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Bass abuse
- Thread starter Pillgrimm13
- Start date
That was not the point being made earlier. It came across more along the lines of judging a book by its cover.
When you take care of an instrument, the instrument takes care of you.
Period.
I think that damage is unavoidable for a tool or an instrument that sees use. But I think that 'abuse' should be defined, for the purposes of this thread, as "Damage which could be prevented by basic precautions/maintenance on the part of the owner."
Like, for example, leaving your bass out in the rain would qualify as abuse, 'cause you could have just brought it inside.
You guys might think I'm nitpicky about keeping my basses mint, but I'm not. It's just that I don't see that a saxophone and a bass deserve to be treated differently. If you played the sax, would you toss it carelessly into a backseat to rattle around uncased, lean it up in the corner when you're not playing it, swing it around your neck on a strap? I doubt it.
So why do I see people doing these things to guitars and basses?
Period.
I think that damage is unavoidable for a tool or an instrument that sees use. But I think that 'abuse' should be defined, for the purposes of this thread, as "Damage which could be prevented by basic precautions/maintenance on the part of the owner."
Like, for example, leaving your bass out in the rain would qualify as abuse, 'cause you could have just brought it inside.
You guys might think I'm nitpicky about keeping my basses mint, but I'm not. It's just that I don't see that a saxophone and a bass deserve to be treated differently. If you played the sax, would you toss it carelessly into a backseat to rattle around uncased, lean it up in the corner when you're not playing it, swing it around your neck on a strap? I doubt it.
So why do I see people doing these things to guitars and basses?
Me and my pickup truck and my bass are all covered in dings and scratches from living life to the fullest. Everything is well-maintained, but we all have plenty of scars. Sometimes I wear suits, sometimes I wear band-aids. The bass is happy and so am I.
Because a Saxophone is made of precious metals and the slightest dent can ruin the timbre of the instrument. Basses and guitars are hardy and take wear well.
This thread seems like it is going in circles with lots of opinions... so I might as well add mine 
I try to take very good care of my gear.. store and ship it in protective cases, clean it after getting all sweaty on it, try to keep the dust dirt and rust off of it. I even polish my basses on occasion to keep them pretty.
BUT...
Thing happen. Lean the bass on the amp, and it falls over. Some one else knock over your stand when you actually decide to use one. You play 3 times a week plus practice, and loading an unloading takes a toll. Headstock becomes fully acquainted with a foreign object. Some guys decides to pick it up without permission and flail away in it... you get the idea. Yea those things suck, but its part of it.
Take care of your stuff, but like a car, its gonna be dinged and scratched... and like a well maintained car, even with the blemishes it will be reliable, comfortable, and like an old friend when you take it for a spin.
IMO of course
I try to take very good care of my gear.. store and ship it in protective cases, clean it after getting all sweaty on it, try to keep the dust dirt and rust off of it. I even polish my basses on occasion to keep them pretty.
BUT...
Thing happen. Lean the bass on the amp, and it falls over. Some one else knock over your stand when you actually decide to use one. You play 3 times a week plus practice, and loading an unloading takes a toll. Headstock becomes fully acquainted with a foreign object. Some guys decides to pick it up without permission and flail away in it... you get the idea. Yea those things suck, but its part of it.
Take care of your stuff, but like a car, its gonna be dinged and scratched... and like a well maintained car, even with the blemishes it will be reliable, comfortable, and like an old friend when you take it for a spin.
IMO of course
Actually I did ride in a car that has rust spots, scratches and dents... it was my first car and had gone through 5 family members before me(though I did screw it up more).
And I do believe there are many big name brand clothing companies that sell faded, ripped, torn and pre-worn clothes. I never did understand the ripped hats. I haven't seen many old hats that wore out on the end of the bill like someone dragging it against the concrete.
I think instruments with dents, scratches and wear show their age and use or a better term, "well loved". The big point is that basses are instruments (tools) for making music. Tools get worn from use, eventually they do get replaced, if you can afford it. Just because my bass has dents and scratches and gouges in it doesn't mean that it produces less quality music. As long as there is still a signal and it keeps in tune, we are good to go.
Hey. The ONLY way to keep a bass pristine is to never play it! What's the sense of that? Now I'm not a bass abuser (although she tells me she loves it!) but try as I might every time I get a brand new perfect bass it seems the very first mindless thing I do is swing around and smack the headstock into something or give it a buckle rash or watch helplessly as it falls over. But it's almost never a serious accident. When a tool gets used eventually it looks used!
Hey, I've owned lots of new cars but the one I'm driving now IS covered with scratched paint and rust. And it will stay that way until it dies and I trade it in on a new pristine one. And as for "walking around in rags"... aren't those called "rock and roll clothes"? It's not about "respect" at all. But you are right it IS about "presenting yourself to the world". In other words "showbiz".
