Are you "That Guy"? I'm asking because I'm "That Guy"...

[Ritchie_Darling]

Yup! I'm THAT GUY!! Link Removed basses, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] bass amps, Revsound cabinets......

I do get some strange looks and interesting questions....

 

[rtslinger]

I WANT ONE!

one more picture before the other lights were added

 

[D.A.R.K.]

I used to be, being an early adopter of ERB basses like the one in my pic (in the 80's people lost it over 6 string basses, mostly guitarists being extremely negative unfortunately. Pic is from '90 or maybe '89). Now, with the internet and sites like Talkbass, nothing seems to phase people anymore. The questions are more along the lines of: "is that NS a bass or bass cello?" or "What do you think about that Quilter compared to other micro heads?" or "Did you try out the Bergantino AE next to the HD? What do you think about the Neo speakers in comparison?" etc. etc. etc.

 

[bassbully]

Not this guy. Hell I’m just amazed anyone notices if I show up for a gig at all let alone care what I play. Last gig it was not till the end of the night one of the owners even knew I was in the band.

 

[MVE]

Yup...
The silkscreen on my Demeter 201 wore off long before it came into my possession.
So other people don’t even know where the volume is much less who made it.
Sound guys are always nervous when they plug in the DI, but then they tell me how great it sounded when they unplug it after the show. Lol

 

[basslayer]

i'm that guy with pedals, but i'm right down main street with the rest of my rig; fender precision into a fender rumble amp. i haven't played many boutique basses to begin with and my fender and ibanez basses get the job done. the only time people were so enamored with my gear that they had to ask me about what brand my bass was, i was playing a squier.

 

[whero]

I am kind of "that guy" when it comes to weird basses, though. Got me one of these:
View attachment 2958076

Didn't I see that in an episode of The Jetsons?!

 

[MD]

Not a lot of people know what a Takamine B10 is, let alone seen one. So yeah, I usually get some sort of comment or question; occasionally a gawk here and there.

 

[Passinwind]

I'm definitely in the "play what you like, like what you play" camp.
But ... if you show up with your mega-bux, super unique boutique bass and nobody-ever-heard-of-it amplification, and play pretty much the same as the dude who shows up with a used Squire and a Rumble amp (or even worse, they blow you off the stage) ... what's the point exactly ?

That it doesn't have to be about competition?

 

[pbass6811]

It's been really cool to get both sides of this ideal. I'm always curious as to how other people think. The one thing that I find a bit disheartening is how many guys think this is just about money and "showing off". This was never, and will never be, about the Money. For my personal situation, I work a regular, 40-hour/week job. I'm not getting rich by any measure. My choice of gear is a direct result of my research into what I need to be the best bassist I can be. If this was just about how much money we spend or how much attention can we can get, we'd all be playing Masterbuilt Fenders or Ritters.

I get enough attention as a black guy playing in a rock band. You haven't lived until you heard a complete stranger ask "what are you doing in this band?" Out loud, and loud enough for other folks to hear. . Trust me, I don't need weird gear to get attention. But I do get a kick out of cluing other local guys in on bass gear they may not know about, regardless of the cost. If I can inspire one bass player to practice more, to join a band, to buy a piece of gear they've always wanted, to get into the habit of starting to save money to get something they want, or to just be a better human being, then all the weird gear was worth it, no matter how much money I did, or didn't spend.

 

[David Sutkin]

"Oh that? Well, that's my Maruszczyk Frog"

 

[bdplaid]

I'm the guy who shows up with Kiesel, Valenti or Dingwall basses, an Arkham Sound or Basswitch preamp, and goes into a Barefaced or LDS cab.

I'm the guy who shows up with a bass he made himself because no one else makes a bass I like. I'd make my own amp if I had the skill. I also usually have a collection of stuff that nobody else uses. I pretty much don't care where it comes from as long as it's reliable and sounds good. In that order. But made in USA is a big deal-maker for me.

 

[pfschim]

That it doesn't have to be about competition? View attachment 2959216

fair enough Charlie, but I perhaps you missed my point a bit (my bad for not being clear).
It's NOT about competition, it IS about playing (and hopefully playing well).

My point was more about the fact that its not so much about the gear being used, it's about the playing. Unique or boutique gear is great, particularly if the cost of the gear is equivalent to the playing skills, but sometimes the investment in gear far exceeds the owners playing skills.

again, I am totally in the "play what you like, and like what you play" camp ... but sometimes I do see expensive, custom/boutique gear (which someone is very proud of) trying to substitute for skill.

I prefer to listen to the killer player with "average" gear over the average player with killer gear every time.

Also, like you, I can hardly remember when someone in an audience gave a hoot about what amp or bass I was playing, and I even have some non-"average" gear.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I'm the bass player in town that has all the gear nobody recognizes...and I LOVE it!

I'm always amused when other bass players come up to me and ask me what I'm playing, and then the blank stare after I tell them AND let them check out my gear! Once I got to the point where I could afford the stuff I wanted, I pretty much stopped buying stuff from GC and SA. If it's not Fender, Ibanez, Shecter, or Ampeg, some of these guys and gals have no idea that there are other manufacturers making bass gear. I'm the guy who shows up with Kiesel, Valenti or Dingwall basses, an Arkham Sound or Basswitch preamp, and goes into a Barefaced or LDS cab. I may have some Cog Effects, Iron Ether, or FEA Labs on my board at any given time(My board is a LOT less boutique-y at this moment, but it was CRAZY boutique-y for a while and may be again soon...).

