Bassists are lazy.

[mbelue]

I'm a real man. Real man type people don't do smart. We grunt and have hernias and then grunt some more. I drive a van. Only creepy people and plumbers drive vans. I'm not a plumber. Only a real man can stand up to the stigma. I haul mountains of gear in my van. I haul it myself. I haul the drummer's hardware. I eat raw meat that I caught myself. With a hammer. I'm a real bass player, not some kind of neo D class something or another. Go Cro Magnon or stay home. I poopie in the woods. Urghp.

I can see how my post could come across macho but really that does a discredit to all of the women who manage to not be a Lazy Bassists.
My gist, if I must distill it for you, is arguing for "find a solution" over "complain ad nauseam."
The answer to all of these problems is either obvious or try harder. At least IMO.

 

[slobake]

Vans are sexy. Vans say: I'm a musician or an artist or a person who is so competent he or she hauls tools. That's sexy. I saw a young woman in very tight jeans get into a van very similar to mine and drive away recently. I was in love. Except that I'm already married, so I had to turn her down before even talking to her. Did I mention that vans are sexy?

Low tops or high tops?

 

[Gaolee]

I can see how my post could come across macho but really that does a discredit to all of the women who manage to not be a Lazy Bassists.
My gist, if I must distill it for you, is arguing for "find a solution" over "complain ad nauseam."
The answer to all of these problems is either obvious or try harder. At least IMO.

You are taking my post way, way Too Seriously.

 

[mbelue]

You are taking my post way, way Too Seriously.

 

[Gaolee]

Low tops or high tops?

Low tops. It's all about speed!

 

[kesslari]

I drive a large car with impossibly small cargo space. But I can fit all my gear into it, and be as loud and thumpy as ever I want to be.
And should I choose not to deal with the tetris puzzle of fitting my gear, I have 2 other cars with more cargo space that I can use.
Oh, and I eat raw fish.

 

[RHFusillo]

Get off my lawn. All of you.

 

[mbelue]

I drive a large car with impossibly small cargo space. But I can fit all my gear into it, and be as loud and thumpy as ever I want to be.
And should I choose not to deal with the tetris puzzle of fitting my gear, I have 2 other cars with more cargo space that I can use.
Oh, and I eat raw fish.

I encourage you to vote for Option 2.

 

[RattleSnack]

The original post description fits, in my experience, bassists the least.

Singers and guitards dominate "someone else must handle my poopie" group.

 

[pie_man_25]

yeah, I remember needing help with my amp when I first started playing, but keep in mind I weighed 115 pounds at the time and am a hard gainer (my body type doesn't gain muscle easily at all). I haven't needed help with my gear in at least the last six years or so, and have always had transportation that accomodates the size of my gear, and the gear of those who mooch rides.

 

[ZenG]

 

[slobake]

View attachment 742653

I didn't fix the toilet tonight but tomorrow night i wiil. I did put a 2x4 between the studs, rocked and mudded the wall.
The painter is done so I mounted the toilet paper holder to the 2x4 I put in the wall. I also unclogged the bathroom sink.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Meh. Here's how big my rig is. If y'all like my bass playing, shut the (expletive deleted) up enough to be able to hear it.

I don't know if that's someone else's problem or not, but I don't care enough for it to be mine .

 

[Fun Size Nick]

This reputation that we have as lazy irks me a bit.
Still every day I read a new thread here and believe it's true.

No body wants to carry anything. Even though cabinets are featherweight now.

We have to goto extraordinary measures to leave our cabinets somewhere.

We want to drive impossibly small cars and complain when our teensy 1x8 15w combo isn't loud enough.

We want to play bass but anything approaching a callous is anathema.

A 10lb bass is too heavy, but have to have an XL scale.

To me all this means:you don't want to play bass.

If you do want to play bass:
Carry your own poopie.
Carry enough poopie to get the job done. If the poopie you brought didn't get the job done:its your fault. Stop blaming other people.
Carry your poopie from some place you are responsible for to wherever you are playing. Then carry your poopie back when you are done.
Live in a house/apartment where you can store your poopie.
If your spouse won't let you keep your poopie at home, get a new spouse. Or a storage unit. Deal with the problem on your own. Your poopie is your problem.
Drive a car that will hold you and your poopie. Expect to have to do so. Public transportation is not how construction workers transport their equipment. They have trucks for that, so should you.
There is nothing wrong with asking for "a hand" to move your poopie, when you need it. This should not be every time, if it is: get a cart. Your poopie is not the responsibility of the drummer, so stop asking them every time. They still have 6 cymbols to hang( even if you are rehersing at their place and made the schedule themselves).
Stop comparing what you do or play to the guitarist. You don't play a guitar, why do you think you should be using the same poopie? You play bass, your poopie will be bigger. If you don't like it, stop what you are doing and become a guitarist. That is how you make things "fair".

You have to have some sort of callous or hand toughness to play bass. Stop complaining and practice your scales. By the time you know your scales your hands will stop hurting.

10lbs it's too much? Buy a different bass. Try a different scale. Who cares what bass The Ox played? Get something you can work with. There are lightweight options in every price range.
These are not excuses for laziness.

Stop being lazy.

Perhaps you could consider the possibility that other people have different needs and requirements from their gear, due to differences in life circumstances such as age, geographical location, health, or finances. These people all want to be bass players.

I'm with the 'work smarter' crew - high quality lightweight gear is one of the best things to happen to the world of bass. Oh, and where I've lived, construction workers carry all kinds of poopie on public transport.

Frankly, I think I'd have a harder time being a guitarist carrying heavy valve amps on public transport than a bass player with a 350w micro in their gig bag and a high output 110 cab.

 

[mbelue]

Wow. So everyone reads this as AntiClassD and AntiNeo?
My friends let me rephrase:
Please use whatever means necessary to play bass. Just stop complaining when it becomes anything resembling "work."
Go get a micro amp. Go get a high XMax Neodymium SuperCab. I've got one myself. Technology is good. Whining is bad.

 

[zontar]

I'm not lazy--I'll play bass or guitar or both.
Recently I went to a jam & took a bass, a guitar & a mandolin, plus two amps, a multi instrument stand, another for the mandolin & and a bag of accessories.
It took me three trips--but it was worth it--fun jam--I used all three instruments, both amps & 3 pedals.

 

[GIBrat51]

Don't hold it all in, mbelue; tell us how you really feel...

 

[Aunteliend1958]

Bassists aren't lazy... they just look like ones

 

[ROGI]

from now on i'm carrying just laptop and digital mixer. i won't even play bass, since i got myself virtual bass guitar. players are so overrated...pih!

 

[two fingers]

I get the OP 100%.

It really comes to a head with Mesa Walkabout stuff to me. I hear guys complaining about a loud fan. What kind of act are you playing with that ANY fan is too loud for? I have played incredibly quiet charity events. Of course, we had to set up our entire PA as per the contract. Those PA power amp fans were going the whole time. And then there's the size and weight of the Scout cabs. "Man, I love the sound of those 15" versions but there's no way I could schlep that sucker so I went with the 12"." Seriously? There's only a few pounds and a few cubic inches difference!

Yes, there are a ton of complaint threads here with regard to weight, size, contrast with other musicians' gear, car size and gear, etc.

Agreed OP. Get what you need to do the job well or do a different job. Music is no different from being and electrician or an engineer. Do the job. Bring the right tools. Complain to your cat while wearing fuzzy slippers and sipping on chamomile tea and watching Dancing With the Stars.

(Grunts. Picks nose. Spits. Adjusts crotch. Eats more bacon.)