And that IS where appearance matters. If the bass "tool" I'm playing is being used to generate music and tone, then cosmetics don't mean a thing. On the other hand if part of the job the bass is doing is to be a showbiz "prop" Bootsy-style, then sure the appearance to your audience matters. But I'm sure most of us here have been on stage enough to know that a stage "prop" only needs to look impressive from the audience. Up close and personal most stage gear is usually rather ratty looking.
The ones you want to respect are the people paying to see/hear you. So if a piece of crap bass is your "image" then that's what you have to give them. If it's Liberace-style flash and trash then you give them that. But in either case if the music ain't there image won't carry you alone. In showbiz none of this says anything about how you respect yourself.
It's interesting to see the reactions I get by posting my honest opinion...if you don't care about your gear and how it looks, why do you get so touchy? Maybe 'cause you don't like the fact that what you're doing to your bass (sometimes on purpose) is called instrument abuse, instead of "adding character"?
Bottom line is this: normal wear is unavoidable. I'm ok with that. Any other sign of abuse gets zero respect in my book. It's normal to see sings of wear due to finger positioning on the neck or around the pickups and so on on a bass, but things like a buckle rush are not ok, because that kind of things could have been avoided if being more careful.
There's a very good reason as to why the instrument mafucturers use some sort of finish on their instruments - because those need to be protected from exterior factors such as humidity, mould, and so on. If you let the paint on your bass to get stripped and let the wood exposed, it will affect it in time.
Same goes for cars: rust will slowly corrode it to the point of affecting its safety structure. That's why rust should be removed asap and the spot sealed. Driving in a rusty car without any intent of gettin' it fixed is a potential danger to your own safety. If you don't get that, then you do have a problem.
Bottom line is this: normal wear is unavoidable. I'm ok with that. Any other sign of abuse gets zero respect in my book. It's normal to see sings of wear due to finger positioning on the neck or around the pickups and so on on a bass, but things like a buckle rush are not ok, because that kind of things could have been avoided if being more careful.
There's a very good reason as to why the instrument mafucturers use some sort of finish on their instruments - because those need to be protected from exterior factors such as humidity, mould, and so on. If you let the paint on your bass to get stripped and let the wood exposed, it will affect it in time.
Same goes for cars: rust will slowly corrode it to the point of affecting its safety structure. That's why rust should be removed asap and the spot sealed. Driving in a rusty car without any intent of gettin' it fixed is a potential danger to your own safety. If you don't get that, then you do have a problem.
Your "honest opinion" is highly judgmental and shallow.
What I'm doing to my bass? What I'm doing to my bass is playing it. I don't do crazy stuff with my basses, every little ding or scratch hurts bad.
I don't smash around my basses or toss them in the back of a car with no case. I'm very protective of them, I try to keep them clean, I put them in the case or on a stand when not playing them, not just leaning against the amp. Buckle rash has never been a problem, but you know, stuff happens.
I try to be careful, but I have my clumsy moments. There are little scratches on even my nicest bass, some of which were there when I bought it. The paint eventually will probably lose its shine on the areas my hands touch it, despite my best efforts. The frets will eventually be worn down and need replacing. Actually, on one bass, they're very near that point already. Some of my instruments I bought when they were already looking pretty thrashed. I own a couple guitars as well (I goof around a bit with guitar). One of those is incredibly beat up, but not because of anything I did. It had been apparently used very hard by its previous owner, perhaps abused. I have no self-respect because I play an instrument that took a lot of abuse from a previous owner but feels and sounds great?
One of my basses is pretty heavily modified, so it doesn't look that nice, but sounds great. My hammers, screwdrivers, saws, etc. don't look brand new from the store, either. And why should they? They've been used for years and years. They're not broken, they're just no longer looking all unused and shiny.
For you to say that I don't respect my instruments or even myself because my basses have some wear on them from years of use? You're the one who has a problem, a problem with making huge, uncalled for attacks on the character of other people.
What I'm doing to my bass? What I'm doing to my bass is playing it. I don't do crazy stuff with my basses, every little ding or scratch hurts bad.
I don't smash around my basses or toss them in the back of a car with no case. I'm very protective of them, I try to keep them clean, I put them in the case or on a stand when not playing them, not just leaning against the amp. Buckle rash has never been a problem, but you know, stuff happens.
