Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
Another Canadian connection. The album title was the clincher for me leaving this here.
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Every bass is a gamble
- Thread starter bassballs27
- Start date
Another Canadian connection. The album title was the clincher for me leaving this here.
Yes it's true. But after 30 years of owning and playing countless basses...it's less of a gamble now. Kinda like going from a beginner wine enthusiast to a seasoned connoisseur. Unfortunately, refining your tastes doesn't happen overnight.
Some people never refine their tastes, or wind up stuck living in the past, or wind up with horrible taste.
Case in point: Rudy Sarzo.
As for basses being a gamble, I own two identical (in theory) basses. I bought a Fender PJ Mustang earlier this year, and liked it so much that I bought a second. The first one had a rosewood board and the second is Pau Ferro. With the same strings and (then) stock electronics they sounded like different instruments! Out of idle curiosity I swapped the necks over, and the Pau Ferro neck makes for a brighter bass. The fretwork and finish of the neck was better on the rosewood bass, whereas the fretwork was rougher on the Pau Ferro, with some lacquer sinking into the end of the fret slots. The rosewood bass had an error in the wiring harness, whereas the other bass was ok.
True. I bought my fretless Tony Franklin new and sight-unseen. Took a huge gamble there, especially ecily since the store had to order it from the USA. Luckily, I love it and it turned out to be the best, most playable bass I have had so far!
I do enough research that I know what to expect. Nothing is a gamble thanks to generous return policies!!!
Once in a while you have to eat shipping costs and that's about it...still, not bad to rent a bass for $30!
Once in a while you have to eat shipping costs and that's about it...still, not bad to rent a bass for $30!
I think the ultimate gamble is with any bass we are given such little time to test it out and have to invest right away. The internet sales even take the test away.
How can you possibly try a bass in every scenario possible before buying? That’s easy...it doesn’t happen!
I actually enjoy the bass gamble...like
Forest Gump said “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”...and that’s part of the fun of being a musician!
How can you possibly try a bass in every scenario possible before buying? That’s easy...it doesn’t happen!
I actually enjoy the bass gamble...like
Forest Gump said “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”...and that’s part of the fun of being a musician!
Well said.
I worked in an independent music store for ten years, and it never mattered what instruments cost. Every guitar, bass, or what-have-you that came in, I checked it out. My favorite guitar for YEARS was a squier "jagmaster". It did everything I needed. I've had nice stuff, and I've had crummy stuff. It is what it is, and until you find YOUR instrument, the journey will be full of ups and downs.
Enjoy your instruments for what they are. They either teach you to deal without having those awesome active pups that you crave, or maybe they'll let you appreciate tuning machines that actually stay put.
Everyone needs to start on an instrument that makes them work harder to get a good sound and feel. That's just how you get better, along with dedication and practice.
Thank you for putting this out there.
I agree, even if you liked the bass while actually holding it it doesn't guarantee it won't disappoint you later, not to mention online purchases. The same is true for any product.
I'm strongly convinced you can't tell if the bass is good until you take it to a rehearsal and try in the field. You can't know if the neck is stable until it sees a sudden weather change. In other words, you have to use it for a while. Brief examination isn't enough to be sure.
I'm strongly convinced you can't tell if the bass is good until you take it to a rehearsal and try in the field. You can't know if the neck is stable until it sees a sudden weather change. In other words, you have to use it for a while. Brief examination isn't enough to be sure.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
LOL. Are you just bored? This is the most trollish post I've read in a long time.
OK. One of the most trollish.
BassHappy
Supporting Member
I often wonder if one day a fully synthetic bass will be built that offers the exact tonal characteristics and build quality. That way the only variable to change the sound is the player. Imagine that, going to a music store and only selecting one brand and choosing the number of strings. It would run wirelessly and be capable of being programmed to sound like anything. Almost like / fully compatible with MIDI.
No gambling this way...but what would be the fun in that. Many people would sound the same.
No gambling this way...but what would be the fun in that. Many people would sound the same.
What you described already can be achieved by means of synths. However, even keyboard players can have unique sound. It's only an instrument. All graphic editors draw pixels in the same way, however any good graphic designer has recognizable style.
By the way, Kramer has produced guitars with aluminium necks. I wonder if all they sound the same.
I have both good and bad experiences using both brick and mortar stores and online stores. I don't think they can be generalized. Store reputation means more then physical location to me.
Some people never refine their tastes, or wind up stuck living in the past, or wind up with horrible taste.
Case in point: Rudy Sarzo.
As for basses being a gamble, I own two identical (in theory) basses. I bought a Fender PJ Mustang earlier this year, and liked it so much that I bought a second. The first one had a rosewood board and the second is Pau Ferro. With the same strings and (then) stock electronics they sounded like different instruments! Out of idle curiosity I swapped the necks over, and the Pau Ferro neck makes for a brighter bass. The fretwork and finish of the neck was better on the rosewood bass, whereas the fretwork was rougher on the Pau Ferro, with some lacquer sinking into the end of the fret slots. The rosewood bass had an error in the wiring harness, whereas the other bass was ok.
I'm getting ready to sell a few basses this week and buy a mustang. I was hoping for better QC then that, especially since the SX jazz I'm trading in for the 15 percent off is pretty good.
Oh I wouldn’t doubt synths can cop bass pretty good. But there isn’t a bass that’s made to be almost perfectly digitized so the pluck of the string would be mimicked almost exactly from most players. That’s what I’m trying to describe into words. Does that make anymore sense?
