How have your tastes changed?

[B-Mac]

Put that way,

Then: tap water
Now: tap water

As long as it's the unleaded tap water...……..

 

[Gaolee]

As long as it's the unleaded tap water...……..

That's location specific. I carry a power tester for the amp. It's important. I don't carry a water tester. When in doubt, drink beer or Coca Cola. Besides, I'm not as important or as valuable as the amp. Just a fact. And I'm OK with it now that I'm past 21.

 

[shadven]

My tastes haven’t changed much. A vintage Fender Precision with flats is my go-to almost all the time. But, I mix it up more with other basses, meaning I’ll bring a 2nd bass to gigs that isn’t a P-bass. I’ll bring a Ric, Thunderbird or a Guild Starfire... just to mix it up for the fun of it. I still prefer tube amps and no or minimal effects. MXR Phase 90 and a compressor is about it.

 

[Ellery]

Then: active pups & pre
Now: passive pups & tone
Then: slim, fast D neck
Now: fatter, rounded C neck
Then: neck-through or die
Now: bolt-on has some amazing virtues
Then: the only good colors are black, black, and black
Now: that flamed maple is lookin pretty damn good
Still a stickler for US builds. At least when I'm paying loads of cash for it.

 

[micguy]

Then: Kramer metal neck (neck diver) at 11 pounds, an amp stack that weighed as much as me, long hair
Now: Warmoth self builts with roasted maple necks, all well balanced, and all under 8 pounds, ampless, not much hair

Then: Cover tunes or originals, played in the same key and arrangements forever, late at night, for small, somewhat enthusiatic, though also somewhat inebriated audiences. Constant stench of stale beer and cigarette smoke. Sometimnes the headliner, sometimes the warm up act.

Now: Cover tunes of a sort, played in wildly different keys and arrangements, early morning call times, playing for medium to very large, relatively enthusiastic, generally not inebriated, much better smelling audiences. We're the warm up act for a 40 minute lecture (churches).

 

[Microbass]

Then: no pedals and a much smaller waistline
Now: all the pedals. And fatness.

 

[Kmonk]

My tastes haven't changed in the sense that I now prefer something now that I didn't in the past, but my tastes have definitely expanded. I have always played Fender P and J basses but over the last 15 years, I have also acquired Alembic, Spector and Musicman basses. I am more selective about what I use based on the song than I was in the past. It's not really a question of taste. It's more about getting the correct sound for the song. I've also moved from being exclusively a pick player to using fingers more than a pick.

 

[PDGood]

The biggest change is from playing with a pick to playing with fingers to now playing both styles.

My rig has gotten much smaller and lighter - partly because I like it that way and also because aging guitarists aren't playing as loud, so there's less to compete with.

 

[tonymcbony]

Tastes went from Warwick growl to Fender Precision to Fender Jazz to finally Stingrays.

Turns out I’ve been chasing Stingray tones all my life, since I had a option between a Warwick Streamer LX4 and a EBMM Sub - chose the Ray for feel and looks, never forgot how I felt about that Ray tone when I played them side by side.

 

[stringthrough]

I started with Fenders, P's and J's, moved on to Fenders, and now play Fenders.

(But in between I've owned several boutique basses - Elrick, Sadowsky, US Steinberger and several other production basses, i.e. MM's G&L's, Gibson (EB3, EB2) and other brands/ models.)

 

[Rib 13]

Tastes went from Warwick growl to Fender Precision to Fender Jazz to finally Stingrays.

Turns out I’ve been chasing Stingray tones all my life, ......

A person's tone-chasing lineage could practically be its own thread topic (and an interesting one) !

 

[jeff7bass]

I don't do active basses anymore. Love the "openness" of good passive pickups.

 

[bhendrix]

Then: Fender Jazz
Now: Fender Jazz

So learned to play on a jazz 25 or so years ago - developed severe GAS on and off during that time with trading, selling, buying - you know.. Anyway, recently back with my first love and it's like coming home. This ones a keeper and intend to take her to my grave!

 

[Danny O Danny]

Then: Pointy basses (1980's)
Now: Rounded basses

 

[Thorsoundcore]

First (2006), I "just wanted a black bass" to start out since my initial influences played that color. After starting and the few following years, my taste just floated around, mostly to either Gibson or Fender basses. Then, I got into loads of bands that used active basses (think EBMM), which lead to a handful of active purchases up until last year.

Over the past year and currently realizing my taste lies in some specific characteristics.. Passive pickups on the hot end of the spectrum, 32' inch scale preference, single pickup in a sweet spot, vintage japanese (think 1970's-80's Matsumoku). Also starting to love some real odd configurations, dual reverse P's as a main example.

 

[bearfoot]

View attachment 3354778

the Force is strong with this pic

 

[GIBrat51]

My tastes haven't changed much at all - although, I do like liver & onions now...

 

[songwriter21]

I used to be obsessed about gear, tone, action, etc. I literally got mentally worn-out from so much of it. I have a show bass that I use exclusivly for the look of my band. Even though the action isn't optimal, I see the spectacle of our shows, making the songs solid, and also the crowds' reactions, as way more to me now than fickle concerns of things with my gear not being juuuuuust right.

Of course, no new gear in a while has equated to my debt disappearing, too...I like that a lot more now than gear.

 

[MrLenny1]

I am thinking headless , 32 " scale and light. Active of course.

 

[superdick2112]

Then - Willing to put up with a lot of BS just to keep a band together.

Now - Emphasis on bandmates being good human beings (as opposed to simply being good musicians) is much more important, & my BS tolerance is much lower.