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Does a great BASS make a great BASS player
- Thread starter MiracleFEATHRS
- Start date
Does a great BASS make a great BASS player?
No.
What is your definition of a "great bass"? A pre-CBS Fender, Custom Shop, MusicMan, USA Sadowsky, Alembic, ultra boutique?
I can only imagine that McCartney's Hofner was a little over $100 at the time. Jaco's 1962 used Jazz Bass was $90. Duck Dunn played stock Fenders. Jamerson a stock P Bass with, I heard, tremendously high action and old, old flats.
I'd say that there is more evidence that great bass players play average "run of the mill" basses.
The same can be said for a bass guitar............V
No.
What is your definition of a "great bass"? A pre-CBS Fender, Custom Shop, MusicMan, USA Sadowsky, Alembic, ultra boutique?
I can only imagine that McCartney's Hofner was a little over $100 at the time. Jaco's 1962 used Jazz Bass was $90. Duck Dunn played stock Fenders. Jamerson a stock P Bass with, I heard, tremendously high action and old, old flats.
I'd say that there is more evidence that great bass players play average "run of the mill" basses.
The same can be said for a bass guitar............V
Last edited:
I answered once before, but reading this again, with this part of your post, I completely disagree.
If someone is an intermediate player, they have already put in enough time and effort to learn quite a bit. If, at that point, they invest in a really great bass, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that - they have decided to invest in their passion - good for them.
Bass guitars are not that expensive - go find out what good cellos, or bassoons, or harps, or pianos go for. While some folks don't have the money to buy a Fodera, when compared to a lot of classical instruments, a Fodera isn't really expensive - bass guitars are cheap, some are just insanely cheap for what they are. If you buy your next car used instead of new, you can afford a Fodera. It's a matter of priorities at that point.
Absolutely not, a great bass it's not going to improve your playing and I also think that a bad bass could sound decent and even quite well on a good player hands, but a great bass will never sound as good at it suppose to to if its played by a bad bassist.
Fighting to get a tune out of a bad bass will always make you a worse player.
A great bass is the accelerator that an average player might need to improve and push himself to the next level.
A great bass is the accelerator that an average player might need to improve and push himself to the next level.
Here's a thought....
When you begin playing bass (or any instrument), listen to anything and everything. Put it in your head and see if it finds a place in your playing vocabulary.
Once you can play and hold a groove, network with friends at various places where music is played and musicians hang out. Even at church, if you are so inclined.
Get better, get in demand, wake up one morning faced with learning 15, 20, 25, 30 songs in a few days. Book more gigs while you take a break from learning all those songs. Stop and see how you can cram another gig in between the gigs you have booked without breaking a promise, and lose a little sleep from getting up early for a last minute session on the morning and afternoon of a gig that night.
Do all this and I promise, you won't give a tinker's DAMN and whether a great bass makes you a better player. You won't care. You'll seek out the bass(es) that work, sound good, and feel good to you, regardless of the price or who is playing what. All you'll care about is doing a great job, getting paid, and the satisfaction of playing music. Oh, and where is the next gig coming from....
And you'll forget about making posts like this that inspire all kinds of reactions that basically tell you either what you already know or what you want to hear.
When you begin playing bass (or any instrument), listen to anything and everything. Put it in your head and see if it finds a place in your playing vocabulary.
Once you can play and hold a groove, network with friends at various places where music is played and musicians hang out. Even at church, if you are so inclined.
Get better, get in demand, wake up one morning faced with learning 15, 20, 25, 30 songs in a few days. Book more gigs while you take a break from learning all those songs. Stop and see how you can cram another gig in between the gigs you have booked without breaking a promise, and lose a little sleep from getting up early for a last minute session on the morning and afternoon of a gig that night.
Do all this and I promise, you won't give a tinker's DAMN and whether a great bass makes you a better player. You won't care. You'll seek out the bass(es) that work, sound good, and feel good to you, regardless of the price or who is playing what. All you'll care about is doing a great job, getting paid, and the satisfaction of playing music. Oh, and where is the next gig coming from....
And you'll forget about making posts like this that inspire all kinds of reactions that basically tell you either what you already know or what you want to hear.
I typically don't pay much attention to the gear -vs- talent ratio of other players. I wouldn't even know how to do the math on that one...it's not like there's an audition process that determines how much each person should spend. It's up to each individual to decide what they feel comfortable spending on gear.
A great bass player is a great bass player regardless of the instrument. The instrument is just a tool the bassist to show his genius. A hack is still going to be hack regardless of the choice of bass.
That said, great bassists are in demand and with the extra income associated with that, they can afford better basses if they choose to do so.
If a great bass makes the player want to practice more, then yes, it can assist a bass player to improve.
I am blessed to have several great basses. I find my Spectors easier to play but they don't make me a better player. They do make the whole experience of playing and practicing more enjoyable due to the sound, feeling, and appreciation of the artistry behind execution of such a well made instrument.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
I'd counter this with 'Don't ever let anyone tell you that you don't deserve what you want, or that you've earned.' We only live once. What we 'deserve' is often tainted by what we think other peoples' perceptions of us will be if we acquire what we feel we don't 'deserve.'. If you DO want that boutique bass and can afford it without putting yourself in dire financial straits, then buy it. The only person who can truly convince you that you do or do not 'deserve' something.... is you.
I have some amazing basses that I've been fortunate to have come my way. I'm still not good enough to make it. The bass does not make the great bassist. Great bassists can often make the bass great though.
You can put a beginner in a F1 car and an F1 driver in a 1993 Ford Mondeo and let them drive a round on a course.
The F1 driver will win, because the beginner will most likely not get very far before losing control of the car.
This analogy works for many, many things, but it does not work for instruments.
Take a Wal, Alembic, Fodera, Le Fay ... any of those highly sought after models that have high four figure or low five figure price tags - and give it to a beginner. They will sound like a beginner.
However, they will not wipe out in the first corner because they can't handle 1000bhp in an 1800lbs car.
They will play, and maybe even play a little better because the setup of the bass allows for effortless playing.
A pro player will sound well on a Wal, and they will sound well on a Harley Benton $150 bass.
The F1 driver will win, because the beginner will most likely not get very far before losing control of the car.
This analogy works for many, many things, but it does not work for instruments.
Take a Wal, Alembic, Fodera, Le Fay ... any of those highly sought after models that have high four figure or low five figure price tags - and give it to a beginner. They will sound like a beginner.
However, they will not wipe out in the first corner because they can't handle 1000bhp in an 1800lbs car.
They will play, and maybe even play a little better because the setup of the bass allows for effortless playing.
A pro player will sound well on a Wal, and they will sound well on a Harley Benton $150 bass.
