Considering I am sitting here with a good cup of cider on a cold Winter day I am leaning toward a "best of times" scenario. Either way, it is time for one of those handy dandy Music Business Survival moments. For the last twelve installments (WOW! It has been awhile.), I've talked a lot about the skills used to help further your career as a sideman and session bassist. To change things up I thought I would talk a wee bit about the tools you can also use. Of course part of the reason for me doing such is the fact that I'm a ravenous Gear Slut especially regarding basses with their own character. That being said, what has more stank than vintage basses? My thought is not much.

One thing that is very apparent in places like Nashville and the "Old South" as well as the rest of the World is the concept of tradition. For us Southerners it would be as simple as a glass of sweet tea on a hundred degree day. Now sip on that fine Southern syrup while sitting on the front porch with a lovely Southern Belle on the swing next to you. "Now, Honey, don't forget we have to be at the pot luck after church." So will the congregation of Our Lady of Perpetual Funk all turn to page 423 in the hymnal and sing along. Needless to say, in a town rich with carrying on tradition, isn't it glorious that vintage guitars and basses still have a place in making music? My thought is a resounding YES.

The studio scene in Nashville is full of traditions. In a town dedicated to the art of writing and song-making, tried and true recording techniques reign supreme. There is very much a vibe down here of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I wish I could say the same for the auto mechanic realm. Now, I'm not going to lie to you fine people. There are more computers with Pro Tools on Music Row these days than Neve and Trident consoles (unfortunately) but the tradition of using vintage basses for tracking rages on. And all God's people say "AMEN."

As a session bassist in Nashville, I am just as guilty as most about showing up to a master session with my umpteen stringed, active preamped, fretless, self-cleaning, nineteen pickuped bass with 47 woods and a built in espresso maker. To my dismay this can be disheartening when the producer won't even let you plug it in and asks if you brought the Fender. Sure glad I took a second mortgage out to pay for the aforementioned Groove Disentegrator 3000. By the way kiddies, don't try to Google it. It doesn't exist. Even better, sure glad I didn't pawn the Fender for a box of Ramen noodles and a case of beer. Footnote: That would have been a cheaper import bass that will remain nameless but at least the beer was good.

Nashville producers still love vintage basses and guitars to carry the record making tradition. It amazes me still that if you don't show up with something that at least resembles an old Jazz or Precision, most producers in town will have a heart attack. This has improved over the years to a degree as the demand of modern day music has us low-end time keepers bringing five-string basses to cover lower registers. It is cool to know you can never go wrong with bringing some Old School love to a session down here though. Well, that and a plate of Mama's fried chicken. Gotta luv Southern cooking.

From my experience, every "A list" session player in town has at bare minimum one vintage instrument in their arsenal. Chances are also extremely good that it is also the most recorded instrument in their collection and not just because it is the "oldest". Classic Fenders, Gibsons, Gretsch, Hofner, and Epiphones are an everyday occurrence at master sessions in these parts and have shown up on countless records. For example, I have a couple of producers that will not allow me to leave the house unless I have my 70s Hagstrom Swede Bass, Gibson Thunderbird, or my Epiphone Hollowbody. Well, that and at least one clean change of underwear (bad visual I know). Back to the point, vintage guitars and basses still kick thy perpetual backside.

So there it is gang, if you are an aspiring session player and have the means, be sure to pull that classic axe out from under the bed. There is just something inherently cool about putting that classic thump on a track. I myself have fallen back in love with older instruments and the way they can bring a song alive plus, they typically look so darn cool. For whatever reason, a little "ain't broke" mentality can help us low end lovers to yet again save the World from a lame groove. Maybe, just maybe, those producers get the big bucks for a reason. Hope to see you grooving around.

Until next time.

Keep Groovin,

S

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