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Bass abuse
- Thread starter Pillgrimm13
- Start date
"Pretty boys like pretty toys", "The chrome won't get you home"...
Anyone who actually works for a living is enough to pass muster for me. How you treat what you pay for is your right and don't let anyone who looks at themself in the mirror more than twice a day tell you otherwise.
Anyone who actually works for a living is enough to pass muster for me. How you treat what you pay for is your right and don't let anyone who looks at themself in the mirror more than twice a day tell you otherwise.
Here's the first problem with your argument: You're not Willie Nelson. Willie Nelson trumps every single thought you could possibly type into your little computer and share with the whole internet.
Here's the second problem: You're just trolling.
"To each their own"? That train left the station about 80 posts ago. You made your point at least 15 times already, but you won't stop. Let me help you out.
if the beat up bass is loved by the owner and kept by him or her i dont see anything wrong with that but the bass i just bought had plastic chrome adhesive strips for thumb rests and god knows what crusted on the pickups. i too love to bring back a bass into a better condition and i still bought the bass cuz i had been looking for this particular modle for 20 years but to me liking the look on a trashed bass (now i dont mean normal average wear) drives me nutz. would you like to see a pet walking around with a broken leg, or your kid with his eye out or how about a really pretty girl with her face covered in dozens of piercings? i dont consider those things as character, just not my cup of tea.
my point is if people want to destroy their basses to give it character that they want so much why do they sell them for basses in better condition to start all over again? a bass should be an extension of the player but not a reflection of the player just a reflection of how much he cares about his belongings. seeing somebody trash a bass is like seeing somebody take a one sip out of every beer in a case and pour the rest out, i shudder just to think about that. to me its a waste and it sucks to see somebody trash something that i would love but cant afford or find. i know its not my buisness what somebody does to their own belongings but it still burns me that someone who is lucky enough to have something nice treats it like garbage.
my point is if people want to destroy their basses to give it character that they want so much why do they sell them for basses in better condition to start all over again? a bass should be an extension of the player but not a reflection of the player just a reflection of how much he cares about his belongings. seeing somebody trash a bass is like seeing somebody take a one sip out of every beer in a case and pour the rest out, i shudder just to think about that. to me its a waste and it sucks to see somebody trash something that i would love but cant afford or find. i know its not my buisness what somebody does to their own belongings but it still burns me that someone who is lucky enough to have something nice treats it like garbage.
@Pillgrimm13: I understand your point, you don't like the look of a beat up bass. But look at it this way. I don't like the way that most boutique basses look. Thats all fine by itself but then to say something like "Oh wow, that guy must really be compensating for something to buy a 5000 dollar bass" (Not that i do think that) is where people start to take exception.
Comparing a bass to an animal or a kid is so out of the question. It is a bass, nothing more nothing less, they can take dings, they can be cut open and routed for modding. As for the character comment, I imagine that a terribly beat up old 66 jazz bass has more character than anything new and shiny.
Comparing a bass to an animal or a kid is so out of the question. It is a bass, nothing more nothing less, they can take dings, they can be cut open and routed for modding. As for the character comment, I imagine that a terribly beat up old 66 jazz bass has more character than anything new and shiny.
for 5000 bucks that bass better come with lifetime lessons at your home from victor wooten : ) i myself preffer a bass that isnt brand new so i dont freak out when i put the first scratch on it but wear and abuse are to different things. my basses to me are alot more than tools. one i bought from money i got when my dad died when i was 16, another my girlfriend bought me for my birthday and others mark great or hard times in my life and helped me deal with bad times (playing always chears me up) ive put alot of myself in my basses so to me they arnt throw away tools. something that you put your time and money in should be respected and you should be lucky that you have what you do cuz it can all be gone tomorrow. thats why it bothers me to see somebody trash something that somebody else would love but maybe cant afford or find.
pablomigraine
Commercial User
I'd like to answer this. When I'm not on the road, I work at the Daddy's Junky Music in Albany, NY. When the Real Estate Market collapsed in 2008, I still had some rental property so I was in a position to be able to get a job I liked rather than a job that paid a certain amount. I love working at Daddy's and its a really cool company... mostly because they deal primarily in used and rare gear, and only carry new lines as a side-note. Part of that business is that we refuse almost NOTHING on a trade-in, no matter how beat up it is.
Ive seen some despicable crimes against basses and other instruments in my time there. Although I was very fortunate to be able to afford some very nice basses from 2004-2008, almost everything Ive ever owned has cost $1,000 or less... basses and amps / cabs.... and I have babied the heck out of each and every one of them. This is, sadly, not the case with MOST people.
