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Crappy bassists with expensive gears?
- Thread starter BrandonBass
- Start date
I'm fairly new playing the bass, but when i decided to get me a setup, i bought myself a decent combination.
Why do you have to buy yourself a beginner setup, sell it at a later stage, if you can afford to get yourself the right tools the first time.
I reckon that 2 guys had GAS. As a fellow TB'er and bassist, you know all about the Gaasssssinnngg.
Why do you have to buy yourself a beginner setup, sell it at a later stage, if you can afford to get yourself the right tools the first time.
I reckon that 2 guys had GAS. As a fellow TB'er and bassist, you know all about the Gaasssssinnngg.
Weellll, I think this "crappy bassist owns an expensive gear" comes from the days when we started to play instrument.
At least this is my experience - 99% of us (me&friends etc) started in high school on crappy second-hand guitars/drums/amps that we bought with our own money - a.i. very little money. And we all turned out better players than spoiled kids whose parents bought them expensive guitars&s, they played for couple of years and quit - it was almost a rule of thumb.
Usually, the philosophy is: you start on crappy instrument and amp, and with sweat and blood and blisters you get around it by getting better sound via your fingers and your ears. Another rule of thumb was - almost all kids with expensive gear played with way less feeling then us with crappy guitars.
Then, if you still played after few years and doing better all the time, you were ready for better gear. But you'll always remember your ol' crappy guitar you started on.
Right?
At least this is my experience - 99% of us (me&friends etc) started in high school on crappy second-hand guitars/drums/amps that we bought with our own money - a.i. very little money. And we all turned out better players than spoiled kids whose parents bought them expensive guitars&s, they played for couple of years and quit - it was almost a rule of thumb.
Usually, the philosophy is: you start on crappy instrument and amp, and with sweat and blood and blisters you get around it by getting better sound via your fingers and your ears. Another rule of thumb was - almost all kids with expensive gear played with way less feeling then us with crappy guitars.
Then, if you still played after few years and doing better all the time, you were ready for better gear. But you'll always remember your ol' crappy guitar you started on.
Right?
trust me...i just saw you on youtube, and with your looks and that ric, i'm sure they're way more jealous of you
I don't get people talking about what some else's Mom or Dad got them. Marcus Miller's Mom bought him several Fender jazzes before he hit pay dirt. I doubt if anyone out worked him.
If you are blessed to have parents that can buy you gear, great!
If you are blessed to have parents that can buy you gear, great!
Yessir, and I even got the missus to bless off on it! Cool, huh? Specs:
Custom Conklin Sidewinder 6 string bass
Neck-through-body
24 frets
34" scale length
18 mm string spacing
Right handed
Koa body
Maple/Purpleheart neck
Wenge top
Matching Wenge headstock cap
Gabon ebony fingerboard
Show neck woods on neck-through-body
Centered and side dots
Delano pickups
RMC preamp
RMC Piezos
Midi electronics
Hipshot fixed bridge
Hipshot tuners
Black hardware
Polished clearcoat over natural wood
Construction started late Oct-early Nov. 2 months down, 7-10 months to go...sooo can't wait.
My bass is in tune before I go on, by ear, tune before sound check, my bass holds its tuning pretty well.
Why would spend cash on a beginner's set up if one is fully confident that he / she is going to stick with it. It's expensive to upgrade (trading gear for better gear is almost a sure loss). I recently bumped into a guy whom has played keys for over 20 years and decided to start playing bass 6 months ago...He purchased some awesome gear and feels that he and his skills will grow into it. 2 Dingwalls and a very nice MarkBass rig. The descriptive "crappy" is extremely objective; perhaps another adjective might be more appropriate...Further, inexpensive instruments have come a long way, but not all that long ago, cheap instruments were exactly that - cheap; cheap, impossible to set up properly and thus, were difficult to play. I believe the issues with "cheap" instruments have led many a young / new player to becoming disillusioned and frustrated with learning how to play.
Then again, I have met some "crappy" bassists - but they are crappy primarily because they choose to be through laziness or a lack of desire to be good.
Geeez, I gotto go practice!
Then again, I have met some "crappy" bassists - but they are crappy primarily because they choose to be through laziness or a lack of desire to be good.
Geeez, I gotto go practice!
I have had german early 90s warwicks, currently play MIJ Fender and also have a very nice Ibanez mahogany guitar pimped out with DiMarzios. I have a little under a year of my country's minimum wage in gear IIRC.
Why yes, I suck so much (at bass OR guitar) I put a Hoovers to shame, thanks for asking.
Why yes, I suck so much (at bass OR guitar) I put a Hoovers to shame, thanks for asking.
I'm a crappy bassist with crappy gear.
I've learned my lesson. I was a crappy paintball player with phenominal gear.
Turned out I was a better paintball marker tech than I was a paintball player.
I've learned my lesson. I was a crappy paintball player with phenominal gear.
Turned out I was a better paintball marker tech than I was a paintball player.
Yeah, well, I'm so bad I put a Dyson to shame and a Kirby won't even start up for me! LOL!
I still think most of us a competent bassists who are saying " I must not be good because Marcus Miller can play better than I can.
Dan K.
I still think most of us a competent bassists who are saying " I must not be good because Marcus Miller can play better than I can.
Dan K.
I have great gear, started out with crappy gear when I first started... While it may irk some that spoiled brats can get 3K guitars and amps, I usually find them in the local ads website selling for half the price a year down the road.. I found many a cool bass guitar that way...
This was me when i first started playing Bass. My first bass ever was a Modulous 6-string with the Graphite neck (the ones they dont make anymore).
I was horrible, had only played for about a year. After that i realised that it was actually more than i could handle and bought myself a Peavey BXP 4-string. After that i went to a Carvin 5-string after about 4 years of playing. And now after 7 years of playing i'm up to the skill that justifies my 2000$ Dingwall purchase.
I was horrible, had only played for about a year. After that i realised that it was actually more than i could handle and bought myself a Peavey BXP 4-string. After that i went to a Carvin 5-string after about 4 years of playing. And now after 7 years of playing i'm up to the skill that justifies my 2000$ Dingwall purchase.
When I used to work at a guitar shop, people who were beginners but picking it up quickly and didn't seem to slowing down, would come in to upgrade to a nicer/better instrument. Some would say how they only want something a little better, stays in tune or better brand name. I would always say, and I practiced what I preached, get something a little nicer than what level you think you are at. In my experience in doing this, two things would happen: I would know that I spent more money on a nicer guitar, so I would feel more compelled to prove to myself that I need to practice and the fact that I had something a little nicer made it a delight to play and showed me to appreciate what I had and to use it to it's utmost.
Don't get me wrong, I would never try to break someones bank and persuade them to buy a high end professional instrument, I would show them a step above where they were looking. I didn't get commission so I didn't reap any monetary rewards, I just wanted to see extra pride in the persons music.
So, I think good things can happen if the skill level doesn't match the instrument
Don't get me wrong, I would never try to break someones bank and persuade them to buy a high end professional instrument, I would show them a step above where they were looking. I didn't get commission so I didn't reap any monetary rewards, I just wanted to see extra pride in the persons music.
So, I think good things can happen if the skill level doesn't match the instrument
