• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Afraid to play my bass?

#102
big90sbasshorns said:
Good point...if you played just about any orchestra instrument it could EASILY cost more than a Warwick.
Click to expand...
Contrabassoon, anyone? :eek:


Anyway, to the OP, Here's my $.02. It's a bass. It wants to be played. I have a 60 year old fedora that I wear almost every day because I don't want it to just rot away in a hat box.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but the way I see it you have two options. You can:

A. Play the hell out of that bass as I'm sure your parents want you to.

B. Sell it and use the money to get something you won't worry about dinging up along with a gift for you parents.

Either way, you need to honor the gift.
 
#105
Your parents will want to see you enjoying playing the bass! I have a corvette i toured for years around the world and it got dings and knocks and the only thing that ever went was the jack socket which cost next to nothing to replace. It's part and parcel of playing a bass, it's going to get wear and tear but most basses hold up, wariwcks definitely do! Those dents will give it character and always bring back memories when you notice them again
 
#109
(haven't read any post but the OP)

Man play it! Your parents did spent all that money for you to play the **** out of it!
And: a better instrument can make a better player (ever tried sweeping on a bass/guitar with high action?).

Your parents blessed you with this fine piece of art because they want to support you in your passion. But it's not only a piece of art, it's a tool also and tools will always collect signs of usage. A little ding here and a little scratch there will not make it a less good instrument and can't lower the value for you anyway.

Your appreciation to this bass will let you take care of it ;)

So play the hell out of it! :D
 
#110
The Canada Council for the Arts is currently loaning a 'cello out, to a 'cellist named Soo Bae. This is a legendary 'cello, the Bonjour Stradivarius. It is 313 years old. It shows its age, and is currently valued at $5,000,000 USD. That's a lot of zeroes. No offense meant, but more than your 'Wick.

I recently saw Soo Bae perform with it live, with the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, where she played the Dvorak Cello Concerto in B Minor. If you don't know it, it's a very "active" piece. From my seat 2/3 of the way back in the venue, I could hear the occasional slap of the bow against the 'cello. That's a lot of force.

The point I'm making here is that yes, it was a Stradivarius, but it also sounded and played like nothing else. If the Canada Council for the Arts had wanted to have someone take care of it, they would have hired a luthier to take care of it, not loaned it out to a 'cellist.

Play it.
 
#111
I think you guys are being too harsh on the kid... he just cares about his stuff and cares about taking care of what he has. Nothing wrong with that. It just doesn't work as well when it comes to instruments.

OP, I think your parents would be proud to see your bass played hard.
 
#112
Kuoxasar said:
I think you guys are being too harsh on the kid... he just cares about his stuff and cares about taking care of what he has. Nothing wrong with that. It just doesn't work as well when it comes to instruments.

OP, I think your parents would be proud to see your bass played hard.
Click to expand...

I totally appreciate the dilemma that the OP is going through. I call it the "golden handcuffs." The point I think the OP is trying to make is that there are REAL dangers to bringing it up to school, leaving it around an apartment/dorms. Yes, its insured, but it was a gift from his folks. He doesn't want it damaged nor stolen.

I'm into bicycles and I have several including one REAL expensive bike. I don't ride it to campus everyday and lock it up outside. Not a chance in the world. Am I being a "douche"? I don't think so. Instead I ride one that costs about 1/10th as much that is still pretty nice.

This is why we buy SXs, people...... now flame on!
 
#113
There are real dangers associating with have expensive property at college.

Two weeks ago, somebody broke into mine and my roommate's apartment. My roommate is also the guitar player and singer in our band. We both have $1,200 guitars and I have an $800 flatscreen TV, not to mention some other valuables including several $$$ preamps and processors I have sitting out in a rack case.

They didn't burglarize us - thank God, nothing was missing - but did lightly vandalize the place, including replacing my roommie's computer desktop image with a cross-section of a human penis, which was actually hilarious now that I think about it (my comp was off and passworded.)

Point is, if you don't feel safe bringing the bass to college, don't. But don't put it on a pedestal like it's some sacred item. It isn't, it's an instrument. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
#114
Dood - play the bass already!

My son is a junior in high school - his bass is an MTD Kingston 4-banger. Granted, it's a cool bass - I've used it on gigs and love it because it feels like I'm playing a toothpick - light as a feather. BUT - it's not my trusty SR5, or my custom 6 string, or my MTD535F - I've offered my son to use whatever of my basses he wants for jazz band - I think the MTD would be great!

His reason for not using one of my nicer basses? He doesn't want to deal with the other bass players bugging him to play it. I went so far as to tell him that if, in his judgement it would be ok, then go ahead and let them try it out for a song - but he can't relax enough to do it. It crushes me... part of the reason I have nice basses is so that my son will also have them... but he's afraid to use them!

Play your bass - a ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for!
 
#115
For the record, I wouldn't have trusted having a nice instrument around many of the kids I went to high school with either. Wait til he's older and plays with more mature musicians, I'm sure he'll get more than enough use of your hard-earned money. ;)
 
#116
Dude, its a warwick,... not a rain coat. Take it out the closet and plug it up.

Id'e smack my kid upside the head if I busted my a** to buy him a decent bass that he could appreciate, only to have him put it away so's he don't get any finger prints on it... :scowl:

If you want to make it up to your parents, make a plan do something for them that shows them how cool they were for getting you that bass. :bassist:
 
#117
Joe Nerve said:
I don't think you're going to be able to logically reason this one out because, well, it's kind of neurotic. If you want to get past it just play the bass. Get it scratched and learn you'll get over it. If you can't, then find help for your neurosis, not your bass issues.

I know this sounds cold, but I speak from experience. :) Nothing wrong with being a little neurotic either, makes life a little more colorful IMO.
Click to expand...

+1. What you should do is scratch "TEEN BUTT" on the back of it, that way you'll degrade your bass and play it like a cheap whore. ;)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back