You think the audience doesn't notice? Think again!

[Tim Skaggs]

Awww... come on, are you LOOKING for an argument? Trolling? Can't we be adults here and state opinions without being jumped on and referred to as stupid? I have said here a few times that most of our audiences don't react to some of the subtle nuances of our craft and changes in our gear - BUT I NEVER called them STUPID! I never would. Those are YOUR words. Please refrain.
Of 3000 people at your gig you got 20 to 30 who came up and mentioned to you about the difference in your sound. That is under 1% of your audience. 99% came to hear some good music which you provided with or without a different bass with new strings. Sure, probably some more of them heard a difference but didn't come up to you and tell you about it - they were just there to have a good time and listen to good music. THAT is what MOST cared about.
Most audiences listening to an orchestra don't want to know what kind of strings the violinist uses or whether they are new or old or what kind of hair the bow is made of. WE are the musicians and WE care about those kind of things, in part in order to provide our audience with what WE think is the best kind of music we can deliver to them. THAT is the respect we owe an audience that pays money to listen to us. To do our best in the moment.
Part of doing our best is that mental attitude of having and playing an instrument that makes US feel good about playing it. That translates into better music most of the time whether anyone ELSE hears specific real differences in gear or not. Our job in front of an audience is not to impress them with our gear, but show them a good time for their money spent. WE are the NERDS - the people who easily hear(or think we hear) differences and nuances in our sound and chase that perfect sound we hear in our heads. SURE, some hear the differences we make in our gear and some tell you about it. MOST don't. That doesn't make them STUPID - just not musicians like us(a good thing? a bad thing?) Throwing the word STUPID around in a conversation about gear almost never serves any purpose but to rile people up. Please refrain. There are better uses for this website than that. PLEASE.

I have to agree. I'm roughly in my 37th year playing out in front of various size crowds and MIssing Link describes my experiences accurately for the most part.

Crowds I've played for consists of strangers and regulars. Only those who had seen me play a few times would ever come up to comment about my tone, (as was described in this thread) and it was usually a very generic observation. Those that came up to comment about my tone with any detail to their description were musicians, but not always bassists.

I'd say the most astute observers of tone by non-musicians have been club owners that have seen many different bands in their venue. Those folks will tell you what they think without pulling any punches. When they hear something they like, they usually let you know. When they hear something they don't like they always let you know.

Audiences are a little bit the opposite. The few non-musicians I've had comment on tone usually know me / the band. Few are critical, but one thing they seem to have in common is noticing a change from the previous time(s) they saw you. Some are ignorant about which instrument creates which sound & some are more knowledgeable.

I've never thought any audience doesn't notice at all, but I would say most audiences I've played for don't notice individual instruments a tenth as much as they notice the overall band tone / sound.

 

[40Hz]

… I just think it's odd that anyone would want to talk to the bass player.

I don’t find it odd or far fetched. Back in my serious band days I’d have people come up to me all the time during breaks and after shows to talk or ask questions - some of which were very insightful and interesting questions.

I also noticed any time I was playing my friend’s Fireglo 4001 I’d have a lady or two walk up afterwards. They always seemed to be particularly intrigued by the looks and sound of that bass. Never quite got used to that one.

 

[Nev375]

My point is that l have lots of conversation with my audience about all kinds of things. ...great conversations in many cases, but seldom about bass tone. What’s your point? ...and what’s medication have to do with it

It was an attempt at humor to suggest that the people you see are hallucinations. I thought it was an obvious reference and did not think anyone would tale it serious.

I'm really sorry if it offended you.

 

[TomB]

It was an attempt at humor to suggest that the people you see are hallucinations. I thought it was an obvious reference and did not think anyone would tale it serious.

I'm really sorry if it offended you.

Got it. I'll lighten up (now where are those meds?)...

 

[JPaulGeddy]

Geez, maybe we should talk about politics or religion, instead of these divisive issues.

 

[Loring]

Arrogant not because you want to please, because you think the other that not think exactly like you are stupids...

I didn' actually say that at all... whatever though I'll wear whatever moniker you want to throw at me. I don't think people are stupid - perhaps suffering from hubris. Perhaps looking for reasons not to care whatever. Justify whatever, however you like. If there's even one person in the audience that appreciates my effort I'm happy and will continue.

I will never say "why should I bother no one notices anyways."

If that makes me arrogant then I'll wear that with pride. Sling away - I'm not offended or affected.

I think jimmy's point was simply that those of you underestimating your audience should maybe take a closer look. It just had a little too much hyperbole added in.

 

[JimmyM]

"I've been using my Hammersmith with a very dead set of Dunlop Super Bright Nickels there pretty much exclusively most of the year. Tonight I got a wild hair and brought out my modded 76 Precision with a newish set of the same strings instead. Both these basses have Geezer PJ's, and to me they sound about the same when the strings have comparable wear. Everything else was the same as usual."

Jimmy, I don't dislike you at all. Really I don't. But right there you said both basses sound the same to you with strings "of comparable wear". Everything was the same as usual. Now, I am not a stupid person, so I interpret that sentence to mean the audience noticed the "newish set of strings". And IN MY OPINION, I don't believe it. I'm sorry. I don't want to bury you six feet under because of something you wrote. I have a right to my opinion, but I just have a hard time swallowing this one.

Swallow whatever you want. Again, I said they said that my Fender with newer strings "sounded edgier and more aggressive." Not one person knew why, but several people heard it, and that was the only practical difference between the Hammersmith and the Fender.

Yeah, I know you've played a lot of gigs, but I've played thousands of gigs, too, and NEVER have I had someone come up to me to tell me my bass tone sounded "different" after I've changed strings.

