GAS free guide to Bass purchasing

[AngelCrusher]

Its true but at the end of the day I'm trying to think of players and Guns i have met that have mastered the upright and the electric and the list is short.

If you are an electric bass player and you want gigs, by no means is it a bad idea to have a 5er. That's what I play now.

But if you are starting out and want to be a pro, not have GAS, and focus on your craft - PBass. That is the point of my first post.

If you say this - "You can have a P-bass all you want, but if you can't groove then.." you missed the entire point of my post in the first place.

 

[wintremute]

Yes, Fact.

the First Post of course is Excellent advice.. but for what? Classic Rock band bass player??

its 2015 and in this era of Digital MAdness and DJ and Effects and whose bass looks cooler and what-not, there is way more than a P-Bass to get touring.. or pro etc..

You can have a P-bass all you want, but if you can't groove then..

I will say this, yes probably in the Studio for recording maybe some "older" producer wants a P-bass.. but its 2015.. and Unless you are recording with James Taylor or that Artists whose been around for awhile.. you know those Artists who are still around touring.. Lionel Richie, and anyone over 50 etc..

anyway in 2015, the "youngsters" better be agile and diverse with styles and better be able to play keyboard bass and upright.. solely for not losing out on more "jobs"

so when the recording engineer wants an upright sound do you have to get a specific upright bass that is the "sound" of all ages? to get Pro..

Look at the latest in Youtube Viral crap videos.. "all about that bass" etc..

on top of that, everybody is turning into recording from Home studio and you can just fake the whole P-bass sound anyway..

Other than these other viewpoints, I am not disagreeing with the OP.. but just trying to make sure everybody remembers its 2015

Is this your Opinion or your Experience? Are you a professional? I'd love to hear another viewpoint from someone with solid experience who is in the industry.

 

[Bergulum]

I dont understand why it has to be a Fender P. Sure they are reliable and work well in most situations but there are copies that can do the P sound as good as any Fender and far more. You don't need a Fender P. It is just the easiest way around.

 

[DinoRock]

I dont understand why it has to be a Fender P. Sure they are reliable and work well in most situations but there are copies that can do the P sound as good as any Fender and far more. You don't need a Fender P. It is just the easiest way around.

I'm very happy to see this thread resurface. Note that I have significant studio experience over the past ~40 years and I agree wholeheartedly with the OP, who I do not know.

I believe that if you are a pretty much unknown quantity who managed to catch the eye of a studio and come in to a session with only a 5-string Alembic, your probability of being rehired is significantly less than if you walk in, take out a Fender P, do your thing and leave, all things being equal. Now, if you also had the Alembic with you, an engineer might ask you to try a take with it, or not. Certainly once you are very established, you might be able to ask if it's ok to try a take with the Alembic, but don't be surprised if the answer is that they like what you've been doing with the P.

Remember, the OP is only discussing getting your foot in the door as a studio bass player, not a touring pro, not going into a studio with a band, not which bass is better or best, etc. Not which bass is best for the money. Not even whether or not a Fender P is a good, mediocre, or poor quality instrument. He is discussing one way to maximize your probability of earning a living/working regularly as a studio musician in professional studios.

 

[wintremute]

Remember, the OP is only discussing getting your foot in the door as a studio bass player, not a touring pro, not going into a studio with a band, not which bass is better or best, etc. Not which bass is best for the money. Not even whether or not a Fender P is a good, mediocre, or poor quality instrument. He is discussing one way to maximize your probability of earning a living/working regularly as a studio musician in professional studios.

I thought he DID also mean a touring pro. He says in his first post:
Stage 1 - Commitment to becoming a Pro player (hired gun/touring artist/studio player).
Stage 2 - Studio Player/Veteran Touring artist

Do you think he's incorrect with the "stick to the American P" approach when it applies to touring?

 

[jfh2424]

Its true but at the end of the day I'm trying to think of players and Guns i have met that have mastered the upright and the electric and the list is short.

Of course, very few people master the electric, upright and keyboard bass. In truth, very few people master only one of these instruments. But a whole lot of Professional bassists are passable on at least two of the three. Not because they want to be great on them...they do it because they want to eat. And being a pro bassist who is only good on a PBass is a tough way to earn a living.

There's nothing wrong with this thread in my opinion. A PBass is a fine instrument to start with. I own one myself and I bring it on some auditions and projects because it calms everyone down. These are mainly people who listen with their eyes and a PBass is really great for those people because it makes them feel secure. So be it! As a Professional, you will soon see that the majority of the people who listen to you actually listen with their eyes. It is a sad fact. But we need to process this, not run away from it. And owning and playing a PBass is a part of this proccess.

The only thing lacking here, as I have stated a few times, is that being a Professional bass player is not as simple as it once was. This guide to purchasing would have worked really well in the 1970s. Now, if you want to feed yourself and your family as a Professional bassist, you will most probably have to do more than just what is written here. At some point, chances are very strong that you will be asked to produce bass notes on something else than an electric 4 string instrument. Therefore, if you have been encouraged to purchase three electrics (as noted by the OP here) and have been told that this enough, you will be in for a rude awakening.

