Clubs, Cults, Groups, etc. on TalkBass

There has been an insurgence of threads in the bass guitar forum for so-called "owners' clubs." Everything from the "SX Bass Owners' Club" to the "Spalted Birdseye Walnut Burl Single-Cutaway Semi-Hollowbody Tenor 13 String Bass Club" has its own thread now. Usually, this leads to gigantic multiple-part threads full of biased information--negative reviews are often criticized or excluded from these discussions--that are extremely unwieldy. hard to search, and crowd out new threads from the front pages of the forums. "Club mega-threads" make it harder for your average forum-reader to find the answer to a specific question, an objective review, or anything other than vast amounts of gushing praise and hyperbolic "facts" about how "the new $500 McBass amp runs at 5,000 watts, is smaller than a matchbook, and sounds better than so-and-so's Ampeg fliptop." There aren't any "Leather Bow Quiver Users' Clubs" in the double bass forum. In the DB section, threads become "mega-threads" naturally due to an abundance of useful info and interested parties and therefore better serve the needs of TB users.

The forums on this website are a fantastic educational tool but in order to maintain their usefulness I believe the "club mega-threads" need some degree of separation from "regular" threads.

I realize the amount of difficulty involved with proposing a "no-clubs" rule on TalkBass, but I urge the moderators to reduce the clutter and chaos that these threads create. There could be a separate forum specifically for clubs or a clubs section of the website like the one for reviews in the top menu.

Thanks for your time.

Peace and love!

[Phalex]

I think there's a "No Clubs" club or something along those lines. Sounds like you should get yourself a number.

[James Hart]

while I don't actively claim membership in any 'club'.... I like most the club threads. I come here to talk bass when I can't be playing bass.

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by James Hart

while I don't actively claim membership in any 'club'.... I like most the club threads. I come here to talk bass when I can't be playing bass.

Bingo. Except I'm part of a few clubs. It's called representin'.

[Fassa Albrecht]

Don't you think that it's a good idea if certain groups of people have their own dedicated threads, so the forums aren't cluttered by people asking questions about the same things?

I think what your problem is that even obscure groups seem to have their own threads. Maybe the mods should take a look into that...

[palm grease]

being a bass player, on a bass players bass forum, discussing all things bass, is more then enough bass brotherhood for this bass talker....errr ummm player.

i agree the clubs are silly....really very silly. but, we bass player are a rare breed. i didnt join the key club or the drama club, never the less the book club in high school.... so why now?

do i really need to represent my gear? naw...

[bassteban]

Looking for useful information in a TB 'club' is looking for something other than sarcasm in 99% of TB threads. The term 'barking up the wrong tree' comes to mind.

[palm grease]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

Don't you think that it's a good idea if certain groups of people have their own dedicated threads, so the forums aren't cluttered by people asking questions about the same things?

I think what your problem is that even obscure groups seem to have their own threads. Maybe the mods should take a look into that...

may i ask how the 143rd member of the yammy club feels about their status in the grand scheme of bass-isms? do you folks get news letters? do you meet at underground round table confrences? do you slay fenders?

im sorry, i just dont see the big thing.....at all!

[palm grease]

Originally Posted by bassteban

Looking for useful information in a TB 'club' is looking for something other than sarcasm in 99% of TB threads. The term 'barking up the wrong tree' comes to mind.

amen!!!!!!!!!

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by palm grease

may i ask how the 143rd member of the yammy club feels about their status in the grand scheme of bass-isms? do you folks get news letters? do you meet at underground round table confrences? do you slay fenders?

im sorry, i just dont see the big thing.....at all!

It's a lot easier if I have a question about worship bass to go straight to the worship and praise bassists' thread rather create an entire thread just for that one question....

