So now having a bass on the wall and two in a box is going to end the world? God I'm going to hell.
JK
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How does one justify owning several basses?
- Thread starter dan.ablett
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JK
i have 3. i sometimes feel guilty about it, but as i gig more and play bigger venues, it's nice having a choice:
my SX jazz (ash) is awesome for recording
my tbc single buck is great when playing bigger venues - it really cuts.
i have to say, tho, my 'new to me' p/j is pretty much the tone i've been looking for. i put some roto nylon flats on it....mmm, it's chewy and dubby! i'd gladly let go of my other two if i had to choose.
i like that i can spend gig money on new/new to me gear. makes me feel good about what i do and the music i play.
what i can't do, however, is spend more than 1G on a bass. right now, i like playing cheapies.
my SX jazz (ash) is awesome for recording
my tbc single buck is great when playing bigger venues - it really cuts.
i have to say, tho, my 'new to me' p/j is pretty much the tone i've been looking for. i put some roto nylon flats on it....mmm, it's chewy and dubby! i'd gladly let go of my other two if i had to choose.
i like that i can spend gig money on new/new to me gear. makes me feel good about what i do and the music i play.
what i can't do, however, is spend more than 1G on a bass. right now, i like playing cheapies.
true, and I'm free to call them consumerist whores.
gluttony doesn't apply only to food and drink.
i read through the first five or six replies to this and decided that i needed to skip to the end and make one thing very clear: as soon as you make my money you can tell me how to spend it. i own a small family business.i have more than one of many, many things. i bought ALL of them with my money. do i need to go further? do you feel guilty because you own more than one pair of pants? more than one shirt? function and form be damned, why do you have to justify anything you own? why make excuses for having something you want, regardless of the reason? questions like this make me wonder why i'm here at all, especially when people answer these questions to humor people who ask questions like this. and, IMO, YMMV, etc...
Speaking as a novice who only owns one bass and has no plans to buy any others until I learn how to play, I did try out at least a half dozen basses before selecting one. Except for the Peavey Grind that I bought, they were all under $300, so we aren't talking snything special here. It didn't take long because all I knew was a scale and a couple of blues sequences. I tried a Squier Vintage Precision bass as well as the Affinity and Standard Jazz basses, an Ibanez SRG 200, a Peavey Millenium with a pre-amp. Just hearing the different sounds that each of these basses made, I can easily see why an experienced player would have more than one bass. I would have thought that all of the Squiers I tried would have a "family resemblance", but the P and J basses were the most different from each other than anything else I tried. I would think that the differences between more upscale instruments would be even more pronounced.
+1 as to all posts alluding to the fact that one who earns the money can spend it as he/she sees fit. Of course we are responsible for how we use resources, but not to members of an internet forum.
+1 as to all posts alluding to the fact that one who earns the money can spend it as he/she sees fit. Of course we are responsible for how we use resources, but not to members of an internet forum.
I see my basses as not just something to play, but something to take in visually. In my apartment, every one of my numerous basses gets some play time, and as it stand now I am not gigging. But these basses also interest me aesthetically, as well as sonically. Everyone has their thing, mine happens to be bas guitars (Warwicks and Stingrays)
Geawhores? Excesses?
Overall that is a pretty harsh statement. I have not read the entire thread but I saw that and figured is that what this thread is about?
I don't feel I have to justify to anyone why I own 4 basses. By saying that TB is a competition and calling people gearwhores does that mean you are bitter that you can't compete and mad/angry at the rest of the people in the world that can afford and choose to own more than 1 bass?
If I want to own 10 basses I will and I will not justify it in the context of the above poster's statements. I pay my taxes and donate to charity and no one in my house is left wanting anything due to my having more than 1 bass.
Now as I said I did not read the whole thread. If the original poster's intention was to ask in musical terms why more than 1 bass then my response is that I feel I need at least 2 for gigging i.e. broken string, different tunings etc. I am probably going to sell one of my basses (a Schecter) simply because it does not get used and I do not deem it a collector item.
So - just WHY do I have to justify my actions to any PC, meddling bozo that comes along. I'll buy what I want and can afford - MY decision, not your business!
Yes, this thread pi**es me off!
Dan K.
Yes, this thread pi**es me off!
Dan K.
+1.
This thread is getting silly. There is no reason to care what anyone else owns or why they own it.
