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I saw Willie Nelson and his band in 1978 and he had two basses, as he did on the great album, Willie and Family Live, from the same era. I saw both playing, and they appeared to be playing similar parts, and from the audience, I heard bass, but couldn't discern two.
A bass playing friend sat in with our country band back then. I picked up my spare bass, and ghosted him and octave up. Great fun.
We had two bassists in 11th grade jazz band - myself and a football player that was a really nice guy, but didn't know the first thing about music, couldn't read, and couldn't play very well. They had us both going through the same Ampeg B-115, and I *hated* it. We eventually started swapping off on tunes - it was just a total mess if both of us were playing together, and the director wouldn't let me go back to bari sax.
I was in a band where we had 2 bass players. We had one guy doing the typical bass work, and I played more of a "lead bass" kind of thing. It sounded great, and I'd absolutely do it again. Actually, I'm trying to find enough people to get a bass orchestra together.
In the 80's, there was a band from Athens, Georgia called The Group Trolls that had three bass players. I remember my friend gave me a tape of theirs and it had kind of a sloppy B-52's/Fishbone flavor that sounded really cool back in the day. I have always wanted to hear it again.
On topic: I would be super stoked to have a rhythm bassist/lead bassist trade-off session one of these days. I have a solo album brewing in my mind and some of it will require two bassists.
one of the bassists can play an 8, 12, 15 or 18 string bass ... Tune the octave to a 5th above instead of the octave and add distortion and it sounds like a rhythm guitar
I wouldn't do it. Hard enough to get one bassist and drummer to lock in. I can't imagine how difficult it will be to get two bassists and one drummer. It will also sound muddy.
Check out the band dos. It's got mike watt of the Minutemen/fIREHOSE and Kira roessler from black flag.
Different stuff indeed. Check out the song "dream of San Pedro" and watt played a shortscale!