I've been playing about 47 years, and I've done a few things that have been, for me, notable. I'm a bass player when I'm being my happiest, still finding my way, and will always be a bass player.
I'm looking at being 65 in a month or so, and I'm (again, or maybe still?...) asking myself: which bass? After years of trying out, guessing, concluding and asking again, through injuries, changes in styles and pursuits, skill sets and inspirations/seeking for inspirations, yadda-yadda... the stuff we all do... Well I've got this motley collection of useable sticks. But shouldn't I have that one that's my always-go-to, my Excaliber, blah blah blah? Maybe I just haven't made my music important enough? Maybe I see it as secondary to working and "having a life", and being something that my 'peers' see as justifiable?
I've got a neck-thru Epi Thunderbird,
a 2013 Sterling Ray 34ca (because a MM is too expensive),
a fretless mod Westone,
a Chickenbacker (used to have a Ric...),
a nice Fender knock-off built and given to me by a luthier friend I've known for 20 years,
and there's a '96 Tobias Growler sitting here a friend has offered to sell me.
I could let all this go for one that came along and fit me like a custom-made glove. The Stingray sounds great, but it's 11+ lbs. The neck on the Tobias is like warm butter on Teflon... but the Tobias sits a little funny, but not the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird sits perfectly- but is a long bass and tight spaces are tough. The Fender knock-off is light as a bag without bricks in it and sounds good, but the neck is too fat front to-back, and slows my left hand down just enough to be disappointing.
Right, nothing new here, life isn't perfect and what you get good at is dealing. I'm just trying to make that field of dealing a little narrower, so I'm venting here- though all this complaining makes me feel like a fragile, fussy poster child for some brand of lithium-based med... lol.
Oh yeah- when I was given the Fender type knock-off (branded the "Two Face", behaves like a P *or* a J, not a P/J. Interesting idea and a very nice bass actually! There's a story behind it, another post maybe), I had to promise 1) to play it, and 2) that I would never sell it. I may have to sand that neck down a bit to keep my part of the bargain... and I've been looking into that.
So if you've read all this, you're either feeling it or you need a life. Lol! But there's my post for the day. I'm one step away from gathering it all up and selling/trading for something that will give me buyer's/seller's remorse for a couple months, then find I've done the right thing. It's all about the process.
No need to reply, but please do if you have something that needs to land on your keyboard... but I'm just putting this down somewhere so I can see it, and either feel silly or inspire a move. Hope this hasn't wasted your time.
I'm looking at being 65 in a month or so, and I'm (again, or maybe still?...) asking myself: which bass? After years of trying out, guessing, concluding and asking again, through injuries, changes in styles and pursuits, skill sets and inspirations/seeking for inspirations, yadda-yadda... the stuff we all do... Well I've got this motley collection of useable sticks. But shouldn't I have that one that's my always-go-to, my Excaliber, blah blah blah? Maybe I just haven't made my music important enough? Maybe I see it as secondary to working and "having a life", and being something that my 'peers' see as justifiable?
I've got a neck-thru Epi Thunderbird,
a 2013 Sterling Ray 34ca (because a MM is too expensive),
a fretless mod Westone,
a Chickenbacker (used to have a Ric...),
a nice Fender knock-off built and given to me by a luthier friend I've known for 20 years,
and there's a '96 Tobias Growler sitting here a friend has offered to sell me.
I could let all this go for one that came along and fit me like a custom-made glove. The Stingray sounds great, but it's 11+ lbs. The neck on the Tobias is like warm butter on Teflon... but the Tobias sits a little funny, but not the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird sits perfectly- but is a long bass and tight spaces are tough. The Fender knock-off is light as a bag without bricks in it and sounds good, but the neck is too fat front to-back, and slows my left hand down just enough to be disappointing.
Right, nothing new here, life isn't perfect and what you get good at is dealing. I'm just trying to make that field of dealing a little narrower, so I'm venting here- though all this complaining makes me feel like a fragile, fussy poster child for some brand of lithium-based med... lol.
Oh yeah- when I was given the Fender type knock-off (branded the "Two Face", behaves like a P *or* a J, not a P/J. Interesting idea and a very nice bass actually! There's a story behind it, another post maybe), I had to promise 1) to play it, and 2) that I would never sell it. I may have to sand that neck down a bit to keep my part of the bargain... and I've been looking into that.
So if you've read all this, you're either feeling it or you need a life. Lol! But there's my post for the day. I'm one step away from gathering it all up and selling/trading for something that will give me buyer's/seller's remorse for a couple months, then find I've done the right thing. It's all about the process.
No need to reply, but please do if you have something that needs to land on your keyboard... but I'm just putting this down somewhere so I can see it, and either feel silly or inspire a move. Hope this hasn't wasted your time.
Last edited:
