.

 

[rap138]

If you play a cheap bass it is because your playing sucks...

All my basses are cheap and I do suck at playing.....

 

[Bass Viking]

One of the most popular around this website is "Carvin electronic/pick-ups suck."

Yeah, that's one that gets blown way out of proportion.

 

[Low D.]

"Aren't you supposed to REALLY learn how to play the 4-string before you "upgrade" to a 5-string and THEN to a 6-string?"

"Why have you spend all these money to get this bass, Victor Wooten is the best player around and he plays with just that ugly cheap bass!"

"You cannot play a song with just a bass... You are just filling the guitar and the overall sound right?"

"Can you play for us something?"

 

[capnsandwich]

Do you play bass because you sucked at guitar?

My friend from work was looking at basses in a local music store and the guy there told him that very phrase. My friend's a guitarist but he knows better. He felt compelled to tell me the next day.

That weekend I just had to go down to the same store with him to go look at basses so he could point out the guitard salesman who said that. I found him and picked up a bass. The guy came up and started talking to my friend. I asked him some stupid questions about the difference between guitars and basses like I had no idea what I was talking about.

After about 15 minutes of that all 3 of us walked over to the acoustic guitar section where there was a gorgeous Taylor 914ce hanging on the wall. I picked it up while the salesman was watching me with worry on his face. I then began to strum some chords and then shredding up and down the fretboard like Malmsteen on crack. Little did the guitard know that I was a guitard for 20+ years before I picked up bass.

Don't ever tell me I play bass because I can't play guitar. That's like saying I drive a truck because i can't drive a car.

 

[christobass 416]

Anytime someone hears me slapping away: "Can you play the Seinfeld theme?"
Also, "P's can't be used for slapping."

 

[eedre]

Ampeg sucks because it's the biggest bass amplification manufacturer and I hate big companies.

 

[DistantTremor]

Anytime someone hears me slapping away: "Can you play the Seinfeld theme?"
Also, "P's can't be used for slapping."

I learned most of Primus' songs on my old P bass.

Oh, there's always "I dunno, I don't want to play bass, it sounds boring..."

 

[Solarmist]

The one that gets me the most is that real bassists play with their fingers, and if you play with picks you suck. Oh, and "I can get the same tone out of my fingers that you can with a pick."

+1 for picks.....It just sounds better to me, but everybodys different.

 

[aquateen]

EBO = campfire. Their worst attempt at bass making.

 

[gottawalk]

My friend from work was looking at basses in a local music store and the guy there told him that very phrase. My friend's a guitarist but he knows better. He felt compelled to tell me the next day.

That weekend I just had to go down to the same store with him to go look at basses so he could point out the guitard salesman who said that. I found him and picked up a bass. The guy came up and started talking to my friend. I asked him some stupid questions about the difference between guitars and basses like I had no idea what I was talking about.

After about 15 minutes of that all 3 of us walked over to the acoustic guitar section where there was a gorgeous Taylor 914ce hanging on the wall. I picked it up while the salesman was watching me with worry on his face. I then began to strum some chords and then shredding up and down the fretboard like Malmsteen on crack. Little did the guitard know that I was a guitard for 20+ years before I picked up bass.

Don't ever tell me I play bass because I can't play guitar. That's like saying I drive a truck because i can't drive a car.

I love it when a good plan comes together. Nice job!

 

[metron]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=45

There's enough ignorant comments here to last a lifetime.

niiiiiiiice!

 

[aikakone]

Don't ever tell me I play bass because I can't play guitar. That's like saying I drive a truck because i can't drive a car.

Excellent summary of things! I'm going to have to remember this in case I am in that situation where I have to use it. So far, so good on avoiding that common predicament, but I can't avoid it forever.

 

[crkempton]

you're good at the bass.... therefore you are successful.... therefore you have money.... therefore you own an expensive bass


so..... NATURALLY

you're good at bass = you own an expensive bass

 

[spade2you]

+1. That and "every bassist should own a Fender". Nonsense.

Good thing JimmyM got banned or else he'd be reaming me out for saying this.

Because he's right! Maybe some day we'll be able to save up for a real bass, eh?

My favorite is that coffee table top basses are always just for display.

 

[ggunn]

Because he's right! Maybe some day we'll be able to save up for a real bass, eh?

My favorite is that coffee table top basses are always just for display.

I'm thinking about having a table lamp mounted on my Alembic. Whaddya think? ;^)

 

[82Daion]

I'm thinking about having a table lamp mounted on my Alembic. Whaddya think? ;^)

Some legs, some coasters, and a nice book should round it out nicely.



I hate the "coffee table" comment-for one, it's just silly, and for two, who the heck has coffee tables that look anything like the basses they supposedly compare to?