Those who can, play; those who can't, fuss over equipment.

[northernmonkey]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

If I spent half the hours practicing that i do surfing Talkbass, I would be a friggin' bass virtuoso!

I've stolen this for my signature

[funkingroovin]

I don't know that I could answer true or false to this,but I understand the point made.

From my experiences,there are 'generally' two kinds of musicians..Those with $5k worth of gear and 10 bucks worth of talent or those with the talent to make anything they play work like $5k worth of gear...

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Honestly, that's not what I see here - I frequently see people with cheaper instruments trying to pass them off as being equal/greater than more expensive instruments, but don't see the people playing higher end stuff "criticizing other's choices if they have cheaper instruments"...

Generally, it seems like people that play mid to upper end instruments don't care whether someone else plays a Squier or SX, but it doesn't seem to work the other way around...


- georgestrings

^^^ This
I have yet to see anyone with a Fodera, Sadowsky or any other high end bass disparaging low end gear.
I see a lot of reverse snobbery.

[AudioDwebe]

Originally Posted by funkingroovin

I don't know that I could answer true or false to this,but I understand the point made.

From my experiences,there are 'generally' two kinds of musicians..Those with $5k worth of gear and 10 bucks worth of talent or those with the talent to make anything they play work like $5k worth of gear...

I just added up what I've paid for my basses: $5500.

About a buck-fifty worth of talent.

[petrus61]

Originally Posted by funkingroovin

I don't know that I could answer true or false to this,but I understand the point made.

From my experiences,there are 'generally' two kinds of musicians..Those with $5k worth of gear and 10 bucks worth of talent or those with the talent to make anything they play work like $5k worth of gear...

I don't really buy that 100%. I'm sure Victor Wooten could play an Squier Bronco through a Beringer amp very nicely, but it isn't going to sound like $5k worth of gear...there are just so many exceptions to that whole idea, IMO. Will his playing sound good? Yes. Will the overall tone? I don't think so. Fingers and talent go a long way but there is a reason that both rich professionals AND not so rich professionals use high end gear in many cases.

[funkingroovin]

Originally Posted by AudioDwebe

I just added up what I've paid for my basses: $5500.

About a buck-fifty worth of talent.

LMAO! Right there with ya bro!

[beggar98]

Originally Posted by petrus61

I don't really buy that 100%. I'm sure Victor Wooten could play an Squier Bronco through a Beringer amp very nicely, but it isn't going to sound like $5k worth of gear...there are just so many exceptions to that whole idea, IMO. Will his playing sound good? Yes. Will the overall tone? I don't think so. Fingers and talent go a long way but there is a reason that both rich professionals AND not so rich professionals use high end gear in many cases.

I actually heard VW speak to this very issue once, and he put it like this (paraphrasing); "You never want your technique to get in the way of what you want to say, and you never want your gear to get in the way of your technique." Seems to sum it up nicely, IMO.

[funkingroovin]

Originally Posted by petrus61

I don't really buy that 100%. I'm sure Victor Wooten could play an Squier Bronco through a Beringer amp very nicely, but it isn't going to sound like $5k worth of gear...there are just so many exceptions to that whole idea, IMO. Will his playing sound good? Yes. Will the overall tone? I don't think so. Fingers and talent go a long way but there is a reason that both rich professionals AND not so rich professionals use high end gear in many cases.

That's why I said 'generally'..I must admit that I used to think Higher Cost= Better Gear,until I saw Les Claypool a few years back at a GC promo rockin the snot out of a Squier Affinity he pulled off the wall plugged into a Fender BXR100...my eyebrows nearly shot off my head and it really made me rethink my take on things..

[TMart99]

Wake up......

Practice, first.

work day job

Then practice some more.

Then find time to chat or read/research on talkbass.com, fuss over equipment.

Practice some more.

Spend time with kids and girlfriend.

Play with band.

Practice a little more before bed.

Rinse, repeat

[Fair Warning]

I have found through all leasure activities, that people enjoy buying stuff to support their dreams and passions is just a way to participate in what they love doing. It does not have anything to do with how good they are. Institutions like GC and SA were buit on those dreams, not on successful musicians. Hahaha!

