Bass abuse

[IngerAlb]

Wow, OCD, lol! That was the best you could come up with?

@Jason:
1. those are great musicians, but in the same time those instruments look like crap to me (except Eddie's); I know some people like that kind of look, I don't. It's that simple. Keep buying such beat up instruments or replicas if that's your thing, it's just that I won't change my mind. To each their own, man.
2. try to actually read before quoting; I said people that have their instruments covered with scratches because "they think it's cool".
3. interesting photo slide, btw, especially the last 2 - to me destroying an instrument on stage is instrument abuse. I would never do it.

 

[dj150888]

Firstly, you seem to have mistaken a genuine question for a personal attack. I genuinely think your aversion to a scratch or chip sounds very obsessive compulsive, but I'm not a doctor, so I wouldn't make such a diagnosis myself!

On your third point...... hendrix destroying an instrument on stage was instrument abuse? Nope, it was entertainment. An intentional use of the guitar as an expendable resource.

 

[Korladis]

Eddie's doesn't look like crap to you? It's the most dinged up of them all.

I kinda like the look of a well worn instrument, but I prefer for such a look to have occurred naturally over years of extensive use, rather than be deliberately inflicted. Or at least be accidental, like Tony Iommi's guitar.

My most beat up looking bass is my Peavey, mainly because when I routed it for the new pickup, I was stupid and didn't put some masking tap over the areas I wasn't routing. This resulted in some scratches that I kicked myself over for a while. Fortunately, they're where I plan to put another pickup. And this time, I'll be prepared and cover the surrounding areas.

My basses look used. Not really beat to hell, as I haven't logged enough years on them for that much wear to accrue, but they certainly don't look like they just came out of the store. My hammers and screwdrivers don't look like they just came out of the store, either.

 

[IngerAlb]

Firstly, you seem to have mistaken a genuine question for a personal attack. I genuinely think your aversion to a scratch or chip sounds very obsessive compulsive, but I'm not a doctor, so I wouldn't make such a diagnosis myself!

On your third point...... hendrix destroying an instrument on stage was instrument abuse? Nope, it was entertainment. An intentional use of the guitar as an expendable resource.

I can understand the reason(s) behind destroying an instrument on stage, but fact is that instrument gets destroyed.

The thing some folks around here still don't seem to understand is that I'm not trying to make a point, I'm just saying my opinion on the topic. I don't care if others agree or not, I don't care what others do to their instruments, I'm not trying to change your tastes for beat up basses (and so on).
But I have my own view on the subject and I stick to it.

I owned a number of basses, some got minor wear, others got a few dings due to some accidents, I am aware these things happen and I'm not going ballistic when it does. But like I said, I try to avoid as much as possible such events (I keep my basses in cases, when on stage I make sure my stand is in a safe spot and not in the path of other ppl, clean them regularly, and so on) and I do care what's happening to them.

 

[IngerAlb]

Eddie's doesn't look like crap to you? It's the most dinged up of them all.

Yeah, but I still like it

 

[Korladis]

I don't think it's your opinions about basses that people object to. I think it's your opinions about the people who play them that we're mostly criticizing.

"I don't like how that bass looks, all beat up. I wish its owner would refinish it so it would look nicer" is a lot less likely to irritate people than "I don't like how that bass looks, all beat up. That person playing must have no self-respect."

In the first statement, the judgment is that the bass is ugly due to being beat up. In the second statement, the judgment is that the player must be a morally flawed individual for playing a beat up bass. See the difference? Do you see why someone might not be upset about the first, but find the second really irritating?

 

[ggunn]

Nice story, but how about this? Let's pretend that parking lot is a normal crowded street; you stop the first person you see, point at our guy and ask for an opinion. What would that person respond: "that's a man in dire need of a haircut", or "oh, that must be a successful bussinessman with a weird fashion taste"? You know what I mean? Even if we pretend we don't pass judgements, we actually do it in certain situations. We all do it, it's in our human nature. So let's no be hypocrites about it.

I'm sorry; are you calling me a hypocrite? I guess I don't know what you mean.

 

[neurotictim]

Meh. I think the people who obsess over each and every ding and scratch are materialistic and ought to get tested for OCD. I mean, people like that are obviously more into the ****-retentiveness than the enjoyment of playing - heck, I was one of them, till I realized I spent more time worrying about my basses and gear, and less time enjoying the gig, the act of making music. Now I just try to take care of my gear, and stop sweating the small stuff.

Just my opinion, but we'll have to agree to disagree.

^See what I did there?

 

[dj150888]

I can understand the reason(s) behind destroying an instrument on stage, but fact is that instrument gets destroyed.

The thing some folks around here still don't seem to understand is that I'm not trying to make a point, I'm just saying my opinion on the topic. I don't care if others agree or not, I don't care what others do to their instruments, I'm not trying to change your tastes for beat up basses (and so on).
But I have my own view on the subject and I stick to it.

