Does a High Quality Bass Improve Our Playing?

[gregmon79]

IME it can. Its not something that’s NEEDED. But it can make you a better player sometimes. I know the first time I played a Flea Modulas sig bass, I was kinda blown away at how easy it was to play!! That was a long time ago but I just remember thinking I could play some things a lot easier certain places on the neck. But you can get just as far if not further technically on a Squier too.

 

[MrBassman17]

In my experience, which does not include what would be considered 'high-end' basses (meaning nothing over $2k or so), I can say that a properly set up quality instrument is easier to play. My philosophy has always been (not just with other items such as bikes and cars) is that you should get the best equipment you can afford. As you play more, you (should) improve; as you improve, you play more, until you get the point that you are realizing the full potential of the instrument (car; bike, etc.). But to answer your question, no I don't believe anything will make you a better player if the ability and talent aren't there. No matter how much I practice and take lessons and play out, I'm never going to be as good as the person I am modeling myself after. Once you come to terms with that, you will be a much happier player!

 

[MD Stingray]

A high quality set up is more important than a high quality bass.

 

[JRA]

all "high-quality" instruments = the best possible fit and feel for the specific player. cost has little to do with that perspective.

i certainly get the idea of a "high-quality bass" inspiring a player to play, but my experience tells me that it doesn't really work that way: the inspiration to play comes from within the player. i believe this perspective invites the instrument-as-a-tool argument/challenge. if the tool you are using isn't right for you = your work/product will be diminished --- related to the inadequacy (poor fit) of the tool you're trying to use.

e.g., a hammer with a 'customized' (for you!) grip on the handle will likely help you pound those nails more efficiently. if that grip is "high quality" it only means that it fits you, superbly. it wouldn't make any difference whether you paid a lot of money for it, or whether you fashioned it out of duct tape --- as long as it didn't inhibit you from doing the best possible work. (and there are plenty of TB'ers who simply don't know how to 'drive nails'...so they think that they need to keep buying those 'custom grips'.)

also this: if you've paid a lot of dough for your instrument = you are more likely to insist that the 'tool' is superior (for any number of reasons) whether it actually is or not.

passion/inspiration + practice + the right tool = success as a player!

what's the right tool? IME it's this:

I’d say the feel matters more than the price of the bass itself.

it's a feel thing

I have some fairly expensive basses but find myself playing my $200 OLP MM2 more than the others because it feels so good.

To me it's all about feel.

so, on the face of the issue(s), no.

 

[rashrader]

I have owned expensive basses and cheap basses.... Either way, I suck. So, it doesn't matter to me.

 

[MordBass]

Hi,

I'm hoping to get feedback on sonic truths of bass materials and parts.

So, I've always struggled with gear and the perception of sonic quality as it equates to pricing/materials. I'm mainly a drummer. I strongly believe in using the highest of quality cymbals while drums can be of significant lessor quality and still sound amazing. Never have I heard the opposite though...

I play a Squier Matt Freeman P w/Steve Harris Seymour Duncans & upgraded pots. I started with a Squier Affinity Jazz pack. I also dabble on guitar... lucky enough to land a top-o-line Stratocaster. This has every bell and whistle Fender enthusiasts like to boast about. The fit & finish are exceptional. Its acoustic properties are gorgeous... and it feels amazing. This guitar has me asking...

With a bass... can anyone honestly hear a sonic difference between an Adler & Basswood body? At bass frequencies, does the body wood actually make a noticeable difference? I'm suggesting no.
I do think mahogany sounds different. I do think maple/rosewood sounds different than maple/maple.
What about bridges... one high mass versus another... if equally balanced and weighted... which tech is a difference maker?
Tuners, as long as they stay in tune right?
How about the nut. Does nut material create a noticeable sonic difference?

