Yes, go for it and enjoy it. My only suggestion is you will get more pleasure out of it if you pay cash and don’t use credit.
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But do I DESERVE a "nice" bass?
- Thread starter GravyGoodness
- Start date
My only advice is try it before you buy it. Each bass tends to have it's own personality, so you want to play a few and find one you like...especially if you're dropping some serious cash.
I was a professional, making money at it, getting gigs with picky producers... and I didn't own a bass for quite some time.
So just sayin' .... the bass doesn't matter THAT much. I mean, you need one (I rented, or was loaned one, or borrowed something, or was supplied with one)... but I recorded for money with a no name hand made east german junky thing that didn't have the neck lining up properly...
So great basses are not equated with great players or working pro. Just buy what you love, if you actually will play it. If you wont' play it, or if you can barely play a few notes without people throwing rotten tomatoes at you... maybe hold off ;-) but otherwise, enjoy!
LoL
So just sayin' .... the bass doesn't matter THAT much. I mean, you need one (I rented, or was loaned one, or borrowed something, or was supplied with one)... but I recorded for money with a no name hand made east german junky thing that didn't have the neck lining up properly...
So great basses are not equated with great players or working pro. Just buy what you love, if you actually will play it. If you wont' play it, or if you can barely play a few notes without people throwing rotten tomatoes at you... maybe hold off ;-) but otherwise, enjoy!
LoL
Years ago I had a beautiful butterscotch 50th Anniversary Fender P bass. I sold it bc I didn't think/feel I deserved it, or some crazy notion like that. I'd love to have it back, but can't find one now at any price. My suggestion is, if you feel undeserving of anything good in your life, ask yourself why before you act, or fail to act, on that assumption.
That thing positively bleeds classiness. And I bet the tone's chunkier than crunchy peanut butter.
If you don't go ahead and get it, some entitled shitbiscuit is gonna buy it and put it on the wall like a museum piece when instead, it could've been getting mileage in the hands of someone with a passion for making music.
The real question is, does the BASS deserve YOU?
Wow! Have I been down this road a lot recently. There is absolutely nothing wrong with checking something off of you “bucket list”. If this is what you really want, go buy it.
If you put aside a $20 every week, for two years , that’s 2k in two years. If you can afford the bass you want , then by all means , go for it ! Life is too short, really.
IMHO if you're not a pro you don't need a 2k bass. Many pros actually play with cheaper instrument. Nevertheless you might want to give yourself a present and that's surely fine.
If you're not sure maybe you might considering renting a precision for a couple of months. You'll see by yourself if it is worth the effort or not.
P.s. If you change your mind maybe consider investing that money in lessons. IMHO gear is nice and everybody (me included) loves it but it is not really that important as long as it is functional.
This tells me that you deserve it. Give yourself a break!
I never had much growing up and what I got was mainly hand me downs. I went through years of my adult life not spending money on myself and saying things like, “this is good enough for me”. When I got into cycle racing I discovered a lot of guys who weren’t as good as me on bikes costing 6 times what mine cost. That did make a difference to results. When friends finally convinced me to buy better kit I felt better about my ability because I felt I had to step up to match the quality. Result? I got a hell of a lot better. The bike I bought is old now but I’ll keep it till I die because of the fun I had with it. I never won a race but it helped me improve. It’s a tool but it always feels great to climb on and fits me like a glove with the upgrades. So should you buy it? Yes! As long as you use it, you deserve it. Go enjoy yourself, you sound like you more than deserve it!
I don't think the word "deserve" has any relevance here. You have the money and you can spend it on whatever you like. The question really should be whether there is something else you should do with the money instead -- fixing your car or home, saving it for a rainy day (or your kids' future college education, if you have kids), etc. If not, then buy the bass.
I think playing in a full band and rehearsing and gigging regularly will make anyone a better player than sitting at home playing alone or with just one other person, but that's a separate issue entirely, and has nothing to do with the question of whether you should buy the bass you want.
For myself, I have finally figured out in the last year or so that in the long run there is no savings in buying basses that aren't quite what I want just because they're cheaper. I would have spent less money overall if I had bought the more expensive models I really wanted rather than settling for something else that I eventually decided to sell in favor of some other thing that wasn't quite what I wanted either. The only way GAS can ever end (if it can end) is when you actually have what you really want.
I think playing in a full band and rehearsing and gigging regularly will make anyone a better player than sitting at home playing alone or with just one other person, but that's a separate issue entirely, and has nothing to do with the question of whether you should buy the bass you want.
For myself, I have finally figured out in the last year or so that in the long run there is no savings in buying basses that aren't quite what I want just because they're cheaper. I would have spent less money overall if I had bought the more expensive models I really wanted rather than settling for something else that I eventually decided to sell in favor of some other thing that wasn't quite what I wanted either. The only way GAS can ever end (if it can end) is when you actually have what you really want.
Yes you do deserve it! Buy it! PLay it! Love it!
Lol - this is TB, the answer is always “yes”...
Speaking strictly for myself I don’t buy expensive basses as my ability level doesn’t justify it and I’d feel like a fraud owning one. That isn’t a popular opinion though!
