How importent is the Bassplayer ,,,,,

Henry · Post by **Henry** » 30 Jun 2006 9:16 am

How importent is the Bassplayer for you as a steelplayer.
When i hear bassplayers as BOB Moore(my first choice),Junior Huskey,Billy Linnemann,Mike Chapman on bass i must say it must be great to have these giants in the band!
They have the feeling touch how to play the real C&W.
The Texas giants musicians/producers Bobby Flores ,Jim Loessberg and Tommy Datemore are always in for the upright bass
How is it in Nashville these days,,,,?

Henry[This message was edited by Henry [This message was edited by Henry on 30 June 2006 at 11:30 AM.]

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 30 Jun 2006 9:24 am

The bass player is half of the rhythm section,the foundation of the building.without the right bass player the building crumbles.

Bob Martin · Post by **Bob Martin** » 30 Jun 2006 9:33 am

Well Henry, I'm afraid I don't hear to many records coming out of Nashville with standup bass on them and that's sad because there is nothing like a well miked standup bass it's just beautiful it has a very warm yet bright round sound and a good player can get a multitude of styles out of one. I've heard really cool funk standup bass players do some killer stuff that you'd never think would come out of a standup.

The real country CD's have a standup on them once in a while but the newer country acts mostly use an electric bass which I love as well. Like in a 4-4 shuffle there a toss up which sounds the best a good electric for the punch and volume or a standup. The jury is still out on that one

Back in the 50's here in town they started to play tic tac along with the standup to help the bass pop and stand out on the 4-4 shuffles and as I understand it they liked it so well they started using it on all styles of country music much to the chagrin of swing and jazz players .

So in answer to your question I think the producers here in town forgot that they have the option of an acoustic bass.

(This post is my opinion and my story as the way I heard it not to be construed as actual nashville fact:-)

Bob

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 30 Jun 2006 10:07 am

ooops!You meant upright Bass players.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 30 Jun 2006 10:15 am

I too am an upright bass lover. I see some things coming out of Nashville these days with Dennis Crouch on them, but there's not nearly enough out there. I am a huge jazz fan, and one reason is that most jazz music uses an upright. You just can't duplicate that sound IMHO.

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Darvin Willhoite
Riva Ridge Recording

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 30 Jun 2006 10:21 am

I played bass in high school, and maybe that's why... but now where ever the bass goes, I follow... even if I know they are playing the wrong progression... my ears just blindly take my fingers there... however, when it's good, it's very good

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Dave Wren
'96 Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 30 Jun 2006 10:43 am

sorry to hijack the thread, but what is "tic-tac" ? I ve heard it mentioned a couple times now. thanks-

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 30 Jun 2006 10:49 am

You just can't duplicate that (upright bass) sound IMHO.

Actually, the Ashbory comes pretty darn close.
http://www.ashelec.demon.co.uk/ashbory/
http://www.largesound.com/ashborytour/
http://www.algonet.se/~ashbory/home.html

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My web site
[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 30 June 2006 at 11:50 AM.]

Gary Atkinson · Post by **Gary Atkinson** » 30 Jun 2006 10:57 am

For some great 4/4 shuffle with tic tac bass check out Keith Hilton's web site at keithhiltonelectronics@aol.com and listen to the sound clips there.And then order 1 of the cds.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 30 Jun 2006 11:40 am

Ben, tic-tac is the term for having a bright-sounding electric instrument play in unison with the upright bass--usually a baritone guitar or a six-string bass like the Fender Bass VI--to give the bass line a more percussive effect.

Ron Kirby · Post by **Ron Kirby** » 30 Jun 2006 11:42 am

Ben, a Tic Tac bass , can be a 4/4 shuffle walking bass with the lead guitar playing the same notes (only slightly muted)giving it a tic tac sound. this can also be done with a steel.

Petr Vitous · Post by **Petr Vitous** » 30 Jun 2006 11:59 am

The Tic Tac bass style was in the fashion in '60 and '70, mostly played by Harold Bradley. He did almost 80 percent of all Nashville recording production in this era.

Petr http://www.luma-electronic.cz/lp/elpe.htm

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 30 Jun 2006 12:20 pm

well I guess I would say..

How important is the Bass ?

How important is your Steering wheel in your car ..

t

Ron Kirby · Post by **Ron Kirby** » 30 Jun 2006 12:24 pm

Travis Tritt, Sung it right!! PUT SOME DRIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY !

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 30 Jun 2006 12:32 pm

I like Tony's analogy. I view the snare-kick as the accelerator and brakes, and the bass as the steering - unless you're playing bluegrass, and then mandolin chops typically cover much of what a snare would do. If the rhythm section is right, then it's hard (but possible) to mess it up. But if the rhythm section has problems, it's pretty hard if not impossible to recover, at least in my experience.

I like both acoustic and electric bass. One or the other may work better, depending on the context - to my tastes.

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 30 Jun 2006 1:07 pm

Hey Mike, check out these basses, made in Redmond, OR. A friend of mine's father makes these beautiful instruments, and would send his son a new model every now then... both fretted and fretless... realy nice workmanship.

Barker Basses: http://www.barkerbass.com/

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Dave Wren
'96 Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box www.ameechapman.com

[This message was edited by David Wren on 30 June 2006 at 02:09 PM.]

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 30 Jun 2006 1:19 pm

My analogy is.... The rhythym section in a group is like the line on a good football team. No matter how good the backs are, without the line, you have NO TEAM. The ideal team to me is Bass, Drums, and a GOOD Keyboard man like
ROY ROSETTA. JMO Back to the thread. Mike or put a pickup on the standup bass through an amp. No better sound in the world!!!
Dave Owens with Jimmy Queen's group is a GREAT example of this sound. Dave is as good as it gets, IMO.

[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 30 June 2006 at 02:20 PM.]

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 30 Jun 2006 1:21 pm

A good bass player is essential to the feel of the music.

But what IS a good bass player? A lot of players think it's a Stanley Clarke or Jaco Pastorius type that can play a zillion notes. those guys are playing a different instrument, really.

To me, a good bass player isn't even there until he's NOT there...meaning, you barely notice him, because he's so locked in with the drummer the groove never wavers. He drops out, and you wonder what happened.

Tommy Tedesco said "There's no money above the 5th fret"...and that's even more true for bass players.

Hold the bottom, lock with the bass drum, play quarter notes, get rid of that darned treble....and popping/snapping have to do with chewing gum, not playing bass.....[This message was edited by Jim Sliff on 30 June 2006 at 02:22 PM.]

Ron Kirby · Post by **Ron Kirby** » 30 Jun 2006 1:25 pm

Dave, With all due respect. I hear what your saying,, Except for the bluegrass part. I have played with alot of bluegrass bands, Even wrote a song with the late Great Bill Monroe, The snare keeps driving along with the mandolin player. The mandolin player does not completely cover the snare. all three (Drums , Mandolin)and(BASS)work together, Enhancing the taste of todays Bluegrass music!! [This message was edited by Ron Kirby on 30 June 2006 at 02:30 PM.]

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 30 Jun 2006 2:21 pm

Jim, here here! well said.

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Dave Wren
'96 Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 30 Jun 2006 2:33 pm

I've always heard this and totally agree. The bass and drums are half the band no matter how many pieces you have period. If you've got a solid bass player and drummer that play in a groove together, the lead instruments can flow and do anything they want. One can't carry the other. They have to be in sync together.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 30 Jun 2006 4:02 pm

A good bass and drummer are the two most importent members of ANY band.Everything else is the iceing on the cake.There is nothing more pleasing when a drummer and bass can lock in and get a good groove going,make it so easy for every one else to play their best.

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 30 Jun 2006 4:35 pm

I personally consider the bass guitar to be very important to me. If it is not there I just as soon not play.

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 30 Jun 2006 4:44 pm

Here is how the Tic Tac sound was created on our new CD-"Staring At The Moon" Piano left hand laid down the pattern up and down. Upright bass guitar followed the left hand notes of the piano exactly. Then the baritone guitar tuned from B to B laid the Tic Tac guitar on top of the left hand of the piano and the upright bass, playing the exact same notes. In the mix, the drums must be mixed where it brings out the sound. This is the sound on the old Ray Price records. Check out sound clips on our new CD at www.hiltonelectronics.com

Garry Pugh · Post by **Garry Pugh** » 3 Jul 2006 4:26 am

I was at a Jeff Newman seminar sometime back and Jeff said ( and I paraphrase) "if you want to start a band, get a good bass player first as it's the most important." He used Billy Lindemann as an example of a good bass player.

I would agree with that statement, especially since I play behind the beat a lot of the time when I don't know the song we are playing and listen to bass player to help me fake it through.

If you want to know how important a bass player is, just play with a bad one and you'll find out real quick.