[funkingroovin]

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

I have found through all leasure activities, that people enjoy buying stuff to support their dreams and passions is just a way to participate in what they love doing. It does not have anything to do with how good they are. Institutions like GC and SA were buit on those dreams, not on successful musicians. Hahaha!

Well said!

[bigchiefbc]

I play well enough to play the things I'm interested in either covering or writing. I'm also working towards getting the tone and fx/sounds that I want that inspire me. I'm 100 billion times happier with my tone and FX now than I was 5 years ago, and I don't feel like it's hindered my playing or writing. And the FX have helped my writing a lot.

[JimmyM]

I spent years with only one good bass and one good amp. I practiced my ass off back then. Now I'm older and having a little fun fussing over gear a little more than I should.

If it's THAT important to you, you'll practice no matter what your situation.

[PDQbass]

More true than not. I've been playing since 1960 and people tell me now I'm pretty good. Only ever had one bass, since 1978 it's been the same Fender P. Loads of different amps though, always looking for that louder, trouser flapping sound which I've pretty much now found with the the newer, more powerful speakers and amps of the last few years. I'm more interested in gigging than talking, thinking and dreaming about gear. I do get tempted by shiny new guitars, and have tried a few along the way. Trouble is when you've played a good Precision, and I'm sure some are better than others, you really can't better it, IMO.
I have met players who boast of their gear at great lengths and in great detail, show you their racks of gleaming basses and every conceivable pedal and processor and then you see them in a band and they play crap. I've also seen guys walk into a bar and sit in on some kids' cheapo bass and rock it mightily. For me gear is a means to an end not and end in itself.

[jasonbraatz]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

Not sure how serious this thread is supposed to be but it presents a pretty blatant false dichotomy.

I can play. I also like to fuss about gear. There also also plenty of members who post more than I do and could also play circles around me.

Yup.

Originally Posted by JimmyM

If it's THAT important to you, you'll practice no matter what your situation.

Yup.

[ko stradivarius]

Originally Posted by funkingroovin

That's why I said 'generally'..I must admit that I used to think Higher Cost= Better Gear,until I saw Les Claypool a few years back at a GC promo rockin the snot out of a Squier Affinity he pulled off the wall plugged into a Fender BXR100...my eyebrows nearly shot off my head and it really made me rethink my take on things..

I can relate to that in the motorcycle world. In '99 bought a new VFR 800 since I wanted a sport tourer. Long story short, I thought I was a badass leaning in corners at speed, yadda yadda. A guy on a dual sport passed me on a corner like I was standing still. D'oh! I remember that everytime I think im getting too far ahead of myself.
What did I learn?
1. A "studied" person can do the job with less.
2. No matter how good you think you are, there's always someone who is better.
:-)

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by ko stradivarius

I can relate to that in the motorcycle world. In '99 bought a new VFR 800 since I wanted a sport tourer. Long story short, I thought I was a badass leaning in corners at speed, yadda yadda. A guy on a dual sport passed me on a corner like I was standing still. D'oh! I remember that everytime I think im getting too far ahead of myself.
What did I learn?
1. A "studied" person can do the job with less.
2. No matter how good you think you are, there's always someone who is better.
:-)

That's why I never worry whether someone else is better than me at something. All I care about is whether I'm good enough to accomplish what I want to accomplish. If there's a song or a run I can't do on bass, than I practice until it becomes easy (or at least doable). If there's a bass part I've written in my head and I can't play it, I practice until I can play it. If I wanted to do handstands, I'd practice till I could do handstands. I never really cared if I could handstand longer than someone else. Probably why I sucked at competitive sports.

[M.R. Ogle]

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

I have found through all leasure activities, that people enjoy buying stuff to support their dreams and passions is just a way to participate in what they love doing. It does not have anything to do with how good they are. Institutions like GC and SA were buit on those dreams, not on successful musicians. Hahaha!

Wow. Post o' the month.

[SidMau]

I'm bad at playing and fussing over equipment but great on the theory...

[4001]

I like to laugh at people fussing over gear and other bassists when the most success they will ever have is playing in bars on the weekend and acting like they are famous bass players that everyone has to take seriously.