Old Time Bass Advice

If you listen to a lot of the hillbilly and gospel music from that time you'll find out a bass was rarely used. Many groups used a couple of guitars with one of the players playing a simple bass line. Actual basses seemed to show up more in the late thirties and forties.

Check out Riley Puckett's guitar playing to get a good idea of the "bass" sound. Puckett played with Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers. If you listen to much of this be advised that many of the songs are not exactly politically correct.

As to what you should do, if you want to play it accurately, I'd keep it very simple. You will hear walking on some of the early recordings but it was usually based on half notes as opposed to quarter notes used in more modern music.

That being said, playing the old time stuff can be pretty enjoyable. Have fun.

 

I would say listen to Doyle Lawson - he's got some of the best gospel stuff these days. Sometimes with only a guitar or straight a Capella - despite him always having a bunch of ringers backing him up on banjo and dobro.

I also have a Martin D-15 and if you go along with Steve's advice, it would be the best guitar to use! I bought that guitar 8 years ago because I loved the low end it had. Sometimes too much. I've even thought to use my fdeck with it to help at certain venues.

If I were in your shoes, I'd push playing bass but if the setting calls for less dynamically speaking, you've got the perfect guitar to make it work.

 

Check out the John Hartford records, Wild Hog in the Red Brush, with Jerry McCoury on bass and Hamilton Ironworks, with Larry Perkins on bass. They both have lots of good and appropriate Old-Time bass playing.

 

He did both.