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Switching between Bass and Guitar-who does it?

#61
I was in a Trio back in the day and I played bass and sang and the guitar player played and sang. However on some songs I knew the lead guitar part better than him so I would play lead guitar and sing and he would play bass and sing. We live in different states now but keep up with each other and we still both play lead guitar and bass.
Personally I have one electric guitar, an American made Strat. I have 3 acoustic guitars, one tuned standard, one to G and a resonator tuned to D. Play them all the time. However the band I currently play in I just play bass.
I play solo on the acoustic guitars and sometimes my wife plays various rhythms, mainly on Cajon, mostly blues stuff. In addition I play Hammered Dulcimer and she plays Autoharp, playing Old Timey and Celtic Music. Now there is a switch from 4 string bass to Hammered Dulcimer with 102 strings.
 
#62
Impetus man said:
I took acoustic guitar lessons in college, then 2 more times in my 20's with my MIJ Strat. Some good moments, but mostly frustration. Switched to bass a few years ago.....I love it and should have started back in the day.....but I was convinced I could be the next Mark Knopfler or David Gilmour. Dumb kid !!
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You never know until you try. Imagine if Hendrix, Clapton or Page didn't get past their bedroom playing......
 
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#63
Since I play alone most of the time I play both. I work on sections of a song at a time so I'll loop said section on guitar and then fiddle on bass til I'm satisfied then go and noodle and solo on guitar over it if it has a section for soloing. Otherwise I'll just play it and then play drum or keys or whatever I feel like. I'm an at home musician at the moment because of school but I'll go back into a band eventually
 
#64
I flip flop all the time these days. For years I was exclusively a (terrible) guitarist. Then I picked up bass and it really clicked with me, so that's all I played for a couple years. I found that all the theory and dexterity I developed on bass had enough overlap to improve my ability on guitar, so now I play both.
 
#66
I haven't been a switch-hitter for a long time.

I used to play a lot of guitar but it's been years since I played guitar in a band and I'm not even playing it much at home anymore, either.

I'll still sit with an acoustic on the couch every now and then or jam with friends, but I mainly focus on bass in recent years.
 
#67
Sitting around with family & friends over the holidays, they know I'm still playing. Some ask so you play piano, guitar, drums? The "only bass' answer seemed to mark me as old school, or lame, I don't know. But as I pointed out, too often for my comfort, I have played sax, piano, guitar and finally bass. Not like the current songwriters who play it all.

But it got me to thinking that I should pick up a Telecaster (6 string). The MIM doesn't get much love and is probably in the $300-400 range. Get a Blues Junior with mechanical reverb, a couple of pedals from my pedal board, and I'm the life of the party?

It's just that every time I pick up a six strings I always same the same thing, "these freaking strings are so thin and close together".
 
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#68
I don't gig, but, play every couple weeks with buddies in a jam.

I consider myself an electric bassist, but, am more likely to drum, play guitar, play synth, or even sing before playing electric bass.

I still love to play guitar though, in fact I have a G&L ASAT Bluesboy on the way.
$_3.JPG
 
#70
Well, now I believe that every home should have a guitar in it. OR a piano, but guitars are easier for most.

As for actually playing it, depends on the project. I'm a "multi-intrumentalist" nowadays, so non-bass work is always an option for me, but it varies.
Nowadays I wind up switching between bass and keys more than anything else, although I'm getting more action on the congas lately too.
In acoustic setups, I switch between bass, gtr, percussion, and winds. It's the Squidly Diddly show. :wacky:

I'd love to get an electric doubleneck, but electric guitar parts come to me so rarely that I'm afraid it would wind up a piece of art on the wall more than a gigging rig. I love seeing guys that have them. I guess I could arrange some songs like that, but the keys are always right there, so.....
:cool:
 
#72
StyleOverShow said:
It's just that every time I pick up a six strings I always same the same thing, "these freaking strings are so thin and close together".
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Absolutely. The only way I could cope with guitar was by getting a four string long scale guitar with wide string spacing and thicker strings aka piccolo bass. Thinking of maybe picking up a tenor guitar as well. I have small hands, but dealing with six of those teeny cramped strings melts my brain.
 
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#73
I switch all the time, but not so much in a live atmosphere. Depending on the day i'll write and record with one or the other, in fact i mostly write and record with guitar before ever thinking about the bass part. I started / learned on bass and that will always be my "primary" instrument.
 
#75
I do it every week. I have been playing bass for 36 years now. I started playing guitar about 20 years ago. Starting playing guitar in a classic rock band about 4 years now. I do have fun playing out on guitar, but bass is my first love.
IMG_7056.jpg

Picture of my 1963 VOX
 
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#76
AshInAmsterdam said:
I just picked up my SG for the first time since I started playing bass in the band at the end of November 2015, and in that short space it feels weird!

I intend to more or less play bass now, to become great at it, so the guitars will be put away with just one left out (probably the SG, which is the newest and lightest).

Was going to sell one or two to fund a second bass, but I can't think of a single one I'd seriously consider losing, I have 5 trebles and they all mark periods in my life.
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IMO: The SG is one of the most comfortable guitars to play. I love the ones with the humbuckers the most!
 
#78
I play electric guitar and bass on regular basis but never switch within a set. In fact I have 4 electric guitars (Strat, Les Paul, Vandenberg and custom made) but only 3 basses and more guitar amps than bass amps. I'm very obsessed by my guitar tone and spend more time perfecting my guitar presets on my Eleven Rack than my bass presets.
 
#79
I consider myself a Bass Player first and foremost and a hack on the guitar. However, any song I really like I'll learn on guitar (including the lead/solo). I also own a couple of really beautiful vintage guitars that were left to me by my brother who died in 1986 and would consider it dishonorable to his memory NOT to play them. A long-time close guitar-playing friend of mine says "it really pisses me off that you play better than I do." I just smile and say in my best Garth imitation: "Thanks, I like to play".
 
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#80
I don't switch, I play both amongst other instruments. I do most of my songwriting on guitar. Every bassist needs at least one acoustic guitar, even of they don't play it full-time.

I'm in the "I'm more of a musician/bass is my area of expertise" group.
 

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