Active Band Man Chats - I tried to compare playing different basses even though I am a guitarist -

The theme this time is playing bass!

Oh, what do you mean?

I'm not a bassist, but I will play some and talk about my impressions of each bass.

I see. Is it okay to try the ones from my collection? I have a lot of odd ones, but ...

Ah, you're talking about less and less, right? (Lol)

Yes ... you know ... * Editor's note: Horry loves "-less" basses such as headless and fretless. *

Hahaha, let's get started right away!

Which one should I start from?

From an ordinary one! (Laughs) This is a normal one?

Well, I'm sorry (bitter smile), this is the first one. It is a Mike Lull jazz type.

The nickname is Mikey. This kid is excellent, I often borrow this for recordings by The Captains. Ah, a safe tone that you can feel after playing it just a little!

You also used it for your solo recording.

Yeah, the raw sound is solid, very good. Excellent tone not only using a pick but also when played with the fingers. This is ... like you've arrived at the correct answer from the beginning ... well-balanced!

Well, it's a stable one standard. I also trust it myself. How about the neck? It's natural for guitarists to have a long scale, but what about the thickness?

No, it's a jazz type and the neck is thin and easy to play! Next?

Time for a curve ball (laughs)! No, this is a relatively good one, yeah? Here!

Oh, it's a new face… a Bacchus headless. I’ve wanted to try this one.

The nickname is Torakichi. Here you go.

Lemme see ... Oh, it has a solid sound compared to Mikey. It’s thick, isn’t it?

I agree!

But it sounds like music, which is a good impression! There are 24 frets! The chords are also beautiful!

I agree. Unlike Mikey, which is a passive type that doesn’t require batteries, this one’s an active type with batteries, so there is a sense of stability in that sense as well. Let's go to the next one.

Heavy!

It is a Steinberger XQ-2. I think the neck is quite thin.

True! And it’s installed with EMG pickups, I like it!

At that time ... In the 1980s, EMG was predominant around the world.

That's right. You know, this makes me want to play beat rock.

You can play it with picks, fingers, and slaps all round, but yeah, I use a pick 80% of the time.

Yes! The raw sound is also inorganic and interesting.

Next is this.

Somehow, the body is getting smaller and smaller (laughs)

You noticed (laughs) This is the order in which ordinary basses gradually become more and more individual.

I see, they’re just shrinking (laughs)

I can’t hear you (laughs). This is also Steinberger.

And here it is! When I think of you, I get an image of Steinberger! XP with a small body?

Yes, it's an XP-2. However, recently, I’ve used Torayoshi more and more, and this has not made many appearances.

Alright, let me try it.

It has a leg rest because it’s difficult to play while sitting.

Yeah, my Steinberger guitar has one, too. Oh! This has such an artificial sound!

There was a time that it was thought of as artificial (laughs) and inorganic.

Mikey is really organic compared to this.

Organic (laughs) Steinbergers have strong personalities. Many reggae artists use them.

Really? It feels like it has less of a raw sound.

The body doesn't resonate. Because the body is small ... Paradoxically, I feel that the body is important for the bass (bitter smile), and Steinberger says that the pickup affects a large part of the sound quality ... That’s part of its individuality.

Oh, but this might be good for slapping. It's glaring because there is no low. I think it has something to do with the fact that the neck is graphite.

There is a theory that reggae artists use it because graphite necks do not warp easily even in hot climates.

I’m convinced!

Well, there’s still more.

What's next? (Lol)

This time, a fretless ... (laughs)

I've rarely played a fretless. Oh, this is interesting!

It’s shaped like a Jazz. The sound rises slowly because it’s fretless.

Then it's better to play with your fingers than with a pick.

Yes. And what’s more, slides and vibrato are effective.

Yup! Oh, you can also choke. This is a lot of fun, but I can't imagine how it would contribute to an ensemble...

When it comes to famous players, there are quite a few including Jaco Pastorius and Mick Karn from the band, Japan.

Somehow, it doesn’t feel like it supports the bottom end of the song like a normal bass!... (laughs)

(Laughs) Well, it can also be used like a reed instrument.

OK! Then let's go to the last one, the punch line.

Punch line (laughs)

So light!

Hofner's violin bass used by The Show Words.

It’s nicknamed Ram-chan. It is outstandingly light. The sound is ... of course light.

I think it's easy for guitarists to play because it has a short scale. The sound is ... like hollow. Ted (The Captain's Bassist) says, "It's a toy."

Either empty or hollow ...

It's light and reasonably priced, so it might be a good idea to start playing bass from here. Well, anyway, it's not very suitable for hard music oriented people ...

Yup! Yeah! It feels like 60's garage. No, I enjoyed playing a lot of good basses today. Thank you. See you again! Yes, everything?

Is for love!