Bands I've Been In (2150 hits)
Category: Sound & MusicLabels: Miscellaneous
Rating: 1.45 on 36 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Jimbo (View user info) at 2004-09-29 14:38:42 EDT
I never really mentioned it in any posts of mine, but I play bass. Like millions of other kids, I started fucking around with guitar in high school, but never really got into it, as I was keeping myself pretty busy with homework and sports. I started seriously playing while I was in the Navy, when I was encouraged to join a band to play at house parties on the weekends. Two other guys in my squadron (Corey and Mike) played drums and guitar, respectively, and needed a third to hold down the low end.
Mike: "Hey Jimbo, go buy a bass, we need a bass player. They're easy to play, they only have four strings."
Me: "Uh...Okay."
So I went and picked up a cheesy Hondo P-bass copy in a pawn shop some place or other, and started woodshedding. I quickly learned that there are typically three phases to learning any stringed instrument:
Phase 1: You suck. You're lucky to get your fingertips in the correct spots between the frets. Your timing is terrible, your rhythm is seriously flawed, and you are generally viewed as lucky to be able to tune the fucking thing. You certainly are not in any way considered a musician of any type. I repeat: you fucking suck, you fucking tool.
Phase 2: You're okay. You've gotten the hang of finger positioning, tone, and the basic rudiments of style and technique. You can probably play along with your friends, and maybe a few of the easier 3-chord cover songs out there. Don't go thinking you're Marcus Miller yet, Cool Rock. You've still got a long way to go.
Phase 3: You're pretty good. You can play the things you like, are willing to experiment and try new things, and are competent enough to play out and maybe make a little money doing it.
There's probably a phase 4 when you can play like Steve Vai or Yo Yo Ma or one of a thousand other virtuosos, but fuck that because I'm too lazy to practice Goddamn 6 hours a day and anyway I have enough fun playing with my friends, impressing the chicks and getting free beer.
Anyway, on to the point of the post: Bands I have been in.
Band: Bloody Stump
Age: 21
Other members: Corey (drums), Mike (guitar and vox)
Bass: Hondo P-bass copy.
Summary: A piece of shit bass for a piece of shit player in a piece of shit band. We really fucking sucked at first (well, I did, anyway), but we played together all the time, and played at a friend's house almost every weekend for close to 3 years. By the end of that time, we were playing Rush, Judas Priest, Free, Zebra and a ton of other covers fairly decently (what can I say, it was the 90's)
Band: Squeegee
Age: 24
Other members: Ian (drums), Brian (guitar) and a guy I can't remember who thought he was Zack de la Rocha.
Bass: Hohner Jack 5-string
Summary: Man, what an unimaginative group of stoned slackers we were. We were sitting in Brian's basement, trying to think of a name for our band, when Ian held up a fucking squeegee and in a moment of what he probably thought was clarity, proclaimed, "SQUEEGEE!!"
Brilliant, we thought at the time.
I suppose we were all decent enough musicians, but the ganj was really holding those fellows back. And the "singer" kept trying to rap over our tunes like Goddamned Rage or 311. That fucker always put me in a rage, until I wanted to strangle him with the fucking mike cable on an almost daily basis. The culmination of this band came when we played a double bill at my 25th birthday party, with 6 kegs and 400 of our closest friend taking over a farmhouse about 10 miles away from campus. It was the first time playing in a band was specifically responsible for my impressing a girl.
Band: Flinch
Age: 28
Other members: Sean (guitar), Jimmy (guitar and vox), Wain (drummer)
Bass: Fender Jazz
Summary: The most exhilarating and also frustrating band I've been in. We played out all the time (didn't make much money, but I had a full time engineering job by then), and Flinch was directly responsible for meeting the woman who would eventually become my wife. I hold it over her head all the time, too..."You were my groupie, you were my groupie, na na na..." By the way, she doesn't really like me all that much anymore, she just stays with me for the comfort factor.
Anyway, about the band: I loved practicing with them, loved just hanging out, but when I met my wife, I started skipping band practices and not returning phone calls, to the point where I got "fired" two weeks before my wedding. I took it well, all things considered. I think the conversation went like this:
Jimmy: "Hey Jimbo, you're fired."
Me: "Okay. " <click>
Hey, wait a second...I may have unknowingly married my Yoko Ono!! Holy crap!
Now that I'm married and have two kids, I don't get a chance to play much anymore. I still have my bass, and every once in a while I'll take it out, fiddle around with it, and reminisce. But those days are behind me now. I have other things to entertain me.
User Reviews
Submitted by funkchomper (user info) at 2004-11-22 15:55:02 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
My gf is (partly) responsible for killing my band in it's prime, too. Ah well. It turned out to be a good trade.
http://www.northorigin.com
Submitted by Chief_Rugger (user info) at 2004-10-22 20:06:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Heya jimbo, I posted a reply to your question about the jungle juice party.. Check it out: http://www.ubersite.com/m/47806
Submitted by sebcharrot (user info) at 2004-10-16 14:39:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by sebcharrot (user info) at 2004-10-16 12:43:06 (#)
Ranking: 0
Haha, not started it yet. But you're going down, PUNK!
