Does a great BASS make a great BASS player

[Old Blastard]

I have great custom made basses and some OK $200 basses. No matter what I play, I sound like me.

Unfortunately.

 

[BaltBass5]

IMO a great player can play and sound like themselves on any instrument. Having said that, a better instrument that is more to their liking (specifications, electronics, etc...) will make their job easier and more enjoyable.

To put it in terms of other professions: someone who can paint can make a beautiful painting out of a blank canvas and some crappy paint and brushes. However, if they have a better canvas, professional brushes that they prefer to work with and top tier paint then the painting will be easier and much more enjoyable for them to create and will most likely be a better overall quality when completed.

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

Just and adjunct comment to that:

Also, it's true right now that there are more high quality, great bang-for-the buck, basses available at relatively low cost than ever before. It's really a good time to be shopping in that "value" end of the market.

That is, you don't even need tons of money to get a perfectly good, serviceable bass.

Pretty much all mfgers have had to respond to this "value wave" by now, everyone's upped their game.

Totally agree with this. Especially if one can do a few setup tweaks, there's really usable stuff out there at every price.

 

[lbbc]

Any "good sounding/playing" bass is a great bass. I have basses from many different price points. I sound like me on each of them. I have recently gravitated to my Ibanez AGBV200A....passive hollow body bass. I like the way it sounds and feels. But next week it may be my Custom Dave Pushic...

 

[JazznFunk]

I don't know why I read through all of these comments, but I did.

Sounds like most people's opinion on what makes a bass "great" or "bad" is based on the setup and not the inherent qualities of the instrument.

A great instrument can be had for a lot less money these days than what it used to be. The gap has closed. It's why a Squier Classic Vibe P-Bass from 2009/2010 is generally regarded as a GREAT BASS. A Fodera or something akin to it is generally regarded as a GREAT BASS because of its price tag. But I am not a believer in the 'it's better because it's more expensive' mindset. I've been underwhelmed by expensive instruments I was 'supposed' to like. Kind of like when someone pulls out a $1,000 bottle of wine and doesn't understand why someone doesn't like it. 'It's expensive, YOU SHOULD LIKE THIS!'

A low cost instrument can be set up properly and play very well. The caveat is that sometimes construction inaccuracies only allow you to get so far with a setup. But in many cases, you get a CNC-machined instrument with tolerances that are tighter and more accurate than a higher end 'handmade' instrument.... but not always.

A higher cost instrument theoretically should be able to be set up to play like butter, but I've played some terribly set up high end axes as well. A setup often makes the difference, coupled with the inherent qualities of the instrument.

What makes a bass feel great with the best setup possible might not feel great to another player. Neck geometry, thickness, radius, pickup positioning, fret type, etc.

So no, the setup isn't the only factor.... it's part of it. It's a BIG factor in determining if an instrument will be functional, or better used for firewood or archery. Setup can make or break any instrument, so I would argue that a bass can be deemed 'good or bad' by setup as a major starting point.

 

[Savage_Dreams]

Short answer: no

Long answer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[groovepump]

Does the man play the bass, or does the bass play the man?

 

[Bassman Spiff]

No. Greatness comes from within.

However, a great bass CAN make a great bass player better! I believe this can be in the form of playability, tone/sound, and even inspiration.

 

[groovepump]

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

Truer words were never spoken!

 

[Pet Sounds]

When I was a kid (1960s), my dad foisted a cheapo acoustic guitar on me and pressured me hard to play it. It was horrible. The action was mile-high and the fret edges sharp as razor blades. (Neither of us knew about setups then!)
I can tell you from this experience that a cheap guitar made me NOT want to play. If course, I don't know if they even make guitars as bad as that one these days.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

The guitarist I used to play top 40 gigs with, has a couple really fancy guitars which he always worried about bringing to the gigs we played. With hundreds of drunk people in the room, he was always really wary of the environment. After one of the gigs he asked me if I had any cheaper instruments at home. I usually brought my Fender parts P bass, which isn't exactly botique, but it also holds some sentimental value to me of course. It got me thinking and then we talked about buying cheap instruments just as work horses for those gigs. I never did it, because shortly after I stopped playing with them, but I still feel like that it's worth thinking about.

that is why I bought my Sterling Ray4. We used to have a gig at a really rough joint. One way out of the place was walking across the stage. Plus it was part open-mic. I would leave my nice basses at home. But now all I play is the sterling!

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

Does the man play the bass, or does the bass play the man?

I will ponder this all my days

 

[cnltb]

Does a great BASS make a great BASS player
A good bass makes it easier to play but does not make a player 'great'.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

There is no real need for pedals for a bassist. Flame me if you will, but I've been playing for 60 years and I've tried several pedals. I've never seen any value in any of them.

No pedals here either !!!! I don't understand why people will spend $4000 for a bass to have the perfect sound then run it thru a $200 pedal.

 

[Bassdirty]

Well.. of all the Mediocre Bass players in the world, I'm one of the Mediocre-est.

I prefer a decent instrument, regardless of price (to extent).

I have range of $400 to about $1600 (probably wouldnt pay more than that). If it's easier to play, you pplay better. Kinda simple. Lots of times, cheap ones arent as easy to play. (which can deter a beginner). Although, beginner level basses are much better today, than..the "olden days".


So, a "great bass" (whatev that is), can make one want to practice more, which can lead to "greatness"..

With that, my answer is.. sometimes maybe.

This has probably been mentioned already with 8+ pages, I'm only on 1, but comment stands.



T$

 

[Aussie Player]

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)

He may be right.
I like plain vanilla ice cream better than neopolitan.
I do know that a quality instrument like an Alembic identifies technical flaws in fingering notes and helps you tidy that up, something you may not notice on an elcheapo special.
Fingering technique is a valuable skill and can enhance both your playing and the way you select or play bass notes and runs. It can make you stand out at the next audition.

 

[TerribleTim68]

100% no. I own several basses that are really great instruments and I suck.

 

[Aussie Player]

Something possibly overlooked in todays market.........
We have players in their teens and twenties and more up to the dinosaurs in their 70's still playing.
The difference is that we dinosaurs only ever had 3 choices when we started. Gibson, Fender or junk. Everything Gibson or Fender was around $250 used. We all played what is now called vintage and worth thousands even though, being there, we know there was a lot of rubbish in that market. We did notice a slip particularly in feel, balance and tone between 70's and earlier guitars and basses of the same brand.
The younger guys have far more choices, probably starting at around that same $250, but the options have cheaper woods and finishes and fretting and fretboards, but do have now historical harware designs and pick up flavours to choose from for upgrading.
Todays cheap basses are infindently superior to the junk category we had by comparison as is the aftermarket component supply options we never had.
Positively, it is easy to find a nice inexpensive bass to play today meaning a beginner still can enter the market with playable basses.
But once proficiency has been established, it is a choice based on your own perceptions whether you need to spend more.

 

[micahwc]

A great bass isn't going to hurt anything or make a player worse in any way.

 

[Topkat13]

Yes! Unfortunately a bad bass makes a bad bass player.