Gear snobs.

[Wasnex]

How do you deal with gear snobs.

My daughter went to an orchestra camp this week. It’s at a large well known university. She has a student cello. A lot of people showed up with their Sadowsky cellos and the such. Being teenagers you can imagine the snobbery.

I feel bad for her,but told her to show them how it’s done. Be humble ,but lay down the chops. She’s good enough to make every honors orchestra she tries out for and plays with the junior philharmonic ,which is part of the local professional philharmonic orchestra.

Gear snobs man, my ten thousand dollar bass means I’m better than you.


I’m working on getting her a good cello, but man if you think bass gear is expensive....

What do you do? Practice and make 1st chair. Course you don't make a big deal of it, unless they start making fun of your crappy instrument. Then you might say something like, that fine instrument didn't do you much good did it. Least that's what I did when I was playing string bass in Jr High and auditioned for all city.

Ironically, the person who tried to belittle me complained to some of the adults after my comment with hopes I would be stripped of the position. I was interviewed and lightly chastized, but the other person got it worse than I did.

Never heard too much about it after this incident, and pretty sure the prima donna quit playing soon afterwards. Must be humiliating only making 6th chair.

 

[Tnavis]

One of my good friends is a very talented amateur cyclist; I'd say he's top 10 in the state at his specialization, not quite good enough to turn pro, but pretty damn close.

When we were in college, after he'd been training for fun for several years, he decided to participate in his first official race. At this point, he had a pretty nice bike; while not one of the crazy carbon fiber Tour de France bikes, it was a respectable piece of hardware; the equivalent of a German Warwick in bass terms; not completely over the top or unheard of, but a recognizable piece of kit that experienced folks would say "Hey, nice bike!" about.

Anyway, he was concerned that if he showed up in full racing spandex and a super sweet bike his first race, he'd look pretty stupid if he just failed all over the place. So he just wore a t-shirt and bike shorts, and raced on his second hand "beater" bike that he had lovingly maintained and used for years. He heard a whole bunch of comments behind his back from folks with much, much nicer bikes than he brought. He took third, I believe, and got a ton of compliments on his skill level from the "pro amateur" folks in the race, including the team he eventually started riding for. The people making fun of him? Yeah.... they didn't finish in the top 10.

The moral of the story is that there will always people who think that the gear (regardless of what the hobby is, and no pun intended... you know... gear... bike...) is what makes the player, and focus on that first. It's super easy to buy nice stuff, it just takes money. However, the folks actually good at what they are doing know very well that hardware, regardless of the activity, is just a tool, and will look past the equipment and focus on the player behind it.

 

[Aidenn7]

If you go to the acoustic forum.. The luthiers can make you a killer custom job for a fair price.. Invalid Link Removed is king for double bass.. I'm sure he has the ability to get your daughter an amazing cello!

 

[Rib 13]

If I can get a sub-$200 instrument that sounds like a $1k+ instrument then my life is complete.

Oh, I hear ya Lima Charlie on that one ...... unfortunately, we both know that statement of yours in quotes above has started countless arguments ( and still does) on TB.. . I'm in your camp depending on the instrument, but usually I just need new strings and a good setup to make any bass sound the way I want.....Conversely, I've heard guys with mediocre technique on multi thousand dollar basses with strings old enough to vote in an amp that cost a second house mortgage sound like complete azz

 

[Brad Johnson]

I read through threads like this and it dawned on me that running into an actual gear snob IRL is something I don't actually recall. If I had I doubt I'd buy into the game. If your bass was better than mine, cool. Someone still has to play it. If you can play "better" than me, cool. You've obviously put more effort into it than I have up to that point. If I wanted better gear, what really stopped me from getting it? And I do mean really, because having priorities can address a ton of ills. Why was i not a better player? Really?

At this point better players inspires me, better chops bore me, price tags mean nothing. Angst free for decades.

