The PURITY Poll: Bassists vs Multi-Instrumentalists

[Gervais Cote]

Well…………

I’m not "pure" cause I eat junk, drink cheap beer, I burp, fart and swear but I play exclusively bass, does that count ?

 

[Michedelic]

We must retain our precious bassly fluids…

 

[Lo-E]

I’m principally a bassist. It’s what I play almost all the time and it’s how I think and how I hear things.

I have played guitar, mandolin, banjo and Chapman Stick at various times, both live and in the studio, but I think of myself as a bassist, not a multi-instrumentalist, since I don’t feel like I have enough proficiency on those other instruments to be able to handle any situation. I started on bass and it’s…. er…. home base for me so that’s how I voted.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I think “purely a bass player” would have been a better choice of wording for this question over “pure”.

The way that’s worded insinuates that if one is a multi-instrumentalist, one isn’t “pure”, whatever that would imply.

It also reminds me of things that occurred in the 1930s.

 

[wompwomp]

LOL yes. today talkbass tomorrow the world.

people are so gloriously stupid.

 

[novaman]

I play music -- it maybe using instruments not defined as bass. I am going back to singing. The original instrument

This is the most expressive for me. I get lost in it. Goes down to C like a cello and altissimo as high as 4 1/2 octaves. My dog does not mind

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That is a sweet Bari Sax! Yamaha 62 Purple Logo- I've got a tenor of the same era. All my saxes are Yamaha's.

I'm a flute player who doubles on sax and manages on bass and guitar. Here's my hangout spot.

 

[Michedelic]

It also reminds me of things that occurred in the 1930s.

Just the 30’s?

 

[logdrum]

That is a sweet Bari Sax! Yamaha 62 Purple Logo- I've got a tenor of the same era. All my saxes are Yamaha's.

I'm a flute player who doubles on sax and manages on bass and guitar. Here's my hangout spot.

What an awesome room. Actually this Bari is older YBS-61-- notice the racing track bell guard. Not as refined as the YBS-62 but s little more barky tone and the price of entry is doable for me who was mainly a tenor and soprano. I also have a YTS-62 tenor but also have Selmer Mark in tenor and Alto. I play the Yamaha more

 

[novaman]

What an awesome room. Actually this Bari is older YBS-61-- notice the racing track bell guard. Not as refined as the YBS-62 but s little more barky tone and the price of entry is doable for me who was mainly a tenor and soprano. I also have a YTS-62 tenor but also have Selmer Mark in tenor and Alto. I play the Yamaha more

I’ve had my 62 tenor since 1981. When I went to upgrade my alto in the 90’s my semipro sax playing friend kept telling me to get a Yamaha 62 alto. But I had my heart set on getting a “legit” sax brand like a Selmer or Keilwerth (kinda like Bass players and Fender). I ended up getting the Keilwerth but eventually sold it after I realized how much more I like the YAS62 Yamaha Alto I had bought for my son. My soprano is also a Yamaha. I just picked up a second bass- a Yamaha BBP35. Yamaha just makes great instruments.

 

[JRA]

are you a PURE bass player or do you study more than one instrument?

- i'm a musican first.
- i'm a multi-instrumentalist, too.
- i'm a bass player, as pure as i can be.

 

[HoHumbucker]

That is a sweet Bari Sax! Yamaha 62 Purple Logo- I've got a tenor of the same era. All my saxes are Yamaha's.

I'm a flute player who doubles on sax and manages on bass and guitar. Here's my hangout spot.

Yamaha YBS-52 guy here. It has not been to the shop in almost 20 years even though it gets gigged several times a month. Absolutely bullet-proof horn.
Also, 1924 Conn C soprano, SA 80 II Bb soprano, YAS-62 II alto, YTS-875 custom tenor, Selmer 9 Bb clarinet, Backun low-C bass clarinet, and the list goes on. I have a couple flutes of no pedigree--only use those for musicals and sound effects.
Decided a few years ago to try and learn bas guitar. Going at it very slowly.

 

[logdrum]

I’ve had my 62 tenor since 1981. When I went to upgrade my alto in the 90’s my semipro sax playing friend kept telling me to get a Yamaha 62 alto. But I had my heart set on getting a “legit” sax brand like a Selmer or Keilwerth (kinda like Bass players and Fender). I ended up getting the Keilwerth but eventually sold it after I realized how much more I like the YAS62 Yamaha Alto I had bought for my son. My soprano is also a Yamaha. I just picked up a second bass- a Yamaha BBP35. Yamaha just makes great instruments.

Yamaha is as legit as ever.. Coltrane actually played and owned one in 1966 and it was in his estate before it was sold. It was a prototype serial #15. Phil Woods - big list. . Many classical players use them, those guys are the epitome of legit, They have superb intonation

 

[Jeff Scott]

Just the 30’s?

We have to start teaching these kids with one timeframe at a time so they can get a handle on the concept, then we move on from there to more lessons!

 

[Michedelic]

We have to start teaching these kids with one timeframe at a time so they can get a handle on the concept, then we move on from there to more lessons!

So many timeframes, so little time.

 

[Nedmundo]

I'm primarily a bass player and think of myself as a bassist first, but I also play guitar. I haven't played guitar on stage in a long time, but probably 90% of the songs I've written were on guitar, and I play well enough to be a second guitarist in a basic rock band. I've come close to playing guitar in a couple of bands in recent years, and in one of these, I served as lead guitarist for auditioning a drummer when our lead player couldn't make it. So I voted "multi-instrumentalist," but it's at least 90% bass these days. (In fact, I picked up my Strat today for the first time in several weeks.)

 

[Smooth_bass88]

BASS PLAYERS: The Proud, The Few

 

[Ritter667]

Why was there a time limit on this poll?

Doesn't make any sense...

I am a composer/multi instrumentalist, but do view bass as my main instrument of choice.

 

[bassbrad]

I like to think of myself as a musician that primarily plays bass. Every thing I have learned and every skill developed creeps into my bass player role.

My musical journey started on guitar and cello then switched to upright bass and still played guitar adding some keyboards to the skill set as I was always intrigued by organs and synths. In teen era bands I would occasionally agree to play some electric bass to let the bass player sing and strum a few tunes for the girls. Senior year I was in the school jazz band and needed to play electric and upright was introduced to Jaco, Stanley Clarke and fusion electric bass became my passion. In college I studied upright bass as at the time there was no electric bass program with percussion as my second instrument with classical and jazz interest with a focus on being a skilled all around player with a goal of being a "studio musician".

 

[MonetBass]

I didn't get to vote, but I'm a multi-instrumentalist for sure. Bass, guitar, piano/keyboards, a little drums, ukulele, and trombone.

 

[Flooksy]

100% bass player through and through!