Is everyone on TB loaded?

[fdeck]

I think bassists are lucky. Bass gear seems cheap compared to what string and wind players pay for pro gear.

[DeathFromBelow]

Originally Posted by FunkyMcNasty

Some are rich, some are well off, some just save their money for quality gear.

And some of us are just REALLY useless when it comes to making financial decisions...

[Auguste]

Not rich, or even close

No mortgage

Fender Jazz Special MIA

Queen Bee 6 string

Fender amps

Kids are grown up and have their families

I'm 63

[One Bad Monkey]

Originally Posted by FunkyMcNasty

Some are rich, some are well off, some just save their money for quality gear.

Some of us use their gigging money as discretionary income, and just roll it back into equipment for gigging.

[amimbari]

Originally Posted by One Bad Monkey

Some of us use their gigging money as discretionary income, and just roll it back into equipment for gigging.

I'm the same way 2 bank accounts. One for the bills and one for fun. The one for fun has not always been able to buy me what I see when I'm loaded, but the past 10 years has changed all that.

[Joelc73]

I do alright. I have a lot of nice gear. More importantly, I have a great family. Beautiful wife and wonderful kids. They mean considerably more to me than my Foderas (etc) ever will.

[millsbass5]

"Every piece of music related gear I own has paid for itself many times over."=QUOTE

Same here. I've purchased 1 bass guitar new over the years. A Carvin made to my specs. Every other bass? Used. The only thing I've purchased new, is mixing boards, P.A. cabs (a few), and effects for P.A. And, everything has paid for itself many, many times over. I've been wanting a new (used)5'er for years, but I keep puttin' it off. I'll eventually break down and cop me somethin'.

[Jazzdogg]

I'm a member of a group of aging bassists who may appear, to a younger person, to have a lot of costly gear. But, we didn't buy it all last week; some of us have had GAS for decades, and bought "vintage" gear when it was new and "affordable."

For the first thirty years as a bassist, I had a P-bass, a double bass, and an amp for each. Back then, my priorities were focused primarily on satisfying responsibilities to wife and career.

Lately, although I don't buy anything for which I can't pay cash, I seldom buy new, and I tend to study diligently before buying gear, I'll admit I'm a little less constrained in my purchases. I've purchased several basses, amps, and pieces of ancillary bass gear over the past decade. And although I wouldn't describe myself as "loaded," I do have more discretionary income now than I had thirty or forty years ago.

I've decided that the downhill side of my life is a good time to acquire the best [lightweight] gear I can afford, and start divesting of gear I longer use. I started a few years ago, by donating some unused bass gear to the local middle school at which I was teaching bass; more recently I gave a bass, amp, cab, and pedals to my nephew. Don't wan't to appear on "Hoarders!"

[drummer5359]

I had a great day job where I had worked my way up the corporate ladder. In January of 2008 I suffered a major stroke. My wife of 15 years didn't bother to come to the hospital. I realized that as I worked toward my recovery I needed to make changes in my life. I divorced and began dating again. I met someone with similar values and we've been together ever since. My sweetie had a high paying job at the top of her industry. In 2009 I suffered a second stroke (not as severe) which made us come to a decision. We sold all of our major assets and downsized. Both of us retired and we moved to a city with a much lower cost of living and bought an old home which we did a major renovation on. We have a small mortgage (for tax purposes) and both drive cars which are paid off. We live simply for the most part these days. My exception is my music gear. When I buy gear, I buy quality and I pay cash. Nothing in my music gear has ever been bought on credit. If I can't afford it, I save up until I can. I spend all of my time involved with music now, so the gear earns it's keep. Although I own some cool stuff, particulary drum stuff, it all gets used. I'm playing in two bands as a percussionist and have devoted myself to becoming a serious bassist. I have the time, energy and finances to do it right. I have a good life.

Loaded? No, but we are comfortable.


After my divorce I did get carried away with drumstuff for a while. I have way too much and am currently downsizing. For years I used a (very cool) 1975 Slingerland kit, updated hardware, and Zildjian A cymbals. I picked up a set of Gretsch USA customs, a set of DW collector series and several cool vintage kits. I put together over the top cymbal and snare drum collections. Recently I started selling some of the snares. I'm going to hang onto all of the really amazing ones such as my Radio Kings, Black Beauty, Dynasonic, Noble & Cooley and DW solid shells. I'm going to sell some drums kits next. (Again, I'll keep the really cool stuff.) I won't sell my cymbals, in fact I may buy a few more. (They don't take up much room.)

