Extended Range Racism

[abandonist]

Not 'racism' per se, but you know what I mean.

I asked around some friends for a good tech here in town that has experience on 8s and the such. One of the folks got all small peen and spouted "no one wants to work on your 17 string piccolo fan fret craziness".

I mean, sure, he's just being a dick. No worries.

But that's not the first time I've had to defend my playing choices.

Have any of y'all run into things like this among players?

 

[MemphisHawk]

Extended Range misoneism.

Take it as a nice favor that he declined. He's pretty sure he can't do whatever it is you want, so he's not even going to try. In the end, both of you will be happier that he didn't try to work on it.

 

[MaCkCiTy]

Yeah, but they've all been bass players getting bitchy!

 

[abandonist]

Oh it wasn't even him who was going to do the work. I was asking for a recommendation of someone to go to.

 

[Orgalmer]

I remember this one time I went into a bass store in Melbourne and was like "okay, I want to buy this bass, and I have these strings here for it, can you please set this up for drop E?" and they all but laughed me out of the store for it. They had no idea why I wanted to do this and upon explaining they still didn't understand.

When I picked up the bass with the new strings the nut had been cut horribly and the bridge was a complete joke in terms of its setup. Without going into a ton of detail the saddles were all over the place and the B string (EBEA) was sticking way out compared to all the others. I actually couldn't believe how much they had tried NOT to do this set up properly.

Recently I had this bass taken to get set up again by someone who wasn't a total wanker, and he was pretty unimpressed. It's safe to say that I won't be going back to that store and spending my money with them.

There have been a few occasions at least where idiots have looked at my 8 string and said "why not just play a bass?" which is both funny and insulting to me. Could it possibly be the reason I don't play a bass is because... hold on... wait for it... I'm in actual fact a guitarist? I wouldn't go up to Black Tongue and say to them "hey man, you tune too low, why don't you play a bass instead?" because it's literally the dumbest thing you can say, possibly even dumber than "so do you play rah rah music?" and I get that one a fair bit, too.

Yes, of course I play this rah rah style of music you refer to. It's hip with all the kids these days.

 

[straightshreddd]

Not exactly, but I did ask a guitar center employee for an allen key so I could unlock the nut of a floyd equipped ltd. He asked why and I told him that the fine tuner reached its limit and I wanted to drop tune it. He then laughed in the douchiest way possible and says "Drop D is so overrated." Some people are just assholes.

 

[The Reverend]

I've had both positive and negative experiences with ERGs. One of my professors was incredibly impressed with my seven, and was really excited about the chording options and shit. On the other hand, I'm so tired of dealing with bullshit when I try to buy strings that I just order them online, now.

"Uh, I think you might have to look at bass strings, man, I think .58 is the biggest you need on a GUITAR."

Then again, I also get flack for using drop tunings, or just down-tuning in general. I think the whole concept of telling people that they're using these open-ended tools meant to create the 'wrong' way is insipid. A guitar is meant to be a vehicle to express yourself, and whatever it does or doesn't have, whatever you do or don't do to it, it can never really be 'wrong' in that sense.

After all, I could use a pen to express myself with a letter, or I could stab you in the eye. Both equally valid messages, I'd say.

 

[somn]

Everyone at the local Guitar center here tend to be nice except for one guy who tends to be an ass and gives me issues for playing a 9 string 30 scale guitars. Usually the play a bass/harp argument and all that jazz. What I did was show him a 7 string bass afterwards and some other ERBs to which I said I should be grabbing one of these soon as an upgrade from my old six string bass. I loved the blank face he had, what else could he say really. I play both haha

 

[simonXsludge]

I wouldn't go up to Black Tongue and say to them "hey man, you tune too low, why don't you play a bass instead?" because it's literally the dumbest thing you can say

Now Black Tongue are not exactly an overly "musical" example. More one, that would most likely confirm most people's prejudices about super low tunings.

 

[sevenstringj]

I'm stealing that. From now on, I'm telling people I play the piccolo.

 

[oniduder]

i hate racism!

especially when it's concerning my guitar!!!!111oneone

but yeah i get flack every once in a while as well

 

[Espresto]

I'm a bassist

There's only so low a man can go. If any of you people tune below E1 I may be forced to take....drastic measures.

 

[Obsidian Soul]

I went to sell one of my two sixers,and the guy asked why was I selling it.I told him I was trying to acquire additional funds for a seven string guitar.Then,he asked me if I mastered six strings yet.I just said no.It's true that I suck,but I'm not some stereotypical kid that wants an ERG to djent.At least he recommended me to put it on Craigslist to get the best price out of my guitar.

 

[MemphisHawk]

I told my friend I was thinking about getting a 9 string and he said that my song writing should be 50% better than someone with a normal guitar.

 

[Nag]

you have to understand that most people, including musicians, are dumb, narrow-minded and uncreative. 90% of the guitarists I've come across play Fender and Gibson, they use the same blues licks they used 10 years ago and that's it. Ibanez RGs are extreme, floyds are extreme, 24 frets are extreme, everything that hasn't been around since the 1950's is extreme. I don't find 7-string guitars in shops here (France), when I ordered one the shop owner (!!!!!!) asked me why I didn't just tune a sixer down to B, 8-strings are alien technology and "why would you play bass on a guitar", fanned frets are totally unfathomable, etc etc

the other day I watched a video about a guy working on microtonal guitar designs. He said, the only music genres that constantly strive to evolve towards something new and untested are jazz and death metal. This guy was so right that I'd give him an award. All the other genres aren't about extremes, they're about repeating what's already been done over and over and over again. So they don't need new instruments either.

We're a very small community on a thin edge of the music world. we're the guys everyone looks at and thinks "what a bunch of weirdos", much like when you were the only boy in high school with long hair and everyone thought you punched babies in the streets because of that Metallica t-shirt you were wearing.

Don't try to change people, don't try to make them understand. do your own shit in your own community and your fans shall be the open-minded people that you want as fans. forget the others.

 

[insanebassninja]

I'm a bassist

There's only so low a man can go. If any of you people tune below E1 I may be forced to take....drastic measures.

This sounds like me. Sometimes... Other times its like I don't even care. This is why am tuning my 8 string into a High A for.

 

[vansinn]

Yikes yikes yikes, do forget about such.
It's just because they don't understand the importance of jazz influence

A dude I know looked at my instruments and gear, and exasperated "why not just get a rear guitar" - he keeps his Martin in the car trunk, also during winter, and claims guitars are supposed to be scratched up by belt latches, 'nuf said..

 

[MF_Kitten]

range-ism

 

[House74]

I never forget one of my first 8 string experiences. I walk into a local music store here, and ask for a .80 string for my 8 string and the guy looks back at me with dumb founded confusion and says, " What, you mean like a bass?" ... sigh

That and the 7/8 string section at my local guitar center that has literally NO guitars in it....

 

[House74]

Oh, and general harassment from my drummer asking when I am bringing in my electric harp lol