When people think you got a certain bass because "BLANK" has one...

ThunderFox

ThunderFox

Jul 5, 2017
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Great Britain
#1
Have you ever got a bass, just because you like it, or because you wanted a certain sound, and someone comes up to you and says, you must be a "BLANK" fan, when really, you just got it because you wanted it for yourself.

For example, if you had a violin shaped bass, and people instantly assume you got it because you're a Beatles fan (that's probably the best example, I'm not hating on the Beatles).

I do have an Epiphone Viola Bass, which is similar to McCartney's bass, but I bought because I liked the tone (very woody, nice for mellow songs), I do like the Beatles, but I'm not a big fan, mainly know the hits, and a few other songs, but that's it. I've also been told I must be a System Of The Down fan for having a T-Bird, only like 3 songs, not really a fan.

This topic is irrespective of whether or not you are a fan of someone or not. This is if you got a bass because YOU liked it, and not because you wanted to sound or look like a famous bassist (I have nothing against that by the way, horses for courses). To be honest, this hasn't happened a lot to myself, but it's has a few times, and I do see comments around the internet saying similar.

Let us know if you had someone say something like this to yourself.
 
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#3
I wanted a violin-shaped bass probably because of McCartney, but I don't like the sound of the Hofners or copies, so I had Bud LeCompte build this one for me. Aguilar OBP-3, Nordstrand soapbars. Amazing craftsmanship, playability and tone.

LeCompte-01.jpg


Photo by @George Himmel
 
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#4
ThunderFox said:
Have you ever got a bass, just because you like it, or because you wanted a certain sound, and someone comes up to you and says, you must be a "BLANK" fan, when really, you just got it because you wanted it for yourself.

For example, if you had a violin shaped bass, and people instantly assume you got it because you're a Beatles fan (that's probably the best example, I'm not hating on the Beatles).

I do have an Epiphone Viola Bass, which is similar to McCartney's bass, but I bought because I liked the tone (very woody, nice for mellow songs), I do like the Beatles, but I'm not a big fan, mainly know the hits, and a few other songs, but that's it. I've also been told I must be a System Of The Down fan for having a T-Bird, only like 3 songs, not really a fan.

This topic is irrespective of whether or not you are a fan of someone or not. This is if you got a bass because YOU liked it, and not because you wanted to sound or look like a famous bassist (I have nothing against that by the way, horses for courses). To be honest, this hasn't happened a lot to myself, but it's has a few times, and I do see comments around the internet saying similar.

Let us know if you had someone say something like this to yourself.
Click to expand...
I might ask if they know of a bass that I could buy that someone famous isn't already using.
 
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#5
Most likely, every bass is probably used by someone famous, for example, the P-Bass is pretty much used by 90% of bass players, so chances are, you won't be pointed out unless it's a signiture version.

I was referring to basses like the Hofner Violin Bass being referred to Paul McCartney. Many others play it, but he is definitely the bassist that people think of when you think of a famous player who plays it, if you know what I mean. It isn't usually random audience members who say this, it's usually other musicians, who know about the instruments.
 
#6
One of the only things that will put me off with a sales clerk is when they try to use the "Skanky Slim from the Malevolent Fruit Flies uses this bass/amp/whatever."

But I can't recall having ever been accused of being a fan of someone because of the bass I play. Maybe because I use some of the most common basses on earth so they would have a long list to go down if they started trying to guess which star I'm trying to emulate.
 
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#10
As a Ray-type player, the assumptions might be that I have the slightest clue how to slap and do so out of admiration for Flea, or that I'm entertaining some feminist obligations to emulate Gail Ann Dorsey.

In reality, I'm just an indecisive oddball who likes a lot of EQ options and finds quirky 3+1 headstocks super charming, and also the SUB was the bluest thing in my price range.

--^@
 
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#13
ThunderFox said:
Have you ever got a bass, just because you like it, or because you wanted a certain sound, and someone comes up to you and says, you must be a "BLANK" fan, when really, you just got it because you wanted it for yourself.
Click to expand...

Never had anyone say anything remotely like that about my basses.
Back when I played Chapman Stick I had someone come up to me after a show and say "you must be into King Crimson."
I replied "if you're saying that because of what you just heard us play, I'll take it as a compliment."
 
#16
I have to admit that seeing Duck Dunn wail on a Precision behind Otis Redding at Monterey really did make me want to play a P-Bass. Of course P-bass players are ubiquitous but it was that performance that drew me to my favorite bass.
No one has ever said to me "Hey you have a Precision Bass, you must be a Duck Dunn fan." I doubt if your average garden variety music fan knows who Donald Duck Dunn is.
 
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