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Poll | How many TBers don't actively play bass?

You come to TalkBass. Do you actively play bass?

  • Yes. I am a gigging musician

  • Yes. I gig casually or jam with friends

  • Yes, but I only play at home

  • No. I haven't picked up a bass in 6 months or more

Results are only viewable after voting.
#101
I'm more curious if we have to be gigging to be on here. :cautious:
I quit gigging back in the mid-90s. I occasionally pick up one of my 13 basses and noodle on it in my music room for a while, then put it back on the stand. Or I might pick one up and plug in my copy of Rocksmith and play along with a song or two. I have no plans of joining a band again, I have no thoughts of gigging again.
Does that mean I'm no longer a bass player? Does that mean I have no reason to be on TalkBass? Do we have to be actively gigging to have a validated opinion?
These threads make no sense to me, it sounds like a low-key form of gatekeeping.
 
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#102
tb-player said:
On another thread, there was an interesting comment from a TBer who said he hasn't picked up a bass in 3 years. Yet he was on TalkBass... talking about bass.

It got me curious...
How many of you who frequent this site don't actively play bass? Feel free to elaborate.
Click to expand...
I play bass exclusively through the computer. I have many different computer programs with amp simulations like Guitar Rig 7, Tonex and a Zoom audio user interface but I always seem to go back to my trusty Line 6 UX2 and use it's Pod Farm software. I have that for 15 years or so and I can dial in almost perfectly the sounds I want. I'm always trying to find that sound. Trying to find that exact sound and having fun jamming along with .mp3's and YouTube videos keeps me at it.
 
#106
A bit OT here but at a recent funeral, was able to catch up on a lot of old faces.
One common theme was that many guys had played with literally hundreds of people and it was this exposure..for good or bad at the time... that provided quite a lot of experience to call upon.
 
#107
tb-player said:
On another thread, there was an interesting comment from a TBer who said he hasn't picked up a bass in 3 years. Yet he was on TalkBass... talking about bass.

It got me curious...
How many of you who frequent this site don't actively play bass? Feel free to elaborate.
Click to expand...

I no longer shed on bass and only break one out for electronics testing, occasional private jams when our upright player can't make it, and the odd open mic appearance. Retired from gigging in 2017, played two sub calls in 2018 and another solitary one this year. For me TB is primarily a social diversion and I think I've met at least 200 or so members face to face over the years. I'm about to take a vacation from this place for a while, but never say never! ;)
 
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#109
Lifelong drummer who has gone through all cycles of a semi-professional drummer. Only 3 months new to bass, practices everyday, jams with family and friends at home. I'm here because I feel bass is my calling at this time in my life and I want to know everything I can about all things bass. I currently play a 90's Spector NS5CR and Maruszczyk Jake 4 (active/ passive P/J). I'm interested in less expensive barely used strings for both so I can experiment finding my sound and feel.
 
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#112
TerribleTim68 said:
I'm more curious if we have to be gigging to be on here. :cautious:
I quit gigging back in the mid-90s. I occasionally pick up one of my 13 basses and noodle on it in my music room for a while, then put it back on the stand. Or I might pick one up and plug in my copy of Rocksmith and play along with a song or two. I have no plans of joining a band again, I have no thoughts of gigging again.
Does that mean I'm no longer a bass player? Does that mean I have no reason to be on TalkBass? Do we have to be actively gigging to have a validated opinion?
These threads make no sense to me, it sounds like a low-key form of gatekeeping.
Click to expand...
IMG_5286.jpeg
 
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#113
I quit playing in a band 7 years ago. I had been in bands for 34 years. But I was fed up with it.
Since then I've been focussing more on building bass guitars rather than playing them.
I do play them when they're ready.
And every now and then I'll pick on of my own bass guitars up from their stand or wallhanger and play a little.
But that just noodling. Not actual song playing.
 
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#114
Basvarken said:
I quit playing in a band 7 years ago. I had been in bands for 34 years. But I was fed up with it.
Since then I've been focussing more on building bass guitars rather than playing them.
I do play them when they're ready.
And every now and then I'll pick on of my own bass guitars up from their stand or wallhanger and play a little.
But that just noodling. Not actual song playing.
Click to expand...
That's what I love about this forum. You have current players, former players, professionals, amateurs, builders, luthiers, other musicians and so much more. I've learned so much from every one of those… except maybe the builders. But that's just because I have no business operating power tools. :thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
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#118
I was in an active band a while ago playing a small number of gigs a year, but we practiced together every two weeks. I recently found another group, working towards playing out so practicing with them once a week. I practice bass everyday. I go to a number of local open mics.
 
#119
I only gig with a cover band that asked me to step in cause their bass player couldn't commit anymore. And then I became their bass player.

I hate it and I'm trying to get out of it. I love playing bass, which I can't do with my own solo music, but after years of doing pick up gigs and being asked to join bands, I'm tired of the weekend warrior scene: looking like a chump on stage because we're chronically unrehearsed, there's no arrangement, the lead guitar player plays tasteless solos, the drummer never seems to know the setlist (yet he keeps booking gigs in this cramped, smoky dive) and they even make fun of me because I show up to rehearsals with charts. Amateur hour.

The alternative here is going to blues jam sessions. I'd rather stay home than play those three chords, thank you very much.
 
#120
Kinda on, kinda off topic - A thing that really irritates me is the collector who owns a lot of super-desirable instruments but doesn't play. I'm not the arbiter of such things, but to me once they get beyond 3 or 4, it really bugs me. I know two of these. One has 28 vintage guitars that just hang on his office walls, and he plays not at all. It just kills me to think of the music those could be making in the right hands, or even musicians that can't afford a decent instrument and this guy uses 'em as wallpaper. I'm not envious, just sad for the instruments. Anyway, none of my business.
 
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