What do you NOT like about playing bass?

[hitch]

Speaking of that, I saw a Custom Shop Relic Fender Strat today at a local music store for $1100. Hell, I nearly bought it and I can barely play guitar. I have a Custom Shop 64 Jazz Relic that I bought new and I paid $2600 after taxes for it. I am going to do a little more research from my buddy at the store about that strat, but it just showed up the other day and this store isn't a used instrument type of store.

 

[Vic Winters]

You're right! I had forgotten how much I don't like the weight. I had a chiropractor tell me I really needed to switch from shoulder to shoulder during long gigs. So I do. I can play just as well with the bass slung over my right shoulder. And I think I've seen a strap that works over both shoulders?? Hafta look into that...

Planet Waves Dare Guitar Strap

Invalid Link Removed


See the Bass Bigotry thread for my gripe.

 

[Ramstien]

The worst thing is the **** I cop from friends about it being the easiest instrument. That and the type of music I play is pretty repetitive.

 

[thumperbob 2002]

I play a warwich thumb which is very heavy- I had a motorcycle accident a couple of years ago and broke my right collar bone (ouch )

I hate it when my strap ( which goes over the broken bone ) makes a mark on my collarbone that looks as though the bone is coming through ( again )

Mind you whatever pain it causes me I absolutely love the tone I get and could an do play for hours!!

Cheers

Bob

 

[Rattman]

The worst thing is the sh!t I cop from friends about it being the "easiest" instrument. That and the type of music I play is pretty repetitive.

Ohhhh .... grrrrrrr! That comment poured cold water all over my whole body. I think if one of my 'friends' were to say that to me, that might be a good reason to re-examine the relationship for any further value.. boy that was cold! :scowl:

 

[Alan Vorse]

4. Acoustic Bassis are totally worthless.

Are you talking about Acoustic Bass Guitar or Double Bass?

 

[QORC]

For me, there are only two things I don’t like about playing bass.

1. Its boring playing by yourself. Sure, I practice to recordings, work on sight reading; work on technique and tone, etc. But it’s boring most of the time. If I’m playing for my personal enjoyment, mostly I’m playing guitar or piano. Of course, playing with others is a total hoot.

2. The gear is dang heavy. I envy guitar players’ dinky amps. I long for the day when technology allows us to make inflatable bass amps. And my gigging amp is only 67lbs, which is small as bass amps go. But the band still calls it “the beast” because it’s a pain to move around.

What about you? Anything else you don’t like about being the bass player?

1. Being disrespected within the band context. Don't know why this happens so often. They just look at the bass as the "easy instrument" and don't really think of us as musicians?

 

[Mickey Shane]

Love playing bass first off, but I hate it when the guitar player makes a mistake and immediately everyone looks at the bass player thinking that we made the mistake. Especially when its a 3 piece band with an "exclusive" lead singer. I hate that look.

Yes, you have elloquently stated my bass pet peeve. I used to argue the point, but no one ever really believed me. You feel like an innocent man on death row.

The best way to get rid of that problem is to get in a band with players that don't make mistakes, or as few as is humanly possible.

I'm in a band now where that issue seldom comes up. It still does every great once in a while and I say "oops, sorry".

 

[dougness]

Playing with keyboard players who insist on playing in my register with their left hand.

Bass is not the best instrument for a solo gig. I know someone has already responded to this, but in my opinion, while amazing things can be done on the bass as a solo instrument, other instruments are better suited to solo work. I'm not talking about the ability to play great solo pieces, I'm talking about getting hired to play for a couple of hours as a soloist.

Dead spots. My Pedulla 6-string Thunderbass is the only bass I own that doesn’t have any noticeable dead spots. There are some weaker notes if you go looking, as with all basses, but I don’t notice them ever when I play. On the other hand, every bolt-on bass I’ve played has bad dead spots, typically around the 5th to 7th frets of the G string. Trouble is that I prefer bolt-on basses and the dead spots drive me crazy. I own three Fenders. I love the tone, but hate the dead spots. It’s like falling into a black hole. If you land there on a ballad and need that note to ring, you’re just screwed.

I can’t complain about lugging gear. Compared to keyboard players and drummers, we’ve got it easy.

 

[wingnut]

Seems like everything cost twice as much and it's at least twice as heavy compared to guitar. I think I'll play the triangle in my next band! Guitar players always want to put their grubby little meat beaters on my upright!

