Musician's can be such...

[mynan]

Is there any other medium with so many baseless opinions flying around as facts?

I was at church last night...I know, pretty lame for a Friday night...but I was wanting to see if I could get a better sound in the house mix, so I was plugged straight into the board with no amp...which gave me an even greater appreciation for my Markbass rig.

A friend of mine, who's wanting to start playing bass, saw my jeep at church while driving by and stopped to say hello. He's been shopping for about a month, but I hadn't talked to him about it for a couple of weeks. His budget is only about $300, so I haven't been pushing for him to get an EBMM...yet.

He was with a friend of his and after what seemed like 20 minutes of him bragging about what a great musician his friend was, he told me that the guy had talked him into getting some $200 unlined fretless...for his first bass.

So I was sitting there with my bass on my lap...probably with my jaw on the floor imagining what it would have been like if my first bass was an unlined fretless...but before I could say anything, the guy points to my SR5 and says "You like that? Those are mainly for slapping, right?"

What a time to be without an amp. I gave the guy my best "puzzled" look and said "I don't know what you've heard, but this is the most versatile bass I've ever played...with attitude to spare. It's a tone monster, but it's completely tameable." I went through the different pickup switch positions and played with the eq, showing him some of the different sounds as best as I could through a church sound system.

After all that, the guy says "Well, I like that Motown sound. Can you get that?"...

 

[ashiin]

What a funny guy, i've seen many people like that before, cracks me up all the time!

 

[ImABassPlayer]

Your headline is wrong. That story just proves that the guy definitely is not a musician.

 

[oddjob]

You slap him upside the head with some Motown sound?!?!?!
I was talking to my kids in class yesterday about the difference between ignorance and stupidity and it is sad to say a bunch of musicians fall into both categories... esp this one.
Like Astin said, it is kind of funny when it happens (I played a benefit a few weeks back and this young hotshot (and he was a badass) shows up with his $200 bass and amp combo kit and was cracking on Kermit pretty openly - too bad the review of the show said "yes, he can play; however his sound is the sonic equal to that of a car without a muffler" - while we didn't get reviewed, I did get lots of great compliments) Always funny.

 

[mynan]

You slap him upside the head with some Motown sound?!?!?!

I honestly am not very familiar with Motown. When I hear "Motown", tortuous car rides as a kid with my dad blasting Temptations and Supremes is all that comes to mind. I switched to the neck bucker, pulled out some highs, boosted the lows a little, and did a very bad version of that opening riff to "My Girl". The guy acted like he was impressed with the tone, but who knows...

 

[phatduckk]

this is why "douche" is my current favorite word

 

[Caca de Kick]

I would have instantly ripped into Bernadette and then Gladys Knight's version of Heard it through the grapevine. Then asked him what he tought...

 

[Colin]

Your headline is wrong. That story just proves that the guy definitely is not a musician.

maybe he was a drummer?

 

[RitchieDarling]

maybe he was a drummer?

Maybe he was just a jackass?

Hey, Mynan, did you ask him what he played?

 

[mynan]

Maybe he was just a jackass?

Hey, Mynan, did you ask him what he played?

I didn't want to get into it with him for fear that my disgust would turn to hurling insults...after all, we were in church. I don't think he played anything spectacular. From the way my friend was bragging on him he sounded like one of those guys that plays every instrument known to man, but doesn't play any of them well and probably has a bunch of cheap instruments strewn around his room.

 

[hankSRay]

I love people like that. They make my day.

 

[timmy5strings]

When he asked about that Motown sound you should he stated " There's is no possible way to make these basses sound that bad" I can't believe someone would suggest an unlined frettless as a first bass unless the guy is moving over from double bass.

 

[Colin]

after all, we were in church.

maybe he thought it was confession and he was asking for forgiveness, for his bass related sins?

 

[adouglas]

Take inspiration from the locale.

Turn the other cheek.

He will either See The Light, or he won't. It is not your job to Save him.

Oh, and BTW...the BONGO is the most versatile bass ever, not the SR5.

 

[mynan]

Take inspiration from the locale.

Turn the other cheek.

He will either See The Light, or he won't. It is not your job to Save him.

Oh, and BTW...the BONGO is the most versatile bass ever, not the SR5.

Your charms won't work on me, Bongoloid...but you're probably right. I said "most versatile bass I've ever played". I should have said "owned".

 

[RitchieDarling]

I didn't want to get into it with him for fear that my disgust would turn to hurling insults...after all, we were in church. I don't think he played anything spectacular. From the way my friend was bragging on him he sounded like one of those guys that plays every instrument known to man, but doesn't play any of them well and probably has a bunch of cheap instruments strewn around his room.

Probably right............

I always love it when I show up with a Sterling, or even more strangely, a Steinberger, and I get the business from some dorko who swears by his Samick Strat copy....

As for it being in church, I have to say I don't believe there are many Reverend/Minister/Priest types who would deny you forgiveness for taking this guy down a few pegs!

R

 

[Aussie Mark]

When I hear "Motown", tortuous car rides as a kid with my dad blasting Temptations and Supremes is all that comes to mind.

If that's your memory of Motown, as a bass player you're missing out on something special. Grab a Supremes CD, boost the lows, put on some good headphones, and sit back and learn from Jamerson and Babbitt. If I were a bass teacher, that would be homework after the first lesson. Just because EBMM basses weren't used, recording techniques in those days were crappy, no slapping was involved, and the tunes may not be hip anymore is no reason to dismiss Motown (and Stax for that matter) as not relevant to bass players these days.

Your acquaintance may not be as dumb as he seems, given he apparently appreciates a little Motown.

 

[Caca de Kick]

Yes, Jamerson is still the king of the electric bass. Babbit had a huge hand in it too.
Just about every famous bassist still talks and looks at his work as a mark of genius and inspiration.

Here's a guy who's been adding Jamerson's original recorded tracks to his site, with the bass soloed so we can hear it.
There's a couple more tracks out there I know of, like Bernadette. It's a great listening and learning tool.

Rick Suchow - NYC Bassist ... Jaco Pastorius & James Jamerson tributes - MUSIC

 

[marduke]

haha there is a guy at my church who is the same, just bought this cheap as bass (a samick or something like that) it is so bad to play and sounds crap, but he keeps raving on about it, he broke the Gstring 3 weeks ago and hasnt replace it and wonders why the thing doesnt sound right! i just smile and nod

I fill in on the bass at my church quite a bit (as we dont have a dedicated bass player) and i love it, makes a good change from playing guitar every week. but im getting tired of playing the warwick we have... well after playing an EBMM sr5 who wouldnt be i think my next EBMM purchase will be a bass, not sure what though im leaning more towards the bongo 5.. (just watching the Satriani live! dvd with Dave LaRue playing a bongo and it sounds amazing!)

 

[MrMusashi]

heheh.. try working in a music store.. a new sucker every day.. some days every hour

"only my opinions are valid" is way too common these days

MrM