 

[Nev375]

You seem to be expecting adolescents to be mature and/or wise.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Oh, I hear ya Lima Charlie on that one ...... unfortunately, we both know that statement of yours in quotes above has started countless arguments ( and still does) on TB.. . I'm in your camp depending on the instrument, but usually I just need new strings and a good setup to make any bass sound the way I want.....Conversely, I've heard guys with mediocre technique on multi thousand dollar basses with strings old enough to vote in an amp that cost a second house mortgage sound like complete azz

And some people with nice gear actually sound good.

The qualities that i look for typically aren't usually the norm in most instruments. They don't set up as well or sound like what I prefer.

I love having great gear... the rest is my fault.

 

[Rib 13]

And some people with nice gear actually sound good.

The qualities that i look for typically aren't usually the norm in most instruments. They don't set up as well or sound like what I prefer.

I love having great gear... the rest is my fault.

There's nothing wrong with having and wanting nice and expensive gear.....it's only when it's shoved in someone's face that it's superior to something else when it isn't is the fallacy.....yes, sometimes it is...but often it isn't.... And sometimes it is but the player wouldn't sound any different on something commonly deemed inferior because of lack of skill or knowing how to setup and maintain the better quality piece

 

[Brad Johnson]

You seem to be expecting adolescents to be mature and/or wise.

Why not? You don't?

I grew up broke. I played bass for around four years before I got my own bass, the rest were borrowed*

As an adolescent in the 1970's, one day I was hanging out at a music store when a kid, maybe 12 came in with his parents. He could barely play and when he got done banging on a few guitars his parents bought him a new Les Paul. And my first thought was "Wow, must be nice".

Getting jealous didn't occur to me as an option... what would it do besides spawn negativity? Should I be envious of his parents? Even at that early age I knew that things aren't always as they seem and that kid could be living a dream... or a nightmare. I also knew that I had a cousin whose parents were divorced and competed by buying him things and he grew up appreciating nothing.

No one has ever bought me any musical instrument or gear. And I was more than cool with that. My stuff was my stuff and there wasn't anything anyone could say that would change that. Everything I ever got I earned. I had skin in the game. My parents brought me up to be responsible, resourceful and to have good self esteem. If you have that it's pretty tough for others to get under your skin.

Funny thing... that's how I brought my son up and his musical experiences mirror mine. If you need to have the best as some sort of competitive edge, your motivation to do this is the complete opposite of ours.

Over the years I've acquired a lot of world class gear, because it does what I want it to do and makes my job easier. If it were to get a leg up on someone... who? I like to joke that lying is much more economically feasible. "Yeah, I have a Ferrari... damn thing stays in the shop". Look at all of the money I saved.



*the first bass was a copy of a Fender Telecaster bass that I got from Western Auto. $79 brand new and I made 12 monthly payments. I was ballin'

 

[mexicanyella]

mods, please delete

 

[walking Bass]

I saw (Nigel) Kennedy break a string on his violin during a concert with the San Francisco Symphony, trade violins with the first violinist who played a violin made in San Mateo, CA, by Ken Su and no one could tell the difference. I assume Kennedy was playing an "acclaimed" violin given his status as noted soloist prior to the break. So much for "needing" that Strad or Guarneri.

 

[Teddybear]

I guess I'm strange about my tastes. I'm proud when I have made it or created it or at least modified it with my own two hands. Nothing makes me prouder than to start with something less than top shelf and turning it into, what I consider, a masterpiece or a work of art. Yes I'm a gear snob. However, I look down my nose at people that buy something and don't modify it in some way. I don't let them know that. Usually, they are gear snobs towards me and my "homemade" creations. I'm proud that I have the skills to make something the right way. It's a source of laughter behind their backs.

 

[Nev375]

Why not? You don't?

No. I don't for the same reason I don't expect cats to bark, nor dogs to climb trees.

Kids are kids and they do immature things and do not have their value systems sorted out yet.

I grew up broke. I played bass for around four years before I got my own bass, the rest were borrowed*

As an adolescent in the 1970's, one day I was hanging out at a music store when a kid, maybe 12 came in with his parents. He could barely play and when he got done banging on a few guitars his parents bought him a new Les Paul. And my first thought was "Wow, must be nice".

