But do I DESERVE a "nice" bass?

[Felix Lopez]

I've been saving my spare monies for the last 2 years or so with the explicit purpose of buying a nice American Originals 50's Precision. I have a extensively upgraded Squier VM PBass that is a dream to play as well as an Older Yamaha that belonged to my Grandfather.

Here's the thing though: I am a solid Intermediate player. I don't play full time with a band, I play mostly with songs at home that I enjoy sometimes with a Guitarist I've been playing with for 15 years.

I see other players here discussing intricate details of what works for them and what does not, people that play with bands or are a hell of a lot better than I am and it does not make me feel inferior - but like what I have is "good enough" for me and my purposes. Might seem a silly question, but I'm just curious as to your thoughts, especially from the pros out there.

A really good bass may take your playing to a new level! As you can see, change is the only thing that is for sure! So why not? If you are being responsible with your financial situation, why not to? Life is short, ENJOY IT ..! Here ,a pic of a life changing instrument, a Play Changing One :

 

[Pat Klobas]

View attachment 3817715 View attachment 3817715
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.

Reply: Vanilla Fudge was my first concert Dec. 28 '68. The opening band was a completely unknown British band called Led Zepplin. Both bands kicked it! PK

 

[Rusty Ogre]

Color is the easy part, I know exactly which one I want!

I appreciate the feed back folks. The money I saved from this is specifically from when I broke a 20 or if I had a few bucks left in my wallet. Trust me, my wife has tried to get to to go ahead and get one in the last year so I quit talking about it (I'm sure). I just have a difficult time buying something exclusively for "me." This is a special circumstance, but for the reasons in the first post. Thanks again for your insight

If you have a wife that is supporting you, then by all means do it now. My wife is the only person other than myself that would be involved in justifying a purchase. I'm in a somewhat similar situation with some differences. I currently only play in our church praise band (which is currently on hold because of this accursed virus) and haven't been in any other projects in about 5 years. I only own two basses, so obviously could use a third. Fender does not make the exact bass that I want. It would cost between 4500 and $5,000 for the custom shop to build it. As an intermediate player, I'm somewhat struggling to justify spending that kind of money. Carvin could build something very close for maybe $2,800. But it still wouldn't be what I WANT. I've been saving for a few years, still have more to go. And once it's built, what guarantee do I have that it's going to be everything I expect it to be? No one else can make this decision for me.

 

[Joe Schmenke]

... I have a extensively upgraded Squier VM PBass that is a dream to play...

Here's the thing though: ... I play mostly with songs at home ...

Sez I: Don't do it. You have a bass in hand that you say is "a dream to play," so perhaps you should think more about music, and less about equipment.

 

[rjsii]

Everyone who plays deserves a nice bass.

 

[ltownbass]

You can earn the right to play it once you've bought it. All it takes is practise.

 

[MintDragon]

Here's the thing though: I am a solid Intermediate player. I don't play full time with a band, I play mostly with songs at home that I enjoy sometimes with a Guitarist I've been playing with for 15 years.

Gravy, buying quality will never let you down, will last forever. Even if you just play it once in awhile, still a worthy investment. Enjoy it!

 

[lowlandtrees]

I always get a surge of ‘playing joy’ when I get a new bass/pedal/thing. Doesn’t have to be expensive....just got a cheap used Zoom B3 that has captured me. A new bass always gets me playing hot.....however...GAS can be expensive. I dreamed of a Gibson 335 for 40 years and was underwhelmed after 6 months cos it was in my clumsy sausage fingers and not my hero’s. The magic is actually in those things at the end of your arms and each side of your head, not in the hardware.....that said...ignore all that an buy it

 

[retroXvertigo]

Didn't read most of the replies, but I'm guessing they're similar.

You don't have to be a pro for a nice bass. I got a custom Muckelroy last year and it's one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

My playing is improved, just because the instrument is so phenomenal.

Treat yoself!

 

[Joep van de Put]

You know what the equation is for the amount of basses you need as a bass player?

N+1, where N is the amount of basses you currently own. I'm looking forward to my nr. 12.

 

[CallMeAl]

So @GravyGoodness , where’s the new bass?

 

[swink]

You know what the equation is for the amount of basses you need as a bass player?

