Two Bass Players in the same band??

[El Dunco]

Re: Two Bass Players in the same band??

I seem to recall an interview where the singer was using a guitar with 3 strings and the bassist was using a bass with only 2, but didn't know how they were tuned.


And the distorted-bass-as-guitar option would be the way to go. I'm actually surprised you can get a guitar with more than 7 strings on it since that is a more viable option. As "the kids" try harder and harder to be heavier than the previous generation, I'm sure it'll end up as "everybody plays bass, doesn't anyone play guitar?", which will be hilarious to see, then you'll have 9-string basses everywhere because if you haven't had a bowel movement or bounced the neighbor's house off its foundation, it's not heavy or low enough. Then we'll see 3000 watt lunchbox amps, and maybe we can finally score a vintage Mesa mkIIc for cheap

I think the best thing a metal band can do to increase their menace and heaviness is to play in more traditional tunings (E standard, D standard) as it will have them write riffs that sound more sinister and not use the low tunings as a crutch. I'm not disparaging low tunings, I find the 7 string works wonders for certain songs and like to have a mixed bag. My band's first album is E standard the whole way through, the second is a mixed bag of standard, 7 string standard and a couple of D standard. It all comes down to which riffs sound the best. Some of my favourite riffs lend really well to the urgency of standard and don't really get any heavier the lower down they're played.

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Two Bass Players in the same band??

I go back to early Sabbath and hear heavy riffs in E standard that few have been able to match since then, even with 7-strings and massive gain. And he was using P90s through a fartbox.

D standard and C# also helped on a few things, but really, Iommi did all the work.

[Mincer]

Re: Two Bass Players in the same band??

Tony's sound changed in the mid 70s getting more mid-heavy as their production changed. I am a huge Sabbath fan but there were some odd production decisions back then.

[ginormous]

Re: Two Bass Players in the same band??

That's a rare thing, for obvious reasons. None came to mind at first, but then I remembered Ivan Neville's band Dumpstaphunk.



The Dixie Dregs also had a two-bass setup for a little while.

[beaubrummels]

Re: Two Bass Players in the same band??

Ned's Atomic Dustbin had two bass players. Yeah it's rare. Can't think of others right now.

[EDX]

Re: Two Bass Players in the same band??

this one here is 4 main bass players

Tom Angelripper (Sodom) Marcel Schmier (Destruction) Markus Grosskopf (Helloween) Peavy Wagner (Rage)

there's no guitar at all on that album

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Two Bass Players in the same band??

We were talking about Styx in my recording class today and my teacher mentioned that they are using two bass players these days as well.