Getting jealous didn't occur to me as an option... what would it do besides spawn negativity? Should I be envious of his parents? Even at that early age I knew that things aren't always as they seem and that kid could be living a dream... or a nightmare. I also knew that I had a cousin whose parents were divorced and competed by buying him things and he grew up appreciating nothing.

No one has ever bought me any musical instrument or gear. And I was more than cool with that. My stuff was my stuff and there wasn't anything anyone could say that would change that. Everything I ever got I earned. I had skin in the game. My parents brought me up to be responsible, resourceful and to have good self esteem. If you have that it's pretty tough for others to get under your skin.

Funny thing... that's how I brought my son up and his musical experiences mirror mine. If you need to have the best as some sort of competitive edge, your motivation to do this is the complete opposite of ours.

That's cool and all. Good for you. But other people are not you. And you shouldn't expect other people's kids to be raised according to your values no matter how early you managed to mature and develop them.

 

[elgranluis]

How do you deal with gear snobs.

My daughter went to an orchestra camp this week. It’s at a large well known university. She has a student cello. A lot of people showed up with their Sadowsky cellos and the such. Being teenagers you can imagine the snobbery.

I feel bad for her,but told her to show them how it’s done. Be humble ,but lay down the chops. She’s good enough to make every honors orchestra she tries out for and plays with the junior philharmonic ,which is part of the local professional philharmonic orchestra.

Gear snobs man, my ten thousand dollar bass means I’m better than you.


I’m working on getting her a good cello, but man if you think bass gear is expensive....

LOL ! Just relic the cello! Add a hand-written sticker “ Giorgio filligrini 1758, Cremona” .

But , TBH, a lot of classical players play modern instruments. My upright teacher’s bass was made in 2000. Granted, it took him a year to pay for it (that’s what he told me ).

 

[Ian McLaughlin]

I show them this...

WTH dude? You don't like reading?

Talk about missing the point.

 

[juancaminos]

This will be a good lesson for her because it only gets worse. Clothes, hair styles, shoes, fingernails, boyfriends, cars, rims, tires, stereos, boats, fishing gear, RV's, sand toys, trade tools, tool boxes, houses, neighborhoods, restaurants, kayaks, jackets, rc cars, computers, phones, schools, degrees, ink pens, lunches, pets, BBQ's, lawn mowers, spouses, alcohol, playing for money vs selling beer vs putting on a show vs wearing shorts vs playing when your old...anything and everything has snob potential.

 

[Robscott]

Right there with you having a tuba playing daughter. Ouch!

Unfortunately, mine learned my ways in dealing with snotty students. Two words, one starts with F, the other with an O, and employ the correct snarl to go with it. Works every time for her.

I wouldn't start up a fight with someone holding a tuba anyways

 

[Andy Daventry]

I’d give up all my basses if it would make me a better player. But it wont.

It might. I am a strong believer in having as few basses as you can, and only one when you're learning. Having more than one instrument distracts you from the business of learning to play by focusing you on comparing basses all the time, and looking for the "grail". But there is no grail. You think you don't sound right because you don't have the right bass, so you put all your effort into finding the right bass rather than sounding right. Having one bass and one amp which will "do" is the way to go.

 

[BoogieZK]

If by Gear Snobs you mean someone who have an expensive instrument... Well i am a gear snob.
But i don't rub it in face of others.

Well, that said, i run a bass teaching group at my work (i am not the teacher) and many adults students starts with students instruments.
My goal is to have every one enjoying the teaching and it does not matter what you play on.

It is a matter of enjoying what you have before dreaming of something which is not making you play better.

 

[seilerbird]

Mike - Most rich people think it is pointless to be rich unless you can show it off. Take a Rolex watch for example. They certainly do not keep better time than a Timex. But rich people wear them to show that they have so much money that they can buy a $5000 watch just to keep time, even though they have a cell phone in their pocket. You just gotta learn to feel sorry for the snobs. If money is what is important to them they they will lead a miserable life trying to be better and richer than everyone else.