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Double Bass What is it with Bluegrass players?
- Thread starter Wings
- Start date
I had a friend who named his dog "Go Away". Poor pup got very confused, didn't know what to do...
"C'mere Go 'way..."
Amber rainstorm warning here yesterday and the Mando player didn't want to soak his '32 (or '28 or whatever it's OLD) Gibson vintage wood, so I didn't get to meet the new Bluegrass ensemble afterall. Going to try again soon...
"C'mere Go 'way..."
Amber rainstorm warning here yesterday and the Mando player didn't want to soak his '32 (or '28 or whatever it's OLD) Gibson vintage wood, so I didn't get to meet the new Bluegrass ensemble afterall. Going to try again soon...
I understand the universal hate for WW (the song that must not be named).
But I'd rather play that than some of the other drivel songs (also must not be named but rhyme with "putang shall we") that i've been requested to play in rock bands.
But I'd rather play that than some of the other drivel songs (also must not be named but rhyme with "putang shall we") that i've been requested to play in rock bands.
Price already reduced once from original listing, but still I think overpriced due to condition. I would not go over $1,000 USD. But then, I'm out of the Bassoguitar market; I've got mine.
Rare unique vintage bass - 1937 Regal Bassoguitar upright bass! For collectors!
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Had a similar experience with a Jazz group. Showed up with my 4 string Schecter (picture) and the sax player sort of wrinkles his nose and said, "No upright?".
I've since gotten one and am currently in a Bluegrass band. It's cool. But frankly, it's hard work! ha
I've since gotten one and am currently in a Bluegrass band. It's cool. But frankly, it's hard work! ha
This is quite a thread.
If I'm a traditionalist, does my upright need to be American made or imported? Maple or Spruce top? Ebony or stained rosewood fingerboard? New or antique? Full-size or 3/4? Fully acoustic or with a pickup of some sort? Piezo pickup or internal microphone? Microphone or un-amplified.
There's no such thing as a traditionalist. You can approach a level of traditionalism but you can never achieve it.
If you're going to let an electric player in the band, make sure they know their place sonicly, know their place musically, and know their place in the mix in terms of volume. If you can control those variables there is no reason you should prefer an upright bass or an electric bass.
Derek
If I'm a traditionalist, does my upright need to be American made or imported? Maple or Spruce top? Ebony or stained rosewood fingerboard? New or antique? Full-size or 3/4? Fully acoustic or with a pickup of some sort? Piezo pickup or internal microphone? Microphone or un-amplified.
There's no such thing as a traditionalist. You can approach a level of traditionalism but you can never achieve it.
If you're going to let an electric player in the band, make sure they know their place sonicly, know their place musically, and know their place in the mix in terms of volume. If you can control those variables there is no reason you should prefer an upright bass or an electric bass.
Derek
Theoretically, I guess it could happen. But all the evidence I've seen tends to go against the concept.
I can't totally agree, I think there is a sonic difference between upright bass played without amplification and electric bass played with light amplification.
Last night some friends and I got together and played. My upright is in the shop so I brought an electric and a practice amp. I think I've got it reasonably dialed in to mimic an upright tone (flatwound strings on a Precision bass; foam rubber under the strings next to the bridge to provide some muting; more or less flat amp settings). I played pretty softly. I think it went well and was reasonable. Still, it wasn't the same as moving an upright bass' worth of air.
I think there would be a lot less difference in playing to a large crowd through full PA and lots of amps, assuming the electric bassist wanted to mimic the sound of an upright.
For me one of the joys of playing bluegrass is the all-acoustic nature of jamming.
I couldn't agree more and that is what makes this thinking in such generalities frustrating. To say a certain instrument, etc. will NEVER work in any genre is just too broad a statement.
Obviously an electric will never sound or play (attack, sustain, decay) like an upright. But that being said you can, IMHO, make an electric fit in well with bluegrass. As you put it well, you need to fit in the genre and mix regardless of what you are instrument or genre playing. I've played electric in a bluegrass band successfully and no one gave it a second thought (an old Fender P with a deep tone). And I've seen many bands where I would say the same thing. Hot Rize is a big name that comes to mind. But I've also seen bluegrass bands where the bass player was not only playing with a very punchy mid forward slightly overdriven tone that would fit better in modern rock but also playing very busy lines and the result is, well, not pleasing to my bass-focused ears.
nick forster - the OG of BG in BG!!!
all rules apply to everyone except to nick.....and pete who uses a phaser on his banjo!
The Banjo Phaser is a really good band name for a progressive Americana group.
nick forster - the OG of BG in BG!!!
all rules apply to everyone except to nick.....and pete who uses a phaser on his banjo!
neddy: I could have done without the banjo phaser...but Nick played the EB simply and with good time so it did not detract from the sound of Hot Rize. Or Red Knuckles!
agree!
nick did it so well....no one ever cared!
the phaser is not really complimentary sound to the banjo......its annoying enough
nick did it so well....no one ever cared!
the phaser is not really complimentary sound to the banjo......its annoying enough
I totally agree !00% . I hate having to use an amp on gigs that require it. It's just a can of worms but probably a can that cannot be denied . I'm just gonna have to deal with my rig):
There are always folks that like the traditional sound of things and we should all know how to play the proper bass lines when we are (hopefully) getting paid to play a certain way...BUT>>> When I'm playing for "Joy" It's fundamentally traditional bluegrass but I reserve the right to play like a jazz player and all that that entails. I guess that's Jazz Grass? Tony Rice was doing it years ago so it's nothing new
agree!
nick did it so well....no one ever cared!
the phaser is not really complimentary sound to the banjo......its annoying enough
neddy: The only way I would ever use an electric bass on stage in a bluegrass /acoustic band would be with my P-Bass (with Seymour Duncan quarter-pounder pickups ) through a tube pre.....directly into the board. I think it could be set up on the board to sound big, fat and round. Much better for the sound tech than going through a stage amp.
I hope that day never comes though. I still like to move some air when I play bass.
Quick fix to anyone giving you trouble about the instrument you bring to the jam or gig: a gentle and well-placed "Oh, grow up", while you plug in your axe.
skwee: That would not be a great way to start playing with folks at a jam. Far better you smile and say " I don't think you'll have any problem with me playing this." Then proceed to lay down a nice un-busy bass line with good bass tone and a volume level that fits the session. Dancing up and down the fingerboard with trebly roundwound strings and no regard for the music will clear the room out in a hurry. You couldn't blame them.
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I guess if you are an experienced bluegrass player and you show up with an electric and there is a shortage of bass players you may get away with disrespecting the music and saying"Grow up". If I was running a session (or had a gig ) and all I could find is a smart mouth electric player I'd find a musician who knows the music and "beg,borrow or steal" an upright for them. You need almost no left hand technique to play most bluegrass bass so somebody who knows the music can pick it up and start jam/gigging in a few months.
Hot Rize is really an exception to the rule.99% of bluegrass is all acoustic for a reason. It just sounds wonderful to have a group of string instruments all resonating off of each other in a small to medium space. That's how it got started. Folks jamming on front porches and living rooms. Amplification is a necessary evil and has to be approached in a manner to catch the acoustic resonances of the instruments as much as possible.
Electric bass guitar has no acoustic resonance.