Recently I've been buying basses. I have a vintage Tele bass, a 60th Anniversary P and an American standard Jazz. I intend on picking up a Rickenbacker and a Stingray in the next year. (I'll fund these with drum sales.) I have a decent used Fender Bassman 400. I want to get a nice tube amp down the road and eventually I will. It may seem extravagant to some, but again I'm not a drinker, smoker etc, and I don't really have any hobbies. These instruments are not too crazy. (imho)

[Lady Kayri]

Definately not loaded. Bought a lot of my gear used, or at just a little more than dealer cost from a local music store that I have patronized for years, and got lessons thru. My Fender P was bought used, the J and two of the Ibbys thru that store, as well as my amp and cab. Only basses I paid more or less full price were the fretless Ibby and the two Dingers, which I bought direct from Dingwall. And my local music shop guy lets me buy my stuff on time / lay away. He marks the stuff I put money down on as sold, and when I make the final payment, get to take it home. (Also bought an Ibby guitar and my 'B' foot flute from him, too.) I saved up for the Dingers, putting aside tip money, anything left over after bills and food paid for, what gig money I got, and money from birthday and Christmas gifts (my late father sent a fair amount of money the last few years of his life to help me buy the Dingers...he appreciated how much the music meant to me and wanted to see me happy before he passed...took the Combustion home with me a few times so I could play it for him.) I got a pretty nice bonus payment when we laid off for the season this year, and used that plus $$ in savings to buy the fretless Ibby (SR375F...a fairly cheap bass, but I love it's feel and am enjoying the heck out of playing the beast.)

I also don't have a lot of other things I spend money on. I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I drink wine sparingly (it will take me a week and a half to two weeks to drink a bottle of wine, and I buy mostly local
wines - cost between $12 - $20 per bottle), I have a 2005 KIA minivan that is paid for and gets good milage, I have two decent but fairly inexpensive cameras for my photography, my other hobbies include reading, embroidery, beading, researching family history (and I am good enough as both photography, beading (especially making rosaries, chaplets and other prayer beads, etc to order) that I am now making a bit more than pocket money in the off season from those pursuits, in addition to bass and flute playing. Compared to my sister, who is whole hog into photography...well, she probably spent a good $15,000 or more on photography equipment A YEAR (good lenses alone for her SLRs run in the $6,000 or so cost range) and even the several thousand my husband spends on cigarettes each year, or however
much a friend of mine spends on his model trains and the track set ups in his basement... Well, what I spend on average per year isn't all that out of line, and a lot less than many people spend on thier hobbies, but are living on $50,000 to $70,000 a year.

I suspect a lot of the other folks here on Talkbass are in the same boat. Yes, we have decent to very good gear, but we buy used, or at least get stuff at reduced prices, we don't spend a lot of money on other things, and we save up to buy our equipment over time (didn't use a credit card to buy any of my
gear!) spread out those purchases over five or more years (25, 30, 40...) and you can assemble a small stable of basses and some decent sound gear. I have 7 basses (well, 9 if you count the travel/practice basses, which are great for the times I am traveling somewhere for more than a day or two, but taking a full size bass is not really a good option, but which I really wouldn't want to try and gig with, unless it was an emergency...) one practice amp, and a GK mb2 500 amp and GK NEO 2x10 cab, Boss multi
effects pedal, and a nice digital recorder...admittedly, I want to eventually get a second amp or maybe a combo of some sort, but there isn't anything I am really gassing for. (Mind, if I saw a used fretless Dinger come up for sale, the GAS would hit big time, but if I didnt have the funds for it at the time, I would keep the GAS in check and wouldn't buy it, no matter how much I wanted it...because it would be a matter of 'want' not 'need' if that makes any sense.)

It took me almost two years to save up for the Combustion, and almost as long for the Afterburner II, even with the extra money from my dad. Getting good gear for me, and I'm sure for many others on Talkbass, is a matter of looking until we find the gear we really like, then saving up over time (and/or selling other gear) in order to finance our purchases. Most of us are not going out, seeing a piece of equipment that costs a lot of money, pointing at it and saying "I want that, and that, and that..." and it is a lot easier if you've made your purchases over the space of five, ten or more years...

