Wish I could give you a double-like on this. You are dead-on target!
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How does one get over bass / instrument hoarding?
- Thread starter Menorahman
- Start date
I've been fighting with this amp all week trying to eliminate the buzz & finally surmised it's the amp & not my guitars. I am debating with myself now whether to just return it to GC or just live with the treble turned down.
This is one of the things that will put you off buying new or used gear also, faulty equipment.
I'm really thankful to the OP and all you participants for you have truly challenged my path and thinking. So much so that 2 bass are leaving today (gotta change my avatar because one of them is going) and possibly one cab. I'm holding on to them out of fear of lost (money and property), and not because I sincerely love them.
FF
FF
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The FedEx centers here in Nashville sell boxes designed to ship basses for about $12 a pop. FedEx centers in other places might sell them, too--check it out.
I have owned about 30 guitars and basses for quite a while. Owning and maintaining that gear has been uneventful until recently. I bought a new house and have a pregnant wife. With her unable to help, I decided I have a little too much stuff. Will likely sell a few things here n' there. I've joked that I might buy a few headless guitars and basses because they take up less space. 
True to my word, two basses gone. Couldn't fit the cab and my son in my vechile with the basses. Strangely enough, even though I technically lost money on the sale, I don't see it as a lost. It was money already spent with the original purchase. Can't lose what's already gone.
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Yeah, when I thinned my gear down to a minimalist approach, I was almost relieved; it was as if they owned me, not me owning them. It's very easy to become a prisoner of posessions.
Especially if your coming from an position of lack or loss.
FF
Personally, I love doing the occasional gig that I do, or going to a jam and having the toughest decision of the day being which bass to bring.
You obviously have some concern about GAS. Maybe make a check list.
- Can I afford these basses, or did I let important financial commitments slide?
- Do I still enjoy these basses after I buy them, or is the thrill in buying them?
- Which basses do I need to play my music, and which might somebody else have more use for?
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I never had 30. I've had 5 and even with 5 I really only played 1 or 2. Imo it's your money, buy what you want. From time to time I do see people get caught up in this I have more than you type of deal. I have more basses, I have more amps, more speakers, more pedals. It's all pretty silly really. A lot of times I see big collections and don't see a single bass that Id actually want to own and maintain. Justin Chancellor for the most part plays one bass. Victor Wooten is pretty much the same deal. flea has his favorite though he will play a couple different basses from time to time. Most of the better bass players I know have their "baby" and that's what they generally play. I currently own two basses a mia Musicman stingray 5 and a sterling by musicman ray34cafl fretless 4. If I bought another right now it would be a sbmm ray35 as a less expensive back up for my stingray 5 which is my main gigging bass. There's some basses Id buy if I just had tons of money to spend for example an 8 string, a decent acoustic bass, an ns upright, a NS stick maybe, you know "weird" basses thay Id likely never take to a gig with my rock band. I can kinda see owning say a stingray, a jazz, a P bass, a ric and so on if you're an actual studio musician and want the options and would use them regularly but for me personally we spend anywhere from 2-3k just on production making an album. I'll buy a bass just to record and flip it afterwards if I want a particular bass for the session. Now yeah if I was rich I'd probably have the walls of the man cave lined with basses. But I'm not lol.
I feel like playing only one bass would make you play a little better, but I think it's more fun playing different ones. I never really understood the chase for a "perfect" instrument, they are mostly all good for different reasons. I also think avoiding a bass because of a physical issue (not your preferred string spacing, neck, etc.) is kinda lame, unless you have an injury. Better to be well-versed across variations imo.
So normally I'd ignore these type of posts because I do feel if you can afford it, then it's all good. BUT! I went and looked through your postings. LOL. Since you made this thread, you've made several inquiries on listings and put a few things up for sale. hahaha. It's kind of funny but not funny. You may actually have an issue with buying dude. Your profile says you're 25, so either you're rolling in dough or your up to your eye balls in debt. Hopefully you're rolling in dough. It's none of my business, but I've gone off the deep end many, many times with other things and spent thousands before realizing what a mistake I'd made.