Ive seen 10 year old USA Jazz basses come in with the original strings, neck looking like a banana, scratched and dinged up like Baltimore police car and having never seen the inside of a hardshell case or gigbag. I had one guy come in with a BEAUTIFUL Alembic Series II that he said was "junk now" and wanted to sell it because it had NEVER been set up or adjusted... and he had no idea that the things making his bass difficult to play were easily correctable... so he stopped taking care of it. When it got to me it looked like a former Swimsuit model who'd been homeless for a few years. Now, customer service is a big part of what we do, so it was difficult for me to be pleasant with the guy after seeing this horrible abuse, but I told him to go check out some of the other gear in the store and give me 30 minutes with the bass.
After removing the nasty strings, straightening the neck, polishing the gritty green frets, scrubbing and oiling the fretboard, removing the pickups and cleaning them, giving the control cavity a shot of compressed air, tightening the jack, some dielectric grease for the pots, disassembling, cleaning and oiling the bridge, dabbing some clear nail polish in the bigger dings to fill them, a solid cleaning, new strings and a nice-low setup... I asked him to come play the bass for a while. Sure as snot he was thrilled and I asked him if he still wanted to sell the bass... He said he didn't.
I talked to him about getting a case for it... he said it came with a case but he'd never thought to actually use it. I sold him some Planet Waves cleaners and polish, some fretboard hydrate and sent him on his way. I have a lot of customers who never knew what a "Setup" was and no come back to me every few months or so to do seasonal adjustments on their basses. They gain a new respect for their gear and get more enjoyment out of playing.
In my experience its like this - many people just do not treat ANYTHING they own with any respect at all... they don't change the oil in their cars, they don't clean their laptops and they don't care for their instruments. Still many others are just completely ignorant of HOW to care for their instruments... so they don't.
Its a sad deal but that's what it is.....
So you literally judge people on how their instruments look? o.0
To me that's just too extreme.
People can very much about their instruments even though they are banged up. They could be fairly old instruments with a lot of not so pretty history.
Some people don't need the comfort off a shiny exterior to feel good about themselves. That is somewhat a plus in my book..
The lesser focus on expensive and fancy appearance the more time you have to work on a great personality.
To me that is mojo. Ofcourse the headstock have to be attached to the neck and the pups need to have an output. But a few dings and dongs doesn't mean that people are reckless bastards that doesn't care about their instruments.
That is an awful accusation..
Pablomigraine wins, I think.
He makes the point that I've been trying to avoid making for fear of offending - that is, some people just don't take care of any of their s***.
To the guys who genuinely appreciate, or truly don't mind, a bit of wear: That's cool. To each their own.
To the guys who abuse and neglect and see nothing wrong with it simply because they abuse and neglect everything they own... I dunno what's wrong with you guys.
Let me put it this way: I have a pair of garrison boots, and every time I wear them, I get compliments from friends and strangers. They usually ask me where I got those 'new boots'.
Funny thing is, I've had said boots for six years, and they were made in '83, which is a good four years before I was born!
My point here is, very simply and in accordance with Pablo's, that if you take care of your stuff, your stuff will take care of you.
If you choose not to do that, that's your choice.
He makes the point that I've been trying to avoid making for fear of offending - that is, some people just don't take care of any of their s***.
To the guys who genuinely appreciate, or truly don't mind, a bit of wear: That's cool. To each their own.
To the guys who abuse and neglect and see nothing wrong with it simply because they abuse and neglect everything they own... I dunno what's wrong with you guys.
Let me put it this way: I have a pair of garrison boots, and every time I wear them, I get compliments from friends and strangers. They usually ask me where I got those 'new boots'.
Funny thing is, I've had said boots for six years, and they were made in '83, which is a good four years before I was born!
My point here is, very simply and in accordance with Pablo's, that if you take care of your stuff, your stuff will take care of you.
If you choose not to do that, that's your choice.
in my opinion you have to think about why you got into music. for the large majority it was because you enjoyed it, had fun playing etc. if your insturment takes some dings and gets beat up in the process, as long as you had fun, it serves its purpose. that doesnt mean dont take care of it, but as my grandpa used to say all the time Dont sweat the small stuff. its not that big of a deal if the paint is a bit worn off. its fixable if it bothers you that much. necks can be replaced. bodies can be mended. your bass is there for you to have fun. the real crime in my opinion is when someone buys a really nice bass, and lets it hang on a wall NEVER to be played. what fun is it or you having on the wall? i would much rather replace some chipped paint and have a fun time than look at it on a wall
Glad you got him fixed up again. I try to take pretty good care of my stuff. But occassional bumps etc will happen. When Ive gotten used gear that had some minor damage I fix it up best I can. But used gear has to be in at least good condition, before I'll buy it. I figure if its in worse shape, it may have other issues or at least negative mojo, lol.