[Fuzz Aldrin]

It is all about budgeting and patience for me.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by drummer5359

I had a great day job where I had worked my way up the corporate ladder. In January of 2008 I suffered a major stroke. My wife of 15 years didn't bother to come to the hospital. I realized that as I worked toward my recovery I needed to make changes in my life. I divorced and began dating again. I met someone with similar values and we've been together ever since. any hobbies.

Your lucky, I have all but given up on the relationship thing. I have been divorced twice, I have never met any woman that had respect or even understood how music is my life.

I have been dating a real pretty lady 17 years younger than me, professional great job but I can tell already it won't work.

She has been supportive in a weirs way, she has come to many gigs with me , helped me load in sold T -Shirts and CDs at shows. But I feel she still does not "get it".

Last night on Public Television a concert featuring Muddy Waters and The Stones in this tiny bar in Chicago, I think it was from 1982 came on. She told me she was going to bed. I am the biggest Stones fan there is.

To avoid conflict I turned off the show and followed her to bed.

Guys, I'm just sick of it.

Blue

[Gtripdub]

hey blue..you just gotta ask yourself "what would muddy waters do"..

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Gtripdub

hey blue..you just gotta ask yourself "what would muddy waters do"..

I don't know what Muddy would do, but I'm interested.

Blue

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by bluewine

Last night on Public Television a concert featuring Muddy Waters and The Stones in this tiny bar in Chicago, I think it was from 1982 came on. She told me she was going to bed. I am the biggest Stones fan there is.

My son gave me that DVD for my birthday. I just love it!
It comes with a CD with all the music on it. I loaded it into my phone and listen to it all the time.
One of the best gifts I have received from my kids.

http://www.amazon.com/Waters-Rolling...ing+stones+dvd

[Clef_de_fa]

I have a Yamaha BBN5II that my father bought me after 2 years of bass playing ( which was 1000$ ) and it was my only bass during my college degree in music. then in 2006 I bought two Carvin LB76 ( one fretless and one fretted ).

since then I didn't bought any new bass. but I have bought a DB last year.

I just don't have any interest in buying ton and ton of basses, I prefer to bound with my basses, that they become a part of me.

[PWRL]

I'm not loaded at all, I've been stone sober all day. Nor do I have a lot of money. Music equipment is the only thing I really spend money on. I hardly ever even buy clothes. Some people buy plane tickets and workout equipment and ATVs, and I buy, sell and trade gear.
Actually, I played the same $200 Washburn XB-100 for the first eight years I was playing, strung with the same old pressurewound strings.

[One Bad Monkey]

Originally Posted by bluewine

Last night on Public Television a concert featuring Muddy Waters and The Stones in this tiny bar in Chicago, I think it was from 1982 came on. She told me she was going to bed. I am the biggest Stones fan there is.

To avoid conflict I turned off the show and followed her to bed.

This happens on a regular basis all the time at my house. My wife and I have different tastes in terms of shows; she hates Family Guy, so I watch it in the other room while she sees those medical ones that make me queasy (the face eating tumor, girl with three spleens, etc..).

I just have to ask, was there any communication from your woman (verbal, body language, etc) that indicated that you needed to go to bed too? Because if not, that's your problem for going to bed and you shouldn't hold any resentment to her for your choice.

Originally Posted by bluewine

I don't know what Muddy would do, but I'm interested.

Blue

According to the books I've read on the Mighty Mud, he cheated on his wife regularly (and publicly), knocked up one of his women and put her up in another house.

[RichardCranium]

Definitely not loaded quite the opposite. The only bass I own currently is an import Spector I paid $800 for 25 years ago. I have a MIM jazz on long term loan that I think was bought used for $100. Most of my gear was bought used. My IEM headphones gave out last week and that's a

My only job is playing. When I did have good jobs I spent some decent cash on gear but it was nothing extravagant I've never owned a $4000 bass or a $3000 amp. I'm in the market for another 5 string and the dilemma is do I just get the $600 one that I can get by on or cut back even more and suffer for a few months to get the $1200 one I really want.

I agree though sometimes it is disheartening to see others that always seem to be acquiring another high end bass or piece of gear when you're lucky to keep yourself in new strings. The other side of it is I don't have the responsibilities that a lot of some of those guys have (corporate job, family, mortgage) so I can get by on a lot less.

[Ric5]

Before the 2nd depression hit I used to own a lot of Ricks ...