• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Does seeing and hearing an elite bassist cure your GAS?

#41
GIBrat51 said:
Bass? No, but every time my Jones for a National Steel resonator guitar gets bad, watching a couple of Youtube videos of Roy Rogers (no, not that Roy Rogers) playing one (especially the one where he plays "Walkin' Blues", slide style, on a 12-string resonator), makes it go away again. My hands have never been able to move that fast. :(
Click to expand...

Oh great! Now look at what you've done! You've given me 12 string resonator GAS!

http://www.forbiddenguitars.com/12StringResoProto/12StringResoProto.html

Only a mere four and a half grand. Maybe I can sell a kidney!

No doubt Roy Rogers is cool, but I don't let that kind of stuff worry me anymore. There is no rule that says that I have to duplicate every lick that every guitar player in the world can do. I'm never going to be able to do that even if I wanted to. Point is we are all different and my music is not the same as the next guy's music. He does his and I do mine. Hopefully there is solid value in both!

Now let me enjoy this major GAS you've created! :)
 
#42
It takes years to learn an almost infinite amount of music on any instrument whichever approach an individual takes. The academic approach requires different skills from the Folk approach, which includes Rock etc.
Generally thinking, a player can only play the one instrument at a time. A bass player should begin with an instrument that is affordable and comfortable. Depending on the workload and earnings, as he makes
progress, he may require a higher grade model but still wish to keep his first bass for sentimental reasons. Nothing wrong with that. Should he require another type of bass, could be fretless or different pick ups or
5 string - I see no harm in that unless it is beyond the pocket. G.A.S. is when purchasing guitars/basses goes out of control. I have a dozen main instruments plus 2 keyboards. Each exists in the inventory for a specific
purpose. This is the view that an individual should take. One bass man may need an upright string bass for trad Jazz band gigs and a P.B. or something for club-band jobs. Some rock bands only do a few gigs a year
in the lower divisions and a bass man just doing that need not over-invest money in more than essentials. It all boils down to how many you can afford. Basses come in brands that:
1. depreciate in value as they age. 2. hold their price. 3. appreciate in value. Select wisely - don't be scared of asking for advice.
 
#43
I don't even know what basses "the elite bassists" are using. What gear some other bass player uses has no relevance for what gear I like or want to use. I am me, not some other person.

Of course it is true most of us should spend more time using the gear we already have instead of looking for the next holy grail, but come on, how much fun would that be? ;)
 
#45
I really don't see why it has to be a contradiction though, you can be serious about your craft and your tools/toys at the same time. Nice tools are inspiring and motivating, they makes practicing and playing more enjoyable for me. I think that may actually make me a better player in the long run. I don't look forward as much to practicing if I have to use an instrument I don't really like. There is probably a break-even point when your tools are "good enough", but where that point is is individual.
 
#48
I find that listening to better players doesn't cure my GAS, nor does it make me GAS for whatever they play. Listening to better players inspires me to step up my game, and usually makes me GAS for an instrument that will help me in that goal. Right now I'm gassing hard for an Ibanez BTB7, because I want to stretch my melodic and tonal boundaries, and I think that might be a fun and different way to do it.
 
#49
It's likely the top flight bassist will sound incredible no matter the quality or cost of the bass. I am definitely impressed when I witness a virtuoso performance, and after such an experience I want to either give up or head to the woodshed. Either way, the experience usually ends my GAS....except when it doesn't.
 
#50
Baird6869 said:
Nope. Seeing a great bassist play just gets me p!$$ed off at my lack of skills
and makes me want to practice harder.

I have seen great bassists play everything from Squiers to Foderas. I do own both, but wouldn't buy one (or avoid buying one) just because I saw a player ripping it up with one.
Click to expand...

+1. Although after seeing Vic Wooten live the first thought that came to my mind was "what's the use". Truth is, Vic could tear it up on any old bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Baird6869
#51
JimmyM said:
Blood pressure pill...missed yours today, Bongo? ;)
Click to expand...

No pressure Boomie! Just plain old fashioned musical truth! Dad was a drummer and he drilled into me that 1. you never stop learning about music. and 2. you can learn something new and important from each musician you meet no matter how much a noob or how bad you think the are.

You just have to pay attention.
 
