• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Victor Wooten Solo

#41
tb-player said:
It's interesting following his career. In the last couple of years, Vic has been very transparent about his diagnosis of focal dystonia which affects the nerves in his hands. His dexterity is significantly impacted by the disease. But Vic, being the master that he is, has found ways around it and is just as impressive as ever, only in a different way.
Click to expand...
Interesting, I was not aware of this. There's a clear difference between the Cory Wong feature and the one I posted from DMB, which I think was in '98 or '99. This might explain it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JimmyM
#42
Altitude said:
Interesting, I was not aware of this. There's a clear difference between the Cory Wong feature and the one I posted from DMB, which I think was in '98 or '99. This might explain it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, there's a definite difference in his playing style. I've been to symposiums with him and seen him live so many times. He definitely doesn't play the way he used to. But he's still the GOAT, in my book.

Here's the 1st interview about the disease I saw. It's pretty wild.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skokiaan, Maxi Funkl, JonathanPDX and 1 other person
#43
I caught the Boston date of this Cory Wong tour a few weeks ago. In classic House of Blues Boston fashion, the mix in the house was pretty rough and I couldn't hear the main bass player. Thankfully, Vic was EQed differently and he came through wonderfully. Apparently, he accidentally turned on the delay during a tune so when they finished he decided to play an improvised piece with the pedal so he at least did something intentional with it.

Great show.
 
#46
Altitude said:
Regarding the negative comments. Here's my theory.

People these days reject the concept of expertise. Everyone's a YouTube expert on whatever they want to know about, and they see no daylight between whatever understanding of a thing they picked up in between a burp and a fart and the mastery they might see evident in others.

You can't fake playing like Vic Wooten though, and none of these people can play like he can or even relate to it as an idea. So their defense mechanism is to make comments that are diminutive to that level of skill and commitment, in an effort to reduce the difference between it and whatever they have to "opinion."
Click to expand...
I hear you. I have no problem with people not liking his music, but how do you not like Vic as a person and at least respect his superhuman abilities?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maxi Funkl, JonathanPDX, ebo and 4 others
#50
Big respect for VW for his playing, and his generosity of spirit in his Bass Camps here in Tennessee.

Guys like him remind me of a great athlete in a given sport, who upon reading up on their background you find they played two or three other sports in HS or college just as well as their choice for a pro career. They were simply great athletes, with gifts to play most anything at such a high level.

This is how guys like VW, Stanley Clarke, Jaco, any number of inordinately talented bassists who I think were simply born fabulous muscians that happened to land on electric and/or upright bass. I play electric bass, and so does Vic, but he's simply on another planet I didn't get a ticket to.

Amazing as always.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Maxi Funkl, Reggie Hamilton, Dr. Cheese and 1 other person
#52
I saw him a few years ago when Steve Bailey and Anthony Wellington were touring with him. I knew I'd be impressed...I didn't think my wife would. She ended up enjoying herself and was as impressed as myself. Victor is a very talented bassist and a very humble person. Yes, he may showboat....but, let's face it, many of us would too if we had the ability and the opportunity.

No, I don't slap and I don't use a pick. The one thing I picked up from him was to be yourself on the bass and not to try to copy anyone else. That has resonated with me as much as any of what I was taught by my music professors in college.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maxi Funkl
#54
I like his tone. Though I've always suspected people are turned off by it partly because most bass players never try really light strings or stupid low action. It makes a big difference in how a bass plays & responds as well as how you approach it as a player.

I'd guess a lot of people complaining about how he sounds literally could not play a bass with his setup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maxi Funkl and JonathanPDX
#55
There are a lot of virtuoso bassists out there whose skill is inspirational but whose tone displeases me. I too am not the biggest fan of Victor Wooten's tone. It's too sizzly and "thin" for me to listen to for extended periods and while it's great for soloing, it's not to my liking for dense band mixes.

TANGENT:
That being said, I do like using light gauge strings, even in heavy contexts. Evan Marien inspired me to play with a lighter and more dynamic touch to yield a bigger sound. Derek Boyer of Suffocation uses fairly light strings and he can get a big sound without mashing/clobbering on a thick heavy string. And Doug Pinnick gets a heavy sound with light strings in his bands. I love all of their tones, for sure.

Another virtuoso bassist whose tone I'm not fond of is Billy Sheehan. He played some amazing bass lines on the Sons of Apollo debut album Psychotic Symphony, but his overly distorted tone just sounded like mud and got completely lost in the mix. A clean bass tone or at least the proverbial "DarkGlass" tone would have served the album much better. Still, the dude is a freaking MONSTER player who inspires many of us to improve.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eidolon0274
#57
Love Victor Wooten, from day one when I saw him on a GC SWR endorser clinic tour in 1998. His tone over the last 10 or so years has gotten "worse" as he seems to favor his bridge pickup for most things, which for me isnt the best sound for what he does, particularly on those EMG pickups (they almost always sound better blended)
 
#58
Dincrest said:
There are a lot of virtuoso bassists out there whose skill is inspirational but whose tone displeases me. I too am not the biggest fan of Victor Wooten's tone. It's too sizzly and "thin" for me to listen to for extended periods and while it's great for soloing, it's not to my liking for dense band mixes.

TANGENT:
That being said, I do like using light gauge strings, even in heavy contexts. Evan Marien inspired me to play with a lighter and more dynamic touch to yield a bigger sound. Derek Boyer of Suffocation uses fairly light strings and he can get a big sound without mashing/clobbering on a thick heavy string. And Doug Pinnick gets a heavy sound with light strings in his bands. I love all of their tones, for sure.

Another virtuoso bassist whose tone I'm not fond of is Billy Sheehan. He played some amazing bass lines on the Sons of Apollo debut album Psychotic Symphony, but his overly distorted tone just sounded like mud and got completely lost in the mix. A clean bass tone or at least the proverbial "DarkGlass" tone would have served the album much better. Still, the dude is a freaking MONSTER player who inspires many of us to improve.
Click to expand...

A Derek Boyer mention on TB!!! Oh man, made my day. Saw Suffocation live in 2016 on Summer Slaughter, his tone was THE BEST I've ever heard in live metal. Incredible, and his custom bass is crazy nice too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dincrest

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back