Question about switching between different basses during a gig

[Fuzzbass]

I recently saw Stu Allen and Mars Hotel, and the bass player rotated between four basses each set. Each one sounded great for the chosen song.

Have to add: I'd wager that this guy would have sounded great all night long if he'd stuck to the same bass.

Obviously that would not have been feasible if he used different tunings for certain songs, or went from 4-string to 5-string, fretted to fretless. But I wouldn't understand switching between, say, four-string fretteds all tuned the same, just because each had a different tone. I've known guitarists who have grouped setlists because they had to have Strat for these songs, Les Paul for those songs... maybe their guitarist buddies would notice the difference, but most people wouldn't care if a Les Paul was used for Stevie Ray Vaughan covers.

 

[kirkdickinson]

I have switched a few times at church. Fretted to Fretless usually. For Praise and Worship music, I prefer fretless for most of the slower songs Portamento SRF706 or Michael Kelly Dragonfly. If the song is fast with 8th notes, I usually prefer fretted. Dingwall Combustion or Lightwave.

 

[mesaplayer83]

You must play in a band where whoever counts off songs actually pays attention to whether you're ready or not.

Yeah, that's kinda the norm for the most part - although a little communication helps here... To be clear, I'm only talking about a couple of changes per set - but it's usually not a problem... I've been in gigging situations where there either wasn't time or space available to do that, and I had to play a 5er for the whole gig - but that's the exception rather than the rule *for me*...

 

[walking Bass]

I remember when I was playing for the money back in the late '60s. You had to have a decent amp, so I carried a Fender Dual Showman with 2x15 cab. Large and fairly heavy. Add my Gibson bass and case and that was all I could carry or financially afford. Even the guitarists who broke strings never carried spare guitars, just spare strings.

When I recall my favorite performances, none of them include changes of bass. BB King's bassist kept a line going between songs while BB talked to the audience. I don't think a change of bass could have worked.

 

[bigtone23]

I don't like to gig with just one instrument as I mentally need a back up plan.
For my original gigs, I bring a primary and secondary bass. The secondary is either a backup or a different bass for different tones.
For cover gigs, it's a minimum of an active 5 string (J or P/MM or active 4 in BEAD) and a passive EADG 4 string (usually a PJ, but sometimes a Patriot that is now a virtual Ric with the addition of a neck PU).
If it's a big enough gig with plenty of space, I'll bring my fretless to be fully accurate to the 1-4 songs that use it.

 

[bassdude51]

This guy played one and only one bass. Was there a problem? (Many others completed gigs with one bass. In fact, it is the norm not the exception.)

 

[bassbenj]

This guy played one and only one bass. Was there a problem? (Many others completed gigs with one bass. In fact, it is the norm not the exception.)

View attachment 3237830

There you go! Jaco only need 4 strings and Jamerson only needed one bass. Nothing more needs to be said!

(I tend to play 5 strings and use a fretted-fretless pair which obviously means I will never amount to anything...)

 

[mesaplayer83]

There you go! Jaco only need 4 strings and Jamerson only needed one bass. Nothing more needs to be said!

(I tend to play 5 strings and use a fretted-fretless pair which obviously means I will never amount to anything...)

Yeah, it's kinda stupid to use standards from 40-50 years ago, as if they have any validity in today's world...

 

[craigie]

There you go! Jaco only need 4 strings and Jamerson only needed one bass. Nothing more needs to be said!

(I tend to play 5 strings and use a fretted-fretless pair which obviously means I will never amount to anything...)

Just get a double neck! Too many problems can be solved by a simple solution that is often overlooked. JPJ only needed one mando-guitar-bass thingy.

 

[Furutan]

This is peripheral to your comment, but the coolest bass switching I've ever seen was for the Yes tour in which they used a circular rotating stage. Squire had an open slot in the floor and a bass tech who would ride along underneath the stage in a chair next to a slotted shelf containing a number of basses. In between numbers Squire would hold out his bass, let it go and it would fall through the slot and a second later another bass would be launched straight up into the air from under the stage and he'd catch it. They also had another guy under there doing submixes. Very Yes.

 

[BasSWhite]

Full transparency: I didn't read every post in this thread.

I always thought that big acts swapping instruments every song was for three reasons:
1) guitar tone - i.e. Les Paul vs Strat
2) fashion
3) tuning - so that every song was guaranteed to be fully in-tune. Just in case a light de-tuning happened during a song that may not be fully noticeable. They are big, there are a lot of people watching, they have the resources, they want every song to have the highest chance of success.

I remember seeing a big act play where the bass player switched between two basses throughout the night. Only two basses, but switched every song. I assumed the roadie was fine-tuning them for the next song each time. Can't really think of another reason to swap back and forth. It was pretty obvious (if you were watching the bass player) because it was between a white and a blue P bass. It's been a while, and I can't remember what band it was, but after seeing it and thinking about it, the idea of swapping for tuning has stuck with me.

After that, I watch for instrument swaps, and I've seen some happen (guitarists) mid-song and figured it was a string or tuning failure. I've also noticed swaps between what appeared to be identical instruments between songs. I assumed that was for tuning as well, since visually they are the same (no fashion, no tone difference).

