i guess theres just a certain part of the high end thing i dont really like. there was a guy talking about an mtd and how it made him play so much better. i dont buy it. and since mtd's hurt my hand, there must be something wrong with my technique because mtds are crafted with the highest ergonomics..
Nah, that's just the subjective part. Could be for him the stuff that's magic in your hands hurts his.
Case in point, the smaller more slender necks feel best to me, but I've spoken to folks who actually have pain with the skinny stuff and literally need a larger neck profile to be truly comfortable. That was a revelation for me about 5 years ago. Really took me aback.
That said, and take this for what its worth, but the first time I played a bass that sounded or played far superior to other stuff I was used to, not only did my playing take a jump for the better, but I loved the sound so much more that my inspiration was also significantly improved. At least for me, physical and tonal comfort have a very significant tangible positive affect on my musical output.
obviously if theres playability issues, that can hold you back from "what you hear in your head" but excellent playability can be had with a 50 dollar sams club special with a trip to your local repairman. you may find that the tone sucks, but if you really are a creative type, should tone really prevent you from creating inspired music? i get into this stuff with guitar players. lets make the band secondary so you can get "your tone"
Yeah, this is why I referred to it as the tricky part, because as we are really both saying, you don't have to spend a bajillion bux to get a great bass, but if you are spending that kinda' money, the assurance you're getting a great bass should be pretty much a guarantee. That's why people like Jimmy get such a swollen black eye any time something isn't at the expected level of perfection. Once you set the bar, you'll always be measure by it. You can't go back.
However, to your second point, there's two things... one is about being a professional, and the other is about the level of one's performance... even remaining within the "being a professional" zone.
Being a professional means you make the best of what you have, and you're competent to at least make good quality music as long as you're using tools that function reasonably. But I think that's the baseline of the range. You do a good job, you create a groove, the rest of the band does NOT suffer, but it's not your very best stuff. For your very best stuff, you need the tools that feel and sound best to you.
To me, and I think to you, the music (entire band) DOES come first. I know what you're saying about "those people", and I have little tolerance for them as well. If I'm not 100.00% thrilled with my tone/playability, I deal with it and move on as professionally as I can.
these posts like " my whositswhatsit bass absolutely killed all my other "insert uber expensive bass here" are kind of silly.
Agreed... I try to avoid sweeping statements like that because there's so much stuff that makes a comment like that really subject to specific conditions. If I do feel such a comparison is useful to make, I always try to include some specifics about in which ways I felt one worked better (such as a tonal attribute or functional feature) and why (maybe the venue or style of music, etc). Otherwise, it's not good for information, but maybe at least good for a laugh.
