Anyone else becoming a bass snob?

[LowActionHero]

I might be becoming LESS of a snob - I finally own an instrument with a maple fretboard.

Always preferred the look of Rosewood more, but that's about the only reason. This bass is fretless with flats, so it's hard to compare the sound against my other basses. All my guitars have been Rosewood, though I've played maple, still don't think I could pick it out based on sound alone, and the ones I didn't like were more based on the frets themselves.

But I agree, there are certain minor features I'd REALLY like to see in a 'dream' instrument.

 

[bassbrad]

Knowing what you like or what serves you best does not make you a snob unless you go out of your way to diminish, dismiss or insult the differing choices or preferences of others. I have known for a long time what my preferences were in a lot of things but I could still support others choices and happily discuss, repair and sell them what they wanted or needed, that after all is the American Way.

 

[sawzalot]

I am not becoming a bass snob. I have *been* a bass snob for a couple decades now.

 

[FollowMeDown]

... I could consume all the bandwidth available describing all the variations and "improvements" over the years, only to see that the models more in line with the 1957 standard, or early 60's standard with rosewood fingerboards, still sell better, especially as QC improves on the lesser price point instruments, and the "boutique" makers flourish with their own brand of marketing bordering on snobbery. (All the marketing is: we're better than a lowly P-bass because __________.")

Its not snobbery on the part of the boutique makers as in most ways they're actually right. I mean there have been a lot of very worthwhile innovations since 1957 and Fender actively avoid nearly all of them. Presumably because there's still enough sales to be had through being intentionally retro, and without the financial risk of truly innovating, at least in the bass domain (they do innovate in the guitar and amps domain so why not bass?). I mean look at the current Fender bass range. It seems like it hasn't hardly functionally changed (I mean beyond different paint) in multiple decades. Your grandfather would feel right at home with this year's Fender bass catalog. Even just adding a 5th string is apparently pushing the boundaries hard for Fender given how few 5 string model variants they offer. I feel like it would be a cold day in hell before Fender do anything like make a fully carbon fibre bass, even though Modulus, Emerald, Status etc have been successfully making/selling them for years (i.e. there are enough musicians that want them and will pay a lot for them).

 

[Indiana Mike]

I think one trait of a bass snob would be having a sense of gear superiority and others gear choices inferior.

To each his own and what they can afford or choose to own. Doesn’t make either more superior or inferior.

The OP does not come across as a snob to me , and being picky is A-OK.

 

[Geri O]

I don’t agree with you at all dude.

Then yer in luck, Dude.

Nowhere is it written that you have to agree at all…

 

[lordradish]

Knowing what you like, combined with liking something very conventional is the antithesis of snobbery.

 

[Corrington]

Snob
1) a person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class.
2) a person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people.

Selective
1) relating to or involving the selection of the most suitable or best qualified.
2) (of a person) tending to choose carefully.
3) (of a process or agent) affecting some things and not others.

In your original post, I didn't read any snobbery. It sounded selective to me.
It's your money, your bass, your tone. Be as selective as you want.
Just don't talk trash about other peoples selections. =)

 

[BadSanta1281]

As a noob I was a perfectly content with my first bass until TalkBass convinced me it sucked.

 

[Koshchei]

I’m particular about that I like - tight string spacing, no dead spots, low action, solid high-mids, and light to medium weight.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Im starting to be specific in what I want in a bass. I don't like maple fretboards. I specifically like rosewood, I really notice the difference. Big time.

Also I like P basses and PJ basses exclusively. Not a fan of the jazz bass or the double humbucker thing. They sound cool when other people play them but not me.
When I hear bass in my head it sounds like a p bass.

Only bothers me because I look at a lot of basses and dont even want to try them much anymore purely based on minor specs. I love rics but they have maple fretboards so im not sure the 4003 is my dream bass anymore. Like wow.

Best not to ask the guy who spent almost 10-years trying to find another Jazz Bass like the 1965 Jazz that he bought in 1966 and was stolen from him in 1976.

I'm a Jazz guy although I like Precision-basses too, just not their neck. I actually found that my Grandson's Squire Precision bass with the P/J pickups had a slim neck, front to back. Most I have picked up had thick necks which I don't care for. The bass I bought in 1985 is an '82 MIA passive Jazz that has the same shape, profile, and radius that my '65 did. I toured with a nightclub group for 3 years in the early 70's playing 5-nights a week, 50-weeks a year, so I got to know that neck really well. After it was stolen all of the Jazz Basses I picked up had much thicker necks...just hated it.

