So all my gear sucks....

[rotosound45]

Hey guys! I'm a new poster here, but I have lurked a little bit over time. I would like to start with a little revelation that has been brought to my attention somewhat recently. Hope this rant doesn't bore you to tears.

It all started about a year ago -

I'm filling in for a fellow bassist at a gig in a nearby town, not very familiar with most of the regular patrons at the venue, but the guitarist has been a longtime friend of mine. We just finished up the second set and this guy comes up and says, "So what year is that Stingray you are playing?" I replied that I bought it new in mid-2000, while smiling. He replies with "Oh, so it's not a real Stingray..." and walks off.

Fast forward about six months -

The guitarist and I are now in a regular band together, doing a gig in the same town. Another guy asks me how I'm getting my sound, wanting to know mostly about my amp. I explain it's an Ampeg SVT CL with two Ampeg 4x10H cabs and an Alesis Nanocompressor. He then wants to know if "that Ampeg" is solid state or tube, so I replied it is an all-tube SVT. He then says "it's too bad what St. Louis Music has done with Ampeg. It's all crap after the 80's".

Most recently -

I've always played guitar, just not very seriously and never in a band. My old Squier has just about crossed over to guitar heaven, so I decided to find something else. I spent a couple of months shopping around, and decided on a candy apple red Fender Roadhouse Stratocaster made in 1997. Now I keep hearing how these 90's USA Fenders are the worst guitars Fender ever made. Mostly because of the swimming pool route.

In my defense -

I have never been one to jump on gear bandwagons. I have been using various Ampeg gear for about fifteen years now, new and vintage. The idea of switching from Fender basses to Stingrays began about five years before I actually did it, when I decided the tone would fit what I was doing musically. And going with an American Strat was just a natural decision considering I had played a Japanese Squier from the very beginning.

My own conclusion and personal advice -

Everything new SUCKS!!!! If it has been in production for 35-50 years, don't buy it unless it comes from the first ten years of production. Just kidding....

[James Hart]

Originally Posted by rotosound45

Everything new SUCKS!!!! If it has been in production for 35-50 years, don't buy it unless it comes from the first ten years of production. Just kidding....

I like some vintage stuff but I feel very strongly that this is the time that the best of the best is being produced bass and amp wise.

Welcome to Talk Bass

[BurningSkies]

Guys in the crowd who are not even on stage have no weight in my mind when it comes to things...for the most part, they're just trying to make you feel bad anyway. The late 90's Fender guitars and basses are some of the best that were ever built...and some of the now 'vintage' Fender stuff is just awful.

Your stingray is a REAL stingray. Is this guy saying that a Jazz bass isn't a REAL Jazz bass after Leo left Fender in the mid 60's? I guess all those L&G's should be re-labeled just 'G' now that Leo's shuffled off?

I don't have this much of a difficulty as people mostly have never seen much of my gear before and if they do say something about my bass I can tell them I have a vintage Fender sitting at home. Usually they go on about how amazing it would sound if I played vintage Fender X or X Jazz instead of what I have and I casually say, "Oh, yeah...that does sound good. I have one of those at my house". Shuts 'em right up.


Fer a last little bit of fun...back when I saw the Pixies play on the Doolittle tour (1989, I think), Joey Santiago sounded amazing. My guitarist at the time and I sat there and were stunned by his tone. His amp? Peavey bandit practice amp on a stool with a mic to it.

I have another friend (in a blues band) who has a squire strat as a back up. one night when he had broken the strings on the guitar he had been playing, he picked up the squire...and it sounded phenomenal. After the set, a gear nerd came up and told him how great that squire sounded...and wanted to know what pickups he'd replaced the originals with. He didn't, the whole guitar was stock.


There are nay-sayers in every crowd.

Screw 'em.

[superbassman2000]

don't listen to your friends...they are just vintage snobs. the older the better, no matter how crappy it is.
the fact is, it sounds like you've got good gear. stingray with an ampeg rig is pretty decent.
in thirty years i'll bet that i'll be hearing guys saying "geez, thats a 2026 stingray? it sure sucks compared to that 2004 stingray i once had."

[Munjibunga]

If that guy knew what he was talking about, he wouldn't have had to ask what year your Stingray was made ... he should've been able to hear the difference. What a dork.

I like those afficionados who have never heard of Lakland or Sadowsky, not to mention Aguilar and Eden. Not ever hearing of EBS, Glockenklang or Walter Woods is OK, I suppose, since there aren't that many out there.

I just tell them next time you go see the Stones, take a look at Darryl Jones' basses. Or Jason Scheff in Chicago. Or Skylark in The Doobie Brothers. Or Ricky Minor on American Idol. Etc. etc. etc.

[rotosound45]

BurningSkies - "Your stingray is a REAL stingray. Is this guy saying that a Jazz bass isn't a REAL Jazz bass after Leo left Fender in the mid 60's?"

Actually, he later said his Stingray was a '94.

Munjibunga - "he should've been able to hear the difference. What a dork."

Is there that much difference?

James Hart - "I like some vintage stuff but I feel very strongly that this is the time that the best of the best is being produced bass and amp wise."

I agree wholeheartedly.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by rotosound45

Munjibunga - "he should've been able to hear the difference. What a dork."

Is there that much difference?

That's the point. Here's some dork that thinks, for some reason, that pre-EB Stingrays are better than current ones. Well, if they're so much better, why can't he hear the difference? What a dork.

[purfektstranger]

Gear posers are a dime a dozen. I was in a music shop last week and this guy was debating whether or not to splash out
600 on a dw9000 drum pedal ( Canadian $) or 900 on some other brand. Well, he's making such a show about the construction, mechanics, beater angles and all sorts of other nonsense that we ( my nephew who is a drummer and I ) start listening. It only gets better when he tells the sales guy he is going to try em out. His playing was god awful. Worst I have ever hear in fact. His expertise on pedals did not translate into double bassdrum skills. Even the salesguy, who I know is a straight up guy, had to turn away (either is disgust or fear of bursting out laughing).

Don't believe the hype about vintage this and that. If newer medium - high range basses were so crap, companies wouldn't be stamping lifetime guarantees on them. Everyone is an expert but at the end of the day, you know what feels and sounds best for you within your budget.

[invader3k]

Or you could just say "OK...yeah, my bass sucks. Go buy me a new one."

[Figjam]

My favorite musicman basses come from the 90s. The ones where birdseye was on 99 out of 100 of them. They are yummy.

The new ones are just as good, just less pretty to me., heh.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Figjam

My favorite musicman basses come from the 90s. The ones where birdseye was on 99 out of 100 of them. They are yummy.

The new ones are just as good, just less pretty to me., heh.

Cool. Mine's a '97.

[Figjam]

Mine too.

[SomecallmeTim]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

That's the point. Here's some dork that thinks, for some reason, that pre-EB Stingrays are better than current ones. Well, if they're so much better, why can't he hear the difference? What a dork.

It seems so simple, doesn't it? If you said that to the guy in question, though, his head would probably explode in confusion.

[Jonki]

rotosound45 : one word, jealousy