The point I was trying to make was: ppl should take good care of their instruments; exposed wood for example will affect the instrument's performance in time, that's why all manufacturers use some sort of finish on their basses, and even the ones in natural finish need to be waxed to seal the wood and protect it. And so on.
The whole argument was about instrument abuse - not normal wear dings and such (I have no problem with normal "battle scars"). Yes, my opinion might be extreme, but I still have zero respect for instrument abusers.
There's no point in feeding the flame wars anymore; ppl are free to do whatever they feel like.
I don't trash my instruments, but I'm not going to apologize if my instrument doesn't look new.
I'm pretty sure the previous owner DID trash it. The tuners hardly worked, part of the nut was chipped off, making the E string pop out occasionally. When I had the pickups changed out, the tech found that the electronics were extremely corroded, and not grounded (explaining the feedback), so I had those completely replaced and the instrument set up, new nut, new tuners.
I haven't done anything about the scarred finish, though. I can't afford a new paint job for it, so I just have this one be my "sticker guitar" since I'm not worried about the paint, as it's so marred already.
Maybe I'll eventually do something about that hideous yellow neck.
I'm pretty sure the previous owner DID trash it. The tuners hardly worked, part of the nut was chipped off, making the E string pop out occasionally. When I had the pickups changed out, the tech found that the electronics were extremely corroded, and not grounded (explaining the feedback), so I had those completely replaced and the instrument set up, new nut, new tuners.
I haven't done anything about the scarred finish, though. I can't afford a new paint job for it, so I just have this one be my "sticker guitar" since I'm not worried about the paint, as it's so marred already.
Maybe I'll eventually do something about that hideous yellow neck.
Sweet! Grats, man! Had a similar 20-year hunt for my 1500. Was looking for one since a couple years after I got my 1200 new. I don't do the shelter bit, but I woulda snagged that 900 up in a half second, grumbling at the employees while digging out my debit card.
Chrome...adhesive...strips? Ok. Nevermind. Earmuffs! la la la la la.
How's she playin for ya?
Pics!
Chrome...adhesive...strips? Ok. Nevermind. Earmuffs! la la la la la.
How's she playin for ya?
Pics!
My Ibanez has been banged around a ton! After the active EQ died (would cost more than the bass did new to replace) she became a project. Now she's fretless, the paint was sanded down where the scars expanded leaving huge spots of bare wood (looks cool in my opinion) making it look well worn. I'm probably not gonna paint it. All she needs now is electronics.
But the bass has been through a lot, making me love her just as much as my schecter stiletto.
In the pic with 2 basses the right is my schecter, the left is the Ibanez when she was new.
But the bass has been through a lot, making me love her just as much as my schecter stiletto.
In the pic with 2 basses the right is my schecter, the left is the Ibanez when she was new.
Attachments
Friend #1 bought a beat up Gibson from a traveling artist who'd played the fool out of it every night for 15 years. That was in 1967. Looked awful. Still does. It played great then and still does today. Used in Branson almost nightly.
Friend #2 Put a ding on his 1988 Les Paul during rehersal a few months ago. Sat down and cried. He plays the fool out it every night. Ding didn't hurt guitar - it did hurt him.
Friend #3 He and I bought a trashed Strat in 1966. Took it apart and rebuilt it over a weekend. Sold it for 1000% markup. It played OK before we messed with it, but it was smooth as fine wine a few days later. Owner still as it and it still sounds sweet. Used in Branson several times a week.
You can hash it out here but everyone's story is different. Just use some common sense and go for it. If it's junk just resell it.
Friend #2 Put a ding on his 1988 Les Paul during rehersal a few months ago. Sat down and cried. He plays the fool out it every night. Ding didn't hurt guitar - it did hurt him.
Friend #3 He and I bought a trashed Strat in 1966. Took it apart and rebuilt it over a weekend. Sold it for 1000% markup. It played OK before we messed with it, but it was smooth as fine wine a few days later. Owner still as it and it still sounds sweet. Used in Branson several times a week.
You can hash it out here but everyone's story is different. Just use some common sense and go for it. If it's junk just resell it.
