BassWhore said:
I've seen that too many times in the suburban hardcore/punk scene. Armed with rich Daddy's VISA card but no talent, no groove, nothing but a pose with expensive gear.
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cheap bass=no respect
- Thread starter WickdMOnkey
- Start date
I've seen that too many times in the suburban hardcore/punk scene. Armed with rich Daddy's VISA card but no talent, no groove, nothing but a pose with expensive gear.
BassWhore said:
I know a guy like this he's 16 or 17. He has 2 Ampeg 8x10's. He also has a rack compiled of whatever the salesman at guitar center suggested (so he could get more dough off of him) and whatever stuff other metalcore bassists use. I'd say a good $4,000 set up all together. He's been playing just over a year.
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I love my SX and Brice basses. Maybe i'll mod em, but i'll always have them.
Dr Cheese - I agree with what you say. As someone in his 50's who gave up playing when he left school because he could not afford his own gear I can only applaud the range of good, sensibly priced gear available today. If starting out I would be very happy with a Squier Standard bass and a decent combo.
I did come back to playing in later life and I have bought some reasonable gear along the way. I am sure some of the motivation is to compensate for what I could not afford when I was young. I don't expect anyone to 'respect' my playing because of this. I am having to put in the hours of practice just like anyone else to earn the respect of my fellow band members.
Another part of buying good gear is reliability. Now I am playing, all too infrequently, at a semi pro level I don't want anything to break down. I never feel that my Fender USA Jazz is going to let me down - and it hasn't. Having said that, I would happily gig with my Squier bass as it seems reliable electrically. I have also put money into a decent amp and speaker cabs - essential.
Yet another part of gear is credibility. Rightly or wrongly, when I turn up to play with our swing band wielding a Fender Jazz (or Precision) no questions are asked - that is the bass for the job.
The rest is just pleasure of ownership. I didn't need a G&L JB-2 with flame maple top. But the price on eBay was right and I shouldn't lose money on it - unlike buying a newer car for example. There are far more expensive passions - sailing, car rallying, gambling ... At least with good quality musical instruments you end up with something that can always be sold on or left as a legacy.
Anyway, rant almost over. This, now, is from a Brit. IMHO the USA seems to have the knack of making the best "working man's" electric guitars and basses (I know some other makers can do as well, but at the end of the day they are mostly copying the originals). Please take pride in that and accept that some of us appreciate and will invest in the products for their own value, and not to boost our own perceived level of musical standing.
I did come back to playing in later life and I have bought some reasonable gear along the way. I am sure some of the motivation is to compensate for what I could not afford when I was young. I don't expect anyone to 'respect' my playing because of this. I am having to put in the hours of practice just like anyone else to earn the respect of my fellow band members.
Another part of buying good gear is reliability. Now I am playing, all too infrequently, at a semi pro level I don't want anything to break down. I never feel that my Fender USA Jazz is going to let me down - and it hasn't. Having said that, I would happily gig with my Squier bass as it seems reliable electrically. I have also put money into a decent amp and speaker cabs - essential.
Yet another part of gear is credibility. Rightly or wrongly, when I turn up to play with our swing band wielding a Fender Jazz (or Precision) no questions are asked - that is the bass for the job.
The rest is just pleasure of ownership. I didn't need a G&L JB-2 with flame maple top. But the price on eBay was right and I shouldn't lose money on it - unlike buying a newer car for example. There are far more expensive passions - sailing, car rallying, gambling ... At least with good quality musical instruments you end up with something that can always be sold on or left as a legacy.
Anyway, rant almost over. This, now, is from a Brit. IMHO the USA seems to have the knack of making the best "working man's" electric guitars and basses (I know some other makers can do as well, but at the end of the day they are mostly copying the originals). Please take pride in that and accept that some of us appreciate and will invest in the products for their own value, and not to boost our own perceived level of musical standing.
Here's my theory on this. I think in general, too many people look to new (and better, high end) instruments as a solve-all problem to either running out of ideas, lack of motivation, and simply a lack of improvement at the instrument. There are so many people in these forums who are responsible of this-just look in the "for sale" section of this forum and you'll see how many of those basses have passed through the hands of talkbassers.
