Does a great BASS make a great BASS player

[MiracleFEATHRS]

I've known too many intermediate Bass players that bought a really expensive great Bass .
and many great BASS players that bought a decent Bass for a few hundred dollars that played and sounds like a expensive one.
A great BASS will not make a great BASS player
A great BASS player can make a just okay BASS play and sound like a great BASS.

agree ?
Disagree ?

 

[Warpeg]

I'm in the camp that talent and tools have no causation on one another; folks will just play how they play. However, people should buy what interests them, regardless of skill level. Let it be.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

I have a pro bassist friend. He is great. He owns foderas, warrior, a couple of customs. I was at one of his shows, we were talking during the break. We walked on stage, he handed me his bass and said “I paid $120 for it!” It sounded really good, he did have a new set of pickups put in. plus he does not use any pedals.

 

[Relayer71]

Practice will make you a great (or better) bass player.

In some cases, it's practice + innate talent. I can practice all day and will not be as good as certain bass players I really admire. But I can always improve (within my natural limits).

What a great bass can do is improve your playing indirectly by inspiring you to pick it up more often.

It doesn't have to be expensive to be great, but since you mentioned it, an expensive (or boutique) bass can be a work of art that can also make you just want to pick it up every chance you get.

(It can also give you the mindset of, "damn, I paid a lot for this thing, I should be playing it every minute of the day to get my money's worth!" ).

 

[Jugghaid]

No. But a great bass can make a great bass player sound and play better.

Also, a great bass is not great because of its price tag.

 

[Les Fret]

This one is really obvious: of course not!
80% of the tone is in the fingers.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

As @Relayer71 already said, a great bass will inspire you to play more. And therefore you'll get better.

My parts-basses are a hard pass for many folks who want more expensive ones. But they're great to me so I feel inspired to play them.

Now how great I ever become? I'll never be a household name but I know I'm better now than I was 5 years ago.

 

[Pings Bass]

Yeah, should go without saying.

But maybe a better axe can inspire practice, which will make a better player.

I had a band mate once who got a new strat and went kind of wild with it on the first gig. He didn't sound "better" per se, but he sure had more confidence banging out his little pentatonic runs.

 

[buldog5151bass]

A great bass should be easier to play, and should stay good for a longer period of time.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

A great player can make any bass that works properly sound better.

A great bass and player is very subjective . What makes a great bass for some might not be the same for others.
Same goes for players . What some consider great playing might not be true do others.

 

[portpc]

Will a better car make you a better driver?.. It my stay on the road better but you are still steering. A high end bass may intonate better and have better tone but you are still the one playing it...

I have been grabbing my $299 Squier P Bass lately heading out to gigs.. It just works for me. Just like my Kia Forte!

 

[mambo4]

Nice cars don't make me a better driver
But they are nice to drive

 

[Auer]

Nice cars don't make me a better driver
But they are nice to drive

Nice things can inspire you to be/do better

 

[Verticos]

My classical DB teacher said something really wise to me back in high school that I've remembered ever since. Half of it has already been mentioned by others above: if a better instrument inspires you to practice more, you'll improve. The other half, I'll do my best to paraphrase:

A nicer instrument might be easier to play, especially if you're making a step up from a sub-par instrument to one that is built with better components and craftsmanship. If you're fighting an instrument that's physically difficult to play, upgrading to something better will enable you to make better use of your technique, which could actually allow you to play more effectively. I recognize that this isn't necessarily the situation you're describing of upgrading from a perfectly passable bass to an expensive boutique bass, but I still thought it was worth mentioning.

That being said, only each individual knows the truth of their situation. It can be easy to rationalize GAS.

 

[BassJuju]

Tale as old as time...

 

[bucephylus]

Practice is the way to get to Carnegie Hall. Spending money at Sweetwater etc is NOT.

 

[31HZ]

Will an Italian* suit make you a better human being?

(*let's say Neapolitan-tailored, like Isaia, Kiton et.al., for the sake of discussion)

 

[MiracleFEATHRS]

I have a pro bassist friend. He is great. He owns foderas, warrior, a couple of customs. I was at one of his shows, we were talking during the break. We walked on stage, he handed me his bass and said “I paid $120 for it!” It sounded really good, he did have a new set of pickups put in. plus he does not use any pedals.

My #1 stage Bass is a customized 1995/96
PeAvEy FoUnDaTiOn 5 , I got it for 150.00
My overall favorite is my Black Ibanez bTb 846v custom shop, it's a monster

 

[micguy]

A bass that inspires the person to play enough that they practice is worth its weight in gold. Ultimately greatness is in the hands and mind (what drives the hands) of the player, but if a better instrument can get the person to cross the line between being uninspired and ultimately quitting, and get them to the side of that line where they love the thing and practice their butt off, yes, a great instrument can be an integral part of making a great player.

 

[Discount Bassy]

A good craftsman knows when he needs a new tool and why. The decision process as to which tool to acquire is shaped by experience. Vanity may be considered as resources dictate, but have negligible effect on outcomes if motive is pure. Good tools are helpful to further intention unhindered.