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AtLossForWords 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 11 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 6699
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 Posted: August 09 2006 at 13:06 |
Allow me to defend my favorite instrument which I play on a professional level.
1. The bass guitar is not easier to play than lead guitar. It's actually more difficult when it comes to the physical demands of the instrument. The strings are heavier, the freting space is wider, and it's much more double any line on a bass than a guitar because of the fretting demands.
2. Less strings is not better. I play a six string bass, I honestly can't understand why more musicians don't use six strings. There is an entirely new dimension to the music with six strings that with four. Not only does the range increase, but the fingering positions increase as well lifting some old physical demands of an already demanding instrument, but replacing them with newer, easier ones.
3. Bass can never be compared to guitar. It's a totally different dimension of playing. Bass lines are about supporting melodies and grooving, with every once in a awhile showing of great technique. Lead guitar is primarily about flashy techinques.
4. Flashier bass styles don't indicate better players. Guys like Claypool and Wooten have mastered special techniques, but when it comes to traditional bass playing, guys like Jonas Reingold, John Myung, John Pattituci, and Michael Manring are much more interesting and respectable players.
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"Mastodon sucks giant monkey balls."
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JrKASperov
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 904
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Posted: August 09 2006 at 13:19 |
Let's never forget Jaco Pastorius, Jeff Berlin and Percy Jones. 
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Epic.
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Eetu Pellonpaa
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: June 17 2005
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 4828
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Posted: August 09 2006 at 13:22 |
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Eddie Gomez does some great stuff! Quite impulsive and impressionistic in classical context.
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Tiresias
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 03 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 560
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Posted: August 09 2006 at 13:23 |
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while were at it, what about Stan "The Man" Clarke, or Rick Laird.
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Wh'ghal ng'fth mglw'y Ry'leh, Cthulhu fhtagn...
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Raff
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 29 2005
Location: None
Status: Offline
Points: 24429
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Posted: August 09 2006 at 13:31 |
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Cygnus X-2
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: December 24 2004
Location: Bucketheadland
Status: Offline
Points: 21342
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Posted: August 09 2006 at 13:35 |
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Dan Bobrowski
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 02 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5243
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Posted: August 09 2006 at 13:36 |
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I picked up bass recently because my wife is a better guitarist than I am and I wanted to accompany her playing, adding that lower end. I'll still grab my guitar for fills and some leads, but I'm playing bass more than anything else.
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heyitsthatguy
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 17 2006
Location: Washington Hgts
Status: Offline
Points: 10094
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Posted: August 09 2006 at 20:51 |
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Gah, I wish so. Our band needs a bassist and we can't find one
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crimson thing
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 28 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 848
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 03:45 |
Talk of those 6 string basses reminds me that in a book on Zep I recently read, there were several mentions of JPJ playing an 8 string bass. Anyone tried or seen one of those?
Also, since we're in the deep end here  , a probably dumb question from a non-muso: I see references to a "string bass" on KC albums such as Islands....is that just a double bass, or an acoustic bass, or what? |
"Every man over forty is a scoundrel." GBS 
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Rust
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 14 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1148
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 05:24 |
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This is true not only in prog, but in mainstream as well. "Guitar Solo's" just got out of fashion and everyone has done them for forever, its the bass' turn to shine in the music world.
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We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
Its astart
What we need is awareness we cant get careless
Mental self defensive fitness
Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be
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Australian
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 13 2006
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3278
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 05:31 |
Bass is too constant and it sounds too blunt, even with 6 strings. You may as well use a guitar as it has the same strings as a bass plus a G and E string, and more things can be done on it. Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water is the best example of a Bass dominated album.
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JrKASperov
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 904
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 06:33 |
No, Fish out of water is a good example of a bad bass dominated album. He doesn't play any intricate parts. If the bass is constant and sounds too blunt, you're talking about a BAD bassist. If you want good bass albums, listen to Bruford's Feels Good to Me or any Pastorius album (Heavy Weather is good too!)
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Epic.
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EssentialFaris
Forum Groupie
Joined: July 26 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 48
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 14:06 |
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I don't know, it seems everyone I know plays guitar, few basses, no drummers, none, what so ever.