I owned a number of basses, some got minor wear, others got a few dings due to some accidents, I am aware these things happen and I'm not going ballistic when it does. But like I said, I try to avoid as much as possible such events (I keep my basses in cases, when on stage I make sure my stand is in a safe spot and not in the path of other ppl, clean them regularly, and so on) and I do care what's happening to them.

Yes, the instrument gets destroyed....thats the point. In this case, its an expendable resource. You don't get your panties in a bunch when someone uses toilet paper, why get them all bunchy when they use a different expendable resource?

For the record, I take care of my basses, always put them on a stand, they're all in very good condition, marginal wear from being played, very little scratches or dings. My problem isn't with your wanting to keep yours in good condition, its with your reference to anyone who DOESN'T care so much about their instruments as lacking self respect.

 

[IngerAlb]

@ggunn: no man, I meant let's not pretend we're not judging things on a first impression sometimes, because we are all doing it at some point and in certain given situations.

@Sartori: I get what you're saying, but the instrument is in that beat up state because of the person(s) playing it. Maybe I should have said before that when I say "beat up", I mean a really beat up bass, with large portions of the finish peeled off, deep scratches and so on and not just some minor dings that can't even be spotted from the crowd. When I see such an instrument I can't help but thinking what kind of owner it has since he can't or won't refinish the poor thing...

 

[IngerAlb]

Yes, the instrument gets destroyed....thats the point. In this case, its an expendable resource. You don't get your panties in a bunch when someone uses toilet paper, why get them all bunchy when they use a different expendable resource?

Because guitars are not created to be set on fire on stage. That's the idea: if ppl would care more about their instruments, those won't be an expandable resource, because they weren't designed to be played just for a limited period of time. The more love and care an instrument gets, the longer its life will be.

 

[Pullman?]

@ IngerAlb: We are all entitled to opinions, but when your opinions attack someone else you cant expect people are going to overlook them. In this thread you basically called me a person with no respect. I couldn't care less if you just said "I don't like the look of beat up basses" but you didn't just say that, you added the "people who play these must have no self respect." Thats an insult, no matter what way you try to say that. A self respecting person could look at a used or abused bass and say "Whatever, I can make the best of it. It doesn't define me as a person or a player." Much of what you have said during this thread comes off as snobbery at the best.

 

[Korladis]

I consider the sound before the look. Jaco's bass had a lot of wear, but sounded damn good with Pastorius playing it.

Since I myself pretty much ALWAYS buy used, unless the player is extremely active in his/her stage movements, I always consider the possibility that the instrument is old and could have already had lots of wear by the time the player got it. And the better an instrument is, the more it's probably been played, and if that includes live gigging, that's way more opportunity for something bad to have happened to it. Not all of us play weddings. Lots of bad things can happen to a bass in a rowdy rock bar, many of them not at all the fault of the player.

And when it comes to really old instruments, I think whether to refinish or not is a really tough decision at times. If I somehow nabbed a '68 4001, even if the finish had a ton of wear, I'm not sure I'd choose to have it refinished. Would you have a Stradovari instrument refinished? I sure wouldn't.

 

[Korladis]

Because guitars are not created to be set on fire on stage. That's the idea: if ppl would care more about their instruments, those won't be an expandable resource, because they weren't designed to be played just for a limited period of time. The more love and care an instrument gets, the longer its life will be.

They were created to be used. However a musician wanted to use them.

Keep in mind, Hendrix's guitar was not a "vintage 60's Fender" at the time. It was just an electric guitar. I wouldn't do that to any of my instruments, but I don't use Fender strats.

 

[mralex]

I personally enjoy the roughed up look, after all it is a tool, and its ment to be played, do you buy a rebuilt 1967 Shelby GT500 to go the speed limit? i think not. I dont buy basses to look pretty, i buy them to play, and while i dont play them like they are glass, i also dont snap necks off on purpose either.

The other night at a show we all decided to trade instruments, the guitarist (one of my closest friends) asked me to deliberately smash a symbol and then throw his guitar on stage. I dont think it shows lack of respect, i think it shows how much enjoys playing. he cares for his guitars more than i think he would his own kid, i think its all in how you feel about the instrument.

 

[seismic]

There is wear and then there is abuse.

I don't object to wear.

 

[ggunn]

@ggunn: no man, I meant let's not pretend we're not judging things on a first impression sometimes, because we are all doing it at some point and in certain given situations.

And just who is doing that? You made a statement to the effect that if someone looks like a bum, he is a bum, I simply provided a counter example.

Whatever. One person's pride in appearances is another's shallowness and superficiality.

 

[Johnny Crab]

Gig-mobile if wife needs her van, 1985 Chevy with rust & dents.

Basses, almost as old as the truck.

Older than the truck so I sold it to a friend because I just could stand playing such a beat up 1963 Gibson bass anymore in public. :scowl:

PS: Geddy has a pawn shop Fender.

 

[JimmyM]

ingeralb's post would really affect me if i cared what anyone thought about my basses.

 

[trunkshope6]

I love buying good basses that have been beat up buy some moron for dirt cheap and then fixing them. As long as it is structurally sound and the price is right I enjoy giving a good bass a second life.

arf!