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The Evolution of Bass Guitar Technology and Beyond...

#61
johnk_10 said:
my question is, does the electric bass really have to 'evolve' any further? have the violin, trumpet, saxophone, flute, tympani, cymbal, grand piano, cello, clarinet, etc. evolved any further? personally, i do not believe that the most desirable ones have.
Click to expand...

Have to? Naw. Nothing "has to"...

On the other hand, most of the instruments you cited have evolved over what is probably 200 years - or longer. We don't usually think of them in those terms, because virtually all the major innovations were completed long before any of us was born.

The electric bass, on the other hand - at least dating back to Leo Fender's first prototype - is scarcely 60 years old. And in that time it has evolved significantly - driven by rapid changes in music/instrument technology - as well as by rapid changes in music itself. Hardly an accurate comparison.

Are there still people who play the harpsichord? Sure. But not nearly as many as play the piano/organ/synth.

Are there still people who play the lute? Sure. But not nearly as many people as play the guitar. :hmm:

MM
 
#62
SteamTheif,
You are thinking aren't you!

While the deeper question of 'is consumerism driven by innovation?' a valid question, you are correct that the question is about innovation.

I focus on innovation, for the fact is clear, so much consumerism is sold as innovation, so therein we nip this whole thing at the bud.

Do we want more sustain, transparency, and attack? or do we seek something else from the Instrument?

If we are not seeking an Apex of an evolution, then we are involved in consumerism.

I just wanted to focus on the future of the Instrument, and cut past the consumerism.
 
#64
MysticMichael said:
Have to? Naw.

MM
Click to expand...

hmmm. i guess that i just don't consider the Carvin basses and GK amps (in your profile) as 'cutting edge' or 'evolved' basses & amps. the most high tech/evolved one that i have is my '85 Alembic, and i love it, but it's not much different than the '75 series I's that i had back in '75.

i'm not putting them down, i just don't see them as futuristic/evolved (and i own a GK 1001RBII as well as tons of other amps, from vintage to high end modern channel strip/poweramp types).
 
#66
meh, i say bass guitar is bass guitar... it won't change dramatically, but I'm looking forward to new bass instruments! synthesizers are great, now we got software and all that ****, who knows what else will come :)
 
#67
Sorry it is Boring Woody.

Your position that Magnetic Pickups would remain, was taken into account. But it ws not a daring innovative position.

We keep getting NEW NEW NEW, but what is really any better?

So much Tech has gone into the Boutique instruments that people practially worship, so what will be presented to them as 'THE NEW god'.

JohnK has 30 Basses. Sounds like the Late Les Paul's House with a guitar under every peice of furniture and lining the walls, according to an old Boss of mine by the Name of Andy Fuchs.

Hate to have to change strings on all of them.

So, what do we all need next in the evolution to get us closer to Nirvana? (not the band)
 
#70
JohnK,
Was that a hard swat at MM? (LOL)

Don't be fighting now.

The reality is that none of what any of us own right now short of Tech like BassLab and Lightwave which may neither be perfected nor prolific, can be subjects of future or coming technology.

Your observations on the Alembics is interesting when compared to my list, for the innovations seem to really drop off after the StingRay, and Alembic covered soooo much ground.

Even what I play now I cannot claim to have anything new about them. They are just products, because someone did something in that area before. It is just a 'Me Too-ism'
 
#72
OK the Gibson comment means that Bergers are extinct 'ME Too-isms'
Dead Tech like the Concord.

Sikamikanico,
I am really happy with my 4 BTB's. So I have acheive a level of Nirvana, but in this materialistic world where GAS infections run high, I have asked the question of what is the next evolution? What are the new Techs that will be applied to the Bass Guitar?

We have:

Faned Frets
Internal Bass Emulation
Tunable Composites

These are the future Techs that so far have some reasonable votes of confidence for the future.

Lightwave is called a failure, does not tap well or something like that probably doing with the frets.
 
#74
I'm all about trying new stuff. I have 7 completely different basses, weird wirings. I'm definately more progressive than the 'P or J only' crowd (although I appreciate those as well)

For the most part, I go to the store and pick up a fender and its VERY similar to a bass from the 60's. My father once told me a very import saying "If it ain't broke...don't fix it." While bass has changed a lot (both capibilities of the instrument itself and the music its used for), if I pick up a P bass with flats, Alembic Series II, Steinberger L2, or fanned fret Dingwall they will all sound like a bass at the end of the day.

While preamps were an innovation and do give a hi-fi sound. A pre amp is not necessicerily an innovation that replaces a passive circuit. While graphite has advantages as a material, it is not inherently 'better' as a bass material. Honestly, while a new bass brand may sprout here or a new pickup or preamp type type there, I doubt the bassic bass formula will change for atleast 30 more years.

Just look at cars, while exotics like the Mercedes Gullwing, Delorian and McLaren F1 have came out that were a striked difference from typical production models, the basic working of a car has changed little in the last 30 or so years. There are subtle improvements from time to time like improved motors, better brakes, more cup holders, GPS and ipod capability and preference options such as AWD versus FWD and RWD; the basic workings of the car have been essentially standardized through years of small improvements. Again..."If it ain't broke...don't fix it."

I do hope some new cool inventions come out for bass, but I doubt the basic formula will change much in my lifetime.
 
#77
dedpool1052 said:
maybe with everybody trying to be so environmentally conscious and "going green", builders might look into using recycled materials for making bodies as opposed to wood.
Click to expand...

Basses are made from 'recyclable materials' wood does grow on trees. Trees grow back eventually. In the future nice grain patterns may be more scarce since they take time to develop and may not be present on new trees. At the same time there are plenty of tree types that have not yet been fully tapped to make guitars/basses
 
#78
I would love to try a Torzal Twist bass. It's a neck-through with the neck rotated +15 degrees at the bridge and –20 degrees at the nut, for a total rotation of 35 degrees.

I broke my left wrist as a lad, jumping my Schwinn over a bunch of trash cans. I still have trouble with it when I play for a long time. This might be the answer...if I had $3500 to drop on a bass.

I don't think this one has caught on very well, either...but you can't say it isn't an innovation

Check out Ed Friedland's review:


2810-Torzal-5-34.jpg
 

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