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Buy a second bass or . . .?

#61
I agree with most of the others: Concentrate on learning for now. After learning what you need to become a highly proficient musician and you are gigging regularly, then buy a second bass. Get something different like a fretless or a 5 or 6 string. But for now go practice. Enjoy the journey.
 
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#62
The only argument I could see for buying a different bass would be that you have a very simple, very "one dimensional" instrument now. Gigging bassists anymore really do need to have access to a five string and often need a fretless. Something to think about.
 
#65
I'm really glad to hear from someone else who started on Trombone and went to BASS! The sheet music is interchangeable for both. Luckily, it sounds like you will eventually (sooner rather than later) find yourself in great demand by other musicians. However, I always learned faster playing by ear. Lessons did ensure proper positioning and exposure to styles I might not otherwise have played and enjoyed.
 
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#67
I have no problem suggesting someone to buy another bass, IF you can find something you really like on the used market for a price that you can always get your return on. If you get in a bind, need tuition or book money, decide to pay for more frequent lessons, or just get bored with it; you can just sell it off for close to, or maybe even above, the original investment price. It seems like a very low-risk way to try out a different instrument. I've done it several times. Just research the market, understand the values of potential instruments, and be ready to deal when a good deal comes along.

You might consider a Jazz, a MusicMan or Sterling Ray 34, or even a vintage Peavey T-40; but do try to find something that is very tonally different than the P you already have.
 
#71
Gaining knowledge and gaining tones - Not mutually exclusive. You can supplement your learning in any number of ways. That's an adventure worth having. It's a bit harder to make a similar compromise, regarding the bass of your dreams. If that bass shows up, drop everything.
 
#72
What a great post! Good luck!! I'm sure you'll choose the appropriate one for you for the time..
(But my two cents is that there will Always be cool basses. How often do you find the "right" teacher?....)
 
#74
Davbassdude said:
I'm really glad to hear from someone else who started on Trombone and went to BASS! The sheet music is interchangeable for both. Luckily, it sounds like you will eventually (sooner rather than later) find yourself in great demand by other musicians. However, I always learned faster playing by ear. Lessons did ensure proper positioning and exposure to styles I might not otherwise have played and enjoyed.
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I do well playing by ear. I find that lessons help reinforce all the theory so that I understand what's going on. And also, to your point, my teacher has introduced me to music I would never have found on my own. For example, I'm learning the Jamerson bass part to "What's Going On." Amazing!
 
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#75
Jhass said:
I think I already know the answer to this one, but I'd love to hear others' opinions. I've been studying bass seriously for a few years now, having played classical guitar (and some bass) before that, and, way before that, having been a very serious (and pretty darn good) trombonist for years and years. So yeah, I'm a musical guy, and I'm picking up the bass reasonably fast, although I still absolutely consider myself an intermediate level player. I'm not gigging regularly, but I do play a lot and I am in two bands.

I'm lucky enough to be taking lessons from an amazing teacher who is also a brilliantly talented bass player. My budget is limited at the moment (damn those college tuition payments), so I do one lesson per month.

I play a Lakland Skyline P-bass. It is an excellent axe. I love it. But as we all know, there are lots of different types of basses in the world, and many of them have more tonal versatility than a p-bass. I have a birthday that ends in a zero coming up in about 9 months, and, naturally, I've thought about buying a second bass, maybe a used Lakland 44-14 or something like that.

Here's my question (sorry for the long introduction): is my limited budget better spent on a second bass, or on additional lessons (like stepping up to weekly lessons)? My right brain is lusting after a new bass, while my left brain is telling me that I will ultimately benefit more from investing in lessons.

So, what say you all?
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If you're only going to have one, that's a very good one to have. I'd invest in lessons, personally.
 
#76
I play 3 different basses and that variety is very motivational and inspiring. So I suggest you get yourself a nice birthday present in the form of a bass, preferably a fretless. I'm assuming you will still be taking monthly lessons. Education is paramount but so is enthusiasm and excitement. That's how I feel when switching from one of my basses to the other.
 
#77
Doublesixes said:
I play 3 different basses and that variety is very motivational and inspiring. So I suggest you get yourself a nice birthday present in the form of a bass, preferably a fretless. I'm assuming you will still be taking monthly lessons. Education is paramount but so is enthusiasm and excitement. That's how I feel when switching from one of my basses to the other.
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I definitely hear you about the excitement of having new gear! But I'm not lacking for motivation, because every time I practice or go to band rehearsal I learn something new.
 
#79
If you're benefiting from lessons, invest in lessons. You have the gear you need to learn on.

My rule of thumb (which I often break, granted) would be that beyond the basics you already have, any gear you want to buy should be paid for by money earned gigging. Buy a second bass because you need one for gigs, with the money you're making gigging. If you're just playing at home and not playing out, additional basses would just be for your personal pleasure. That's OK if that's what you want to do, but if you're asking for ways to reason through it, that's my reasoning.
 
#80
Jhass said:
I think I already know the answer to this one, but I'd love to hear others' opinions. I've been studying bass seriously for a few years now, having played classical guitar (and some bass) before that, and, way before that, having been a very serious (and pretty darn good) trombonist for years and years. So yeah, I'm a musical guy, and I'm picking up the bass reasonably fast, although I still absolutely consider myself an intermediate level player. I'm not gigging regularly, but I do play a lot and I am in two bands.

I'm lucky enough to be taking lessons from an amazing teacher who is also a brilliantly talented bass player. My budget is limited at the moment (damn those college tuition payments), so I do one lesson per month.

I play a Lakland Skyline P-bass. It is an excellent axe. I love it. But as we all know, there are lots of different types of basses in the world, and many of them have more tonal versatility than a p-bass. I have a birthday that ends in a zero coming up in about 9 months, and, naturally, I've thought about buying a second bass, maybe a used Lakland 44-14 or something like that.

Here's my question (sorry for the long introduction): is my limited budget better spent on a second bass, or on additional lessons (like stepping up to weekly lessons)? My right brain is lusting after a new bass, while my left brain is telling me that I will ultimately benefit more from investing in lessons.

So, what say you all?
Click to expand...

OK, I'm going to buck the trend here. I'm a self taught player that took an occasional lesson to get me over a few humps. The sessions I did were useful, but I'd never drop as much as a used or new 44-02 would cost you on lessons. Unless your teacher is a known pro that is charging you a few hundred and you see an improvement after each session, you could buy a year's worth of lessons for what a 44-02 costs. If you are an intermediate player, I don't know how regular lessons can help you more than watching YouTube videos or learning covers.
BTW, I keep saying 44-02 because the Skyline version of the 44-14 and 44-94 is a suburb instrument for the money. If you are concerned about cost, that is a great alternative for $800 used or $1400 new. AND the 44-02 (or its US made variants) are some of the most flexible basses around. You can get a P tone, jazz tone, MM tone, and the unique Lakland tone out them. Plus the necks are a nice compromise between a P and jazz neck.
My feeling is that a good bass that inspires you will make you play more because you want to pick the instrument up just to hear it. Any time you play, whether structured or unstructured, you are getting better. If you really want to up your game, forget about lessons and jam with other musicians. Playing with people always makes you push yourself and allows you to develop the sort of skills that a teacher just can't give you. Playing with people, learning to feel out how they play, and communicating just through your playing, is much harder than just about anything else.
Lastly, you know you. When some people get GAS there is no shaking it. Its like a monkey on your back that you can ignore, but that is always hopping up and down telling you to buy something. If you aren't one of those people, then don't worry about it. For me, after I do my lengthy research, if I still have an itch, I usually can't get rid of it until I pull the trigger.
 

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