 

[Audiophage]

Falling into the cliches of bass playerdom. I try my hardest to not do that. Also, the fact that my car doesn't fit my upright.

 

[Just J]

1) Singing and playing at the same time. It's totally kicking my ass and driving me nuts. My band is pushing me pretty hard too, they want to get one of the guitarists of the mic because he can't sing a lick.

2) Acoustic electric bass guitars and feedback. Did a gig on Wednesday and first the low G would feedback, made playing a specific track with a half note held G an absolute bitch to play. Then the open E would begin ringing, when my solos came up I had to constantly mute the string so they ended up sounding crap.

3) People talking to me while I'm playing. This happens when I'm DJing too. Last gig a guy walks up to me and starts talking right during my solo. Hello? You're standing right over the friggin amp, can you not hear that?

4) Volume wars with the guitarists. The PA kicks the crap out of my little tilt back, so I start distorting when I turn up to keep up. I got a new tilt back, so we'll see if it keeps up better.

 

[Vic Winters]

Power/$ is cheaper in guitar world, obviously because it requires less power to make a guitar loud than a bass loud. You can have a loud as hell guitar rig for $300. Used Crate GFX1200H ($99) into a B52 4x12 ($200). But when it comes to quality/$ they're about even.

This is just an example, as stereotypical as possible (what you'd see in 90% of bar gigs) not including effects. Just simple instrument, amp, cab.

Guitarist:

Gibson Les Paul Studio - $1200
Marshall JCM2000 Dual Super Lead 100 Head - $1400
Marshall MC412 - $600

Total: $3200

Bass:

MIA P-Bass $1000
SVT-CL - $1600
SVT-810E - $1000

Total: $3600

 

[dman_113]

The guitarist telling you to tone it down during his solos because "No one listens to the bass and drums anyway". Oh sorry axe god would you like quarter note roots with that kick in the balls. Plus I had and intriguing conversation with a soundman one night because I stood on the "wrong side of the stage", he explained to me that all good bassist stood on the hi-hat side as I like to stand on the ride side of the drums. Actually I like to stand anywhere as long as its on a stage.

 

[Dave R]

Also, the fact that my car doesn't fit my upright.

Oooh, yeah. Its hard enough to fit an amp in a normal car. An upright is much worse. I use a minivan with an easily folded rear seat (a Previa.)

 

[SixStrings]

But you can say, I'd rather you mic the cabinet or, please take the D.I. off of my (insert manufacture/model number here).

That's telling, not asking...I didn't say be an ass about it just don't back down on it.

Playing with keyboard players who insist on playing in my register with their left hand.

When we first incorporated keys into one of the bands I'm in all the guy did was mimic the rhythm guitarist 90% of the time...while dropping his left hand into my octave. Infuriated me. But it's an easy problem to solve-the question "why am I even in the band if you're covering the notes I'm playing" pretty much settles things. Now our keys sound great and add a lot of the depth to the music.

I'm still maintaining that you people that are whining about cost are just not looking hard enough...or are stuck on brand names. Do you need to get an ampeg to be 'legit' as a bassist? No. My rig works for me fine and the entirety of it cost me >$1000. All because I shopped around. I know, it's tricky. The same for basses too-do you need a p-bass or stingray to sound good? No. I know this is blasphemy, but somewhere between $200 and $500 that you spend on those two basses (new mind you; the older ones are far, far superior) are purely for the brand name. What I will agree with that's been brought up is that there's far less selection for bass than for guitar...which is where the real problem lies.

 

[skaliwag66]

you need thick strong fingers

 

[cutthroatmolloy]

what i dont like is lugging my gear. even though my cabinets are lighter than the guitarists' cabiets.
i dont have any problems otehr than that.
except the odd person saying things about all bassists being failed guitarists and bass being easy and stuipd. but thats got nothing to do with me playing bass.

 

[NorCal Dog]

Load-in
Load-out

 

[seansbrew]

Things I do not like about playing bass. This is a fun one.

1) bass strings cost a fortune.

2) When people think I play bass because I am not intelligent enough to play guitar.

3) Acoustic bass guitars sound like poo within the context of my acoustic group. So I am forced to use my electric bass which now means I need my amp instead of just using front of house.

4) Being the bass player isn't nearly ass cool as being the guitar player.