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How does one justify owning several basses?

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#141
I suppose a life of altruism would be better, giving my hard-earned money away, but when I was up at 5AM the other day, working on a train, working all day, working on a train again, and then working at home, I should give this away? While the people who use charity are not working as hard as I am? It simply won't happen, not to my hard-earned money.

I would rather buy a thousand expensive basses than give any of my money to charity, especially when that money is not earned through the recipient working. It is mine, and no one else's. I will pay a fair amount for a service rendered, but not charity.

Incidentally, FeloniusMonk, since you brought it up... At what point is excessive materialism / consumerism defined? I currently own 4 suits, all of which I need for work. Is it excessive to have more than one suit so I don't appear as one who has to wear the same suit everyday? Other than the cost, what is the difference between 4 suits & 4 basses? I would like to hear a definition of this, otherwise this is subjective, and cannot be compared from person to person.

BTW, I am confident enough in my skill as a bassist that if I had to play a cheap, low-end bass, and it were my only bass, I'd still get calls. I dont know if I am better than anyone or not, and don't care to find out. I would still play, and try my best to play that lone, cheap bass the best I could, to get as much playing time as I could, whether in a band or by myself.
 
#142
FeloniousMonk said:
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".
Click to expand...


you are an effing riot!!!! :p seriously, the funniest crap Ive read all day ahs come from you!!!

lemme ask you, when painters use different brushes for each application of paint they do, whether it be color or paint type difference, is that justification for THEIR rampant consumerism? No, and neither is the fact that different basses make different sounds.

YOu need to stop being such a green party supporter and get out there and do what makesw you happy because all you are doing is sounding like an angry socialist.
 
#144
I'm of a "collecting nature", so I tend to stack up on stuff. I also like to have a backup in case anything happens to my main,. It's great to be able to switch around basses for different sounds/tunings (esp. on gigs). It's also great to switch around a bit when you get uninspired.

But I'm not advocating having too many basses, that's just crippling yourself because you never get a feel for a specific instrument, which I feel is very important.
Under 20 is probably a good number :hiding:
 
#145
FeloniousMonk said:
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".
Click to expand...

Self righteous socialists make me wretch. Where people believe that the person who boozes all night and sleeps in a BFI bin should have the same standard and level of living as the people that go out and work their asses off all day; sometimes at 2 or more jobs.

Based on your profile I would say you are one step above a troll. Someone who magically appears to bait people with their outlandish pontifications. I think most of the posts you have ever made in this forum are in this thread. You love the attention of people responding to your outrageous statements and allegories. I wish I had looked at your profile before I ever responded the first time to your baiting.

Oh well it has been fun seeing how far the Stalinist vision of life has progressed in North America. :D
 
#148
FeloniousMonk said:
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?
Click to expand...

Lighten up, I was joking! There really is no way to compare now, is there??

My musical machismo is displayed in SOOOO many ways, it is ridiculous!

I will buy two more basses this Christmas season, in your honor!!
 
#152
SuperDuck said:
I own multiple basses so I can oppress the proletariat. Long live the bourgeoisie!
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:) Of course this county was populated with bourgeoisie, and lacked any meaningful proletariat or aristocracy. Tocqueville wrote very eloquently about this in Democracy in America. Also, there has never been a viable socialistic or communistic movement in this country and those terms have really only been used by demagogues to discredit enemies. Well, since we are on the subject...
 
#153
How do you justify having more that one??? HHMmmm... Interesting question...

I think of it in slightly different terms... Between my wife and I, we have four (4) vehicles in the yard, not including the boat. They all do different things in different ways, so we work it like this. She drives the Grand Cherokee, and I drive the '79 Bronco. Then there is the bike. Lastly, we travel in the F-250 pick-up. This diesel is the only one to have the grunt to pull the 25ft Owens (boat).

Multiple basses would work the same way. A J, and a P, to have fun on, a '64 Hofner, and of don't forget that slab of Purple Heart you are carving on in the evenings.

How many is enough??? One doe's it for me, but then again I have four vehicles in the garage too...

More later...

TDY :)
 
#156
Wow, this thread became interesting. :eyebrow:

I still think that if you can afford it, and you want it, then get it! There is no real reason to justify why I buy a "tool", or even a "toy". Even if I had 10 (or 100 or 1000) of the same bass laying about the house I am allowed to buy another if want it. As long as you don't let your actual priorities ( Housing, Food, Supporting Your Family, Other bills and obligations you have) suffer nobody can really give you a hard time. :bassist:
 
#157
I've always been a one guitar / one bass man.

Having said that - if I got another bass it would be either to replace the one I've got now (I'd sell it) or for something different, like a fretless and/or five string bass.

If I got another acoustic guitar it would be the "studio" guitar - I'd keep my current guitar because it's "cheap" enough to use around the campfire, take to college, etc.

I guess I'm all about practicality.
 
#159
There are alot of good points and a ton of nonsence posts here. My first reaction is always, 'why do I need to justify anything to some faceless people on the internet.' But, with the topic of charity and hard work, I'm looking at all the possibilities here. Yes, I get up 6 days a week at 6 am and go into work. I don't get home until dinner time and most nights, I hang out with my 3 month old son. Before I had a 'real' job, I owned one bass and gigged at least 4-5 night a week. (Oh, and I might add that, even then, I always found a way to donate to certain charities that I thought were doing good work.)

Now that times have changed, and I have to worry about mortgages and car payments and health insurance and life insurance and car insurance and feeding two more mouths and clothing two more bodies etc etc---yes, I get slightly unsettled when my friends from college sit around and smoke weed all day and sleep until noon and, yet, complain about money problems.

My family is first. If I have some extra cash, then I will buy gear. If I still have some left over, then, yes, I've donated to the Luekemea society, the Epilepsy Foundation, The Smile Train (for cleft pallettes), St Jude's etc.

Right now, I'm thinning the collection to start a college fund for my son-but I will probably still keep a few basses that I don't need.
 
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