POLL: Equipment Vs. Ability

[burk48237]

I was recently looking thru the new Bass Player and it had an article about the bass player for Al Green ( Leroy Hodges) . When it got to his instruments it listed a 70's Jazz, (Cool) and a five string Squire Precision. Now nothing is wrong with Squire Precisions, but I have TWO Sadowsky's and I don't anticipate any calls from Al to fill in on his next tour or lay down tracks for his new Album. I've actually been considering selling one of my Sadowsky's (metro), It's a great bass, but do I really need two? I can't remember the last time I had a failure (with a bass) on a gig or a broken string. I am considering picking up a cheap practice bass, because I'm on the road in sales and would like to practice in the hotel room. Do I need three basses? I'm just wondering how players here feel about their equipment verse their ability. It's cool to collect gear, and I'm not trying to give anyone a guilt trip, but do you have more gear then you need? (for your ability). Is your gear just right? Or do you have gear that a REAL BASS PLAYER would die for?

[SundanceChile]

You know he could have possibly modded the Squire to make it one hell of a bass. Don't ever judge a book by its cover.

[ScottBass16]

I think that if you want a nice bass, and you enjoy playing enough to justify dropping 3,000 dollars on an instrument, then by all means you are justified in getting a nice bass. its also fun to collect guitars/ basses, if you view them as an art piece and only occasional play thats okay too. it all depends on your personal wants etc.

[M.D.S.]

Originally Posted by burk48237

I can't remember the last time I had a failure (with a bass) on a gig or a broken string.

Trust me, if you got rid of a bass, something like that would happen at yer next gig for certain.

[Dr. Cheese]

Burke, you need a category like "I'm a hack and I've got great gear, kiss my a$$!"

By the way, I have that issue of Bass Player, and I think that Mr. Leroy Hodges actually has a 70s KSD five string in that picture. Although it is more costly than a Squier, there are many at TB that do not think very highly of these basses, or at least their quality control in their initial batches.

[Marcus]

Why is it relevant to justify what you may or may not own through your ability?

If its in your means and you want it, by all means you should do yourself the favor and get it.

Life is too short to think "Oh, that item is beyond me."

[g00eY]

i said my gear is better than my ability, but i'm gonna get better because of it BECAUSE... i've been playing for like a year now. all i know is finger style, i play at church, and i've been playing on a Squier Jazz, some Epiphone, and for two weeks played on an Ibanez SRX705. i bought a Carvin LB75 lined fretless and hopefully it will aid me in the aquisition of new skills and better intonation.

[Figjam]

Hard for me to answer that. I know people that i can outplay that have better gear, but i know people with my gear that could smoke me.

Id say mines fine. A better bass makes me a better player as well.

I have tons of room for improivement, and i like my restrictions to be self related, not my gear.

[PilbaraBass]

I'd say that my gear is probably just a little below my ability. But with that said, I have improved my gear (through mods, and setups, etc) to meet my changing needs and improving abilities (40 years old and still getting better ).

at some point I may want better gear. But for my current needs, I can certainly get the job done with what I have. Does that mean my GAS is satisfied? NO WAY!!!

[d8g3jdh]

Originally Posted by bass1

I can't play but have better gear than touring pros'.
Thats what you homos' should have put.

possible troll alert?

dun dun duuuuunnnnn

[CoolHat]

It´s an intriguing subject. I guess there just are two kinds of musicians: those who are interested in gear and those who aren´t. Some people (pros and beginners alike) are always on the hunt for new instruments, sounds and technical innovations. Some players barely get their new custom out of the package, when they are already making a new order. Of course there are all sorts of rational and valid reasons to have several high end basses, but I bet personal enjoyment plays a big part in it too. It´s just fun to have great toys, nothing wrong with that.

OTOH you got bassists (again, pros and beginners), who just have no interest in music technology whatsoever. People who still play the same bass they bought 5, 10 or 20 years ago and probably even don´t know the technical difference between a single coil and humbucker. And they don´t necessarily even have any deeper commitment to that one bass. If it broke or got stolen, they would just walk into the nearest music store, grab something out of the rack and keep on playing like nothing happened.

The important thing to realize is that peoples attitude towards gear doesn´t have anything to do with their musical ability. Expensive rig doesn´t make you a great player, and Squier doesn´t make you a hack. Or vice versa, just because someone has the means to purchase loads of high end gear doesn´t make him a soul-less gearslut, who tries to buy himself musical credibilty. Or conversely, a player doesn´t necessarily have some kind of deeper understanding of the essence of music just because he can´t be bothered with his tools.