I have 9 basses AND my wife has a Chanel purse that cost more than my Sadowsky NYC. Who cares? We both work our asses off in sales and nice things are how we incent and push ourselves. We aren't rich but we buy what we want with bonus and extra money.
If I want a dozen $2000 basses (even though I only make $100-200 a few times a month playing afforementioned basses), so be it. My money and my decision.
People have different priorities and spend cash differently. To each their own, I always say.
P.S. Buying that friggin' stupid purse did hurt though.
+1,000,000 to the above quote. Having gone back and read some of this thread my mind is boggled. I do not think it is anyone's place on TB to sit in judgement of other uses of this forum. If someone wants to donate a $1000 to charity rather than by a bass....then more power to them. I will not judge you for YOUR decision just as no one should be judging people if they choose to buy a new bass instead.
Sheesh! It's amazing to me how the self righteous always find a new way/new subject to blow my mind with.
truth hurts, doesn't it?
as for bitter, most certainly not. I don't need to overindulge in material excesses to achieve any sense of accomplishment or personal satisfaction.
but hey, if you feel like you need to compensate for something else...
How many basses do you own?
No one NEEDS even one bass, it is just something someone can want or desire.
Basic economics is that there are limited resources to fulfill our limitless wants and needs.
Now, one person may be able to afford one bass, another person can afford fifty basses. In the end, it is the same thing, fulfilling one's wants with one's economic resources.
At the end of the day, no one here, not even you, can justify owning even one bass. The real question should be, why does one want to own more than one bass?
I own many basses, because I like the different tones, feel, looks, and colors. If I HAD to choose, I suppose I would just keep my first bass, my Rickenbacker 4000. But, alas, I don't have to make that choice. It is a free market economy, and I am making enough $ to cover all my basses (har, har har!!).
Drinking and posting..... it hurts us all.
surprisingly enough, looking at this the day after, i can't believe i typed that as well as i did, from my phone to boot. also, it wasn't me that was in the ER hurt, i was there with someone.
and, FWIW, no appologies for hijacking this ridiculous thread. i'm gonna go work on buying another bass with my consumerist, gluttonous ass.
Just joking... I have too many, but not yet enough. With a good high-end bass you can cover many roles but it cannot be it's own live backup... Or get left in a car overnight, or left in a practice space.
I have too many but here's my rational...
ROCK BASS Warwick Streamer LX 1996
Active, maple wenge, roundwounds. Bright rock bass, beautiful handmade German bass. Very bright clear tone. Not classic. Valuable
SWEET SHOWOFF JAZZ GIG, STUDIO Warwick Fortress Fretless 1994
Active bass, Tru-bass nylon flat wounds amazing playabity, distict sound. Looks like art, it's all black. Ebony fretboard and black strings.
FLEXIBLE GIG BASS 5 string Jazz
Active EMGs (coming out soon) cut through a mix, 5 Strings cover all popular music. Rosewood fretboard is easy on the digits and warms things up. I love the classic sounds and playabity. I could replace it if broken or stolen. I can modify it endlessly with aftermarket to suit my needs.
FUNKY RETRO ROCK BASS Squire Vintage Modified Jazz Bass
If I need passive Jazz sounds and Maple Fretboard, (Look at all the greats that had maple fretboards? sems like the market would be predominately maple fretboards?) Very cool bass, inexpensive so I bang it up allot. Maple on maple sounds completely different than the common Jazz setup. Setup is higher and ideal for a slap bass. Oh, I got it for $120 used
PRACTICE / GIGGING FRETLESS Squire Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass
This is a little gem of a bass. Roundwounds to handle the clarity for live shows. Amazing looks and playability. I could not justify bringing a $2,000 fretless to shows for a song or two, if any. I bring this instead, (and end up playing the whole show sometimes), on it. Saves the other one from practice duty. Sounds completely differnt too. Very Jaco!
BEATER BEACH BASS Gorilla fretless
This is a cheap bass a drag around to unsavory events. Has Jazz pickups so the sound is flexible. It's fretless so I can keep guitar player off my axe when they are drinkin' (I brought it to play, not for them to play if you get me..) I has a beer opener on it. I use it with a battery powered amp.