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Philéas
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 14 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 6419
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 14:27 |
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Using the bassguitar, designed as a background instrument, as a lead
instrument makes for new and interesting sounds. Personally, I play a
four string bass. I try to get as much out of the four strings as I
can. I agree that five and six string basses are more versatile though.
I don't own one because of the previous statement, and because I don't
like the broad necks on six strings.
Yesterday, I watched a live performance on TV, by three bassists. They
took turns playing lead over piano and drums. The interesting thing was
that they all played upright bass. It was very interesting to listen
to, and also to look at.
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AtLossForWords
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 11 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 6699
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 14:53 |
 crimson thing wrote:
Also, since we're in the deep end here , a probably dumb question from a non-muso: I see references to a "string bass" on KC albums such as Islands....is that just a double bass, or an acoustic bass, or what? |
It's an upright double bass.
@Phileas
Yeah, six string basses certainly do have wide necks. They can be hell on some hands, but I've grown so addicted to the B and C strings, I can't stop using one.
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"Mastodon sucks giant monkey balls."
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MikeEnRegalia
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 21143
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 14:55 |
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^ the discussion reminds me of guitarists arguing about the usefulness of 7 string guitars. Personally I think it's more important to have 24 frets as opposed to 21 or 22, simply because it makes sense to have two octaves on the fretboard.
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sleeper
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 14:57 |
AtLossForWords wrote:
Allow me to defend my favorite instrument which I play on a professional level.
1. The bass guitar is not easier to play than lead guitar. It's actually more difficult when it comes to the physical demands of the instrument. The strings are heavier, the freting space is wider, and it's much more double any line on a bass than a guitar because of the fretting demands.
2. Less strings is not better. I play a six string bass, I honestly can't understand why more musicians don't use six strings. There is an entirely new dimension to the music with six strings that with four. Not only does the range increase, but the fingering positions increase as well lifting some old physical demands of an already demanding instrument, but replacing them with newer, easier ones.
3. Bass can never be compared to guitar. It's a totally different dimension of playing. Bass lines are about supporting melodies and grooving, with every once in a awhile showing of great technique. Lead guitar is primarily about flashy techinques.
4. Flashier bass styles don't indicate better players. Guys like Claypool and Wooten have mastered special techniques, but when it comes to traditional bass playing, guys like Jonas Reingold, John Myung, John Pattituci, and Michael Manring are much more interesting and respectable players. |
As a fellow 6 stringer I couldnt agree more, and I recon that the 6 string has more to offer than what any one has done so far, as in that it could be used for both bass and melody similar to how a Chapmen Stick does, but to nowhere near as complex a level.
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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 28057
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 15:04 |
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Well the ease of the instrument depends a lot on the style. For bass, it's probably about the same level of difficulty for pop, punk and R&B, but for prog, I'd assume the bass get's tougher, because guitar gets quite easy to play after many years and practice. I'm still working on getting faster, but I canwork my way around the neck with much ease usually. It's hard to get emotion out of that son of a bitch, though. That's why Gilmour deserves just as much props as the fastest of metal guitarists.
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sleeper
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 15:45 |
stonebeard wrote:
Well the ease of the instrument depends a lot on the style. For bass, it's probably about the same level of difficulty for pop, punk and R&B, but for prog, I'd assume the bass get's tougher, because guitar gets quite easy to play after many years and practice. I'm still working on getting faster, but I canwork my way around the neck with much ease usually. It's hard to get emotion out of that son of a bitch, though. That's why Gilmour deserves just as much props as the fastest of metal guitarists. |
If were talking about how difficult it is to play the instruments, then I think their going to be equal (having never played a guitar, I wouldnt know for certain). Get a really good groove and not just holding the rhythmn is a difficult.
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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Arrrghus
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 21 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5296
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Posted: August 10 2006 at 21:49 |
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I think on the mainstream, the bass is still in the background and the guitar still rules, but lots of prog from all eras has bass as the equal (or close to it) to the guitar. However, on a ride with my cross country teamates, my coach turned on a rock station and Green Day was on. It seems basslines suck these days on the mainstream. (Plus, the riff ripped off 25 or 6 to 4)
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Is bass guitar the new lead guitar?
