Don't touch my Bass.

Stoned Bass · #1 06-21-2005, 06:12 PM

Am I the Only one who get's paranoid about people playing my bass?

I'm not a control freak, but when someone messes with my bass it always feels 'dirty' and 'wrong' afterward i have to wipe it and fix the strings before it feels right again.
It's almost like people leave 'energy' or their 'aura' on it.

Maybe im just a freak

Funky Tune · #2 06-21-2005, 06:14 PM

I feel the same like you when my friends try to play or seen my bass,don,t touch my bass,

**WillPlay4Food** · #3 06-21-2005, 06:18 PM

I let my musician friends try my bass if they like, but I am on edge the whole time it's in someone else's hands.

Snarf · #4 06-21-2005, 06:22 PM

I'm kind of the same way, because I'm compulsive about washing my hands and keeping the neck feeling clean.

That doesn't stop me from letting other people play them though. Hell, I once let my friend take my precision home for a day or two because he needed it for a gig.

Course, if it were a custom Nordstrand, I'd be a little more reserved . . .

Fealach · #5 06-21-2005, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoned Bass

Am I the Only one who get's paranoid about people playing my bass?

I'm not a control freak, but when someone messes with my bass it always feels 'dirty' and 'wrong' afterward i have to wipe it and fix the strings before it feels right again.
It's almost like people leave 'energy' or their 'aura' on it.

Maybe im just a freak

Or their 'something else' on it. Nobody touch my basses. They're pretty pricey (well for me) and I am super careful about them, always washing hands first, no belt buckle, no buttons on my shirt, etc... If they ever need anything I can't do, the right tech could, but not just any monkey with a hex wrench. Then it'd be like a doctor touching you. Well except Dr Phil. Wouldn't want that.

Also I never just grab somebody else's bass and start wanking on it. Even if somebody is making a point of showing me their bass, I don't touch it.

Amphetachronism · #6 06-21-2005, 06:28 PM

I take the same attitude with my bass as I do with my own body. Only I am allowed to touch it, unless I really, really like you, you're trained to maintain it, or you're showing me how to do something new and exciting with it.

End of story.

PilbaraBass · #7 06-21-2005, 06:30 PM

You guys need to relax...ain't noone putting no "aura" on anyone's bass...

The fact is that if you bought your bass used...someone touched it...if you bought your bass from a shoppe...someone touched it...if you get your bass serviced...SOMEONE TOUCHED IT!!!

CHILL OUT ALREADY!!!!

Kael · #8 06-21-2005, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amphetachronism

I take the same attitude with my bass as I do with my body. Only I am allowed to touch it, unless I really, really like you, you're trained to maintain it, or you're showing me how to do something new and exciting with it.

End of story.

Hmm, this theory may explain why so many women at shows want to play my bass.........

bassteban · #9 06-21-2005, 06:47 PM

I always remember the first time I played a real bass- a Fender P. After starting out on an overpriced-at-$139 pawnshop P.O.S, it was very impressive. I now love the look that comes across a kid's face when I hand them my $2,000+ custom 6-string.
Of course, there are geniune musicuans who will never touch my bass; not because it's in any way sacred, but because a fool's a fool.

Funky Tune · #10 06-21-2005, 06:49 PM

lol i wash my hands too before playing

Philbo · #11 06-21-2005, 06:54 PM

My friend asked to try my backup bass and he dropped it while playing. He took full responsibility and payed for the damages, but I never again let anyone touch any of my basses. Before this happened I allowed it only on my backup bass and I always had to clean it after they used it.

BigMikeW · #12 06-21-2005, 07:00 PM

Totally! I played a benefit about a year ago and as we finished a set this gal comes up with her boyfriend and like 6 other people and says she just started playing.

Then she asked to play a new Warwick I had gotten. I was very nice and told her no. She persisted saying "come on man, be cool. just let me play it." Again, I told her no very nicely. Her boyfriend and friends started calling me a jerk and I finally said look this thing s is worth a lot and it is how I make a living. I'd rather not run the risk of getting it dinged or worse. They just didn't get it.

I let someone do it once and sure enough they whacked my bass and put a nice ding in it. Luckily, it was just a an old Fender that was worn a bit.

Never again though. Protect your basses!

B8ssMan89 · #13 06-21-2005, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funky Tune

I feel the same like you when my friends try to play or seen my bass,don,t touch my bass,

AMEN!!!
Touch my bass YOU DIE!!!

Dincrest · #14 06-21-2005, 07:11 PM

Let others play my bass? Not without my permission (i.e. I offer the bass to you saying, "would you like to check it out?") and the bass must never leave my sight.

I do understand that sometimes **** happens and a fellow musician needs to borrow a bass from someone and you could either be a ba****d or be the hero of the day. But in those instances, I'd loan my backup rather than my main player since my main player means a lot to me, set me back a worthy chunk of change, and I may not know this other person well enough to assume that s/he'll care for my bass like I would.

Besides, whenever I talk to a band after a set, the bassist is always happy to hear me say I'm a fellow bassist since that's a brotherhood, but I would never ask to play someone else's bass. Only if the bassist themselves offer up the bass and say something like, "would you like to check out my bass?" would I even think about it.

Etiquette, right?

I too am about the hand washing, as is my bass playing housemate.

jefft54 · #15 06-21-2005, 07:17 PM

People seem to think it's their right to touch our instruments. Try going to their work, say a dentist, and touching their drill. Hands off. I will, however, let my son pick on it, if only to encourage him to play.

**WillPlay4Food** · #16 06-21-2005, 07:21 PM

Wow, I guess I'm not that crazy about it. I've swapped basses while hanging with other bassists. I mean, how else am I going to be able to try the 10,000 different kinds of basses out there without buying one of each (a lofty goal but impossible on my lowly stipend)? I mean I'm not about to let someone all plastered mess around with my basses but I don't keep them in glass cases and such. I've had practically complete strangers let me play their Sadowskies, etc. at get togethers with nary a problem.

tplyons · #17 06-21-2005, 07:49 PM

If it's a fellow bassist that I know and trust, absolutely, he may try it, borrow it, and frankly, some of my gear is more recorded than I am, more live shows, because I'd much rather see a friend get use out of the gear if I'm not.

However, if it's an amateur, someone I don't know, or something else of the sort, hands off.

heretic · #18 06-21-2005, 07:56 PM

I don't mind people playing my bass but when a guitarist picks it up thinking he's th **** and plucks the strings way to hard, I get a little pissed.

GetLow · #19 06-21-2005, 08:41 PM

i only let people touch my bass if they play better than me. haven't found anyone yet, so i'm not worried.

but seriously, only if they play better than me. i figure they must know something about the instrument and i trust them.

r379 · #20 06-21-2005, 09:03 PM

I'm really a Jazz bass kinda guy, but I do have a P. A friend of mine's '71 P was stolen last week and he's had my P since last Friday and he's going to have it until he's found his or gotten another. My P is a nice MIA 2001 and I don't mind him having it in the least. I wouldn't do that for just anyone, mind you, but he's a friend. He's got other basses but only one P and that was what he gigged with most. Just glad I had it to loan him.