Have We Become So Insular...

[Psychicpet]

... that all of our collective heads are so far up our collective back passages that we're nothing but a bunch of a**hats??

In reading some comments from the onslaught of new gear from NAMM it's just hilarious to me to see statements regarding things that are so trivial to any bassist that has been playing for more than a little while that I am getting a little concerned about the "collective".

-when did amps capable of a 2ohm load become a fetish?? I talk to my frineds that tech and mix for Grammy winning artists and their view on 2ohms is not so big a deal but we as bassists say that if a manufacturer can not deliver an amp that handles 2ohms then they are shunned and essentially a sh** brand?

-the "weight" revolution and Top Handles on cabinets.
give me a break. I like the concept of the MacAir but we're talking about large amount of electricity and transient response folks. Yes, a lot has happened since Nikola's enlightenment but really folks, weight and tone, so far, are correlated to a degree (for now)

-size/colour scheme of pedals... really... really??.... c'mon now. It's a freakin' pedal. Tone should be what we're after. Size and Colour being a deal breaker.... please.


anywho. that's aboooot it for me for Day 1


hahahahahaha



but some of the responses I've been reading has got me rethinking a great joke. the original goes "how many Emo kids does it take to screw-in a light bulb?".... "None!"... :You let them cry in the dark."

BUT!!!

are we as bassists to become the brunt of this joke???


c'mon folks, not asking everyone to be fanboys and devotees of all but sheesh. a little more on the not so cynical side would be good (ya, I know, the pot calling the kettle black in light of this rant)

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Haven't read the thread You're referring (mostly?) to but,

Originally Posted by Psychicpet

but some of the responses I've been reading has got me rethinking a great joke. the original goes "how many Emo kids does it take to screw-in a light bulb?".... "None!"... :You let them cry in the dark."

Very, VERY well put sir.

On a wider note there's people who care about the music, some who care only about the bass and some who only care about the gear.

For me it's the music and entertaining people. My original music was/is SO GOD DAMN BAD that I prefer playing in a cover band, but it's about music anyway.

I could buy almost any bass/rig I'd want, but I play Epi T-Bird, a Chinese tube amp and old cabs. It's enough for me but I perfectly respect the desicion that it's not enough for all, while I sure as hell don't understand it.

If You think it's bad, take a peak at some Hi-Fi folks forums. Now there's something to cry about .

Regards
Sam

[Psychicpet]

thanks Sam.

and ya. the whole Audiophile world is a little too kooky for me... I'll stick with more 'ancient' esoteric avenues

I realize that we all have our own ears and what we dig we dig but like you've said, you can have the pick of the litter and even with that you dig what you dig and it inspires you. AWESOME!!

I see enough people (myself in that camp) that think the next best gear revolution is gonna make them sound like what they've got in their head... but it won't. Nothing can account for the time that you spend with your plucking/picking hand and fretting hand. And this isn't some rant about "gear sucks and just practice". No. GEAR IS AWESOME!!! It's like getting your wife new and more lingerie... it's a reeeeeeeeeally good thing :

BUT!!!... in a musical context, you have to be happy to some degree and proficient to some degree with your hands to then be searching for the "San Graal" of gear. Gear's only a small part of it. and yes, colour and size and features do factor in to what inspires the players which ultimately results in said player playing to their potential but there has to come a point where we all stop being such armchair quarterbacks and get a little more on-board with supporting the "collective" and "culture" and nurture the musician within all of us.

[superbassman2000]

lol this is talkbass.com...not practicebass.com

it would be a really boring site if anyone posted a bass/amp/cab/etc and then it just gets followed by 62 comments that just say "practice and it won't matter what you play!"

[T-Bird]

Hi.

^Well, if the thing people do here at TB is talking, perhaps the definition of talking should be changed a bit.

My understanding about talking involves listening (in this case reading) all the replies before speaking up (in this case replying). Seldom happens, and is really amusing at times. Of course the ignore lists may be as long as 3*45 set lists so they do read "all" the replies .

Regards
Sam

[superbassman2000]

lol on the other hand, welcome to the internet haha
what i see generally happening here is one person says something and so the rest of the replies are pointed at the OP. Of course, then someone reads the ubiquitous "XXXXXX sucks!" and then the topic moves to why XXXXXX doesn't suck and why XXXXXXX does suck.
the beauty of being anonymous haha

[Kelly Coyle]

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

lol on the other hand, welcome to the internet haha
what i see generally happening here is one person says something and so the rest of the replies are pointed at the OP. Of course, then someone reads the ubiquitous "XXXXXX sucks!" and then the topic moves to why XXXXXX doesn't suck and why XXXXXXX does suck.
the beauty of being anonymous haha

You suck.

[superbassman2000]

lol no I don't!
I just have better tone at 2ohms!

[kesslari]

Meh.
If I had the perfect bass and the right color pedals I'd be on tour with Santana AND Shakira.
That's all I'm missing. That's all any of us are missing.
Right?

[Jared Lash]

Yes, of course as with any activity/hobby/profession people sometimes go overboard with their obsession with minutia. That said, who gets to determine what is an isn't a legitimate point of criticism?

None of the other things you mentioned are things I care about, but the size of a pedal can be a deal breaker. I assume you're talking about the new Markbass line that is being discussed.

As a gigging bassist with effects needs for 2 of my 3 bands (3 of 4 if you count semi-regular work with a hip-hop collective) I have carefully built a small pedalboard of effects. For me to use one of those pedals (which are very large relatively speaking) I would have to replace at least two of the pedals I already use when playing live. That is a legitimate concern for me and one strike against them in terms of me wanting to use them.

And I guess that's my point. There is a difference between real concerns based on a player's needs and simple gear snobbery.