Hehehehe, well, I can dream anyway, can't I?
How's yours going along? You got AIM?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by jimbo (user info) at 2004-10-15 12:23:37 (#)
Ranking: 2
Scary cat. How's your Ubermadness post coming along?
Submitted by Scott_James (user info) at 2004-10-06 22:29:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2004-09-30 11:13:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I don't like 92.3% of thabands they play on the radio and MTV...
Now I'm supposed to care about YOUR band(s)?
Uhhhhhhh, I don't think so, Osbourne.
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-09-29 20:23:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
the easiest riff i ever made: http://www.ubersite.com/m/34336
thank you zoom pedal!
Submitted by 1Point21Gigawatts (user info) at 2004-09-29 20:18:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This looks familiar. Oh yeah, I did it like two weeks ago.
http://www.ubersite.com/m/44100
Where are all the haters who -2ed me for being in a cover band?
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-09-29 19:02:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hear me in action! Yea!
http://www.electrictoothsyndrome.com/songs/ETS.mp3
I am playing all the instruments in that one.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-09-29 18:55:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
13: First guitar - (don't even know what the hell this strat rip-off thing was).
14: Fender Squire + Ampeg 2x12 (had mysteriously skipped phase 1 suck stage)Had several other guitars in this era...most notably the bad-ass Series-10!
16: Instead of a car, I got a Charvel 750xl archtop neck-thru and Crate half stack (still have the Charvel...always will probably. I highly recommend them. They can get any sound you want.)
Strangely the next few years are a total blur (good times), except I picked up classical guitar along the way...
Now...
Guitars: Charvel 750xl electric, 2001 Les Paul Studio, Ibanez acoustic/electric, Sigma beat-around acoustic, Godin Multiac Nylon String Acoustic.
Amps: Marshall JCM800 50 watt half stack with greenbacks, Carvin X-100b tube half stack with vintage 30's, Peavey Classic 50 4x10 Tube Amp, 1964 Epiphone Pacemaker Tube combo. Gotta love the tubes...particularly the way they smell in the old equipment. AHHH...I wish they had that smell in a can!
I think I stopped sucking somewhere in there...I hope.
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2004-09-29 17:30:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
sad
Submitted by Anjie (user info) at 2004-09-29 17:12:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My BF's band...
http://www.gravytunes.com
Submitted by jimbo (user info) at 2004-09-29 17:08:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Well, I've Uberized this a bit, because my current bass is actually a Fender American Hot Rod P-Bass. I'm not sure Fender even makes it anymore, but it's a P-bass with a P+J pickup configuration. Swamp ash body, rosewood fretboard.
Personally, I love my bass. It gets a nice, warm Motown type sound from the front pickup. Just very deep and rumbly, without turning to mud like some P-style basses I've owned. When you dial up a bit of the J pickup, you get that midrange honk and hi end shimmer that lets you be heard when playing in a band situation. It's really my favorite passive bass I've ever owned.
I did have a Dean Edge Improv European Custom Select 5-string a few years ago, and I hot rodded it a bit by putting in Basslines pickups and an Aguilar two-band preamp. I played it through an Eden head and a Trace Eliot 4x12 cab. It was absolutely the best sounding active bass I have ever heard, and I've played quite a few. To me, it sounded better than any Smith, Warwick, Fodera, or any other high end, "boutique" bass. I just loved it.
Just because I wanted to try something different, I traded it in on my Fender. Sometimes I still think of that bass. Wow, it was quite an instrument.
<single tear falls from Jimbo's eye>
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-09-29 16:52:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Fabish (user info) at 2004-09-29 16:34:36 (#)
Ranking: 1
Jimbo:
How's the clarity and range of your Fender? I've never owned one but I just don't like them as much as I do a few other brands. But that's all opinion. That and the fact I'm left-handed and I was ordering out of a catalog and not online.
---------------------------------------------
I'm not putting words into Jimbo's mouth here - I just thought I'd take a stab at an answer for you.
I have a late 90's standard jazz bass (American made) - right now, it's my main bass. "Clarity" and "Range" are fluffy terms that really don't describe the bass very well. For example, I can get a crisp, clear sound if I play close to the bridge or a soupy, thick sound if I play close to the neck. I can tell you this, however: the tones you can get out of the bass are terrific - everything from that classic, nasally Jaco sound to a big, thick, thumpy sound. The harmonic richness of the bass is nice - it contributes to that classic J Bass sound. Its sustain is good, but nothing to really write home about (it's certainly FAR better than the Mexican or Japanese J Basses because the strings are anchored thru the body). If you like playing lots of harmonics, you'll like the J Bass - harmonics come thru nicely. Playability is good, but again, nothing to write home about.
