Some things just won’t be denied.
I had an idea to share videos and gear reviews of premium high-quality basses a few years ago on this page, but due to time limitations it never happened. It was going to be a partnership with a local bass shop called Ultimate Basses (you can see the original information if you keep scrolling down) that sell awesome high-end bass guitars that most of us only dream about.
It bothered me that this never quite worked out, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a video update from Ultimate Basses last week. Here it is:
The video is a little quiet – so let me give you the summary of what is being said. Dave from Ultimate Basses and Jason Raso (a terrific local bassist, instructor and recording artist) are going to demonstrate the different types of basses offered by Ultimate Basses including Fodera, Ken Smith, MTD and F Bass.
The plan is to create a library of videos that show the different type of basses while also explaining the types of woods used so that people can ‘hear’ the different combinations and therefore make a better decision should they ever choose to custom order a bass of their own.
Awesome sauce!
I’ll be sharing these videos here and help to spread the word as much as I can. The only difference between this and what I proposed years ago is that instead of having a mediocre bassist demonstrating the gear (me), you’re getting a truly accomplished musician. The rock bassist perspective might be lost a little bit, but I’ll be sure to add my two cents to the commentary wherever I can.
So, look forward to more bass videos coming soon to Bass Guitar Rocks! For those who are curious about my original bass gear idea, keep reading below:
One of my goals is to try out and give my feed back <from the rock bassist perspective> on some sweet bass gear.
I’m lucky enough to live close to a cool bass-only store called “Ultimate Basses” that stocks some of the best of the best equipment a bass player could ever want: MTD, Nordstrand, Fodera, Ken Smith and (my personal fave) F Bass – Shroeder and Epifani cabinets, Epifani amps, and Monster Bass Cables.
It is my intention to demonstrate the features of these products on video and let you see and hear for yourself what this gear is all about. You may learn about something new that you didn’t know you wanted (or needed), or perhaps you’ll be able to make a final decision about which of these basses/cabs to order in the future.
Keep in mind that these are demos rather than reviews. I’ll do my best to stick to a ‘show don’t tell’ approach where I show the features of the bass, rather than give a biased opinion. I’m not here to say what bass or cabinet is “the best”, I haven’t played them all and to each person “the best” sounds, feels or looks different – so I’m not going there.
This is in the effort to help people learn more about ‘bass only gear’ that they may never have had the chance to see in real life. I grew up in an area where the local music store was a 30 minute drive away and only stocked mainly student gear – for people in a similar situation – I feel your pain!
The truest test of any piece of gear is how it performs live, and how it works in a studio environment – so my in-store video demos will only get you so far. Still, I think it’s a worthy effort to help out my fellow bassist, educate myself and have some fun at the same time.
I’ll shoot the footage for the first demo as soon as time permits between myself and Dave (the owner of UB). Hang tight until then, and hopefully check out a blog or two while you wait!
