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Unpopular tone and technique

Loren Herrington

Loren Herrington

Guest
Feb 3, 2015
91
63
37
Bozeman MT
#1
So I've definitely noticed in the just over 10 years I've been playing bass and in bands, (and even more confirmed since I've been on this forum) my style is definitely not most popular as a bassist. I play with a pick, I prefer a really trebley, bright sound, I play with heavy overdrive, I play chords or two string bass droning faux chords, and I mostly play off of the neck pickup on any bass, I really prefer a bright crisp, often biting and driving, gritty tone to a low deep, round sound. When I switch to the bridge pickup it all sounds like mud to me, I don't like the thud and undefined tone of finger picking and rolling off the tone..... I guess this is just kind of a rant..... I just feel singled out a lot for my style. I don't play flats, I don't play with my fingers, I like playing like a freight train, I play like lemmy, I'm not afraid of using chords and such.... I guess I'm just looking for a smoke signal in the dark...... like I'm not alone. AM I ALONE?!
 
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#4
We evolve. If I go back to 77 to 80. Your thing might not be far off mine. I was seriously aggro for a time. SVT, PBass, RotoSound Swing Bass rounds. Fingers and a pick. A very 'wound up' kinda sound. Prog Rock to punk reaction to disco... Fast forward and I'm playing flats, country, blues, vocal pop... Singing a lot and really enjoying that it really isn't all about the bass... I grew up on Zeppelin, Mountain, Deep Purple, Crimson and Yes, etc... I kinda like playing sparse and letting the drummer lead. I get to play the hammer... I have a drummer I can trust to use the opportunity wisely...

These days for me it's about the hang ... I've gained a group of friends who like playing together and frankly - there is no tone that can begin to compete... So like ... Life is to short for absolutes...
 
#6
4Mal said:
Bridger would be the only thing worth bothering with unless you are Tele with a guide, a cat or helo ... IMO...
Click to expand...
Like about 80% of the interactions I have with people in Bozeman, the conversation always gets derailed to skiing, so let's not have this conversation on a bass forum, I hear it enough face to face day in day out to not care about it in everyday life to have to suffer through it on the Internet haha
 
#7
4Mal said:
We evolve. If I go back to 77 to 80. Your thing might not be far off mine. I was seriously aggro for a time. SVT, PBass, RotoSound Swing Bass rounds. Fingers and a pick. A very 'wound up' kinda sound. Prog Rock to punk reaction to disco... Fast forward and I'm playing flats, country, blues, vocal pop... Singing a lot and really enjoying that it really isn't all about the bass... I grew up on Zeppelin, Mountain, Deep Purple, Crimson and Yes, etc... I kinda like playing sparse and letting the drummer lead. I get to play the hammer... I have a drummer I can trust to use the opportunity wisely...

These days for
Click to expand...
4Mal said:
We evolve. If I go back to 77 to 80. Your thing might not be far off mine. I was seriously aggro for a time. SVT, PBass, RotoSound Swing Bass rounds. Fingers and a pick. A very 'wound up' kinda sound. Prog Rock to punk reaction to disco... Fast forward and I'm playing flats, country, blues, vocal pop... Singing a lot and really enjoying that it really isn't all about the bass... I grew up on Zeppelin, Mountain, Deep Purple, Crimson and Yes, etc... I kinda like playing sparse and letting the drummer lead. I get to play the hammer... I have a drummer I can trust to use the opportunity wisely...

These days for me it's about the hang ... I've gained a group of friends who like playing together and frankly - there is no tone that can begin to compete... So like ... Life is to short for absolutes...
Click to expand...
Well I do all of the singing and songwriting in my band and I agree that life is too short for absolutes, but it absolutely bugs the crap out of me when the majority of people say "your tone is really awesome and unique, you really know your way around the fret board, you play like, lead bass" haha, then they say, "you should try playing with your fingers" which I have and I have no interest in for the last 9 years or so haha
 
#8
4Mal said:
Bridger would be the only thing worth bothering with unless you are Tele with a guide, a cat or helo ... IMO...
Click to expand...
Sorry, I'm not trying to be too much a a-hole or jerk, I'm just talking out my a$$ all In good fun, I appreciate your opinion and take on things, thank you for your input. What do I know, I'm just a young buck, and of course, I think I got it all figured out, who knows what I'll have to say in 10 years!
 
#9
Your description of your tone is probably the favorite part of my playing repertoire. If I could subsist on just playing TOOL, Megadeth, Yes, Alice in Chains, Kansas, King Crimson, et al, I would do it. But IMO it's fine to be narrowly defined in your playing style, but always strive to be broad in your creativity. You just need to find other players who appreciate what you do (original bands front and center on this).
 
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#10
Loren Herrington said:
So I've definitely noticed in the just over 10 years I've been playing bass and in bands, (and even more confirmed since I've been on this forum) my style is definitely not most popular as a bassist. I play with a pick, I prefer a really trebley, bright sound, I play with heavy overdrive, I play chords or two string bass droning faux chords, and I mostly play off of the neck pickup on any bass, I really prefer a bright crisp, often biting and driving, gritty tone to a low deep, round sound. When I switch to the bridge pickup it all sounds like mud to me, I don't like the thud and undefined tone of finger picking and rolling off the tone..... I guess this is just kind of a rant..... I just feel singled out a lot for my style. I don't play flats, I don't play with my fingers, I like playing like a freight train, I play like lemmy, I'm not afraid of using chords and such.... I guess I'm just looking for a smoke signal in the dark...... like I'm not alone. AM I ALONE?!
Click to expand...

No, you are NOT alone. (Sorry, I just caught this and fixed it.)

It's a big ol' planet. Put yer stuff out there and show it off. You'll get there.
 
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#13
I play laid back, kind of reserved and my tone is strong bottom end with midrange definition and a bit of high sizzle. Your tone and style are the antithesis of mine, but I play in a top 40 dance rock band. I say as long as you're true to the music, who gives a rats a$$ ?
 
#14
If your audience likes your sound, anyone else (other musicians) can get attached to another object by an incline plane wrapped helically around an axis.

I tend to roll my tone back (or is it foreward?) if from the off, I am about 75% I guess so whatever, pretty bright. I play nickel rounds, and try for a pretty bouncy, aggressive attack, but not quite pick style...

Picking isn't my thing, but I don't dislike it, I am just no good at it...
 
#15
having your own style is cool ... but not being able or willing to adapt to a given situation will definitely limit the amount of gigs you can get ... i've done Power Trio , Polka Band , Wedding gig , .. all in 1 weekend ...!
and that was just on bass ... i also play keys ( main instrument ) , guitar , trumpet , vocals ...

if you grow to like money and nice toys more than ' having just one gear ' ... life will be more fun .. !
 
#18
JackANSI said:
You could play with a hair dryer and a cantaloupe... I'll listen as long as you bring it. There isn't a right way to play, I've found. There is only someone's opinion about it. If someone else's opinion bothers you, I'd say you've got a bigger issue than pick v. fingers.
Click to expand...

:laugh::roflmao::hyper:

Hair Dryer and a Cantaloupe. The image of Gallagher leaps to mind...
 
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#19
Way too many people on TB that want to stuff everyone into their own sad little box. You think Larry Graham asked anyone if it was OK to slap a bass?

I applaud people that spend more time developing their own sound and less time worrying about, 'How do I cop Geddy's tone?"

When was the last time we saw a thread, "How do I develop my own sound?"
 
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