My new bass fell

Mark Plays Bass · #1 11-25-2012, 09:45 AM

I was at jam session yesterday with a brand new (for me) bass. It's an MTD 535, so it was pretty expensive, even used. It's the best (and most expensive) instrument I've ever had by far.

Anyway, I had to leave to studio for a minute and when I came back my bass had fallen to the floor. Fortunately there was not any major damage. But there is now an "imperfection" on the neck that, while it didn't bother me while I was playing, is bothering me emotionally.

I'm a relative newbie to playing the bass - I haven't gigged much, only four performances so far, and I'm the sort of guy who is very careful with my instruments, so this hurts.

I thought some you with more experience than I have might have something to share about similar experiences you have had.

If this is in the wrong forum, I apologize in advance.

Thanks,
Mark

trevcda · #2 11-25-2012, 09:50 AM

The first one is the toughest.

There are only three places a bass should be: around your neck, in a stand or in the case. Which one did your bass fall from?

dmusic148 · #3 11-25-2012, 09:52 AM

Should be in Off Topic, I think.
Anyway bummer but it's GOING to happen eventually. If you own and gig it enough it will collect lots and lots of small dings, scrapes and chips. And then maybe it'll be worth more. lol...
Those of us that fly model airplanes have an acute awareness of this issue. I put spend days or weeks into building a brand-new plane to fly, and I know, with absolute certainty, that it will eventually be damaged or destroyed in a crash. It's just the way it is - if you can't crash it, don't fly it...
: )

**mjac28** · #4 11-25-2012, 09:53 AM

People are going to tell you it adds character to the bass and it's just battle scars but it sucks every single time it happens it drives me crazy

kander · #5 11-25-2012, 09:57 AM

Small dings, imperfections, and player's wear are to be expected in my opinion. As long as the finish and functionality of my basses aren't affected then I don't worry about these things.

If this "imperfection" has caused you emotional stress you may want to own a less expensive bass, especially if you're going to be gigging with it. Despite what some GAS-heads here on Talkbass think the main point is to PLAY: don't let anything impede that.

With that said, keep the MTD: they're fantastic basses

.

thisSNsucks · #6 11-25-2012, 09:57 AM

First one is always the toughest, but the good news is you got it out of the way and now you can just enjoy playing the thing. You're bound to put other dings and dents so don't stress it.

Jwood · #7 11-25-2012, 09:58 AM

That's a real bummer. That happened to me once and it took a little bit before I got over it.

hdracer · #8 11-25-2012, 09:58 AM

The first cut is the deepest
Baby I know the first cut is the deepest
But when it come to being lucky she's cursed
When it come to loving me she's the worst

Kmonk · #9 11-25-2012, 10:02 AM

Always make sure your bass is securely placed on a stand when you are not playing it.

I dropped an Alembic once when the strap lock let go. The headstock hit the floor and bent one of the tuning keys.

joelb79 · #10 11-25-2012, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jwood

That's a real bummer. That happened to me once and it took a little bit before I got over it.

+1, which is why I'm sure that this barely helps to hear, even from so many people. The last thing you want to hear is "You'll get over it" when your hurting.. but it's true.

Mark Plays Bass · #11 11-25-2012, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trevcda

There are only three places a bass should be: around your neck, in a stand or in the case. Which one did your bass fall from?

I live in New York City and seems to me that none of the rehearsal studios I've been in in Manhattan have guitar stands. I figure it's because anything that isn't nailed to the floor has a tendency to walk away in this town. When I rehearse in Westchester (a northern suburb) the studios have guitar stands.

Anyway, I had to leave the room and I didn't put the bass back in the case as I now wish I had. I had leaned the bass against a wall, cradled with a cab. I thought it was secure, but I was wrong.

smogg · #12 11-25-2012, 10:06 AM

Get one of these and falls are minimized.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...th-sff-on-legs
Ya spent good money on a nice bass, don't cheap out on a stand.

electracoyote · #13 11-25-2012, 10:06 AM

I'll never forget the time I was adjusting the TOM posts on one of my USA Les Pauls, and the screwdriver slipped putting a nice 4" crease in the top finish.

