ON BASS
STEVE COOK
Get What You Play For
Not long ago, I was out shopping for new
furniture. I made the triumphant decision to
put on my “big boy” pants and get some
pieces above the college-level furniture
that we males would use for the rest of
our lives if we could get away with it. As
I labored over the monetary decisions, I
called my brother and asked his advice. He
asked me, “Why are you so worried about
saving $100 on this couch purchase? You
won’t think twice to pay $2000 for a new
bass, but you’re killing yourself over this?”
He’s right, you know. Frugality aside, I will
buy gear pretty quickly, so I wasn’t really
sure why I was so worried about a couch.
The answer came from one of my best
friends (and a guitar player). He told me,
“You can’t make any money sitting on the
couch (I think we’ve all tried), but you can
make money with a guitar.” And you know
what? He’s right.
As a professional bass player, or professional musician in general, one needs to
buy gear to work. If I were a manager at
IBM, the company would provide a desk,
a computer and probably some office supplies for me to get the job done. As a bassist, the sometimes daunting task of obtaining the required tools is left to me, but
that’s where it gets fun. Back in the day,
the only way to shop was by going to the
music store and plugging in. If it sounded
like Jamerson, well then… you bought
it. Even though in the internet age you
can read reviews or a forum about every
product made—even hear them on many
sites—shopping hasn’t really changed. You
still need to let your own hands and ears
be the judge.
So what gear do we buy? We look through
this magazine and dream of owning everything advertised, but reality (and rent) soon
set in, and we have to pick and choose.
That’s the beauty of our job. No one tells
us what gear to use; our sounds are molded by our two hands and our imagination.
The problem comes when you find the perfect touring rig and your finances get in the
way. Whatever gear you finally decide on,
you need to get it. If that’s the sound that
defines you as a player, then the gear to
make that sound needs to be in your arsenal. On that, there’s no compromising. If
you are making the move to become a pro,
a gun for hire, or even step up your weekend gig, you need to spend the money to
make the money. The college-level furniture
needs to be replaced with professional,
roadworthy gear. As bass players, we have
it a little bit easier, because our rigs are
generally simpler than guitar players, but
still need to be together.
Your gear is an
extension of you.
You are a reliable,
hard-working musi-
cian and you want to
be seen as such. Most
artists don’t know what
kind of gear you play,
or even care—until it
fails, that is.
I realize that financially it may be a stretch
to do all the things we want to do, but look
at the whole picture. If this is your job, or
one of them, you need tools to do your
job. And as someone who gets paid to
play, you need to have the best tools you
can afford to make that happen. I’ll never
understand why I see guys show up for gigs
in an expensive car only to break out a rig
that’s held together with duct tape.
Your gear is an extension of you. You are
a reliable, hard-working musician and you
want to be seen as such. Most artists don’t
know what kind of gear you play, or even
care—until it fails, that is. They pay close
attention when the bass signal starts crapping out during a show. The first assumption is that you didn’t spend the money
for a better preamp. The debate about the
price vs. the quality of gear always comes
up. Just because it’s expensive doesn’t
mean it’s great for the road, or for your
sound. There are fantastic guitars that cost
a fortune but simply are not meant for touring. Conversely, there are great-sounding
entry-level amps out there, but can they
hold up to the rigors of touring? Only you
can find that out.
Whatever bass you tour with, or whatever
amp you put in the trailer night after night,
make sure you take care of your equipment
with the reverence appropriate for a family
heirloom. This is your vehicle for income.
You’re going to need flight cases for your
gear as well. I see too many players with
great gear in sub-par cases. I have been
guilty of this, as well. To spend $400 to
protect a $3000 guitar is a sound investment when you think about it.
Now that you’ve found your rig, and have
found the money to pay for your rig, it’s
time to get out there and play. Wait, no
gig? No sweat! We’ll talk about that in the
months to come…
Steve Cook
Steve has performed and recorded with a diverse range
of artists, from Edwin McCain to Randy Brecker to Course
of Nature. Steve is also an alumnus of Woodstock ‘ 99,
performing with his band King Konga. His current projects
include extensive touring and video production with Bucky
Covington (Lyric Street) and writing a popular weekly tour
journal on his website: shinybass.com.
