Cheating on Your Bass? (long)

sevenyearsdown · #1 09-30-2008, 08:12 AM

So I've recently acquired an 06' HW-1 Jazz with Dimarzio Ultra J PUP's. I put a good set of flats on, set it up, and swapped the cheap white guard for a nice traditional tort from Warmoth...and now I'm falling in love with it.

Problem is, my MIA P has been my "baby" for lack of a better term for a while now. It has been the bass that I gigged with, and always took to try-outs and such.

Now I find myself wanting to play the Jazz all the time, and was even thinking to myself at practice last night how I wish I was playing the Jazz on more than a few songs. I spent what I considered a lot of money for the brand new P bass a few years ago, and I feel guilty when I leave it in the case for another. It's like I'm cheating on my old P with the sexy new J.

I feel like I have to many options now.

Dave R · #2 09-30-2008, 10:26 AM

I can relate to what you're feeling. But, dude, they're basses, not people. Cheat all you want. Its fun!

lonote · #3 09-30-2008, 10:32 AM

You're probably still in the honeymoon stage. Before long, you'll play both.

kaputsport · #4 09-30-2008, 10:38 AM

I have one bass... I am married to it...

Until a better model comes along... LOL

Enjoy them for all they are worth.

alexei · #5 09-30-2008, 10:40 AM

our relationships with our basses is polygamous, don't forget that. It's OK to intimate with all of them. It's NOT OK to forget one of them. If you don't like one of your basses, better to sell it, so other bassis can "have her".

Ric5 · #6 09-30-2008, 10:52 AM

I am a long time Rickenbacker player ... for many years my main bass was a 1969 4001. Then I got into 5 string Rickenbackers. Then I got into converting 4 string Rics into 5 string Rics. Then I got into building my own 5 string basses. Then I got into active electronics.

So I went from being a 4 string only passive only Rickenbacker only bass player to where now my favorite bass is a frankensteined 5 string jazz with sd pickups and a j-retro preamp.

I own about a dozen basses at any given time with all of my buying and selling and building ... my favorite changes from time to time.

buzzbass · #7 09-30-2008, 11:07 AM

you need to figure out a way to get them both together and have a 3-some

JmJ · #8 09-30-2008, 11:33 AM

If it feels like cheating it is cheating. Go back to your first bass with flowers & chocolate & beg forgiveness.

dukaruk · #9 09-30-2008, 11:51 AM

haha. i've been feeling the same thing lately. I'm playing my acoustic guitar for an upcoming wedding and my bass practice has significantly decreased. I walk by it and feel bad... lol.

Willy2911 · #10 09-30-2008, 12:08 PM

I understand your feelings - I too have been cheating on my P-Bass, but I get er out and massage her and polish er up I have taken the strings off cos I only play with her once in a while, but I still love Betsy...

sevenyearsdown · #11 09-30-2008, 12:22 PM

BTW - every response here has me loling!

dave64o · #12 09-30-2008, 04:37 PM

A Jazz and a Precision = too many options? To me it sounds more like you've got all the bases covered!

MatticusMania · #13 09-30-2008, 04:40 PM

I know what what you guys mean... I've been getting so tired of my wife that I went ou... oh, we're talking about basses? Carry on.

Jeff K · #14 09-30-2008, 10:09 PM

I do know what you're saying, Seven. I have a bunch of basses that I really like. I try to alternate and give each one some play time on a regular basis, but it's tough to do sometimes. That's the only downside to having multiple basses.

Way_Off_Bass · #15 10-01-2008, 04:49 AM

that's what you gotta love about a bass -- Your old bass doesn't care if you finger a new bass.

could you say that about your wife?

BillMason · #16 10-01-2008, 05:29 AM

Played a Peavey Patriot (and that's all) for over 20 years, and then bought a Squier VM Fretless, and played the Squier and nothing but for several months, to the exclusion of the Peavey. Then I discovered Talkbass.

Since then, I have bought several MIA P basses, and finally settled on a new 2008 AS P bass last March. Since I bought the first P bass, I guess back around April or so of 2007, I've hardly touched the Squier at all, despite how much I loved it when I bought it. For a while I was taking both to gigs (summer 2007) but found that switching between sets was a PITA, and the P bass was doing it for me way more anyway, so I usually ended up just leaving the Squier on the stand. These days it just stays on the stand at home, it doesn't even leave the house, and there have been a few times when I had been planning to bring it to rehearsal, just to give it a run, and changed my mind at the last minute in favour of the P bass. I just love hearing it through my G-K and my Avatar, it seems to me that going to band practice without hearing it would just suck all the love out of band practice for me.

It's definitely not a honeymoon thing for me, it's a P bass thing. YMMV...

BillMason · #17 10-01-2008, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave64o

To me it sounds more like you've got all the basses covered!

Sorry, had to do it.

QORC · #18 10-01-2008, 07:26 AM

I was a complete "gear whore" for years - I constantly buying and selling basses, amps and cabinets until I found stuff I really liked. Now I'm pretty much settled on what I got - Ampeg amp and cabs, a 4-string MM Stingray, 4-String Fender P-bass and a 5-string MM Bongo. I'm completely satisfied. They all get to come out and play sometimes.

lomo · #19 10-01-2008, 07:33 AM

Long live the harem.

dave64o · #20 10-01-2008, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillMason

Sorry, had to do it.

I figured someone would. I actually spelled it that way first but thought, nah, it's just too easy and I changed it.