OLD FRIEND Aria Pro II "Cliff Burton" model
Got it in college. A guy was selling it. I called my dad and he said buy it. Not like him at all! it's been on sevral records, been in fights with me, laid in bed with the girls after the shows with me and it would hunt me down and kill me if I sold it.
I hope that helps explain...
I have too many but here's my rational...
ROCK BASS Warwick Streamer LX 1996
Active, maple wenge, roundwounds. Bright rock bass, beautiful handmade German bass. Very bright clear tone. Not classic. Valuable
SWEET SHOWOFF JAZZ GIG, STUDIO Warwick Fortress Fretless 1994
Active bass, Tru-bass nylon flat wounds amazing playabity, distict sound. Looks like art, it's all black. Ebony fretboard and black strings.
FLEXIBLE GIG BASS 5 string Jazz
Active EMGs (coming out soon) cut through a mix, 5 Strings cover all popular music. Rosewood fretboard is easy on the digits and warms things up. I love the classic sounds and playabity. I could replace it if broken or stolen. I can modify it endlessly with aftermarket to suit my needs.
FUNKY RETRO ROCK BASS Squire Vintage Modified Jazz Bass
If I need passive Jazz sounds and Maple Fretboard, (Look at all the greats that had maple fretboards? sems like the market would be predominately maple fretboards?) Very cool bass, inexpensive so I bang it up allot. Maple on maple sounds completely different than the common Jazz setup. Setup is higher and ideal for a slap bass. Oh, I got it for $120 used
PRACTICE / GIGGING FRETLESS Squire Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass
This is a little gem of a bass. Roundwounds to handle the clarity for live shows. Amazing looks and playability. I could not justify bringing a $2,000 fretless to shows for a song or two, if any. I bring this instead, (and end up playing the whole show sometimes), on it. Saves the other one from practice duty. Sounds completely differnt too. Very Jaco!
BEATER BEACH BASS Gorilla fretless
This is a cheap bass a drag around to unsavory events. Has Jazz pickups so the sound is flexible. It's fretless so I can keep guitar player off my axe when they are drinkin' (I brought it to play, not for them to play if you get me..) I has a beer opener on it. I use it with a battery powered amp.
OLD FRIEND Aria Pro II "Cliff Burton" model
Got it in college. A guy was selling it. I called my dad and he said buy it. Not like him at all! it's been on sevral records, been in fights with me, laid in bed with the girls after the shows with me and it would hunt me down and kill me if I sold it.
I hope that helps explain...
that's a flawed argument. what is a painter with no brush? what is a photographer with no camera? what is a musician with no instrument? what's a jedi with no lightsaber? the tool is what defines our trade and makes it possible. being able to hum basslines doesn't make you a bassist. it makes you a guy humming a bassline.
the argument is why does that painter, photographer, musician, and jedi NEED more than one tool? if one tool allows them to function, then more tools are simply frivolous and ultimately, unnessesary.
buying for the sake of buying is rampant consumerism. the idea that small, infintessimal differences in tone somehow justifies excessive materialism is simply that. justification.
and for you Worship Band bassists who suffer from this, I suggest you research the colonial America concept of "Madame Bubble".
then find me a painter who uses one color and a photographer that uses one lens.
why am i still bothering with this thread?
i'm gonna go get drunk again and celebrate my birthday, pretending i didn't waste this much of this glorious day.
Oh please, now your a suffering painter with only one brush? That's a laugh.
If you are saying Americans are rampant consumers, well your are too late, many have already argued that, and Americans have proven it. Is materialism out of hand? You bet. Are you gonna change that? No, not even close.
And so what if everyone on this board sold all their basses except one. What then? We are all equal? I bet I still can play bass better than you!
Then what? We all have to play the same so you can feel better about your self and your shortcomings?
I actually kind of agree with you FM, I have WAY too many basses, and recently have been toying with the idea of thinning out the collection to what I can REALLY use as opposed to what I have just lying around.
But if I do, it will be because I want to do it, not because of anything you have said.
I bet I still can play bass better than you!
Then what? We all have to play the same so you can feel better about your self and your shortcomings?
resorting to personal attacks is a defensive mechanism when people feel shamed. perhaps from being confronted with their own inadequacies and failings.
and my talent is of no concern to you. I am comfortable and happy with my abilities. maybe if you felt the same, you wouldn't feel like you had to embarrass yourself with displays of musical machismo?
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