 

[craigie]

This is peripheral to your comment, but the coolest bass switching I've ever seen was for the Yes tour in which they used a circular rotating stage. Squire had an open slot in the floor and a bass tech who would ride along underneath the stage in a chair next to a slotted shelf containing a number of basses. In between numbers Squire would hold out his bass, let it go and it would fall through the slot and a second later another bass would be launched straight up into the air from under the stage and he'd catch it. They also had another guy under there doing submixes. Very Yes.

That’s pretty awesome!

 

[craigie]

Would work great to have the instrument stands the “fearless flyers” use. Then you can just have any number of basses set up ready to go with a pressure pad to stand on that unmutes that bass like how mike Gordon mutes his microphone.

Personally I like the multi-neck idea with the stand. Fretless/fretted/guitar/mando. Kind of a junior brown thing.

Somebody in luthier land please build one!!!

Actually I will build one with a spare bass neck and a cheap guitar. Hmmm..... ideas are percolating....

It should also have the bass pedals salvaged from an organ and the rhythm beat section (rhumba, swing, etc)

 

[7615]

Yeah, it's kinda stupid to use standards from 40-50 years ago, as if they have any validity in today's world...

Actually that post was valid. All the rest is posing. I play in a band where the BL segues from song to song so we might stop once or twice in a set. No time to change basses. I play one bass no back up. Break a string use the 3 remaining until break. I play a different bass at every gig - stand up, solid body, Hollow bodies, fretted, fretless, passive and active. And they all sound different. And each bass changes how I approach a song.

The guitarist also brings one guitar and a different one each time. So we play different combos and even the drummer either uses his own or the house drums.

It’s about music not fashion and I can’t get my head around that a song is going to sound anyway other than how the band feels in the moment.


It’s about playing music and that was what it was about 40-50 years ago. So if that isn’t relevant today then today is stupid.

 

[JimmyM]

Actually that post was valid. All the rest is posing. I play in a band where the BL segues from song to song so we might stop once or twice in a set. No time to change basses. I play one bass no back up. Break a string use the 3 remaining until break. I play a different bass at every gig - stand up, solid body, Hollow bodies, fretted, fretless, passive and active. And they all sound different. And each bass changes how I approach a song.

The guitarist also brings one guitar and a different one each time. So we play different combos and even the drummer either uses his own or the house drums.

It’s about music not fashion and I can’t get my head around that a song is going to sound anyway other than how the band feels in the moment.

It’s about playing music and that was what it was about 40-50 years ago. So if that isn’t relevant today then today is stupid.

Other than the "It's about music and not fashion" part, you finally made a post I agree with

 

[Eilif]

One other point regarding having two basses. I think it's also a valid stance that -in addition to any other way that it may contribute to the performance- it's ok to simply want to enjoy more of your instruments in a live situation.

As I've been on my journey of culling the herd and replacing or eliminating instruments that don't feel "perfect" I've found that I'm left with a smaller selection of instruments that I like an awful lot. I think the audience does notice, but even if they don't, I enjoy being able to enjoy more than one bass on a gig.

All the rest is posing.

I realize this wasn't the entire point you were making, but what's wrong with "posing"?

It's a performance not a recital. So perform, pose, show-off, wear cool clothes, flirt with the audience (or remain deliberately stern, detached and impassive, also a valid choice), swap instruments etc, etc....

I'm not a professional. I'm just a guy gigging restaurants and little bars in a country trio for modest pay, but I still want to give the audience at least a little something to listen to, look at, and watch that they don't see the rest of the week.

 

[JimmyM]

I realize this wasn't the entire point you were making, but what's wrong with "posing"?

It's a performance not a recital. So perform, pose, show-off, wear cool clothes, flirt with the audience (or remain deliberately stern, detached and impassive, also a valid choice), swap instruments etc, etc....

I'm not a professional. I'm just a guy gigging restaurants and little bars in a country trio for modest pay, but I still want to give the audience at least a little something to listen to, look at, and watch that they don't see the rest of the week.

That was pretty much my point of disagreeing with his "not a fashion show" comment. It kind of is a fashion show.

 

[alpan254]

You can if you want to, but I doubt anyone in the audience will notice the difference. Not saying you shouldn't, but IMHO it would be strictly for you.

maybe for the other musicians in the band to

 

[alpan254]

I used to take 2-3 basses for each gig, and use them. But, my basses are all different...active / passive / both, so the levels and output are all over the place. That became a hassle at times. These days I take 2 and use 1 as long as I can so I dont have to switch.

all ways I have my fender P with flats and a brighter fender jazzbass with rounds , 2 bass's for me and for the band makes a lot of deference

 

[alpan254]

For some gigs I'll bring two basses for different styles, for example an upright for straightahead and a five-string slab for Latin for big band, or fretted and fretless on an R&B gig. Nothing so subtle as a P/J changeup, I don't see the point in that (isn't that what tone controls are for?).

you cant have a slap sound with a flat strings using the tone controllers so i have to use 2 basses