Does a High Quality Bass Improve Our Playing?

[MtManiac]

Just to make sure I’m clear, we are talking about quality, right? Not price? They’re two different concepts.

Back in 1982 when I started playing, I had a Sears Harmony P bass, candy apple red with a maple fretboard. The neck was finished front and back with a crackly gloss that after a couple of years was chipping off the frets, and the neck bowed when I changed the strings. My parents pulled it out of a bin in the Sears Clearance Centre and paid $75 for it, which would be about $225 or so today, but on a clearance sale, so it likely would be about a $300-350 bass today. So basically the 1982 market equivalent of today’s Squiers, but not even close to equivalent to a Squier in terms of quality. Not even close! I actually have not picked up a single Squier in the last ten years that made me think “eww”, they’ve all been great - depending on the bass, not necessarily my favourite neck profile or tone, but all definitely playable and giggable.

If I’d have had to play that Harmony for the next six years I might’ve given up, but fortunately they bought me a new one when I was 15, a Peavey Patriot, and the difference was night and day. The Patriot was like holding a gun versus holding a water pistol. I played that sucker until I was 37, across two years of university studying Jazz, a couple of metal bands, a country band, a couple of rock bands, and countless jam sessions and house parties. It would have cost about $225 in 1985 Canadian dollars, so would be price-wise about the same as a Mexican Fender these days. I still have it. Current Mexican Player Fenders 100% blow it away, quality-wise.

Today’s quality is incredible for the price. Don’t be ashamed of playing a Squier or anything else, because many people started on much, MUCH less. Quality does affect your willingness to play. Good quality is fun to play, and inspiring. Poor quality is discouraging, especially for beginners.

 

[SirMoak]

Here are few ideas I picked up when reading this thread and some of my own as well:
Playing improves playing. Absolutely true, but with that said the quality and setup of the instruments impacts playability and a few people mentioned this as well. The thing I haven't seen here is the impact of a "bad" instrument or setup. Trying to learn techniques on a bass that's difficult to play can yield great results in the long run. A good example was when I started learning tapping in my old guitar days on a horrible acoustic guitar with mile high strings. I kept at it and when I switched to a nice electric guitar doing the same things was a breeze.

The other thing is the tone. It was mentioned that high end basses often have more tonal detail and you can hear flaws in your technique better. I think that's not the only way. A nice amp or direct signal, also a good compressor can amplify these flaws even for "muddier" tones and is a great way to practice.

Also playing the same bass for a while can make it unflattering. This is the time to try some new basses and if you find something great make some direct comparisons with your current ones. It may turn out that your current bass is great for you, you just got used to it and think others are "better". Or not, in that case you might not have found the correct bass for you yet.

 

[4001]

When I got my first bass in October of 1981, my jetglo Rickenbacker 4001, I had just a basic understanding of what I wanted to achieve musically but I knew that I couldn't blame the bass if it didn't work out...

 

[burgerdj]

If it feels good, play it. Your confidence is the most important and underrated aspect of your tone. Doesn’t matter if the bass is a plank or the fanciest tree in the forest. If you’re concerned about the bass more than playing and enjoying the experience, move on. It took me a long time to realize this

 

[buldog5151bass]

And the reverse as well...

Of course. If you read my entire quote, the intent was that of course a better bass can improve your playing and sound, but was not necessary. I was trying to offer a counterpoint to the "snobbery" on both sides of the argument.

 

[lfmn16]

It depends. If you are playing on a piece of junk and then move to a high quality bass, your playing will improve, just from the fact you aren't fighting the bass. If you have an inexpensive, but well set up bass, the improvement will likely be minimal. I'm of the opinion that you should let the bass itself do as much of the work as possible.

 

[lbbc]

The question is "does a high quality bass improve our playing". The short and simple answer is NO. If someone is not a good bassist (doesn't practice, take lessons, understand their neck/hand positions or try to improve their skills), they will not get better simply by having a better bass in their hands.

I am a retired public music teacher. There was a sax student of mine who didn't practice, didn't know half of his fingerings and played on a student model sax . His mother wanted him to be in All-State Band so she bought him a $3000 sax, brought it in to me and said "here, he can certainly make All-State with a sax like this, right?!". The answer is still NO.