Or the time I dropped the end of a cable and the 1/4" jack made a perfect nose dive impression in the top of my Ibanez Roadstar.

Or the time I peeled off my Fender Precision a little too quickly and forgot about the life-sized traffic light ornament just above my head, crashing into it with the headstock.

Or the time...

You get the picture. This stuff happens, it's always a pisser, but you get over it and move on. We're only human.

Mark Plays Bass · #14 11-25-2012, 10:07 AM

Thanks for your quick support and feedback everyone. I really appreciate it. It actually is making me feel much better to hear from you all.

**smperry** · #15 11-25-2012, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Should be in Off Topic, I think.

Actually, it should be here.

To the OP - sorry about the damage.

dmusic148 · #16 11-25-2012, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

People are going to tell you it adds character to the bass and it's just battle scars but it sucks every single time it happens it drives me crazy

Your not helping......
See post# 3..... : )

Baird6869 · #17 11-25-2012, 10:14 AM

Weird, I did a gig last night and MY MTD 535 fell over!

Luckily I caught it before it hit the ground. It was on a stand on the corner of the stage and my singer pulled on a speakon speaker cable that was tangled in my stand... Bass started to fall and I caught it ninja style. Phew!

If you play out, damage is unavoidable long term. Cymbals, other guitars, ceilings, etc. No matter how careful you are, it's gonna happen.

AlmightyPancake · #18 11-25-2012, 10:23 AM

It definitely sucks, but your bass isn't broken and there are no playability issues.

No matter what your opinion on battle scars, or whether or not this could have been prevented with a stand, the reality is that your bass now has a small imperfection. It happens, at some point, to pretty much every bass that doesn't spend its entire existence in a case tucked away somewhere. You can either come to accept this or fight against it, the choice is yours.

Think of it this way--as nice as it might be to have a body free of scars and imperfections, those are in fact just as human as the unfettered and undamaged parts of your body. They represent an experience beyond the ideal. Sure, it always sucks when your bass gets a ding or some such. 15 years from now, though, if you've still got the same bass, you now have a story you can tell about how you were a goofball and got a nick in your bass when you were just starting out, and how it caused you all sorts of emotional turmoil. I know that if someone told me that story, I'd probably get a kick out of it and share some of my own.

That's life.

MysticMichael · #19 11-25-2012, 10:23 AM

For this reason, there's a case to be made for limiting one's boutique basses (i.e. Alembic, Fodera, MTD, Ritter, etc.) exclusively to studio use - no live gigging whatsoever - while saving your MusicMans, your Peaveys, your Fenders, etc. for the stage - especially if "the stage" means "little dive bars" with cramped performance spaces.

As we've seen, no space is entirely safe. But the relatively controlled space of a recording studio or rehearsal studio is practically a museum exhibit behind glass - compared with the completely uncontrolled conditions prevalent in many typical gig environments...

MM

**Ric5** · #20 11-25-2012, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Plays Bass

I was at jam session yesterday with a brand new (for me) bass. It's an MTD 535, so it was pretty expensive, even used. It's the best (and most expensive) instrument I've ever had by far.

Anyway, I had to leave to studio for a minute and when I came back my bass had fallen to the floor. Fortunately there was not any major damage. But there is now an "imperfection" on the neck that, while it didn't bother me while I was playing, is bothering me emotionally.

I'm a relative newbie to playing the bass - I haven't gigged much, only four performances so far, and I'm the sort of guy who is very careful with my instruments, so this hurts.

I thought some you with more experience than I have might have something to share about similar experiences you have had.

If this is in the wrong forum, I apologize in advance.

Thanks,
Mark

Your bass is now the more expensive reliced version. It will play better and sound better now as well.