Active Band Man Chats - Accessories for Playing

So, what’s the topic this time?

Accessories for playing!

Accessories? Specifically for playing? So, tools to assist with performance? You’re really diving into some niche territory!

Guitars have quite a variety of them, don’t they?

Hmm... when it comes to bass, I can’t really think of any.

I’ll just list a bunch, and then let’s figure out why there aren’t as many for bass!

Got it. Go ahead!

Alright, first up—capos!

A classic choice.

Here’s mine: the quintessential Kyser capo.

We actually had a deep dive on capos before, didn’t we? Ultimately, we concluded that (The Captains’ guitarist) Ted is the ultimate capo, right!?

Well, Ted’s in a league of his own in every sense!

Exactly! So, why aren’t capos a thing for bass players? It’s probably because they’re more relevant to chordal instruments, don’t you think? That said, they might come in handy if you’re playing open strings and need to transpose the key.

That makes sense. No argument there.

Hmm?

(Growl)

Was that... your stomach?

Yes! Winter calls for a nice, warm red bean bun!

Go grab one, then! Look, there’s a convenience store over there.

I want one with sesame seeds!

Noted. So, what’s next?

(munching) Slide bars!

Another classic. Though, I’ve rarely seen bassists using those.

I bought one once... but didn’t end up using it much.

There’s a variety of materials and shapes for those, right?

Yeah! They produce smooth, continuous tones and create a unique vibe that’s even used in pop music.

For seamless tones, bass players can rely on fretless basses, so maybe that’s why slides aren’t common for bass.

True! On the flip side, you don’t often see fretless guitars.

Good point. Bass originated as a fretless instrument, after all. Oh, what about bows? Would those count as bass accessories?

Jimmy Page used one! That ‘boing-boing’ sound!

Sure, but categorizing it like this feels a bit off. Maybe it belongs in the same category as picks? Like tools for playing?

Then there’s the E-bow!

Ah, yes! I once tried using an E-bow on bass. Doesn’t it vibrate the strings using magnets? But bass strings are so thick and tense that it barely worked!

No way!

Yep. There are some people who use it... I saw a few performance videos on YouTube and thought, “This could be fun,” so I tried it out at a music store, but it was a no-go! It seems like it requires quite a bit of skill to use properly.

So, no electric bows for bass, huh? Oh, but did you know there’s an upgraded Plus E-Bow model now?

An upgraded version?

Yeah! It adds a harmonic mode.

So it can produce an octave above the fundamental? Interesting, but still... not practical for bass.

You’re so indifferent!

Not indifferent—impractical! Or rather, impossible in this case...

There must be accessories mainly used by bass players, though, right?

Hmm... nothing comes to mind since I don’t use any myself.

How about this? FretWraps!
Gruv Gear / FretWraps String Muters Small (Burgundy)

Oh, right! I often see slap-style bassists using those. They’re great for muting unwanted string vibrations.

Exactly. I even used one for recording guitar.

Really?

I wrapped it between the nut and the tuning pegs to reduce unwanted metallic noise and clean up the sound.

Interesting. Drummers often use cloth or tape to mute their drums, so physical muting for string instruments makes sense. This could even be helpful for beginners!

For sure!

According to this blog I found, fret wraps
help balance the sound of open and fretted strings.”

That’s neat—it could reduce tonal inconsistencies between open and fretted notes. I might try one myself someday. Got any others?

Let’s see... Sound House sells seats and footrests for guitarists.

Footrests? Like the ones classical players use?

Yeah, though you don’t see them much in the rock scene.

True. In our case, we’d probably use bigger stage platforms instead!

Right. That about wraps it up, I think.

That’s it?

Oh!

What?

I found something cool!

What is it?

This one from Schlagwerk Percussion!
Schlagwerk Percussion / SR-SJ110M Macassar

What is this? Some kind of percussion attachment for acoustic guitars?

Exactly! It works like a mini cajón.

So you can play two roles at once?

I couldn’t handle that...

Good luck with that! But isn’t this more of an instrument than an accessory? It’s not really assisting your playing.

Well, there are players who tap on their guitar bodies for percussive effects. This enhances that technique, right?

I guess so... That’s everything, right?

Yep! I hope we see even more innovative accessories in the future.

Agreed. I look forward to new gadgets that expand the possibilities of performance!

Because everything is for?

Love!