N+1, where N is the amount of basses you currently own. I'm looking forward to my nr. 12.

When asked how many basses I own, I go for the almost enough answer

 

[dan.ablett]

You might not need a 10th or 25th bass.... but certainly buy yourself a USA fender. Life is short, finding a hobby you're passionate about and you're able to persue is an absolute blessing. It'd be a tragedy if you don't buy it.

 

[Gwyn ap Nudd]

The real question is not whether you deserve a nice bass, but if the bass deserves you. You're the one who researched it, picked it out from all the other basse out there, plan on giving it a good home, playing it lovingly, and sacrificed two years to get it. May it be worthy of you.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Always get the best-feeling, playing and sounding instruments you can afford.

I know many guys with $10-20k invested in firearms who couldn't hit a moving target, maybe even a still one at 100 yards and it is, as "they" say:
All good.

Get the bass you have wanted and saved for. Expensive things are not reserved for the professionals in any field.

+1

It's not a question of "deserving" a nice bass. If you have the money and want it, get it! And hopefully play it to death, or figure out what would work better for you and trade (literally or via buy/sell) for that. Or buy 12. Whatever works in your circumstances. Is someone else driving this question, or is it purely from within you?

-Miels

 

[Mpcorb]

You know what the equation is for the amount of basses you need as a bass player?

N+1, where N is the amount of basses you currently own. I'm looking forward to my nr. 12.

This really made me laugh, as a new player who has only a Squ VM 70s bass & a very newly acquired Fender JB62 reissue MIJ, which was my dream bass & I spent a month or so researching before pressing the button & ordering it in from France to the UK!

 

[Rusty Ogre]

 

[doppelganger]

I've been saving my spare monies for the last 2 years or so with the explicit purpose of buying a nice American Originals 50's Precision. I have a extensively upgraded Squier VM PBass that is a dream to play as well as an Older Yamaha that belonged to my Grandfather.

Here's the thing though: I am a solid Intermediate player. I don't play full time with a band, I play mostly with songs at home that I enjoy sometimes with a Guitarist I've been playing with for 15 years.

I see other players here discussing intricate details of what works for them and what does not, people that play with bands or are a hell of a lot better than I am and it does not make me feel inferior - but like what I have is "good enough" for me and my purposes. Might seem a silly question, but I'm just curious as to your thoughts, especially from the pros out there.

As long as you’re not hurting anybody else, it’s not about deserving it it’s about you buying what you want. I saved up for two years to buy the Rickenbacker I wanted in high school. Fast forward 40 years later I’m still playing it.

 

[MMiller28]

I haven't played with another human in 15 years and I have several basses that a serious musician could make a career out of...to the point where I sometimes feel guilty. But it makes me very happy so I'm good with it in the end.

 

[Robby Sturgis]

I've been saving my spare monies for the last 2 years or so with the explicit purpose of buying a nice American Originals 50's Precision. I have a extensively upgraded Squier VM PBass that is a dream to play as well as an Older Yamaha that belonged to my Grandfather.

Here's the thing though: I am a solid Intermediate player. I don't play full time with a band, I play mostly with songs at home that I enjoy sometimes with a Guitarist I've been playing with for 15 years.

I see other players here discussing intricate details of what works for them and what does not, people that play with bands or are a hell of a lot better than I am and it does not make me feel inferior - but like what I have is "good enough" for me and my purposes. Might seem a silly question, but I'm just curious as to your thoughts, especially from the pros out there.

From the semi-pro, anybody can spend more money - that’s the easiest part. It doesn’t substitute for study, practice, rehearsal, jamming with others, or studio recording. For most audience listening, they couldn’t tell if the new bass plays 10, 50 or 100 percent smoother, or is sonicly nicer, but you can tell - so you say, but search your soul and then convince me it ain’t your amp. Finally, if this is a “vanity” purchase, you are like many who buy for the thrill of buying, so then ask yourself, which of the others would you sell first to finance the new? Figure 50% loss - say you bought it for $500, you might could sell it for $250 after Covid19 is over. Similarly, if your new bass casts $1,000, you or your heirs would be good to sell it for $500. Every bass player needs one legit backup. Everything else is desire, perhaps misplaced. Don’t share this with a six-string bandit.