Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
But do I DESERVE a "nice" bass?
- Thread starter GravyGoodness
- Start date
I would suspect your skills have a lot to do with your ability to make a Squire sound so great, but in my experience, there is something magical about the old Fenders prior to 1962. My brother has a '59 in his studio that I found for him here in L.A., and it is so fantastic I can't even come up with superlatives to describe it. Freddie Washington played it, and said it was on par with the greatest P Bass he has ever played...Chuck Rainey's. I have a couple of '61 P Basses that are right there with it, and nothing Fender has made since then has quite that sound and feel. They do what they do better than anything, but what they do is not always what is ideal for today's music. I tend to record most of the time with a John Carruthers 4 string with EMG pickups in it since it fits most of what is thrown at me in terms of today's music, but it still is not capable of what that '59 Fender can do when the music is suited to it. I think it is a shame to never use those early instruments, so if buying to just throw in a closet, don't. Let the damned thing do what it was made to do...make music.
If you're anything like me, a nice (ie: expensive) instrument makes me less inclined to play it for a few reasons: One, I feel the need to be cautious with it, which detracts from the enjoyment of playing it. Two, I tend to want very particular things out of my instruments, meaning I'm going to need to mod them, and it feels wrong to mod an expensive piece, plus it detracts from the value. As a hobbyist, I habitually feel the need to justify my purchases, and the more expensive the piece, the more constant that feeling nags at me. Overall, an inexpensive piece that does what I need it to, and that feels more like a rugged tool than a high-end investment, is far more satisfying to own. There's also cliches that apply here, like "love the one you're with" or "the grass isn't always greener."
In any case, best of luck and enjoy your bass/es!
I've got 4 basses. 3 mid-high end ones and one super cheap. The cheap one sounds better than the expensive ones and plays every bit as good. I was lucky enough. I say buy the bass you deserve but try a lot of them because getting one more expensive is not warranty of anything.
Here's my take.
An entry level bass, properly set up, can yield results beyond its modest origins and price tag in the hands of a good player and serve most of us well for as long as we care to hold onto it.
Likewise, a $1,500 MIA instrument is not going to make us expoentially better players nor will 99% of the people in a live environment know the difference.
To me, spending the extra dollars is more about having, holding, and playing an instrument that brings you more joy.
I have only been playing for 3 1/2 years now, and beyond occasionaly playing at my church or around a camp fire, it's just me in my living room. I've achieved the status of a "serviceable" player and hope to continue to improve my skills over the years.
Year before last, I got really intrigued by the Musicman Stingray. The honest-to-goodness, made in San Luis Obispo variety. Blessedly, I was given the opportunity to pick one out as a Christmas present. As someone who has an appreciation for fine things and notices details, it is a work of art to me and I appreciate it for its craftsmanship as much as its tone and playability. It brings me joy every time I see it and pick it up, much more so that other guitars I have. I will never part with it.
You have had your heart set on this bass for a couple of years and have saved for it. That you still want it two years later says a lot. I would not let your abilities as a player influence this decision one bit.
An entry level bass, properly set up, can yield results beyond its modest origins and price tag in the hands of a good player and serve most of us well for as long as we care to hold onto it.
Likewise, a $1,500 MIA instrument is not going to make us expoentially better players nor will 99% of the people in a live environment know the difference.
To me, spending the extra dollars is more about having, holding, and playing an instrument that brings you more joy.
I have only been playing for 3 1/2 years now, and beyond occasionaly playing at my church or around a camp fire, it's just me in my living room. I've achieved the status of a "serviceable" player and hope to continue to improve my skills over the years.
Year before last, I got really intrigued by the Musicman Stingray. The honest-to-goodness, made in San Luis Obispo variety. Blessedly, I was given the opportunity to pick one out as a Christmas present. As someone who has an appreciation for fine things and notices details, it is a work of art to me and I appreciate it for its craftsmanship as much as its tone and playability. It brings me joy every time I see it and pick it up, much more so that other guitars I have. I will never part with it.
You have had your heart set on this bass for a couple of years and have saved for it. That you still want it two years later says a lot. I would not let your abilities as a player influence this decision one bit.
I have handful of basses and I'm a very mediocre player, but I love the bass instrument and just do it for fun; my favourite is a 2001 P bass I have, (turned out to be one of the 50th Anniversary very limited run produced by Fender) and it's an amazing instrument. It puts a smile on my face every time I pick it up and try to play it - so I think the point is, if the instrument makes you happy, brings you a sort of joy, just do it. Buy the bass you want, and enjoy it !!
Sounds like your Squier is a killer bass! Sometimes the one you think will make you happy is not so special when you acquire it. If you've been saving "for years" it's obviously a big purchase for you. A Squier can be a monster bass once it's dialed in: action set, frets polished and leveled, good pickups and electronics. The whole big deal about "made in USA" is overrated imho. You will pay a high premium for a marginally better bass... if at all. My2c
Life is short... don't go into debt for it, but hell yeah, if you can afford it, GO FOR IT!
Even the best bassists in the world could get by on a Glarry with a good setup. No one needs an expensive bass. You've saved, you set the goal and reached it, and you deserve the bass. If it turns out you don't actually want one that's fine too but if you still want it, get it. If you buy from a reputable store you can always return it too.
When I was a teenager I dreamed of having an American Original 50's P Bass. I don't have that same dream but if teenage me saved up to buy it then adult me would still have it and would not have bought any other P basses instead of the like 7 I've gone through since then.