So no need to worry, it´s all about personal choices. You don´t need to feel guilty because you have much more expensive gear than some pro. It´s his choice to use the gear he has. I´m sure that Hodges guy could afford a Sadowsky or whatever if he felt the need for it. And OTOH, I´m sure every serious bassist here would get by with a Squier if they had to.

[ebladeboi123]

I think this may just be me being modest. But I went with the "I can't play...."

I get the job done, but if you ask me to anything extremely challengeing (jaco, wooten ect.) I probably can't do it.

[Bernie Connors]

Originally Posted by ebladeboi123

I think this may just be me being modest. But I went with the "I can't play...."

I get the job done, but if you ask me to anything extremely challengeing (jaco, wooten ect.) I probably can't do it.

There's alot of people that can't do Jaco or Wooten. Use the greats as inspiration not someone you judge yourself against. Take it one day at a time.

[WovenGraphite]

Isn't the whole thing about having fun?

Most of us are not pros and play music as a hobby, whether you're a gear head or not,
as long as you have fun I say... keep it up!

[irjason]

I can see where you are coming from with this. I look at instruments like tools. I never buy cheap tools because they just break when you need them the most, or at the very least cause frustration while trying to use them.
I have thought about this same thing before I bought my Thumb bass. In the end I decided it didn't matter if I was good enough for it or not. What mattered to me was that I was going to get a good tool for the money I paid that would cause me to want to be a better player.

[AxtoOx]

I have great stuff, there are a lot of people better than me, but I'm working on it and I earned it so

My equipment won't make me better, I have to.

[Bernie Connors]

Touring pros alone would not keep the bass industry going. I don't think any boutique bass or amp maker would stay in business if they depended solely on pro money.

If you can afford it, buy it! If you want to play intro to walking bass lines on a 6k Fodera, it's your perogative.

[nspark]

When the Fender Reggie Hamilton Custom Shop Signature Jazz came out, I think one of the blurbs I read about it was that it was based off of Reggie's personal Jazz Bass - a Squier. For many of us here, Squiers aren't good enough to take our interest. I always thought it was interesting that this bassist, a player who is prominent and reknowned enough to have his own Signature Custom Shop Jazz, used a Squier as his main axe - probably until he started getting the CS basses. Just goes to show a great player can do so much with even the simplest of basses.

You know, I could do nearly everything I need to do as a bass player with either one of my main basses - either my Jazz Bass (my first bass) or my StingRay5. I also have a Yamaha BB404 to fiddle around with and so I could play with changing pickups. I'm an alright player - I'm sure many of you could put me to shame - but musically, I play what I play because I love it. I also love to vary my bass tone and experiment with other instruments. I get different sounds in my head that I want - J bass, P bass, StingRay, fretless...the list goes on. If I can satisfy those tonal cravings within reason, I often do - or at least I dream about it.

In the end, do I really need the basses I have? No. I just need one. But I've been fortunate enough to have the means to have what gear I have and I certainly try to make use of it all.

[Dkerwood]

I am a mid level player with mid level gear. My gear is nicer than most of the cats I run with, but hey, I also play better than a lot of them.

I figure I can make my music on a $500 axe just as well as a $3000 axe... At this level, a nicer bass won't make me a better player, and a worse bass won't make me a worse player.

I mod my gear to do what I need. I also like to pick up other midlevel axes to cover what my mods can't.

My main bass cost about $450, all said and done. My main electric guitar cost about $500, my acoustic guitar $450. My backup bass (my first bass) was a $150 special (a rather nice bass, actually, well made and very mellow), my other electric I picked up used for $200... I also have a number of garage sale treasures, usually bought for about $20.

My guitar amp I picked up through some trades and $50.

My 300W bass amp I picked up at a garage sale for $15. They said it was broken, and so I bought it for parts. I took it home, and whadayaknow? No problem besides a intermittent input jack and the wrong fuse. I've since used it for backline for pro shows... lol...

Cheap does not mean "bad" necessarily...

[Dr. Cheese]

I have no illusions about my ability. I'm a decent amatuer who loves playing and is a fan of music. I also happen to be a fan of instruments. If I could afford it, I would have a large collection like some of the people who post here. I have actually let go a bass because I felt anxiety over it being to good for me (a really nice Ken Smith Six bolt-on). That said, I'm at peace with my love of basses and if I go high-end again, I will be proud of my choice and be happy regardless of what someone else might say.