My J Bass is my main bass because it performs well in all categories. It doesn't have any outstanding characteristics that make it significantly better or worse than any other bass in its price range, but it also doesn't have any significant drawbacks that make it unusable for any type of music...you can really play anything and everything (stylistically speaking) with a single bass.
my next bass will be a Ritter Roya 5 string...check them out, they're SICK:
www.ritter-basses.com
I played one a few months ago at Rudy's Music in Manhattan...it's by far the best bass I've ever played...ever...hands down.
Submitted by Fabish (user info) at 2004-09-29 16:34:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Jimbo:
How's the clarity and range of your Fender? I've never owned one but I just don't like them as much as I do a few other brands. But that's all opinion. That and the fact I'm left-handed and I was ordering out of a catalog and not online.
Submitted by lucid (user info) at 2004-09-29 16:31:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Love it. Been playing all my life, I can't remember when I wasn't. The one advantage of being born in a musical family is that you get the right kind of instruction early on and develop strong practicing habits. The downside is that your family is full of nerds.
Oh well, I shred!
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:55:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Bob - WTF that should be it's own post.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:51:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I had a Hondo when I was in High School. I also had a Fender Bass. I quit playing when I nearly lost two fingers on my left hand, and never got the strength or sense of feeling back in them.
Submitted by jimbo (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:45:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Feel free to rip this idea off and make it your own. I always love to hear about other people's bands.
Submitted by WhatTheHell (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:44:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great post!!
I've been playing guitar since 1981. now I feel old goddammit!!
Submitted by Badlands (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:41:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I played drums for 12 years. Sold my last set (Yamaha Power V) in 1997. I've regretted the decision ever since.
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:21:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
wow...I didn't realize when I first typed it, but having played the bass for nearly 18 years...I feel REALLY old.
yikes
I'll definitely post some stuff...next week sometime, I think.
Submitted by GodLovesALittleLovin (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:15:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Being a guitar player for 7-8 years I'd like to hear your stuff as well Zandy. Jimbo, well, whatever...
Kidding! Post some mp3's you bastards!
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:12:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Caul -
Sorry about the "FUCK YOU" - but if you were serious, you would have deserved it :)
I really don't know about the differences in skill level between any of those instruments. I think that for any instrument, the physical ability and technique challenges are equivalent. After that, new challenges emerge - how far can you take it? How createive can you be? Can you develop your own, individual sound? Can you recreate what you hear in your head? Can you make your instrument sing? Can you turn your instrument into a driving melodic force? Do you know your role? That last one's a biggie, especially for bass players.
I've been playing the bass for almost 18 years and I'm STILL learning new things and developing my own brand of playing.
I think I'm going to steal Jimbo's idea and post my own history - maybe I'll post some mp3s as well...we'll see!!
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:06:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I play the piano but I don't play well with others so I stick to solo pieces. I have to do a duo with someone this year though - I hates it mostly because I don't want to share the stage.
I'm an attention whore, but I'm at one with that.
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:06:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Zandy - I was just joking. I prefer guitar and piano above anything else but I don't think bass is for talenteless idiots. I just think it's easier to become decent on a bass than on guitar. Just like it's way easier to be decent on guitar than on violin. I'd like to hear your work though.
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-09-29 15:01:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
another +2 for you, Jimbo.
May I steal your idea and post a list of my band history?
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:59:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:50:34 (#)
Ranking: 2
bass is for unimaginative failures who can't write melodies. play guitar, or try piano.
--------------------------
Caul - I like you and all, but unfortunately, there's no other way I can say this...
FUCK YOU!
Shall I post some of my bass work so you can eat your words?
Submitted by Supreme_Overlord (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:55:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Rush???
-2 DIE
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:50:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
bass is for unimaginative failures who can't write melodies. play guitar, or try piano.
Submitted by DamienX (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:49:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+1 for a band related post
+1 cause string intstruments rule, but a bass isn't a guitar
+1 for "Bloody stump"... original
-1 cause, well I need to justify the +2 limit
Good post. Reading this stuff always takes me back and makes
me smile while simultaneously depressing the hell outta me.
Submitted by Totally_useless (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:46:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Be honored.
I'd normally give any rush references an auto '-2, die'
Instead:
-1, suffer.
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:46:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You've moved on...happens to all of us. Don't completely give up on music though...you might want to get back into it one day.
Submitted by GodLovesALittleLovin (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:46:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Actually, I've been in my fair share of bands too, even the best in the world.
http://www.ubersite.com/m/45414
Submitted by Doctorgeorge90001 (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:45:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i give you 2 because you play bass.
and nothing is better than bass
Submitted by GodLovesALittleLovin (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:44:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Plus 2 for mentioning Steve Vai. That guys is seriously an alien.
This post does a nice summation of the steps you go through playing a stringed instrument. Daddy like music.
Submitted by legallady (user info) at 2004-09-29 14:44:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked this.