Bass Happiness Is...

[AndreasR]

Being so in the zone that you and your bass are one.

 

[micguy]

A few weeks ago, I was on a stage, and one of the singers put a water bottle on the stage, The PA had good subs, and every note I played, a different patern of standing waves showed itself in the water - there was a spot light that reflected off the top of the water...just right.

The band was good, the set list was a bunch of tunes I like to play, my strings were broken in just right, and I brought the bass with the right vibe for the set list. Add to that a stage with a lot of vibration, and the water bottle light show, and...yeah, that was it.

 

[bongostealth]

Buying a new bass without fear of the wife finding out or without her bitching about it later.

 

[Dynomuttasaurus]

Coming out of the woodshed to absolutely slay the tune with the band.

 

[john_g]

 

[nerkoids]

When I got the sound, the feel and the groove whilst I'm recording a bass part for my songs.

 

[40Hz]

Playing one. Just playing.

 

[Felken]

Jamming with the guys.

 

[andawun]

When the band is "on" the groove is rock solid and the audience is into it and not their cell phones. So for me bass happiness is when the band and the audience have a great shared experience. Oh yeah, getting paid!

 

[pnchad]

Learning that the first (or maybe the second) take I'm always the best. Right out of the box.

We recorded for three days in a row this week and on playback almost every tune is best fresh. Takes 4 or 5, meh.

Not easy stuff either. Wayne Shorter's Juju is a mind f*^#

 

[XrisThaBassman]

Tuning up a new build and plugging it in to hear it's voice for the first time, then spending some time to take in the nuances of how each note up and down the fretboard/fingerboard speaks, sustains, and decays. If the bass has more than one pickups, listening to the tonal differences while adjusting from the neck solo thru blended thru bridge solo. If the bass has a preamp, discovering how the preamp refines the tonality thru its range on this specific bass.

It's so easy to forget to be intentional and take time out and savor this first contact experience with a new instrument, to listen and not just hear what the instrument has to offer, and to add to the sonic palette library of how the different 'ingredients' come together into a unique musical voice.

THIS. I do this every time I get a new bass in my hands... put it through it's paces to see what kinds of sounds I get coax from it. It's like unwrapping presents on Christmas day!

 

[Bass Viking]

Being able to hear yourself on a gig is the best!

 

[Bass Viking]

Learning that the first (or maybe the second) take I'm always the best. Right out of the box.

This is very true!

 

[XrisThaBassman]

Buying a new bass without fear of the wife finding out or without her bitching about it later.

This is a sublime joy! Glad I have a wife who is happy with how hard I work and supports me rewarding myself! It helps that I also support her sewing habit...

 

[XrisThaBassman]

When the band is "on" the groove is rock solid and the audience is into it and not their cell phones. So for me bass happiness is when the band and the audience have a great shared experience. Oh yeah, getting paid!

Others have said this too, and this is true for me as well. There is nothing like being on stage, owning the pocket, the band is grooving... you look around, and the audience is totally in to what you are doing. Gives me chills every time!

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Yeah, new strings on all basses is way fun, for sure.

A good gig playing funky music with good musicians, though, is the best.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Crush your guitarists. See them driven before you. Hear the lamentations of their women.

I *think* you mean to say "wamentations of deyr women". Pretty sure that was it.

 

[Holdsg]

having enough TIME to play, practice, whatever. Time is my biggest enemy. Like why am I stuck here bored at work when I have several basses I could be playing, right now.

 

[GoLeafsGo]

Jamming in the basement with my wife.

 

[PimasterPearson]

A few months ago my band's regular drummer couldn't make a gig, so we had a friend sub for him without any prior rehearsal (though he has played some of our songs before). And he nailed every song, every hit and stop, every dynamics change. We were just communicating perfectly all night as a rhythm section, and it was awesome.