In general, if you're a good bassist, you're gonna sound good on pretty much any bass you play, IMHO. Yeah, the bass might sound different from what you'd want it to sound, and the action may stink, but you'll still sound good.
Although I'm saying this, I continue by saying that a higher end instrument can really help take a good player to a new level, if they are already a good bass player.
New and better basses are not miracle drugs for your playing. You're much better off saving your GAS money and using it for lessons from a respected teacher rather than buying a better bass when you aren't ready.
In general, if you're a good bassist, you're gonna sound good on pretty much any bass you play, IMHO. Yeah, the bass might sound different from what you'd want it to sound, and the action may stink, but you'll still sound good.
Although I'm saying this, I continue by saying that a higher end instrument can really help take a good player to a new level, if they are already a good bass player.
New and better basses are not miracle drugs for your playing. You're much better off saving your GAS money and using it for lessons from a respected teacher rather than buying a better bass when you aren't ready.
man this thread has run on long. I played (and still do) an early 80's Aria Pro II for 10 years until I finished school and had enough money to buy a Warwick which is now my main bass. My day job allows me to be able to afford just about whatever equipment I want. My current gig is playing a small bar at a marina twice a month. I usually play my Warwick and my Alembic. I had a guy not too long ago ask me why I played such a nice bass at such a dump. I told him "because I can". If someone wants to be a "Playa Hater" because my day job affords me good equipment then that is their problem. If anyone wants to come up between sets and check out my stuff and play it I'm always up for that. But if someone wants to judge me because I can afford better equipment than them then they need to grow up.
I bought this Ashboory new for $206. Played it on an acoutic duo gig a couple nights ago and people(non-muscians and musicians, male and females) were coming up to me during songs to check it out.
It looks cheap
Is cheap.
But sounds deep,
low and flubby-dubby.
Ergo, cheap can be cool.
It looks cheap
Is cheap.
But sounds deep,
low and flubby-dubby.
Ergo, cheap can be cool.
the only person you have to get respect from is yourself.
i truly don't understand the fascination with "boutique" basses.
yes they can be attractive, yes they have a nice modern tone, and if that's your trip, then more power to you.remember though, all basses are wood and metal for the most part. it doesn't make anyone superior to have expensive gear. it just means you spent more money.
just a thought.wouldn't it be nice if we could refrain from passing judgement on other peoples playing and gear and paid more attention
to the sincerity and quality of the music coming from ourselves.
for the record, i play pbasses, hagstroms, di pinto's and kay basses and more along those lines.
own a modulus q5 that is kind of on permanent pawn to me( don't think
the guy is ever going to have the money)and i have played it only a handful of times. good sound for sure even used it on a few tracks
on my record. point is.. they all have a place, but i don't think one is ultimately superior to another. i can't believe how far away from the important things we have gotten in this world that we have to be competive and judgemental with something as sacred as the music we play.
have a good day...
i truly don't understand the fascination with "boutique" basses.
yes they can be attractive, yes they have a nice modern tone, and if that's your trip, then more power to you.remember though, all basses are wood and metal for the most part. it doesn't make anyone superior to have expensive gear. it just means you spent more money.
just a thought.wouldn't it be nice if we could refrain from passing judgement on other peoples playing and gear and paid more attention
to the sincerity and quality of the music coming from ourselves.
for the record, i play pbasses, hagstroms, di pinto's and kay basses and more along those lines.
own a modulus q5 that is kind of on permanent pawn to me( don't think
the guy is ever going to have the money)and i have played it only a handful of times. good sound for sure even used it on a few tracks
on my record. point is.. they all have a place, but i don't think one is ultimately superior to another. i can't believe how far away from the important things we have gotten in this world that we have to be competive and judgemental with something as sacred as the music we play.
have a good day...
A Ferrari and a dumptruck will both get you from point a to point b. The only difference is how sweet the ride over is. 
The Hammer said:A Ferrari and a dumptruck will both get you from point a to point b. The only difference is how sweet the ride over is.
I agree... dumptrucks are sweeeet!
Not a good analogy at all with the Dump truck. If this cheap 139 essex were a dump truck, then you could sound pretty good and look good and maybe even score some in this dump truck.
Expensive basses do not necessarily perform that much better, unlike motor vehciles.