Maybe you will also get lucky, get picked up by some sort of rock band that is at a stage where they are touring the world and making lots of money where you will only asked to produce bass on a 4 string electric. That's great, you are a tourning Professional and you have made it! But most Professional bassist are not that lucky. Surviving pushing out bass notes is not easy. I feel like I need to tell you that. Often, we start out with a PBass and things happen along the way. What you decide to do is up to you. Good luck!

John

 

[DinoRock]

I thought he DID also mean a touring pro. He says in his first post:
Stage 1 - Commitment to becoming a Pro player (hired gun/touring artist/studio player).
Stage 2 - Studio Player/Veteran Touring artist

Do you think he's incorrect with the "stick to the American P" approach when it applies to touring?

That is a very fair question. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to comment on the best way to become a hired-gun-touring-bassist these days. There are others here on TB who I believe have the credentials to comment. For me, the two (studio and live) went hand-in-hand many moons ago, though I believe in my case, a lot was right place/right time. I have kept up with studio work and feel comfortable speaking to that. However, the world of backing up modern artists (I'm not talking about the old timers who are still doing their thing) is something that I am not qualified to comment on.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Often, we start out with a PBass and things happen along the way. What you decide to do is up to you. Good luck!

John

Thats really the point of my thread man. Master the Pbass when you start out..stop trying to buy other basses. It's a GAS free guide. Thats all it is.

 

[AngelCrusher]

I thought he DID also mean a touring pro. He says in his first post:
Stage 1 - Commitment to becoming a Pro player (hired gun/touring artist/studio player).
Stage 2 - Studio Player/Veteran Touring artist

Do you think he's incorrect with the "stick to the American P" approach when it applies to touring?

Touring is easier. You can show up with what your research tells you the band likes when you audition. If you just have a P bass and show up for a rock or country audition, you are in good shape though.

You can tour with about any bass from there. But again, by that point you are now really at stage 2.

If you log the hours on the P and don't worry about acquiring gear, your skill set should be developed to the point where you can switch to something else pretty quickly. I switched to a 5 for some gigs when I was 18 and had zero issues.

 

[Felix1776]

Angelcrusher, Why did you make the decision to go passive for your J5? I'm just curious as it seems like the majority of higher end J5 basses are active.

 

[SteveC]

I'm not completely sorry that I had terrible GAS. It "allowed" me to try many fine - and some not so fine - basses. Not a bad thing. I think it helped me decide what I really like. I do sometimes wish I had just stuck with one bass for a long time, got REALLY good at it, and saved A LOT of money and a lot of time (over)analyzing my gear. I am envious of guys who have had the same bass for the last 20+ years.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Angelcrusher, Why did you make the decision to go passive for your J5? I'm just curious as it seems like the majority of higher end J5 basses are active.

I went passive because I just do studio work and a passive bass is always going to work. I also have an active bass as well. The J5 passive is basically a "hey I do studio work and need one bass to fit 90% of sessions" type thing.

 

[Felix1776]

I went passive because I just do studio work and a passive bass is always going to work. I also have an active bass as well. The J5 passive is basically a "hey I do studio work and need one bass to fit 90% of sessions" type thing.

Thanks. This is still a great thread.

 

[Off-Beat]

[...]

What I'm always wondering about is:

If I build myself an ash or alder Explorer with a single split coil gutted from an american P and hide it bellow an soapbar cover right in the sweet spot, would those awesome producers who know what cuts through a mix ditch me for my bass even when it actually is a Precision Bass and totally sounds like one in the mix?

 

[Felix1776]

What I'm always wondering about is:

If I build myself an ash or alder Explorer with a single split coil gutted from an american P and hide it bellow an soapbar cover right in the sweet spot, would those awesome producers who know what cuts through a mix ditch me for my bass even when it actually is a Precision Bass and totally sounds like one in the mix?

Just because you have a P pickup doesn't mean you have a P bass. Sum of all parts, amirite?

 

[Off-Beat]

That's why I wrote that it totally sounds like it.

 

[Timmy-Watts]

I'm way beyond being an up and coming beginner, but in large part because the OP's words of wisdom, I've pared my gear down and become finally GAS free. In familiarizing myself more intimately with my particular instruments, I have become a much better musician, with a lot more possibilities opened up on all my instruments. I'm truly doing a lot more with less. I got my favorite P, J, and 2 Peavey Cirruses (Cirri? I LOVE them!).

 

[SteveC]

I have pared my gear down to my Roscoe fretted 5, a little Genz Benz combo/extension, and a DI/IEM board. Can't get a whole lot more basic than that - other than a passive 4 string P but I've tried that and it just doesn't work for me - at least not at the moment. I could play one I guess but no one seems to mind my Roscoe and I like to play it.