I try to be careful, but I have my clumsy moments. There are little scratches on even my nicest bass, some of which were there when I bought it. The paint eventually will probably lose its shine on the areas my hands touch it, despite my best efforts. The frets will eventually be worn down and need replacing. Actually, on one bass, they're very near that point already. Some of my instruments I bought when they were already looking pretty thrashed. I own a couple guitars as well (I goof around a bit with guitar). One of those is incredibly beat up, but not because of anything I did. It had been apparently used very hard by its previous owner, perhaps abused. I have no self-respect because I play an instrument that took a lot of abuse from a previous owner but feels and sounds great?
One of my basses is pretty heavily modified, so it doesn't look that nice, but sounds great. My hammers, screwdrivers, saws, etc. don't look brand new from the store, either. And why should they? They've been used for years and years. They're not broken, they're just no longer looking all unused and shiny.
For you to say that I don't respect my instruments or even myself because my basses have some wear on them from years of use? You're the one who has a problem, a problem with making huge, uncalled for attacks on the character of other people.
First off, I am not attacking anyone, it's the other way round, but who cares.
Second, do you actually read before posting?
I said normal wear is unavoidable. As long as you keep the instrument clean and in perfect working condition is all that you can really do - to what extend, it depends on the person & budget. I would change old rusty hardware, replace worn out input jack, or even get the bass repainted if the finish becomes too tarnished - but that's just me.
I wouldn't buy a beat up instrument no matter how good it would sound, but - again - that's just me; I'm not saying that everyone should do the same, it's just my personal preference.
BUT like I previously said: some "scars" can be avoided; if you're wearing the bass at waist lvl, the audience won't see your huge metal buckle - so why the heck would you use such a belt? Just to scratch the back of your bass? And that's just an example. Again: normal wear is to be expected even on the most loved instruments, but eveything else is a no no. No matter how you try to justify it, the rest it's just instrument abuse.
there is a big difference between use and abuse, as for tools they get worn and scratched when using them but would you intentionally pour battery acid and use a grinder on your ratchet because it looks better to you. as for basses if its a cheap brand thats found everywere and you want to have a ratty junky looking bass then have at it but if its rare or desirable, sell it to somebody that will take care of it.
to me a bass is a functional piece of art. its like spray painting a van gogh. if its your van gogh its your right to do it but you would be cheating the world out of beauty. as for basses they arnt rare art but there might be somebody out there that would love that bass and take care of it and seeing it trashed sucks.
normal wear happens thats the entropic nature of bass ownership but if you do like playing a piece of junk start with a cheap junky bass.
to me a bass is a functional piece of art. its like spray painting a van gogh. if its your van gogh its your right to do it but you would be cheating the world out of beauty. as for basses they arnt rare art but there might be somebody out there that would love that bass and take care of it and seeing it trashed sucks.
normal wear happens thats the entropic nature of bass ownership but if you do like playing a piece of junk start with a cheap junky bass.
What seems to you like reasonable steps to avoid unnecessary wear may seem like extreme OCD to someone else. It's subjective.
Is it really necessary to pass so much judgement?
How about this. A ratchet in bad shape will perform poorly, a bass with buckle rash (which has been pointed out as abuse) will perform just the same. I imagine it takes a monumental amount of buckle rash abuse to actually affect the bass.
- Jul 8, 2009
- 1,612
- 11
- Disclosures
- A&R, Soulless Corporation Records
Will I get a bass with a damaged finish just because of that attribute? No. Will I refuse to buy a bass just because it's finish is damaged? No. I personally like the look a new, untouched bass. But if it's a good bass for a good price, then I'll buy it, unless it truly looks as if it's been through Hell and back. Besides, if it's really that bad, I can just get it refinished.
Not many people like to ride in a vehicle covered in rust and scratched paint,
but sometimes that's the best they can do.
Or maybe they just prefer to spend money on other things.
Judging people you don't know is a fool's game.
but sometimes that's the best they can do.
Or maybe they just prefer to spend money on other things.
Judging people you don't know is a fool's game.
my basses r part of my family...
like my kids...
im really really piccky...
i would never ever abuse it...
it hurts alot to see someone that does...
if u cant take care of an instrument, just give it away...
and another thing... "VINTAGE IS DIFFERENT THAN BEAT UP"...
like my kids...
im really really piccky...
i would never ever abuse it...
it hurts alot to see someone that does...
if u cant take care of an instrument, just give it away...
and another thing... "VINTAGE IS DIFFERENT THAN BEAT UP"...
Looks can be deceiving. I was at a renewable energy get together a while back, and there was this guy there dressed in torn jeans and a faded T shirt. He hadn't shaved in a few days and some would say that he was in dire need of a haircut.
I was out in the parking lot talking to some folks when he came out of the building and climbed into his brand new Tesla. It turns out he is a successful businessman and sits on the Texas Public Utilities Commission. Not a bum at all. Not even close.