Speaking strictly for myself I don’t buy expensive basses as my ability level doesn’t justify it and I’d feel like a fraud owning one. That isn’t a popular opinion though!
I'm not gonna add to the pool of advice already delivered, bit let me say I know exactly how you feel. I've been saving up for a $2k bass for a year now after deciding it's time to treat myself for years of musical discipline. But I sometimes feel like it's pearl before swine because my cheapo Ibanez does the job, essentially, and I'd be too afraid to ding up the new nice one. 
Plus chances are good it won't see stage lights this year anyway...
Plus chances are good it won't see stage lights this year anyway...
I'm not a pro, but I'll butt in anyway.
Your playing level/ability has nothing to do with it. If you feel the instrument is worth it to you, that's all that matters. Does it make you feel good playing it? Does it bring you joy? This is what matters, not what Billy Pro, Bob Churchplayer, Edward Labelwhore, or Old Bluesy Joe thinks you should play.
This reminds me of when I got rid of my Warwick Custom Shop Streamer (picked it up second hand for a crazy good price, could never afford a new one).
It was an incredible bass but I'm an average at best player who hasn't played outside of my house in years... Felt wrong owing something like that, like I was a massive poser. I should have kept it as I will probably never have the chance to own one again. You live and learn though, I recently picked up a new Stingray that I've wanted for the past 2 years (biggest bass purchase I've ever made) and have no regrets. Life's short and good gear can make it a whole lot more fun!
Go for it! They're really nice instruments. Besides, if you've saved money for exactly that purpose and no financial troubles arose in the mean time, you'd just be treating yourself very badly.
Why? I wouldn't feel like a fraud for owning an expensive sports car and not knowing how to drive it "properly". I wouldn't feel like a fraud for wearing finely tailored clothes and being overweight. I wouldn't feel like a fraud for taking out a beautiful woman out to dinner and not having any hair on the top of my head and being woefully average in the sack. I certainly wouldn't feel like a fraud for owning an expensive bass and having musical skills that are in an urgent need of improvement.
This is something that takes some time to learn.
This is what I have found; The price of a bass isn't always an indicator of the quality of the bass..While its usually true that an 800 dollar bass is going to be better in terms of workmanship and sound than a 200 dollar bass but then its not always the case. The ONLY way to determine what is a nice bass for you is to head on down to a music shop and try out a bunch of different basses with an open mind...youtube vids and reviews are okay but they don't tell you squat about how it will feel in your hands, the neck or playability. Actually even the sound..
I bought a Ibanez SG 205 that was an active PJ with a fender rumble 100 amp for 150 bucks..that bass with that amp had a great tone..One of the best basses I ever owned..who would of thought right?...it was cheap..but to me it sounded better than the fender p I owned but again that is subjective to taste..many would say I'm crazy to say that, and to their ears they are right..
I bought a Carvin that I had no intention whatsoever of buying but I plugged it in and played it and loved it instantly...yeah that was a lot more expensive than most of my other basses but then, I am at the point where I can justify paying that kind of loot for a bass..having said that, I still love that cheap ibby too..
the best advice is to go to a music store and play them all, see what you like best in your hands and then look at pricing..maybe its super expensive but that same brand may have a similar model but more affordable that you will like as much..its hard to tell somebody what kind of bass to buy..there is no right answer because only you know..But don't get caught into the trap of thinking that an expensive bass is automatically better..
This is what I have found; The price of a bass isn't always an indicator of the quality of the bass..While its usually true that an 800 dollar bass is going to be better in terms of workmanship and sound than a 200 dollar bass but then its not always the case. The ONLY way to determine what is a nice bass for you is to head on down to a music shop and try out a bunch of different basses with an open mind...youtube vids and reviews are okay but they don't tell you squat about how it will feel in your hands, the neck or playability. Actually even the sound..
I bought a Ibanez SG 205 that was an active PJ with a fender rumble 100 amp for 150 bucks..that bass with that amp had a great tone..One of the best basses I ever owned..who would of thought right?...it was cheap..but to me it sounded better than the fender p I owned but again that is subjective to taste..many would say I'm crazy to say that, and to their ears they are right..
I bought a Carvin that I had no intention whatsoever of buying but I plugged it in and played it and loved it instantly...yeah that was a lot more expensive than most of my other basses but then, I am at the point where I can justify paying that kind of loot for a bass..having said that, I still love that cheap ibby too..
the best advice is to go to a music store and play them all, see what you like best in your hands and then look at pricing..maybe its super expensive but that same brand may have a similar model but more affordable that you will like as much..its hard to tell somebody what kind of bass to buy..there is no right answer because only you know..But don't get caught into the trap of thinking that an expensive bass is automatically better..
It's as simple as that.
You saved up, you can afford it, it'll give you long term joy.
Buy that bass.
?
It’s your money. Buy whatever you want responsibly. As long as you’re putting food on the table, paying utilities, paying the rent/mortgage, put clothes on the backs of your children, keeping your wife happy it’s all good.