#53
image.jpg

Stanley Clarke blows me away every time.....I can't even come close to his playing.

But, I can get one of his designed basses!

NBD rare 1980 Clarke Spellbinder...pic heavy. | TalkBass.com
 
#54
What it makes me want to do is nothing more than master my own rig so I can olay what they can play.

I'm really comfortable with my equipment, and it doesn't make me want anything else. Music is music and I want to play it, so there's no need to buy new equipment that I'm unfamiliar with so I have that learning curve again.
 
#56
Markent17 said:
I had been in the market for two new basses. Then i happened to see a video of Anthony Wellington and another video of Victor Wooten and i began to realize what a waste of money it would be to buy new (or even used) basses when i haven't mastered the very nice bass i already own. I'm not a collector. I truly want to learn to play at a higher level than i do. Why splurge on new basses when i really need to improve before i can justify the expense. Those videos were both inspiring and depressing. But they cured my GAS.
Click to expand...

If I could, I would like your post a million times.....

Keep reinventing what you do on your bass, Keep rediscovering what she has to offer, and keep listening to what she's trying to show you......:thumbsup:
 
#57
Markent17 said:
I had been in the market for two new basses. Then i happened to see a video of Anthony Wellington and another video of Victor Wooten and i began to realize what a waste of money it would be to buy new (or even used) basses when i haven't mastered the very nice bass i already own. I'm not a collector. I truly want to learn to play at a higher level than i do. Why splurge on new basses when i really need to improve before i can justify the expense. Those videos were both inspiring and depressing. But they cured my GAS.
Click to expand...

I have to admit I see a lot of these great bass players and it does get rid of GAS sometimes, sometimes it causes it though. When I bought my new stingray 5 not long ago the the video I saw that really made me want another stingray (sold one a decade ago) was seeing the video of Marcus miller play at the mark bass booth at namm on a stingray which I guess was the only bass at the mark bass booth. But I saw that and was happy because I was prepared to spend a lot more on something I may not have liked as much. If you guys haven't heard it Id check it out because the bass sounded great between Miller, the stingray, and the mark bass setup and to me proved you don't have to spend several thousand on a boutique bass to get a great sound.

The times it cures gas. I have the upmost for respect victor Wooten as a musician and a teacher. The guy is Not only an amazing bassist but a great person, and I know there's people here on TB who'd give thier left N&@ for him. That said Im just not going for his type of tone at all. In fact I've yet to hear anyone play a fodera and thought, man I want that bass. And for me a lot of basses and gear are like that. Where it's a situation where i can listen to others use certain gear and I know they are sick musicians but it's just not something that suits me personally

For me though with hi end gear most of my gas is cured by either owning or at times even just playing a bass at a store. roscoe for example. They make great basses and I can see why people like them and are willing to fork out plenty of money for them, but it just wasn't me. Some basses just aren't comfortable to me or whatever and really out of all of us on TB our hands are all different so to me there's a reason dofferent people like different basses. Warwicks Another story. I owned 4 German warwicks and spent well over 10k for them. But for me a lot of what made warwick special died when they both instroduced the rock bass line and lost their distrubution partnership with Dana b goods. warwick used to be really special. I felt like I was lucky to play them. After the changes the brand lost a lot of my respect. I realize they want everyone playing their basses but They should have never put the "W" on the rockbass headstocks. No one else does that. Not Gibson/epiphone not fender/squire, not Ken smith/ksd not even ESP/ltd no one
 
#58
I've been blessed with great quality gear at the right times in my life and each piece of gear is, to me, like a new girlfriend: I'll spend all the time with it that I can, learning it's personality, nuances and quirks since every single amp, bass, pedal, etc all reacts uniquely to me. After that I love to watch some of the bass virtuosos do their thing (got to see and meet Norm Stockton and Bill "Budda" Dickens!) but I'm simultaneously humbled at my own comparative lack of talent and super motivated to woodshed as hard as I can (until I log back onto Talkbass and GAS hits again :D). However I'm finding that the more I progress technically on my instruments the more I'm falling in love with keeping a simple, intoxicating and fun groove so the other instruments can have their moment in the limelight.

After all, whether they know it or not all those pretty girls in the cowboy boots and daisey duke shorts are dancing to what the BASSIST is playing, not the lead singer or guitarist! :bassist::cool:
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back