I checked out your profile and took a listen at some of your music. It's really good stuff... you deserve the right to play on nice equipment without having to worry about being ashamed
Agreed. That guy can play!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Ever feel guilty owning the gear you do?
- Thread starter Tony G
- Start date
Agreed. That guy can play!
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
The sad part is that unlike our basses, which are getting played the way they were meant to be played, these killer sports cars never get to hug the curves and be DRIVEN the way they were supposed to be driven. Think about that... ;-) A Ferrari doesn't want to be petted or stroked, it wants to eat curves in the road for breakfast.
if THAT'S what you meant you should have made it a little bit clearer.You know exactly what I mean.
anyway, answer is still no. i'm a decent player and i have decent gear.
if THAT'S what you mean you should have made it a little bit clearer.
Perhaps...
I know what you mean. I mean I am a weekend player and my beater bass is a pristine Cirrus 5 I now have a DB750 GS410 AND my Boogie stack 
Now you made me feel guilty
I now have a DB750 GS410 AND my Boogie stack Now you made me feel guilty The P-bass rip-off from Rondo (or Hondo - I forget) may have cost about $100, and the Beatle Bass copy was less than that (it was my first bass) and the Musicmaster cost $70 or so (bought it off my 9th grade music teacher). Everything else ...Moolah, my man! 1979-1982 moolah!
==============
What happened to it all?
I sold most of it off to buy other things, like gas, car repairs, etc. Once I stopped playing out, each item got a little easier to let go of as time went on.
I want to go back in time and slap myself real hard when I sold the MM, the hollow body Ric, and when I gave up my 4001 Ric. (THAT is too long a story to get into!)
I have a sweet Fender Jazz now that I paid only $200 for (plus a recent $70 for set-up, intonation, etc.), a Ripper I may start to modify, and an okay amp/speaker combo, so I don't feel too badly now.
Might get a few pedals, then a better amp, then a fretless, then a... and then...a and maybe.....
(Ah, addiction - the spice of life!)
The sad part is that unlike our basses, which are getting played the way they were meant to be played, these killer sports cars never get to hug the curves and be DRIVEN the way they were supposed to be driven. Think about that... ;-) A Ferrari doesn't want to be petted or stroked, it wants to eat curves in the road for breakfast.
Awesome point!
Nope, I don't! And I have a much gear quality to ability ratio than almost anyone I know! I worked for it, didn't deprive my family at all, and use it all...what more is there?
Dan K.
Dan K.
I spent so long with one bass and one amp that I not only don't feel guilty, I feel bad that I don't have more.
I feel weird in that I pay a ton of attention to my gear, and at the church gig I play, most people just don't bother with it. They play the church bass and amp. The church bass is a USA Guild Pilot, so it's a nice bass, but the strings are forever old... And the amp is pretty inadequate.
Well, I never really thought about it from a "guilt" point of view. I've worked long and hard for my money, and nothing was ever given to me. I've bought a lot of basses/equipment over the years, but it's never been to the detriment of my family. I don't waste money gambling, and I don't have expensive hobbies like golf. So in that respect, I guess I have no reason to feel guilty.
All that being said, sometimes I think I'm not good enough as a bassist to warrant some of the nice things I have. I'm a fundamental, "stay-close-to-the-root", nothing-too-fancy type of player. So technically, I could certainly make do with one decent bass and amp. But I really enjoy having a variety; and I frequently lust after new gear. If I ever felt that I was causing a hardship to my family, I'd sell everything off except what I absolutely need.
All that being said, sometimes I think I'm not good enough as a bassist to warrant some of the nice things I have. I'm a fundamental, "stay-close-to-the-root", nothing-too-fancy type of player. So technically, I could certainly make do with one decent bass and amp. But I really enjoy having a variety; and I frequently lust after new gear. If I ever felt that I was causing a hardship to my family, I'd sell everything off except what I absolutely need.
If we didn't buy their "expensive" gear, guitar and bass companies would go bankrupt and everything would then be custom made, therefore making it harder to be able to afford to play. In a way, us wannabes finance the pros.
Kudos to wannabes!
Kudos to wannabes!
I have swag wayyy above my skill level. However, most people are unaware of what I own. The people I know seem to be the jealous type so I've stopped telling them unprovoked, but, if they ask, well, I won't lie...
No.
I have pretty modest gear. Cheap/medium priced, but powerful and sounds nice enough for me. With my current economical situation, I'm not buying gear that's beyond what I need. Sure if I could afford some high-end gear, I'd probably buy some, but I can't justify the cost for that with my low gigging frequency. It doesn't bring me enough cash to justify a lot of new gear. If I'd buy something, it would be some PA equipment.
I have pretty modest gear. Cheap/medium priced, but powerful and sounds nice enough for me. With my current economical situation, I'm not buying gear that's beyond what I need. Sure if I could afford some high-end gear, I'd probably buy some, but I can't justify the cost for that with my low gigging frequency. It doesn't bring me enough cash to justify a lot of new gear. If I'd buy something, it would be some PA equipment.