Even in hindsight and even being more then happy with my "cheap" basses I know I'd still love the AO P Bass. I'm sure you will too.
When I was a teenager I dreamed of having an American Original 50's P Bass. I don't have that same dream but if teenage me saved up to buy it then adult me would still have it and would not have bought any other P basses instead of the like 7 I've gone through since then.
Even in hindsight and even being more then happy with my "cheap" basses I know I'd still love the AO P Bass. I'm sure you will too.
The one thing about buying and keeping an expensive bass un-altered is that many will keep resale value, especially ones with "Names". So it may not increase in value, but you could sell it off and recoup (hopefully) most of the original expense if you decide you'd rather go a different direction.
You worked hard on your hobby and you worked at saving the extra money for the nice bass. Buy it and enjoy it!! How many times are you touring our solar system? Right, just once. Make yourself happy. If your happy, then others will feel your joy.
Of course you do, now stop overthinking it and buy it.
I own 11 good basses and about 10 good amps, get going!
I have 2 nice $1.5K+ basses (EBMMS5HH & Rick 4003) and 4 mid-grade basses ranging from $450-$750 in cost... all of which I've used for mostly recording and bedroom jamming. Honestly, I wouldn't gig with any of them. If I started playing gigs again, I would invest in either a Squire Jazz or P... or an Ibanez Talman or SR, entry level bass with a good setup.
There is a reason the look is called "distressed" or "road-worn"...
PK from the SF Bay Area. For a serious player such as your self, whether you consider your self a pro or not, the advise I received from one of my teachers the principal in the SF Opera once told me "get the best instrument you can afford". Two things I discovered about this advice: 1. The question is what is the best? Answer; only you know. Don't be guided by the stigma of so and so P bass just because. No, play all the basses you can. Find the one you want and buy it if you can afford it. 2. What does afford mean? Price/value...is the emotional benefit worth the $ you don't have for other things in your life?
For me I got lucky on my first major purchase in 1969, an early J bass I still have and love and will never sell it, but it cost every thing I had for a 9th grader. I am now a double bass player and those cost. I've bought and sold a number of basses and traded up to a high scale. I've learned that name of maker/brand isn't what counts but my love of the way it plays and feels and if it is the sound I like is what counts. PK
For me I got lucky on my first major purchase in 1969, an early J bass I still have and love and will never sell it, but it cost every thing I had for a 9th grader. I am now a double bass player and those cost. I've bought and sold a number of basses and traded up to a high scale. I've learned that name of maker/brand isn't what counts but my love of the way it plays and feels and if it is the sound I like is what counts. PK
For me there was a point in my career where I stopped thinking about the $ investment, and I realized that no matter what an instrument costs, it is worth nothing if it is going to sit in a closet. If you get an old bass, or even an expensive one that feels great to you, play the hell out of it. Any wear marks are just going to be part of that instrument's history, and having your spirit as part of what that bass has helped create over time is what it is all about. That does not mean you should not be a good steward of the bass while you have it. Small things like making sure it is kept in the case, humidified, and even clear protective film in wear areas can insure the bass will remain looking good and be free of damage. I agree that you may find your "dream" bass is less to your liking at first, but if it has good bones and is not a total dog, in most cases the correct setup can turn it into what you had hoped for.
Go for it! You saved up for a long time. Playing bass brings you happiness and is a connection to your family. You don't have to play in a band to justify the purchase. (I play in a band by the way)... I have a feeling you're a thoughtful, responsible person. If you've worked this long to save the money, and it's your love, then got for it. You've earned it.
30 year closet musician with a past history of gigging but doing nothing for the last 20 years but bedroom concerts...Own a few "cheap" basses that I love... Also have a 1976 Gibson ripper since high school.... One day I saw an absolutely gorgeous Carvin Exotic wood, set neck, cool inlays, quilted Maple yada yada...fell in love with the looks and feel... took her home...hated it...Sounded like crap... its been in the case ever since... Make sure you love what you're buying for the right reasons... not the looks or the feel or the sound, but all 3!
I’ll give my view. I watched Vanilla Fudge shows when a teenager & was impressed a lot with Tim Bogert’s play & his 50s -60s hybrid Fender Tele-Pbass style & sound. At the time (‘68) I was playing in various rock & stage bands with my Fender Mustang. With the added neck humbucker it was easy to play & sounded strong & deep. We sanded the red paint off and put a beautiful clear lacquer finish on it. I later traded for a ‘73 Pbass which felt bigger & more grow up. For some 40 years because of this fixation of being like Tim I dreamed of that yellowish big Fender. I played for year’s in church but worked on road as trucker. I was on a run between Omaha & Ohio & spotted that sexy head I’d been looking for all these years. It was a picture on Sweetwater at Ft Wayne In which I was going right by so stopped & bought it. It was a new real ‘51 style Pbass reissue
I’ve enjoyed it’s play & sound for 11 years now. I’d put flats on it for that old school thump. I restarted playing bass in church again & after seeing our former pastors’73 Gretsch White Falcon stolen from that church years earlier I decided to see if our music store had a nice sounding much less expensive bass I could enjoy while leaving it at the church. I bought this $300 Yamaha that I really like & play. Now my Fender is more my keepsake while the active dual pickup Yamaha bass is more my working go to now. Sometimes we’re never totally satisfied. Beauty truly is in the eyes of the beholder. Good luck on your quest.
