Ha, no poll necessary! Just simple answers: Yes, No, Sometimes and Maybe...convincing responses, true to TB
. PS. pass the popcorn, please.
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Are high-end basses, amps and cabs really necessary?
- Thread starter SoulReflection
- Start date
Ha, no poll necessary! Just simple answers: Yes, No, Sometimes and Maybe...convincing responses, true to TB
. PS. pass the popcorn, please.
As far as basses go, it depends on your usage. If your gear leaves the house a lot and you're constantly gigging and rehearsing, I could justify the added expense because you're buying a more durable instrument. My stuff never leaves the house at this point in my life, so my Sires do the job just fine, but when I gigged heavily, I liked how well my EBMM stuff held up compared to some other imports I owned around the same time.
.I hope not. Can't afford them and my excuse for sounding awful is cheap gear.
I just recently purchased my first ever “high end” bass.
The law of diminishing returns is very apparent, based on cost alone, is it 30x better than the Squier fretless I got on Craigslist? No.
3x better than my P bass? 4x better than the Ibanez I now need to sell? Not really.
What is very apparent is that compromises in design, functionality, materials and workmanship are much smaller or non existent. This instrument fits some fairly specific requirements that nothing I’ve found at a lower price point can.
The law of diminishing returns is very apparent, based on cost alone, is it 30x better than the Squier fretless I got on Craigslist? No.
3x better than my P bass? 4x better than the Ibanez I now need to sell? Not really.
What is very apparent is that compromises in design, functionality, materials and workmanship are much smaller or non existent. This instrument fits some fairly specific requirements that nothing I’ve found at a lower price point can.
- Apr 29, 2003
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- Contributor- Bass Musician Magazine | Marketing Manager- Trickfish Amplification
necessary? not remotely. Do they enhance your experience? 100%. Is every expensive piece of gear awesome? no.
If you read the hole thread, no one came up with an answer that is just yes or no.....
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
Absolutely yes! I love my very expensive US Laklands and vintage Fenders. They sound, play and look great; it’s inspiring to play them!
Pro-level PA and monitoring make bass amps and cabs obsolete IMO.
I'm a fan of mid-level basses, but I can understand why better players would want better instruments. I don't think any audience would notice with their ears though, if that's the question.
I'm a fan of mid-level basses, but I can understand why better players would want better instruments. I don't think any audience would notice with their ears though, if that's the question.
Not for me but I wish I could get rid of my stuff actually.
They might actually , but gear is for the player not the audience IMO.
It makes you feel and player better. That's what the audience might notice.
My gigs definitely need an amp, as I'm playing bars and more than half the time I'm not in the PA, so yeah, I need a good amp. But I don't need a $3K-$4K rig, truthfully; it'd be nice but overkill.
Not sure where the actual line is for 'high end' bass, but I'd say my USA-made major-brand basses are worth it. The feel, playability, tone, and articulation I get from them are what I want in a bass, so for me, they are totally worth the price of admission. Would a $4K bass make me even happier? Who knows...I'm sure it'd be great but I also doubt it would be 2x as good at all of those qualities as I do believe in diminishing returns.
Could I play every gig I have with a $200 Affinity and a '90s Crate amp? Yes, but I'd likely enjoy it a whole lot less.
Not sure where the actual line is for 'high end' bass, but I'd say my USA-made major-brand basses are worth it. The feel, playability, tone, and articulation I get from them are what I want in a bass, so for me, they are totally worth the price of admission. Would a $4K bass make me even happier? Who knows...I'm sure it'd be great but I also doubt it would be 2x as good at all of those qualities as I do believe in diminishing returns.
Could I play every gig I have with a $200 Affinity and a '90s Crate amp? Yes, but I'd likely enjoy it a whole lot less.
Define "high end." I spent a grand on a cabinet (RevSound) because it provides a specific benefit: It weighs 30 lbs. As it happens, it also gets the job done, and then some.
Do you really think there were THAT many more musicians in that audience shot than there typically are at any modern concert? You must be one of the few that liked concerts to sound like cheap AM radio...
The only things you really need in life are oxygen, water & food…
I’ve heard great players make cheap instruments sound expensive and I’ve heard bad players make expensive basses sound useless…
I’ve heard great players make cheap instruments sound expensive and I’ve heard bad players make expensive basses sound useless…
About 3K for a Mesa amp and cab/s - probably the same with GK and Bergantino.
A good IEM setup is not cheap either and the pedals that you need. Not everyone is doing a mega church gig (see Dr. Cheese's posts/videos - I actually prefer these kinds of small churches ) or big enough venues that have massive PA and can handle bass. Unless it's an upright, some venues I've played won't put your bass in their PA totally. And why would I use a cheap Acoustic (by GC) or some underpowered amp in those situations. I will gig with my quality amps. I have 40 watt rumble, but I will not bring that when I have an equally light "high-end" amp.
Bass -- if you have a Fodera and an Ibanez, the PA and preamp will not make the Ibanez sound like a Fodera. So if your sound is the Fodera, then bring the Fodera. It's preference at a certain level. Many basses are made for professional use.
A good IEM setup is not cheap either and the pedals that you need. Not everyone is doing a mega church gig (see Dr. Cheese's posts/videos - I actually prefer these kinds of small churches ) or big enough venues that have massive PA and can handle bass. Unless it's an upright, some venues I've played won't put your bass in their PA totally. And why would I use a cheap Acoustic (by GC) or some underpowered amp in those situations. I will gig with my quality amps. I have 40 watt rumble, but I will not bring that when I have an equally light "high-end" amp.
Bass -- if you have a Fodera and an Ibanez, the PA and preamp will not make the Ibanez sound like a Fodera. So if your sound is the Fodera, then bring the Fodera. It's preference at a certain level. Many basses are made for professional use.
if you go to my instagram a few posts down, you'll see a mandolin / upright bass duet on a lovely piece of bach.
that particular bass costs roughly the price of a new toyota camry. the mandolin i think was $85, including a case.
not saying that recording would not "benefit" from a higher end mandolin - as you may or may not know, some antique gibson mandos sell in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. but, if you listen closely, you may notice the mando lacks character, flavor, whatever. certainly acoustically it lacks volume, but at the end of the day the performance is 'fine.' I'm also obviously not a mandolin player.
on the flip side, if you have a refined ear, you may have some kind things to say about the tone quality of that bass. at the same time, i could have used my laminate chinese bass and the performance would be nearly the same.
and - this is talking about a piece of bach, where these things could be argued to "matter more," to some extent.
obviously tone color and richness or complexity make a performance more enjoyable. but, a great performance can totally happen on an objectively 'lesser' instrument, such as my $85 mandolin.
If you're content playing E and higher, your needs are even lower. You could probably get by nicely with a $600 Sire, a used Sansamp and a set of foam IEM.
