Subcontra Bass Hype or practical

[JohnnyRook]

Dear Jauqo & Garry!

many thanks for your comments. Actually, I'm glad to hear that a 34" scale does the job fine...no need to overstrech my old goutfingers

I appreciate the tip for SIT, otherwise www.pyramid-saiten.de makes entirely custom strings at reasonable prices.

Just something I couldn't deny myself: Garry, I don't necessarily agree with you that peoples 'childish' behavior is a phenomenon proprietary to TB. One can find this on almost any bass-related forum.
As soon as you raise an out of-the-ordinary topic there will be an army of know-it-alls trying to lure you into a verbal fistfight. Especially if you're a musician with a reputation.
It's not that these guys really care or know anything about the topic, let alone contribute something constructive. It's just that their lives without a girlfriend and after having played DOOM3 for the 27th time can be so boring...

Don't fall for it, it's fighting windmills and a general waste of time and nerves. My advice: take the useful information from the comments and shut the entire thread down. I did the same some time ago since the whole thing seemed to lead nowhere...

cheers

-JR

 

[Garry Goodman]

Dear Jauqo & Garry!

many thanks for your comments. Actually, I'm glad to hear that a 34" scale does the job fine...no need to overstrech my old goutfingers

I appreciate the tip for SIT, otherwise www.pyramid-saiten.de makes entirely custom strings at reasonable prices.

Just something I couldn't deny myself: Garry, I don't necessarily agree with you that peoples 'childish' behavior is a phenomenon proprietary to TB. One can find this on almost any bass-related forum.
As soon as you raise an out of-the-ordinary topic there will be an army of know-it-alls trying to lure you into a verbal fistfight. Especially if you're a musician with a reputation.
It's not that these guys really care or know anything about the topic, let alone contribute something constructive. It's just that their lives without a girlfriend and after having played DOOM3 for the 27th time can be so boring...

Don't fall for it, it's fighting windmills and a general waste of time and nerves. My advice: take the useful information from the comments and shut the entire thread down. I did the same some time ago since the whole thing seemed to lead nowhere...

cheers

-JR

Wise words.... Thanks for participating!

 

[Moo]

It's not that these guys really care or know anything about the topic, let alone contribute something constructive. It's just that their lives without a girlfriend and after having played DOOM3 for the 27th time can be so boring...

Well it shouldn't be long till Garry comes on telling you what a brilliant musician you are and I make a post thanking you for adding more personal insults instead of saying anything about music.

 

[Moo]

I see he beat me to it I have to post faster.

 

[geshel]

Well, I'll break with my resolutions for a moment and give the Asthmatic Lobotomic...pardon, the Aquatic Logomorph (sorry admin, I just couldn't resist ) what he's so desperately longing for: a little bit of attention.

I don't know who you are. I don't know how you play. Quite frankly I couldn't care less.
What I know for sure is that you're not the bassplayer in some popular band having a smashing party with the groupies after a great gig at 4.00 in the morning.

Here my free advice for you: at the age of 16 you have your whole life ahead. Instead of investing daddys bucks into your expensive equipment (remember: extraordinary gear doesn't automatically make an extraordinary player) do the following: find yourself a good teacher and learn to play proper bass instead of wiggling your fingers in your bedroom. Try to stay away from the PC. Work out hard at the next gym and build yourself an outstanding pysique. Learn to discern between time-wasting activities and investments that pay off in the future. Discover that Beavis and Butthead are no real people.

Follow these simple steps and I guarantee in two years from now you'll be getting all the attention you need and won't find the time to write silly comments on a Friday night.

bless you

-JR

This kind of trolling is not welcome at Talkbass. Please take it elsewhere.

 

[Adam Barkley]

Dear Jauqo & Garry!

many thanks for your comments. Actually, I'm glad to hear that a 34" scale does the job fine...no need to overstrech my old goutfingers

I appreciate the tip for SIT, otherwise www.pyramid-saiten.de makes entirely custom strings at reasonable prices.

Just something I couldn't deny myself: Garry, I don't necessarily agree with you that peoples 'childish' behavior is a phenomenon proprietary to TB. One can find this on almost any bass-related forum.
As soon as you raise an out of-the-ordinary topic there will be an army of know-it-alls trying to lure you into a verbal fistfight. Especially if you're a musician with a reputation.
It's not that these guys really care or know anything about the topic, let alone contribute something constructive. It's just that their lives without a girlfriend and after having played DOOM3 for the 27th time can be so boring...

Don't fall for it, it's fighting windmills and a general waste of time and nerves. My advice: take the useful information from the comments and shut the entire thread down. I did the same some time ago since the whole thing seemed to lead nowhere...

cheers

-JR

Here I am wondering when insulting people over the internet became scholarly.

I'd say that childish behavior was presented from both parties. But hey, I'm not a professional, so feel free to discredit my evaluation of the actions of certain people in this thread.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

The word Practical for those who don't seem to know means

Capable of being used or put into effect.

 

[Adam Barkley]

The word Practical for those who don't seem to know means

Capable of being used or put into effect.

By that definition, not at this time.

Eventually it might be practical by that definition, but until the strings and the cabinets required to reproduce those notes are readily available the instrument will not be widely practical.

 

[Mudfuzz]

I just listened to your samples on CD baby, I dig it!
practical from a musical point of view, yes. Hype? Who cares, you have the funk.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

*yawn*

 

[JAUQO III-X]

By that definition, not at this time.

Eventually it might be practical by that definition, but until the strings and the cabinets required to reproduce those notes are readily available the instrument will not be widely practical.