I think if vacuum tested and scientifically analyzed the numbers could say so... yet, I can't help but think... could we ever notice that in a live band setting? I mean with so many tone shaping tools outside of the instrument and being you can choose pickups from wherever. Without getting detailed on music genre and allow generalizing... would anyone notice a Fender custom shop versus a Squier sonic differences? Would anyone know any name brand versus an entry level by sound alone?

So, my fancy Fender... it so nice I'm careful every time I touch it. Kinda not fun... my Epiphone Les Paul is not as concerning but I'm mindful. Squier, although appreciated. I'm never careful and its available for anyone to handle. My question becomes does having a higher quality bass actually add to my playing or limit it? IDK.

What have you decided? If you play a $2k bass... how carefree with it are you? If you play an entry bass what bothers you most about it if anything?

If it matters I'm playing through a Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four: 88 into a Bergantino 4x10 & Mesa Boogie PH 2x10

Thanks!

Im going to vote that its true in the opposite direction. Just like the theory that theres no such thing as a good cable.... just a "less bad one". A perfectly crafted bass with an ultra smooth neck and perfect action wont make anybody better... itll just inhibit their playing as little as possible.

 

[spade2you]

Setups can help. I can't say I've played too many cheap basses that can meet or beat a high end bass with a good setup. If buzz free action is the end goal, it was tough to beat Peavey's USA line prior to moving production overseas.

Improved ergonomics, a better low B, lighter, more sustain, etc tend to be noticeable upgrades when going with handmade builders.

 

[Biggbass]

I'd say not really.

 

[Chrisk-K]

I can make any high quality bass sound like an AliExpress bass.

 

[isher1992]

I think the quality of that particular cut of wood and how it's constructed makes a bigger difference than the wood itself, personally. By the time my Bronco and Tele clone go through everything, they sound identical despite one being Agathis and the other Alder. Have the same pickup and electronics and strings...different scale lengths.

I like all of the strings being on the same piece if it's a multi-piece body. Maybe superstitious, but it's one of those things you'll get 5 different opinions and they may all be "wrong" but they work for those particular people.

 

[Two-Spirit]

decent action will improve your playing and you can get that from almost any new bass. I like my action a 1/8 of an inch at the 12th fret. I don't like any instrument under $500 but I'm not judging.

 

[jeffb28451]

It sure does, until I get it out of the store!

 

[socialleper]

Hi,

I'm hoping to get feedback on sonic truths of bass materials and parts.

So, I've always struggled with gear and the perception of sonic quality as it equates to pricing/materials. I'm mainly a drummer. I strongly believe in using the highest of quality cymbals while drums can be of significant lessor quality and still sound amazing. Never have I heard the opposite though...

I play a Squier Matt Freeman P w/Steve Harris Seymour Duncans & upgraded pots. I started with a Squier Affinity Jazz pack. I also dabble on guitar... lucky enough to land a top-o-line Stratocaster. This has every bell and whistle Fender enthusiasts like to boast about. The fit & finish are exceptional. Its acoustic properties are gorgeous... and it feels amazing. This guitar has me asking...

With a bass... can anyone honestly hear a sonic difference between an Adler & Basswood body? At bass frequencies, does the body wood actually make a noticeable difference? I'm suggesting no.
I do think mahogany sounds different. I do think maple/rosewood sounds different than maple/maple.
What about bridges... one high mass versus another... if equally balanced and weighted... which tech is a difference maker?
Tuners, as long as they stay in tune right?
How about the nut. Does nut material create a noticeable sonic difference?

I think if vacuum tested and scientifically analyzed the numbers could say so... yet, I can't help but think... could we ever notice that in a live band setting? I mean with so many tone shaping tools outside of the instrument and being you can choose pickups from wherever. Without getting detailed on music genre and allow generalizing... would anyone notice a Fender custom shop versus a Squier sonic differences? Would anyone know any name brand versus an entry level by sound alone?

