What are the feelings on the use of a Carvin solid body electric bass w/amp in Bluegrass jams?

Thanks for any comments.

Posted - 02/20/2010 :  15:58:02  

Not everyone can afford buy an upright, or has the car to carry one. Most of the bluegrass sessions I've been to have had no problem with an electric bass.

Posted - 02/20/2010 :  18:57:10  

EQ it properly, and you will be golden.

Posted - 02/24/2010 :  02:44:48      

Thanks for the comments. On the day I asked the question starting this thread I also ask the same question on another Hangout Forum called the Banjo Hangout - there was quite a bit of discussion on that forum and I thought you might want to see that thread asking the exact same question:

http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/171486

As for me - I am basically a banjo player who loves to hear a good bass beat when I am playing in a jam. On several occasions over the yrs I have told the bass player after the jam: "The fun doubles when you show up with the bass and no other player in the jam gets that comment from me." And I don't really care if that bass is upright or electric.

Thanks again for the comments.

Phil

Posted - 02/27/2010 :  11:08:20  

I've played a 5-string acoustic bass guitar unplugged at a Bluegrass jam, and it worked just fine until the banjo player showed up. It worked even better with a Crate Taxi battery-powered amp, which provided enough power to blend well with the other instruments. I also have an electric upright bass (which must be amplified, of course), and either of these alternatives does a better job of approximating the tonal characteristics of an upright bass than an electric bass.

--Steve

Posted - 03/02/2010 :  04:50:49      

Short answer, use what you got, but bluegrass bass is played and should sound a little different than other styles. Not as loud, often muted and staccato sounding with simple root notes played open or near the nut for traditional bluegrass sound. However also know that some of the more traditional rooted performers will turn up their nose or complain when an electric bass player shows up no matter how talented they may be.

Posted - 03/04/2010 :  08:35:29  

A lot of pro bands now use electricbass [mostly the guitar shaped ones like a Martin/Fender/etc] They sound good and most of them ive seen were fretted. . I have a Fender "P" fretless with nylon wrapped strings- it sounds good. But the "BLUEGRASS POLICE" wont be comming for you any time soon [ but make sure you have a short power cord- I COULD be wrong]

Posted - 03/06/2010 :  10:56:49  

some strict bluegrass jams prefer acoustic, and some even don't permit electric instruments on stage. i go to a jam like this, and sometimes there goes our only bass player, because they have an electric bass.

my suggestion is if you don't want to cart around an upright, get an acoustic bass guitar.