[Thor]

Originally Posted by appler

There has been an insurgence of threads in the bass guitar forum for so-called "owners' clubs." Everything from the "SX Bass Owners' Club" to the "Spalted Birdseye Walnut Burl Single-Cutaway Semi-Hollowbody Tenor 13 String Bass Club" has its own thread now. Usually, this leads to gigantic multiple-part threads full of biased information--negative reviews are often criticized or excluded from these discussions--that are extremely unwieldy. hard to search, and crowd out new threads from the front pages of the forums. "Club mega-threads" make it harder for your average forum-reader to find the answer to a specific question, an objective review, or anything other than vast amounts of gushing praise and hyperbolic "facts" about how "the new $500 McBass amp runs at 5,000 watts, is smaller than a matchbook, and sounds better than so-and-so's Ampeg fliptop." There aren't any "Leather Bow Quiver Users' Clubs" in the double bass forum. In the DB section, threads become "mega-threads" naturally due to an abundance of useful info and interested parties and therefore better serve the needs of TB users.

The forums on this website are a fantastic educational tool but in order to maintain their usefulness I believe the "club mega-threads" need some degree of separation from "regular" threads.

I realize the amount of difficulty involved with proposing a "no-clubs" rule on TalkBass, but I urge the moderators to reduce the clutter and chaos that these threads create. There could be a separate forum specifically for clubs or a clubs section of the website like the one for reviews in the top menu.

Thanks for your time.

Peace and love!

Somebody woke up one of the dragons. He just said he comes from the netherworld.

My Necromancer buddy thinks she has the right spell to return him to the DBepths from which he has come:

Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble

Begone, dragon, Begone!

[palm grease]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

It's a lot easier if I have a question about worship bass to go straight to the worship and praise bassists' thread rather create an entire thread just for that one question....

totally understand that...and the "club" nature of that kind of player.... makes sense to me.


i was poking fun at the Yamaha club...i shouldnt poke anything though, sorry

I'm sorry, folks. I read TalkBass for the same reason you do. Didn't mean to step on your toes and I apologize if I implied that you shouldn't have clubs. However, I stand by what I said.

With all these club megathreads, little threads dedicated to specific questions about a product get lost in the clutter. However, it's too hard to get a straight answer on a specific question when you post in a club thread. For instance, when somebody posts, "I owned this too and so did all my friends and ours all fell apart in two weeks..." in x club thread, the club founder replies with, "This thread is only for people who have good things to say about x; keep your comments to yourself." Part of what makes TalkBass special is that unlike the vast majority of online forums, you can find accurate reviews and useful opinions on certain products. Having opinionated Internet clubs interspersed with question/answer content undermines this aspect of TalkBass. They should have their own section so as not to confuse readers into thinking that certain products are perfect. Some of these clubs amount to nothing more than free advertising for a few lucky bass gear manufacturers.

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by palm grease

totally understand that...and the "club" nature of that kind of player.... makes sense to me.


i was poking fun at the Yamaha club...i shouldnt poke anything though, sorry

I have a Yamaha!!!.....

[palm grease]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

I have a Yamaha!!!.....

hahahaha i know... hence my earlier post... the poking one?

i have no beef with Yammys! Ive owned a BB and it served me well!

i think you my have missed my sarcasm...


anyway... clubs on TB = redundancy

^that was my point

[GregC]

Originally Posted by appler

With all these club megathreads, little threads dedicated to specific questions about a product get lost in the clutter. However, it's too hard to get a straight answer on a specific question when you post in a club thread. For instance, when somebody posts, "I owned this too and so did all my friends and ours all fell apart in two weeks..." in x club thread, the club founder replies with, "This thread is only for people who have good things to say about x; keep your comments to yourself."

There's really only one club thread in which I hang out (Lakland), but I've certainly poked into others--and I have yet to see the kind of thing you're saying happens all the time. Then again, I also have yet to encounter any gear popular enough here for a megathread that fell apart in two weeks, so I might take a post like that with a shaker full of salt. Can you cite a specific example, or provide a link?

There is undoubtedly some pro-brand bias in club threads, as it's comprised of people who like the products. But I've seen criticism doled out plenty of times by members. And I think these threads can be great places to get information, especially on new products, good dealers or specs, or to find soundclips, or (in the case of discontinued basses like Reverends) to find out when one is for sale somewhere.

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by appler

I'm sorry, folks. I read TalkBass for the same reason you do. Didn't mean to step on your toes and I apologize if I implied that you shouldn't have clubs. However, I stand by what I said.

With all these club megathreads, little threads dedicated to specific questions about a product get lost in the clutter. However, it's too hard to get a straight answer on a specific question when you post in a club thread. For instance, when somebody posts, "I owned this too and so did all my friends and ours all fell apart in two weeks..." in x club thread, the club founder replies with, "This thread is only for people who have good things to say about x; keep your comments to yourself."

Do you have an example of that happening?

I find the clubs and club threads to be pretty harmless. I also don't have a problem finding anything via search, especially the Google one.

Part of what makes TalkBass special is that unlike the vast majority of online forums, you can find accurate reviews and useful opinions on certain products. Having opinionated Internet clubs interspersed with question/answer content undermines this aspect of TalkBass. They should have their own section so as not to confuse readers into thinking that certain products are perfect. Some of these clubs amount to nothing more than free advertising for a few lucky bass gear manufacturers.

You can find no more or less accurate info and useful opinions in or out of club threads IME. I guess it's all in how you take it.

[bassteban]

Whenever I have a specific question, I do this crazy thing. I call it 'search'.
When I can't find a thread on a particular question, I start a new thread.
So far, this method has proven quite productive.
Lastly, while I have in fact 'joined' a number of these so-called clubs, I don't go there looking for anything resembling useful information.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by appler

I'm sorry, folks. I read TalkBass for the same reason you do. Didn't mean to step on your toes and I apologize if I implied that you shouldn't have clubs. However, I stick by what I said.

With all these club megathreads, little threads dedicated to specific questions about a product get lost in the clutter. However, it's too hard to get a straight answer on a specific question when you post in a club thread. For instance, when somebody posts, "I owned this too and so did all my friends and ours all fell apart in two weeks..." in x club thread, the club founder replies with, "This thread is only for people who have good things to say about x; keep your comments to yourself." Part of what makes TalkBass special is that unlike the vast majority of online forums, you can find accurate reviews and useful opinions on certain products. Having opinionated Internet clubs interspersed with question/answer content undermines this aspect of TalkBass. They should have their own section so as not to confuse readers into thinking that certain products are perfect. Some of these clubs amount to nothing more than free advertising for a few lucky bass gear manufacturers.

I feel you also deserve a serious response aside from the tongue in cheek one above.

I guess I wouldn't expect to go to the Lakland owners forum and
expect to find much negative info on those products
any more than I would go to a 'I love my Geddy Lee Jazz
bass club' thread and find such info.

When I am looking for such info, I will either use the search
engine to filter the thread tiltles and if I am not satisifed with
what I can find, out right post a thread asking for the specific
comparison or info I am looking for.

I think people do like to hang with other people with similar
gear and BS over what pickguard, tuners and pups thay use.
And some of these threads have a social aspect to the community,
not every thread is narrowly defined to weigh the
pro and cons of a specific product in the form of product reviews.

There are a lot of forums here already, and I am reluctant
to see even more created, whether it be a 'Club' threads
forum, a 'Cult of Death Metal' forum and whatnot as I already
see that there are longtime SM's here I rarely run into; as
I am not shopping for a bass or amp at this time, or selling
my Wonder Pedal for that matter. Why create further
fragmentation?

The clubs are well identified and people looking for unbiased
review info probably shouldn't bother reading them. You figured
this out pretty fast, and so did I, I don't list groups
or owners clubs I belong to, but I choose to read other
owners impressions for my own interest in the product.

No need to put them on the back of the bus.

[Brad Johnson]

I have seen people dwell in club threads (and elsewhere), making proclamations of "hype!" about gear they have no personal experience with. That typically will be rebutted.