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the ones you need and the ones you want
- Thread starter jomahu
- Start date
That is a tough question!
When I bought my Ric oh so many years ago, I wanted a Ric. But I had to sell the bass that I was playing at the time to finance the purchase. So once I had sold my one and only bass to finance the Ric that I wanted, my want became a need as I no longer had any bass at all. So I think My answer is going to have to be "yes".
When I bought my MIM P bass, I needed a bass that I could use for an outdoor biker rodeo that I really didn't care about. I don't know that I needed it so much as I didn't want to subject my beloved Rickenbacker to those conditions. (Outdoors with a lot of dust flying around and a few hundred drunk people.)
Hmmm... Let's see, in the order I got them:
Frankenbass Single Coil P- Needed. It was my first and I still play it constantly.
Johnson Longhorn 5- Wanted. BIG mistake too. I should have held out for an Ibby.
Ibanez SR506- Wanted, though I did enjoy using it as my main workhorse for many years so it turned out to be a good purchase.
SX Fretless Jazz- Iffy. I'd say need 'cause I'd never owned a fretless before and felt I needed to branch out, though I guess you can say it wasn't absolutely necessary.
Fender Marcus Miller IV- Wanted. I'd been drooling over that bass at my local GC for years, and though I didn't absolutely need it, I absolutely HAD to have it, if you catch my meaning.
Homemade unfinished upright- Needed. Another one of those needed to branch out things.
Warwick Corvette Standard Fretless- Wanted. I just wanted an upgrade for the SX and this bass was another one of those I'd been drooling over for years.
Frankenbass Single Coil P- Needed. It was my first and I still play it constantly.
Johnson Longhorn 5- Wanted. BIG mistake too. I should have held out for an Ibby.
Ibanez SR506- Wanted, though I did enjoy using it as my main workhorse for many years so it turned out to be a good purchase.
SX Fretless Jazz- Iffy. I'd say need 'cause I'd never owned a fretless before and felt I needed to branch out, though I guess you can say it wasn't absolutely necessary.
Fender Marcus Miller IV- Wanted. I'd been drooling over that bass at my local GC for years, and though I didn't absolutely need it, I absolutely HAD to have it, if you catch my meaning.
Homemade unfinished upright- Needed. Another one of those needed to branch out things.
Warwick Corvette Standard Fretless- Wanted. I just wanted an upgrade for the SX and this bass was another one of those I'd been drooling over for years.
When I got back into playing in 2002, I first bought an active Ibanez SRX500. I soon realized that was a mistake, and that I needed a couple of good passive basses. So I bought a DiPinto Belvedere, and shortly thereafter a Fender Jazz. I got by with those two for awhile. Since then, I've bought a few more, and here's how they break down into "want" vs. "need."
NEED: Fender Jazz four, Fender Precision, and G&L SB-2.
WANT: Fender Jazz V, DiPinto Belvedere, Fender fretless Precision, and G&L L-1500.
Even though the DiPinto is probably my best recording bass, and the L-1500 is great for the rock stage and my easiest player, they don't qualify as "needs" because the J, P, and SB-2 are such excellent all-purpose axes. I've found the low B on my Jazz V is nice, but not essential for the old-school rock I'm playing now.
NEED: Fender Jazz four, Fender Precision, and G&L SB-2.
WANT: Fender Jazz V, DiPinto Belvedere, Fender fretless Precision, and G&L L-1500.
Even though the DiPinto is probably my best recording bass, and the L-1500 is great for the rock stage and my easiest player, they don't qualify as "needs" because the J, P, and SB-2 are such excellent all-purpose axes. I've found the low B on my Jazz V is nice, but not essential for the old-school rock I'm playing now.
I didn't need any of my basses when I first bought them. Well, maybe the first one I bought I needed to start playing, but all of them I acquired because I wanted them.
Need and want really are two different things. If you're a studio pro and someone asks you to bring a P-bass for a recording, then I guess you need a P-bass. If you're not a recording pro you don't really need a P-bass, but you may want one. There's nothing wrong with wanting a bass (although my wife will tell you otherwise).
Need and want really are two different things. If you're a studio pro and someone asks you to bring a P-bass for a recording, then I guess you need a P-bass. If you're not a recording pro you don't really need a P-bass, but you may want one. There's nothing wrong with wanting a bass (although my wife will tell you otherwise).
I have lots of (IMO) nice basses and don't really NEED any of them. I mean, I could gig with a MIM Fender Jazz through a Peavey amp and it would sound pretty much acceptable.
I (as do many here) LIKE owning nice bass gear.
I flip flop around between my basses a lot which I am lucky enough to be able to do. As an example, I am recording tonight and I am currently trying to decide if I will record with a Stingray, a Fender P or a Sadowsky. Also 4 string or 5?
Sometimes I gig with my new SR 30th Anniversary and Sadowsky Metro. Other times I play my SR5 with a old Fender with flats as backup.
I guess I could get by with a single 5er, but what fun would that be?
I can say this... as soon as I stop playing or digging an instrument, it is gone. I don't keep instruments that sit in cases for months or years. I have 9 basses and play ALL of them every few days or at least weekly.
I (as do many here) LIKE owning nice bass gear.
I flip flop around between my basses a lot which I am lucky enough to be able to do. As an example, I am recording tonight and I am currently trying to decide if I will record with a Stingray, a Fender P or a Sadowsky. Also 4 string or 5?
Sometimes I gig with my new SR 30th Anniversary and Sadowsky Metro. Other times I play my SR5 with a old Fender with flats as backup.
I guess I could get by with a single 5er, but what fun would that be?
I can say this... as soon as I stop playing or digging an instrument, it is gone. I don't keep instruments that sit in cases for months or years. I have 9 basses and play ALL of them every few days or at least weekly.
Actually don't need either of my two basses, since that is not how i make my money. Unless you consider mental health a need (one needs hobbys to stay sane). But to me it is all about wanting and i don't feel guilty about it
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