And this has what to do with anything?

You also said "The lesson YOU should learn is that if you think your audience is so stupid that they can't tell the difference in your sound no matter what you use, maybe they're not the stupid ones.
So if I put new strings on my bass, and nobody comes up to me and says they noticed my bass sounded brighter, means I'm stupid? If they aren't the stupid ones, whom do you infer are the stupid ones?

Oh for the love of...

Listen, it's so obvious that you extrapolated something I never said nor intended to say out of what I said because you wanted to be offended by it, but you couldn't think of something that was truly offensive so you made it up. Suit yourself, but I refuse to make further comment because it's ridiculous.

The last thing I want to say is that not everyone on this forum thinks everything you say is gospel. Sorry, man.

Congratulations, dude! You really brought that bloated stuffed shirt Jimmy down a few pegs! Nobody will ever listen to a word he says again, and his bid for Congress is over!

 

[JimmyM]

I didn' actually say that at all... whatever though I'll wear whatever moniker you want to throw at me. I don't think people are stupid - perhaps suffering from hubris. Perhaps looking for reasons not to care whatever. Justify whatever, however you like. If there's even one person in the audience that appreciates my effort I'm happy and will continue.

I will never say "why should I bother no one notices anyways."

If that makes me arrogant then I'll wear that with pride. Sling away - I'm not offended or affected.

I think jimmy's point was simply that those of you underestimating your audience should maybe take a closer look. It just had a little too much hyperbole added in.

After some of these crazy arguments where people are extrapolating whatever they want to think I said instead of what I really said, I think maybe I didn't have enough hyperbole

 

[bumperbass]

Merry Christmas, Jimmy.

 

[Whil57]

And to all a good night? (Hope i get Fire The Drummer coupons tomorrow).

 

[JimmyM]

Merry Christmas, Jimmy.

And a very merry Christmas to you as well, Bumper!

 

[10cc]

The only time I ever had a member of an audience (that wasn't a musician) make a comment about my bass, was my neighbor a few years back. Every once in a blue moon he'd hop in the truck and ride along for the night.

This particular night on the way home he said "Man what was different about your bass tonight?" I asked "What do you mean?" He said it sounded so much better than usual. I didn't do anything different except for one thing. My SVT was in for repairs so I brought an old Acoustic 320 and ran it through my Ampeg 810. Anyhow he wouldn't shut up about how much better the "baby blue amp" sounded over the SVT the entire drive home. So either he is the stupid one or I'm the dumb ass carrying around an SVT for all those years!?

So what does this have to do with anything? Nothing. Just the same as this thread.

As long as it's lower than the guitars, in key and higher than the kick drum most folks other than the bass players in the audience don't give a crap about the bass. Unless it's being slapped hahahaha.

Merry Christmas TB

Also noticing and really caring are two very different things.

 

[MR PC]

A Kumbaya moment on TB!

 

[MegaSwing]

Sounds like they need to be dancing more.

 

[Nev375]

I don’t find it odd or far fetched. Back in my serious band days I’d have people come up to me all the time during breaks and after shows to talk or ask questions - some of which were very insightful and interesting questions.

I also noticed any time I was playing my friend’s Fireglo 4001 I’d have a lady or two walk up afterwards. They always seemed to be particularly intrigued by the looks and sound of that bass. Never quite got used to that one.

For what it's worth, 90% of everything I post on talkbass is not serious and meant to be funny in some way.

I try to be light hearted here because there's enough seriousness and worry in the real world. In reality, I'm a quiet, boring 47 year old man who is looking for various ways to escape the humdrum of everyday life. I don't get out much anymore. Some might call me a hermit. Playing bass is one escape, coming here to talkbass is another. You guys are a big part of my social contact in the world and I'm very thankful to be able to kid around with you all. I'm not here to insult any of you... well, except that one guy who didn't get a box with his pedal. What a dingledork!

So Merry Christmas all of you, God bless and please don't take me so seriously.

I know if you have to explain a joke it makes it less funny, so I won't.
Instead I'll just offer this old comedy sketch which seems to be vaguely relevant to the subject at hand.

 

[Drgonzonm]

For what it's worth, 90% of everything I post on talkbass is not serious and meant to be funny in some way.....
I know if you have to explain a joke it makes it less funny, so I won't.
.....

I suffer from the same efflication,
I follow an old adage in comedy:"don't quit your day job."
So I play bass,
And yes our names aren't Shirley, and we aren't serious.

 

[Son of Wobble]

I just love being called, "joker" and "stupid".

 

[FugaziBomb]

So if I ever hear any of you jokers try to claim that the audience doesn't know or care about your sound again, I will tell you that you're a very arrogant person who has zero respect for your audiences.

 

[Drgonzonm]

Sometimes I think I hang with the wrong crowd. (We are the ones in the audience talking) we make comments, like that dancer got great jazz hands, or that dancer looks more natural. Plus that cantor ain't singing in the same key she/he's playing.
Yeah, I'm a member of the critical club.
Believe me, we appreciate good talent, because most of what I see is vastly superior to my mediocre offerings.
A significant percentage of Jimmym's audience likely played in band or orchestra or maybe sang in chior, they won't call themselves musicians, but they know what notes are, they learned a little about treble clef.
How many Jocks do you remember, those playing music in middle school and high school outnumbered the jocks. To me, the audience knows, and does see changes.

 

[40Hz]

For what it's worth, 90% of everything I post on talkbass is not serious and meant to be funny in some way.

And here I thought I was being lighthearted too. No offence was taken.

Such are the limitations of communicating in text. The whole tone goes right out the window.

Still, it’s Christmas folks! Everybody have a safe and happy. And be sure to play some music if you get a chance.