• 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.

What do you NOT like about playing bass?

#84
I don't like other bass players who whine about how they get into volume wars with other instruments. I also don't like to hear other bass players complain about not getting any recognition. Sensitive egos? Geez, it's like a room full of guitar players (or trumpet players, heh).

Seriously though, my only gripe about playing bass (and it's a minor one), I've never met a guitar player who has had to fix their amp or speakers as often as I have had to. Even when I was a guitar player in a former life, I never had to repair my amp. As a bass player, I've had to fix EVERY ONE of my cabs at LEAST once. I've also had to repair two amps (one combo, one head), and the bridge pup on one of my basses crapped out on me. Best part of all of this? Techs who fixed my equipment say, "it's just normal wear and tear. You didn't do anything wrong."
 
#88
excellent thread...
The things that I don't like would be...
It's a physically demanding instrument, especially if you're a little underpowered which is hell. But even practicing alone I strain my wrist and get achy and tired.
It can be difficult, or expensive, to get a good tone. Lets face it, those frequencies are not easy to amplify. Which brings me to my speaker cabinet, ouch, I'm too old to lug this thing around any more.
It can be hard to play anything interesting by yourself. Sometimes I'm in the mood for solo bass but the real deal for me is the interaction of the rhythm section.
 
#92
scrove said:
When I'm carrying my upright, "Bet you wish you woulda played flute, instead of that big monster.":rollno:

I hate those kind of comments.
Click to expand...

I play tenor sax and people say the same thing...

And I really hate the cost of strings. I think someone already mentioned the 10 guitar sets for $30 deal at Guitar Center. And then I have to pay that much for 1 5-string set! I also hate not being able to play chords that don't sound like mud.
 
#94
boredom whilst by myself.

I always looks forwards to jamming with my band, always hoping the drummer remembers his recording device so I have something to work on during the downtime.

Otherwise I play normal guitar, and I don't have the want or money to play that seriously, so little progress is made by myself (unless of course, the beforementioned circumstances).

oh yes and as just mentioned, not only the cost of strings, but the difference in sound quality of new vs old strings on a bass. My guitarist buys 5 packs of strings a go and that does him for a year. I buy one pack and make them last half a year if I can (boiling etc). My guitar strings are a year old and compared to some fresh strings on a guitar they sound fine. Bass strings after 2 months sound super flat and dead after 2 months. The difference is huge.

Of course, theres also the fact that all these things I go through to get the perfect tone (like, the difference in punchiness of new vs old strings is huge, and imo makes a huge diff on some of the songs we play), I don't think ANYONE outside of bass players who have been playing a few years notices or gives a crap about such a thing. The song would sound completley horrible with a super smooth tone, but no one cares enough to notice.

Thats where your money goes. To hopefully entertain people who wouldn't notice the diff between a 15 watt practice amp (besides volume) and a 1000 supermegawatt amp.

Such is life.
 
#96
Mmm. I would have to say bassy guitarists. Sure it sounds good in your bedroom by your self, but with the band there are other instruments too. Your excessive bassy tone makes me take all the bass out of my tone to try to balance the sound. Then I have to turn way up to be heard. Then I get "oh you are too trebly"
 
#98
the amount of bass gear like if you walk into a music store there is allways going to be 2 or 3 times more gear than bass. and i love effects and i would be nice being a guitarist not being scared about the effect doing the pac-man on your low end, every time i walk over to the effects at the music store my head is fill with the sound of WAKA WAKA WAKA!!! :crying:
 
#99
Well since I'm in a prog metal band, the stuff I play is about the same level difficulty as my guitardist, which is to say, flashy.
We both got new instruments (7 string for him, 5 for me), and he pulls out some intense new riffs that sound great, and expects me to emulate them....but it doesn't matter how I eq it, 16th notes at 160 bpm in 7/8 time all on the low A (we tune down one step) will not be heard, or just sound muddy.

+1 for expensive strings

Plus having underage girls hitting on me, and having to politely explain that just talking to them could somehow land me in jail.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back