Expensive basses do not necessarily perform that much better, unlike motor vehciles.
hmmm...other than my GT7....i own a CHEAP-O rogue...and guess what...when im in the modd..i play the Rogue over the GT7...why? because i fell like it! and it sounds good in my opinion!!!!
I think the point of the thread is "Do you get less respect if you don't play a nice bass". Not "Does your cheap bass sound as good as an expensive one".
While you are making valid points, it's not THE point.
While you are making valid points, it's not THE point.
Dr. Cheese said:
I don't think they complained either way; that's a Roland TR-808 kick drum sample that played the bassline on that song
I have that album and Debra Killings is credited for playing on that cut. What is your source of information?
angelopb said:
You are exactly right. The cheap bass to expensive bass comparison does not coincide with the cheap car (or dumptruck) to expensive car. I have driven a dumptruck and I have driven a Ferrari and trust me there is much less difference between my cheap Squire bass and a Modulus (sorry thats the most expensive bass I have played.) then there is between a Ferrari and a dumptruck. Sure they all serve the same purpose but there certainly is a greater difference in the features.
bassicinstinct said:Is it mere coincidence that most people who play a Squier can't actually manage to spell it ??!!
+1 Bassicinstinct...
Having read through this thread as it unfolds it amazes me that other musicians (non-bass players) care so much about what you play. After 40+ years of playing I can't recall a single instance where someone made a negative comment about a bass I played (and I've played some real junkers over that time).
Maybe I'm just lucky, but the circle of people I play with wouldn't care if I walked in with a 2x4 strung with rubber bands as long as the groove was there.
Strangely enough, the only b*ll breaking comments I've ever received just started recently when I began playing a 6 string (you've heard them all ..... "frustrated guitar player", "is that thing really a bass", etc, etc) and those comments only came from the listeners, not the players, and only because the bass is so visually different from what they have seen.
Cheap, expensive ....... it's all B.S. If you can play, no one should care. And if they do, then find some new people to hang with.
Maybe I'm just lucky, but the circle of people I play with wouldn't care if I walked in with a 2x4 strung with rubber bands as long as the groove was there.
Strangely enough, the only b*ll breaking comments I've ever received just started recently when I began playing a 6 string (you've heard them all ..... "frustrated guitar player", "is that thing really a bass", etc, etc) and those comments only came from the listeners, not the players, and only because the bass is so visually different from what they have seen.
Cheap, expensive ....... it's all B.S. If you can play, no one should care. And if they do, then find some new people to hang with.
I think that owning a magnificent instrument is an inspiration for any player. But i have played a LOT of basses over the last 30-odd years, and i can say with great certainty that if an inexpensive bass is capable of being set up correctly, and you set it up perfectly with good strings on it, then you can play it just as well as any 10,000 dollar bass.
(*This was not the story 20 or 30 years ago, but nowadays even 'hundred dollar' basses are coming out of their factories with level frets and functional truss rods!)
Obviously, an Essex P-bass is not capable of producing quite the same range of tones as an Alembic Series II... But i'm thinking more in the basic context of playing the gig, that event where 'the bassist' has a certain PRIMARY function of locking in with 'the drummer' and creating the energy groove that pulls the whole song together! Once you tweak your bass and amp into a tone that works for your ears... then its really all up to YOU, isnt it? You are the one performing the ART, the instrument is just a tool!
I cant imagine that the "audience" will respect the bass player with a megadollar instrument unless the BAND was capable of doing the SONG justice. And unless you are a soloist, up there all alone singing and playing bass by yourself, then your instrument probably isnt going to be a big conversation point... (notwithstanding heavily costumed groups with a sci-fi or fantasy theme - then perhaps a strikingly designed bass guitar could be a vital stage prop)
I'm probably just old-fashioned, but i think that a musician's self-respect is a lot more essential than the approval of friends, family, fans, and peers. Did YOU, (the bassist) perform to the best of your ability? If you are serious at all about your craft, you will care more about THAT than about what brand of sneakers (or bass guitar) you are wearing...
(*This was not the story 20 or 30 years ago, but nowadays even 'hundred dollar' basses are coming out of their factories with level frets and functional truss rods!)