Look at it this way. If you have 30 basses, you'd have to play a different one all the time in order to even justify having them. Unless you just buy them to look at them, in which case you're more of a collector.
I don't know. I'd talk to someone. See if there's an actual issue here. You know someone qualified for these type of things.
That way you can rule it out if there isn't. The amount you've bought in one year is insane to me, but I could never afford that.
Look at it this way. If you have 30 basses, you'd have to play a different one all the time in order to even justify having them. Unless you just buy them to look at them, in which case you're more of a collector.
I don't know. I'd talk to someone. See if there's an actual issue here. You know someone qualified for these type of things.
That way you can rule it out if there isn't. The amount you've bought in one year is insane to me, but I could never afford that.
If you ask me you just reach a point and it stops.
I share the house with 61 basses and of them only 3 are pairs.The variety of scales,strings,tones and even looks inspire me to play.
Somethings work better some than on others.For years I had 1 bass and some years I played any bass I could borrow.No need for
that now.
Sure I could probably sell some but know I'd regret it.Just this morning a fella wanted a Curbow,took mine down from the wall, plugged it in
and thought " Good luck friend cause you ain't getting this "
Fellow players are free to drop by and try them if they're looking for a particular tone or just for the hell of it so that's one valid reason.If you can
afford them it's not a problem.
Do I harbour any guilt or regret due to owning so many basses,not on your life
I share the house with 61 basses and of them only 3 are pairs.The variety of scales,strings,tones and even looks inspire me to play.
Somethings work better some than on others.For years I had 1 bass and some years I played any bass I could borrow.No need for
that now.
Sure I could probably sell some but know I'd regret it.Just this morning a fella wanted a Curbow,took mine down from the wall, plugged it in
and thought " Good luck friend cause you ain't getting this "
Fellow players are free to drop by and try them if they're looking for a particular tone or just for the hell of it so that's one valid reason.If you can
afford them it's not a problem.
Do I harbour any guilt or regret due to owning so many basses,not on your life
Yeah, in 35 years or so of the music gear merry-go-round I was on, owning, trading and selling more instruments and other equipment than I can even remember, I regret very little and miss only a small handful.
I really found I prefer the minimalist approach. That's just me...others like and want different things.
I have the the "classic" vintage Fenders pair, and have had them for many years so I have no desires there. I gig a good bit and had my long time bass tech build me what I would call "enhanced" versions of the P, J and MM basses as gig basses. I have a couple of others too, but since my main focus is working basses (and I have those) the desire to have lots of basses is just not there, not to say I didn't do a lot of flipping in my early years ... But it was the focus thing stopped my wanting MORE, MORE, MORE.
So normally I'd ignore these type of posts because I do feel if you can afford it, then it's all good. BUT! I went and looked through your postings. LOL. Since you made this thread, you've made several inquiries on listings and put a few things up for sale. hahaha. It's kind of funny but not funny. You may actually have an issue with buying dude. Your profile says you're 25, so either you're rolling in dough or your up to your eye balls in debt. Hopefully you're rolling in dough. It's none of my business, but I've gone off the deep end many, many times with other things and spent thousands before realizing what a mistake I'd made.
Look at it this way. If you have 30 basses, you'd have to play a different one all the time in order to even justify having them. Unless you just buy them to look at them, in which case you're more of a collector.
I don't know. I'd talk to someone. See if there's an actual issue here. You know someone qualified for these type of things.
I have no debt. I used the money my grandma left me on instruments and grad school. And there's really only one bass on the classifieds I'm interested in, but I want to sell somethings first.
You don't have to explain to me. Haha. I was just offering prospective. Really it's none of my business how you pay for things or what you have. I know addiction well, had many struggles myself. Just thought you may be dealing with that but you may not as well.
Good luck with whatever you decide sir!!