So, my fancy Fender... it so nice I'm careful every time I touch it. Kinda not fun... my Epiphone Les Paul is not as concerning but I'm mindful. Squier, although appreciated. I'm never careful and its available for anyone to handle. My question becomes does having a higher quality bass actually add to my playing or limit it? IDK.

What have you decided? If you play a $2k bass... how carefree with it are you? If you play an entry bass what bothers you most about it if anything?

If it matters I'm playing through a Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four: 88 into a Bergantino 4x10 & Mesa Boogie PH 2x10

Thanks!

There is a lot to unpack here.
First, I don't know if the collective "our" playing is better with better instruments. Each person approaches their instrument differently and has a different experience. I wouldn't say there is any universality to the positives and negatives.
Second, I can say from personal experience that while a master built bass will not turn a green first time player in to a bass demi-god, a junk bass can negatively impact a new players ability to learn proper technique or inspire them. A poorly constructed bass may have flaws or defects that impedes playing it properly. If the bass is a full on POS, it may discourage the player from playing more.
Third, I would point out something that I have mentioned many times before: The tone or custom specifics of certain basses are the thing that allows some bass players to do what they do. Without the particular build or sound of some high end basses, there are players that would reach the stratospheric levels that they do because what they do just wouldn't work on a cheap, generic instrument. They had to be very good players to start with. There are thousands upon thousands of really good players; what separates really good players from someone you have actually heard of is their uniqueness. That often is connected to an instrument is isn't exactly cheap.

 

[gorneyg]

They said it ain't the arrow...but the arrow helps...

 

[arbiterusa]

High caliber gear does not and cannot improve your playing. Better tone does not get you better gigs.

Being a better, more flexible/knowledgeable player does. This requires practice, study and native talent. Not everyone has the last. Tearing through tens of thousands of dollars per year in gear - and a lot of posters here are doing exactly that, trying to achieve God knows what - won't get you there.

 

[LowActionHero]

I bought a higher quality bass and practiced on it a lot, and I got better.

So, YES...

 

[saabfender]

After seven pages, I got; It doesn't matter if you suck. What did you guys get?

 

[City]

I'd like to say I'm practical. First, time....yes...how much time do I have to practice, well not as much as I want. Second, kinds of gigs, from smokey bars to damp dank basements and storage units. Third....type of music I play, which is classic rock, classic dance rock, and harder classic/modern rock. I am not a jazz stylist, piano accompanist, stage soloist, or anything close to those. I play the songs as exactly to the original as I can, and I do practice those....but ENOUGH ABOUT ME. (although I didn't mention, house, children, and the costs associated with those)

Bottom line, I don't deserve a $3000 bass. I just can't equate playing a $3000 instrument in the land of Oz where I tend to gravitate. I will play the best I can with what I can, which is mid level (500-$1000), well set up, basses and road tough, good sounding bass gear.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

This year I built a dozen sound treatments for my home office / studio. And bought bass traps for the corners. After many years of trying high end gear - and if I were able to re-live life - I would have focused less on gear and more on the hearing environment and technique. It's amazing how much sonic quality I can now squeeze from modest gear (now that I can truly hear it).

 

[MordBass]

High caliber gear does not and cannot improve your playing. Better tone does not get you better gigs.

Being a better, more flexible/knowledgeable player does. This requires practice, study and native talent. Not everyone has the last. Tearing through tens of thousands of dollars per year in gear - and a lot of posters here are doing exactly that, trying to achieve God knows what - won't get you there.

I agree with what you're saying but I feel like there's more to it.
With some people, a high caliber instrument can motivate and inspire you to play more. Some might feel undeserving of its perfection so they up the ante on practicing... some are just infatuated with the feel of the neck and play longer than they otherwise would.
I know there are times that I walk past my basses and see the birdseye board with satin finish on one of my jazz........ 80% of the time i pick it up and play for 20 seconds... then mosey over to the amp because i want to hear that sweet tone... next thing i know its 3 hours later and i've fallen behind on half the day.