Obviously, an Essex P-bass is not capable of producing quite the same range of tones as an Alembic Series II... But i'm thinking more in the basic context of playing the gig, that event where 'the bassist' has a certain PRIMARY function of locking in with 'the drummer' and creating the energy groove that pulls the whole song together! Once you tweak your bass and amp into a tone that works for your ears... then its really all up to YOU, isnt it? You are the one performing the ART, the instrument is just a tool!
I cant imagine that the "audience" will respect the bass player with a megadollar instrument unless the BAND was capable of doing the SONG justice. And unless you are a soloist, up there all alone singing and playing bass by yourself, then your instrument probably isnt going to be a big conversation point... (notwithstanding heavily costumed groups with a sci-fi or fantasy theme - then perhaps a strikingly designed bass guitar could be a vital stage prop)
I'm probably just old-fashioned, but i think that a musician's self-respect is a lot more essential than the approval of friends, family, fans, and peers. Did YOU, (the bassist) perform to the best of your ability? If you are serious at all about your craft, you will care more about THAT than about what brand of sneakers (or bass guitar) you are wearing...
As I reread the original post I understood the question to be if you played a cheap bass do you get less respect that if you played a more expensive bass, not which bass plays better.
It seems to me that there must be some deep seated insecurity on this topic with bassists because the vast majority of those who posted on this thread ignored the original question and instead addressed that less expensive basses play just as well as expensive basses.
I tried to make the point with my dumptruck and Ferrari analogy in that both of these will get the job done if you are traveling from point a to point b but which one will get you noticed more positively?
An expensive bass doesn't make you a better player but if you want one and can afford it who'se business is it but yours if you decide to buy and play one. To me if someone has issues about the price of a bassist's instrument then that person is an immature jealous person.
Also the only people who know anything about the cost of instruments are usually other players so whats up with that? Once again I suspect that immature jealously is the cause of those comments, not that the cost of an instrument reflects on the skill of the player.
One final note, unfortunately we do live in a society that does judge by appearences. Most of the public have no idea of how much an instrument costs or what a good one is or an cheap one is. When I had first started playing bass my first bass was a red Hondo II explorer and was a total piece of crap. I got a chance to play a concert with some Nashville session guys at a local college. One of the session guys was a bassist who was going to play a few songs. He had a dead mint early 60's Jazz bass. It was beautiful and looked like it should be in a museum rather than being played. The guy played it through an Ampeg fliptop and it sounded like a slice of Heaven with butter. After the gig I was talking to the guy and some highschool students came up. Two of the guys thought that my Hondo was the most fantastic instrument they had ever seen. They looked very surprized when I told them that I had to keep my hands on it to keep someone from flushing it down the toliet. The session guy just laughed.
It seems to me that there must be some deep seated insecurity on this topic with bassists because the vast majority of those who posted on this thread ignored the original question and instead addressed that less expensive basses play just as well as expensive basses.
I tried to make the point with my dumptruck and Ferrari analogy in that both of these will get the job done if you are traveling from point a to point b but which one will get you noticed more positively?
An expensive bass doesn't make you a better player but if you want one and can afford it who'se business is it but yours if you decide to buy and play one. To me if someone has issues about the price of a bassist's instrument then that person is an immature jealous person.
Also the only people who know anything about the cost of instruments are usually other players so whats up with that? Once again I suspect that immature jealously is the cause of those comments, not that the cost of an instrument reflects on the skill of the player.
One final note, unfortunately we do live in a society that does judge by appearences. Most of the public have no idea of how much an instrument costs or what a good one is or an cheap one is. When I had first started playing bass my first bass was a red Hondo II explorer and was a total piece of crap. I got a chance to play a concert with some Nashville session guys at a local college. One of the session guys was a bassist who was going to play a few songs. He had a dead mint early 60's Jazz bass. It was beautiful and looked like it should be in a museum rather than being played. The guy played it through an Ampeg fliptop and it sounded like a slice of Heaven with butter. After the gig I was talking to the guy and some highschool students came up. Two of the guys thought that my Hondo was the most fantastic instrument they had ever seen. They looked very surprized when I told them that I had to keep my hands on it to keep someone from flushing it down the toliet. The session guy just laughed.
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