Since I've been playing my current Jazz for the last 36-years, I've actually come to prefer the maple neck she has. I definitely get more sustain with it than I did with the rosewood one on my '65. It also has the 70's era pickup spacing (4" center to center), which places the bridge pickup almost 1/2" closer to the bridge. This gives it a bit brighter of a sound overall and if you dig in over the bridge pickup, it will growl all night long. Anyhow, I'm really happy with my Jazz.

So, even though I prefer the things you can't stand, I have been a bass snob too since 1976. I feel for you bro!...

 

[mcrawfordmusic]

It's not snobbery, it's just preference.

I personally prefer Fender style basses. Precisions are my fav, but I own a couple of Jazzes too. I like the design and the "plug and play" simplicity. I also like non-Fender short scales, like my '66 Gibson EB0 and '71 Ibanez EB3.

I don't particularly like extended range, multi scales "modern" basses, but I like what others do on them.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't think it's snobbery, I know what I like, and I take quality over quantity. Other than my fretless, I've owned my two basses 16 and 36 years.

 

[OogieWaWa]

Kinda, sorta. I love my main player, and have no desire to play anything else out. Or need to buy anything else. (Weird, I know. I might still want to, but don't need to, really.) But almost ALL other basses are fine with me, nothing against them. Unless they're just plain ugly, or sound more like a guitar (bottomless.)

 

[MikePlaysBass]

Yeah, I get it. But, what if you were to try out a bass that has all the wrong things on your list but you really dug playing it and it sounded really great? It could happen. Do you just put it down and walk out of the store or wherever and make believe it never happened?
Or do you say, I normally hate basses with round bodies and pink sparkly pick guards and maple fretboards, etc..., but I definitely have to have that bass!

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Im starting to be specific in what I want in a bass. I don't like maple fretboards. I specifically like rosewood, I really notice the difference. Big time.

Also I like P basses and PJ basses exclusively. Not a fan of the jazz bass or the double humbucker thing. They sound cool when other people play them but not me.
When I hear bass in my head it sounds like a p bass.

Only bothers me because I look at a lot of basses and dont even want to try them much anymore purely based on minor specs. I love rics but they have maple fretboards so im not sure the 4003 is my dream bass anymore. Like wow.

There's absolutely nothing snobby about liking certain specifications in an instrument. Snobby would be saying that you'd never play a Squier onstage even for like a thousand dollars.

 

[40Hz]

Does “bass snob” mean you’ve completely closed your mind to considering all your alternatives - and stopped thinking and evolving as a musician?

If so, I’m definitely not a bass snob. And I feel really good about it.

Just because you’re willing to consider something doesn’t create an obligation for you to adopt it. I’ll consider anything. The fact I do doesn’t mean I still can’t (and do) take a pass on better than 95% of it these days.

 

[GlennRH]

Only bothers me because I look at a lot of basses and dont even want to try them much anymore purely based on minor specs.

Fortunately, I find myself un-becoming a bass snob.

My recent post about bass construction and sustain directly addresses this: Sustain: What's the big deal?

 

[retslock]

Im starting to be specific in what I want in a bass. I don't like maple fretboards. I specifically like rosewood, I really notice the difference. Big time.

Also I like P basses and PJ basses exclusively. Not a fan of the jazz bass or the double humbucker thing. They sound cool when other people play them but not me.
When I hear bass in my head it sounds like a p bass.

Only bothers me because I look at a lot of basses and dont even want to try them much anymore purely based on minor specs. I love rics but they have maple fretboards so im not sure the 4003 is my dream bass anymore. Like wow.

Why is that snobbery? You know what you like - end of story! I’m like you in that I really only ever wanted to play a Precision bass. I don’t care for Jazz basses or Warwicks or whatever. I like the sound and the look of P basses. I have a Fender Precision that I bought in 1973 and a P style that I made recently. I don’t need a boutique bass. That’s not snobbery. I don’t sneer at them, they sound fine when others play them but they’re not for me.

 

[retslock]

I think an unwillingness to even try a particular instrument because of your preferences is completely ridiculous. I despise how Rics and Jazz basses feel and play but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t pick one up in a store to wank on it for a few minutes. I own 4 basses and all of them have multiple pickups/switches to achieve different tonal characteristic but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t rock a bass that only has one pickup.

I don’t agree with you at all dude.

Ridiculous because he has what wants and is not interested in anything else? That sounds a bit extreme. You despise how some basses feel. Whoa - just a little extreme there too. Why must we all try everything when we have what we want? I know for sure there are many wonderful instruments out there. I don’t want them. I have what I want so I don’t need to try them. They may be amazing but I have what I want. I don’t even go into music stores these days until I need something. You do it your way despising and ridiculing and I’ll just be happy to play the basses I want.