I'm not knocking guys who play Fender, Ampeg, and Boss, there's a reason that stuff is legendary, and it works in every musical situation, but I always get a chuckle from look on peoples faces when they hear "Kiesel Vader basses(soon to be back to Dingwalls)into a dual SansAmp wet/dry setup into Barefaced Big Twin II's. It's like I said everything in Swahili...

So, who here is also "That Guy"? And, who here isn't? I have no problem with either side, in fact, I'd like to hear from both...

I'm that guy. To a degree.
4/5/6 string.
Maple board unlined fretless.
G&L Silver Sparkle L2500.
Mesa Subway.
Warwick Dolphin.
Danelectro Longhorn.
Whirlwind OC Comp.
Bsx half note EUB.
Vintage Goya double P mahogany body bass.
Squier VMPV.
No fenders......
Country Band.

 

[mistergoats]

I love asking other bass players about their gear. And I think seeing all the different stuff on this forum is cool.

I just stick with what works for me. I play pretty straight up rock 'n' roll and the Ampeg SVT head and 8x10 works for me. It's simple. I don't want anything boutique. It would be the equivalent of me buying a McLaren for my commuter car. Sure, it would be rad to use cool, weird, expensive one-off bass but it's absolutely not necessary for my skill set and musical requirement.

That said, I built my own P bass because I've never found one stock that I like. But it's still a P bass. And I also have a New RD bass and Thunderbird. A Fender copy and two Gibsons through a tuner, a Tech 21 V.T. DI and a Union Tube & Transistor Tsar Bomba through an Ampeg. Nothing fancy.

Am I "That guy"? Nope. I'm this guy and I'm alright.

 

[City]

Didn't I see that in an episode of The Jetsons?!

That is Ultraman's Bass. No doubt.

 

[k1ffx]

A few more of my "less usual" basses:

At last ... a fretless banjo bass!

- Bruce

 

[Passinwind]

fair enough Charlie, but I perhaps you missed my point a bit (my bad for not being clear).
It's NOT about competition, it IS about playing (and hopefully playing well).

My point was more about the fact that its not so much about the gear being used, it's about the playing. Unique or boutique gear is great, particularly if the cost of the gear is equivalent to the playing skills, but sometimes the investment in gear far exceeds the owners playing skills.

again, I am totally in the "play what you like, and like what you play" camp ... but sometimes I do see expensive, custom/boutique gear (which someone is very proud of) trying to substitute for skill.

I prefer to listen to the killer player with "average" gear over the average player with killer gear every time.

Also, like you, I can hardly remember when someone in an audience gave a hoot about what amp or bass I was playing, and I even have some non-"average" gear.

I get where you're coming from, and I know from past experience that you're not the overly judgemental type. Personally, I run lots of open mikes, play in a community big band, and otherwise deal with less than pro type players a large amount of the time. And sometimes I get more out of seeing them play, or playing with them, than seeing a killer player in a substandard venue or with whatever particular type of band I'm not so into at a given time. So I think there are a lot of levels that all this stuff works on.

As an aside, it could be pretty easy to get quite cynical about the music as fashion show aspect of NAMM, or TB for that matter. But sometimes weird and/or obscure is just that, and not necessarily expensive or elite.

 

[Luciferiad]

Are you me? Am I you?

I love my Schecter and Peavey stuff.

I'm more than happy with my gear, too. Those companies make great gear that doesn't break the bank

 

[pfschim]

I get where you're coming from, and I know from past experience that you're not the overly judgemental type. Personally, I run lots of open mikes, play in a community big band, and otherwise deal with less than pro type players a large amount of the time. And sometimes I get more out of seeing them play, or playing with them, than seeing a killer player in a substandard venue or with whatever particular type of band I'm not so into at a given time. So I think there are a lot of levels that all this stuff works on.

As an aside, it could be pretty easy to get quite cynical about the music as fashion show aspect of NAMM, or TB for that matter. But sometimes weird and/or obscure is just that, and not necessarily expensive or elite. View attachment 2959434

sure, but the OP kicked this topic off talking about his 4 Dingwalls, Kiesel, Valenti, and that lead to mention of Zon and such, so it kind of felt like we were talking about weird/obscure meaning more like high-end (pricewise) gear.

but hey, I play a Lull and a Turner Ren and have some other, less than common gear, so as I said, I am not immune to the coolness of unique/boutique/high-end bass gear. I also rock a dead cheap MIM Jazz and an even cheaper Rogue (!) fretless acoustic

I guess I kind of reacted to the "That Guy" aspect more than anything .. and mostly when I think of "That Guy" my experience says that it's not necessarily someone who knows how to play very well ... but more like someone who has some dough to throw around and picks stuff by its sticker price and feels as if the high-end gear buys them some kind of respect as a player. This is entirely my personal bias (and experience) at work.

anyway, I think were generally in agreement and I am not trying to make anything out of all this.
life is just too short for that