There's a certain amount of dedication to become better in order to BE better. Some days I don't touch the bass at all...other days I spend up to 3 hours on fingering exercises, learning songs or a new style (to me) of music.

The bass doesn't make the musician, it's the other way around IMHO.

 

[JonTishBASS]

Not necessarily, I know a lot of high quality basses that have horrible pickups, controls, etc... If you are looking for a bass that helps you play better, you should really look hard at what bass you want and have a professional set it up for you. I have played many high quality Gibson and Fender basses, one time I played a $1,869 Gibson Thunderbird bass and it was set up horribly, the neck was bent, pickups were almost silent, and it would not stay in tune. Be careful with what you buy!

 

[rtslinger]

Depends if you are recording in a studio you want gear that is going to give you no issues when laying down your tracks, like a time tested Fender P
But live as long as the quality is good enough to stand up to the rigors of the road it should be okay. I have had high end stuff in the past Alembic to throw around a brand name. But I sound like me no matter what I am playing and that is due to my hands number one and my ears number two because at the end of the day you set the EQ to your liking It's that "TONE" we all are chasing in our heads that makes us all tonally unique. imho RTS

 

[RickyWoo]

In 25 years, I've yet to connect the relation of $$$$ to high quality. It's all in the set-up. I use my MIM Pbass just as much as my 4003. I used to pick up my old SX before anything I owned. If a bass can be set-up properly it usually results in quality. If it can't, it's just a POS. I've played $3500 POS's, in other words.... So.... No, it ($$$$) doesn't improve our playing. Practicing regularly, on an instrument that feels good in the hands, improves our playing.

 

[Afc70]

Yes, a well built boutique bass is generally going to be much more responsive to your playing nuances than an el cheapo piece of junk. As mentioned before, you won’t be fighting the instrument. I play Modulus, Ken Smith, Status Graphite, & similar basses & with light touch & Low action. A cheap pawnshop bass ain’t gonna give me the playability, feel & tone I’m looking for. Vic Wooten isn’t playing a series 10 bass in concert, he’ll be rockin a Fodera. By default you will be able to play & execute things much better on a well set up, well built bass, than a piece of junk. That being said, hours of well planned out practice each day, is a time proven method to becoming a pro.

 

[bassbully]

Unfortunately...no.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

I've seen phenomenal players, blue collar guys that can't afford nice gear, sound amazing with cheap gear. It's what they play and how they play it that works. The music has to make you groove, 1st and foremost. The best gear in the hands of a hack will just highlight his lack of skill.

I do like good gear but I can get lost, listening to the quality of the tone vs what's being played. That can lead to missing out on the fun of music in general.

 

[RustyAxe]

The only time an instrument can make one play "better" is if it inspires the player to practice more.

 

[iriegnome]

IMHO, High Quality does not always mean High Price. My 1975 Aria A-200 is a killer little bass and I paid $58 for it. On the other hand, my G. Gould GGi5 w/Cocobolo top rings in at right about $5200 these days and is absolutely amazing. I would think I am just as good/bad on either. However, 30" scale to 35" scale makes a huge difference in tone, style, looks, and on and on. So, yes, having a higher quality bass does improve your sound, tone and look, but that does not always translate into high price gear.

 

[EricMordus]

You can set up a $90 bass to play better than a $2000 bass, thats a fact. A higher quality bass properly set up may INSPIRE you to work on your technique and practice more which will improve your skill set, but if you can't play Wild Thing on a POS, buying a Bongo isn't going to change that

 

[SteveHeissner]

It depends.

On many factors.

Therefore, the answer is both yes and no.

 

[MoeTown1986]

High quality instruments inspire me to play. So I vote yes.

 

[interp]

A high quality instrument can motivate you to become a better player, but in the end there is only one thing that can make you a better player—you.

 

[FerK]

Said many times before in this thread: a properly set-up bass, yes, it makes a difference. But "High quality" bass doesn't improve your playing, vs "Decent quality" or "mediocre quality". I've heard poor bass players in our opening act who want to timidly try my Dingwall before the gig starts, and they make it sound just....horrible. At the same time, better bass players would say the exact same thing about me.