It is at this time because this istrument is mine(and I have the strings and cabs at my disposal) and put into effect by me(there was never any intention of mass producing this instrument).please just accept the fact that it's practical.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

...but hype is a bad thing. It masks reality with flashy propaganda. Then it dies.
I dont think that people get moved so much by the low notes alone.. I think that a musicians register is practically limited to notes within the first e below the staff to the next e below that. I mean, its not strict, but it seems like a guideline. Perhaps some interseting and beautiful harmonies can be made witha combination of high and the very low, but I think that the lower you get the less notes you have accessible to your ears (its harder to distinguish between them), so youre pretty limited.
Hype.

Interesting,you voted practical for Jean and hype for me.Jean's Bass and My Bass are very much different from the 90% of the Basses in use but why would one be Practical and one be hype?

 

[Adam Barkley]

It is at this time because this istrument is mine(and I have the strings and cabs at my disposal) and put into effect by me(there was never any intention of mass producing this instrument).please just accept the fact that it's practical.

Practical to you and a select few. I never said it wasn't practical for you. I did say it was impractical to me.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

I never said it wasn't practical for you. I did say it was impractical to me.

I know,but by it being practical for me logicaly makes it practical.

 

[Adam Barkley]

I know,but by it being practical for me logicaly makes it practical.

It has now reached the point of semantics, so whatever. I'm done.

 

[westland]

Kudos JAUQO III-X on your subcontrabass. It's 'fringe' inventions like this that keep it interesting for all of us. A guy named Leo Fender made a 'fringe' invention back in the 50s (I think it was called the Precision bass) that everyone dissed for a decade; and then they started buying and playing it. Plus you've done what many innovators fail to do -- provide a complete product and science to go with it.

I've looked through your site; you've gone from concept to music with first rate choices. Whether it all works as 'art' is I think the open question here. And typical of 'is it art' questions, it's in the 'ear of the beholder'.

The extra octave you take in on the subcontrabass is the same one that Bosendorfer pianos added on their Model 290 grand which has 97 keys -- adding an octave of black diatonic on white accidentals below the bottom octave. They have a different reason for going that low -- much is about providing a very full sound over the entire range of the piano. Here's what their web-site says:

It is the only concert grand in the world to have nine sub-bass notes, down to bottom C, giving it a full eight octave compass keyboard. These extra notes enable some compositions to be accurately performed, which were originally scored with lower notes, by composers such as Bartók, Debussy, Ravel and Busoni. Special construction features have a very positive influence on the overtones produced when the piano is played, and helps to create the maximum range of both power and volume, and allows the smallest subtle variations in sound to be heard, across the whole range of the piano.

I heard Oscar Peterson on solo tour back in the 80s when he was still in his prime and touring with the Bosendorfer 290. He had a couple of pieces that used the bottom octave for a boogie-walking bass solo. The overall sound was very growly on these solos. I think that the music lost some of its drive in this range ... but it was a solo, as opposed to your use of the subcontrabass as an ensemble instrument.

Good luck with the subcontrabass, and I'll look forward to hearing more of it.

 

[SGT. Pepper]

If you can play a 6,7,8,or 9 string accurately and efficiently then play one. If you play anything with more than 4 strings poorly then stick to the four. In reality to play bass four strings is enough and to this day with all the extended range basses out there the four is still the most popular and widely used. The five runs a close second. Not everyone is cut out to play more than 4 however. I myself tryed fives and sixes and I sound like crap on them. I love the way the Conklin 9's look I wish I could adapt to one but I can't adapt to the five so why bother. I'll stick to the four. If you can hack wide necks and six stings+ then enjoy. I take my hat off to anyone who can play a { wide necker}.

P.S. Anyone who thinks subcontra basses are just hype are jealous because they can't play one.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Thanks Westland for recognizing the practicality in this instrument and understanding that this is my child.I conceived this instrument for many reasons one being to assist in expressing myself as an individual.I never expected many to get it let alone understand the most logical aspect of having an instrument like this and it's kind of kool being the only one having such an instrument.for my first CD I could have done one where I did a solo or two but felt I could do that CD some other Time(and that time is coming)but I chose my first CD to feature me in an entirely supportive role.I have a Trio recording(with Bernard Purdie as my rhythm mate)that will be out some time this year that features my Fretless Sub contra Bass again and if you're familiar with the Groove power of Bernard I think you won't be disappointed.I'm also the first to know that The Low C# Theory is not for everyone and I'm not offended by it at all but I feel that in a few years from now some of those who didn't grasp it for what ever reason(s)will seek it out(and no this is not ego speaking)

There is a lot of music in me,so much that I don't think I will get it all out in this Lifetime.


SGT. Pepper
my Subcontra bass concept is different from what most ERB players refer to their bass as.I own a couple of 8 string basses and I simply refer to them as an ERB but the Bass in question in this thread is what I refer to as a Sub contra bass(tuned C# F# B E)and here's my reason why.


I can only speak for myself,years ago while working on my Idea/Concept/Theory of the Low C# and F# string I thought that since this was going to Be a Bass that would go lower than the Low B string found on the 6 string Bass B E A D G C(Often referred to as a Contra Bass Guitar,meaning lower than the standard 4.the word Contra Bass itself is usually associated with the Upright in Classical terminology)I felt that it was the most logical name for such an Instrument

I hope this helps as well

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[g00eY]

i'm sure there is use for it, but i would probably never use it in the music i play cuz i usually don't even use my low B.

 

[soholounge]

i think without "evangelism" about a new concept/technology/product/idea/etc., we would still be arguing about whether the bass should be "felt and not heard."

i remember back in early days of the dot com boom, i had a job where 50% of the effort went into evangelizing new technologies and ideas.
90% of the people (coworkers, management, lay-people) i talked with then told me that they would NEVER buy anything online.

99% of the people might hate it now, but believe me, this kind of "HYPE" is necessary.
and in the long run, it's necessary for ALL of us, with all of our varied interests, dispositions, inclinations, and preferences.