A question for a neurology expert

[danny57]

Dude, after reading and listening for some time to your stuff i must say you are amazing i completely agree with your percepetions on the identity of a player and technique.
I love the way you play and i havent heard anything close to what I heard on your podcast #1 maybe a little jaco,I wish i could play like that and further more i believe that i can, but i feel i dont have the gear to truely get to such skill.
im 15 years old, playing with older dudes and im always frustrated that they have much better gear.
i play an sx bass and ghs strings i am currently saving for new gear, im looking for something with a good sound and also something i could expresse myself on.

I practice 1 ton per day, and I know it takes a long time and a lot of tons of practice to develop real skill but I really feel restraind by my gear.. what gear should I buy?

Thanks in advance,
Danny

[Fetusyolk]

this is an opinion from an expert at nothing. you don't need new gear to get better.

[danny57]

I disagree, I practice and I see improvment.
but yet im am constantly disappointed by my sound in recordings.. I find it very tiring playing long sessions and by a whole I hate my bass! i dont think that this is positive.
playing on something more pro I feel much more secure and comfy
and I feel this has big importance.

[Yango]

You've hit the nail right on the head. The key to getting better is completely in the gear. The more expensive your gear the better you will play (even without practice!).

If you want to elevate your playing level 500% by tomorrow, go and buy the most expensive boutique pedal that you can find. Presto! Another amazing bass player is created (just don't ever forget the pedal when you go out to gig at your local stadium).

No need to thank me, I'm here to help.

[Mike McGibney]

On a less sarcastic note, whilst it's true that you don't need top brand gear to be a great player, you're more likely to play more and do "deeper" practice if you have an instrument that you really care for, that plays well and responds to your touch.

My advice would be to buy the best gear you can afford - remember, it's not all about the bass, it's about strings and amp too. Don't get swept up in it - buy a decent bass (second hand, in my opinion, get a good deal) and get working !

A lot of people like to immediately take the moral high ground and pontificate that gear has nothing to do with it - with which to an extent I agree, but if you've got a crappy bass that's a chore to play, you're not going to feel inspired to make music.

Like all things in life, it's a grey area, not black or white. Good luck getting a new bass - make sure you try and play it first so that it's really comfortable and good sounding for you. Read reviews here and Harmony Central and see what people think of it, along with potential issues.

Good luck - now over to Janek for a proper answer!

[adri24an]

Originally Posted by Mike McGibney

On a less sarcastic note, whilst it's true that you don't need top brand gear to be a great player, you're more likely to play more and do "deeper" practice if you have an instrument that you really care for, that plays well and responds to your touch.

My advice would be to buy the best gear you can afford - remember, it's not all about the bass, it's about strings and amp too. Don't get swept up in it - buy a decent bass (second hand, in my opinion, get a good deal) and get working !

A lot of people like to immediately take the moral high ground and pontificate that gear has nothing to do with it - with which to an extent I agree, but if you've got a crappy bass that's a chore to play, you're not going to feel inspired to make music.

Like all things in life, it's a grey area, not black or white. Good luck getting a new bass - make sure you try and play it first so that it's really comfortable and good sounding for you. Read reviews here and Harmony Central and see what people think of it, along with potential issues.

Good luck - now over to Janek for a proper answer!

+1

[TonyFranklinFan]

Danny...go have your SX bass set up professionally to what feels comfortable, then maybe try a different pickup and string setup out. I spent alot of un-necessary money on 100's of basses before I found my perfect sound, don't let that happen to you. Keep practicing and don't try to be your favorite player...be YOU.

[janekbass]

sound comes from your fingers, time comes from your soul, and having something to say as a musician comes from life experience.

as long as your instrument is set up to a place where it's in tune, and comfortable to play, you should be able to work on your sound and vocabulary very efficiently. Of course having a nice instrument helps with the way it feels, but the more unique you can be on a lesser instrument the more I think you're going to be able to say as a musician. I've used all kinds of basses ranging from the 200 mexican made P bass, to custom basses of 15k upwards...... no matter what instrument I have in my hand I'm still me at the end of the day and that's the important part that you want to work on. Gear will come in time, but the harder you work on being an individual and not just playing some gear and sounding like someone else cos it looks or sounds cool, the further you're going to get in this industry.

Easy,

Janek

[danny57]

thank you all,
i think im gonna take my bass to a pro for setup, ive decided im gonna use the money for other things..