How much did you spend until you found your tone ?

[stingraysvt]

I really like USA Fender DLX basses and enjoy having very nice basses, I am not a pro player but love the feeling of a quality instrument, pride of ownership counts a lot to me

Good gear certainly would be the first thing I could add about achieving great tone. Never knew tone existed until I played a Fender Custom Shop Closet Classic Jazz Bass. Then it all clicked.

But for the most part I've discovered that no matter what I play through... I sound like myself on most any rig. This realization really came about when I acquired my 77 SVT. I plugged it in and basked in the beautiful buttery tone and then as I ripped my normal licks I noticed "Hey! This is familiar, only better..."

Dollar Amount? Couldn't even go there. But the way I see it, the talent feeds the gear wants. So it's money that I never would have had. So I'm going to get all theological on you.

$0.00

 

[JxBass]

I didn't really spend much to find my tone. It's how much I've spent after finding my tone that hurts!

 

[SteveC]

Thousands. Still looking, but am close with my 44-02.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Still spending. Will let you know when I get there.

 

[Solarmist]

Not too much; 1.5K maybe. I've strayed several times, but I keep comming back to Ibanez SR with steel rounds, and don't forget that string type has everything to do with tone on any bass, and of course amp/settings.

The good part is I only GAS for the upper range Premium or Prestige SR's.

 

[johnk_10]

about $600. i found my tone in 1969. i bought a brand new sunburst/rosewood p bass (for $291.00) and a used but near mint with slip covers 1962 blonde showman (with the JBL tone ring cab) for $300. to me, while i've gotten great gear since then, that tone was as good as it gets, and it's been all down hill from there.

 

[Lesfunk]

I've always had my tone. It simply took lots of money, trial and error to find a rig to help hide it.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Still spending, still looking. It's ALL my tone But yeah it's the fingers.

 

[Spaldo]

...what he said. Spending, looking AND listening.

then i found....wait for it....

.....it's all in my hands!!!!

COP THAT!

 

[epy]

Mine was pretty simple. I started with a small ashdown half-stack and a MIM precision bass....so 700 bucks I guess to start. Sold both for around 500 and baught my current set up, a Traynor YBA 1A MK II with a Fender '51 reissue going into it. total.....800 bucks maybe?

 

[yellofury]

1997 bought a slighty used 97 American Standard jazz bass for $625
its was my first bass I bought

all the other subsequent basses have been "the icing on top"

 

[Tupac]

I haven't spent a dime, but I have spent many, many, many hours of practice to find my tone.

Says the guy with an avatar of him with a Stingray.

 

[Stilettoprefer]

$130: squier P
-$100: selling squier P
$250: ibanez gio
$50: peavy practice amp
$400: Schecter stiletto extreme
$250: building a P bass from parts

Acoustic B200 amp given to me.

=$1030 to find my tone.

But that price doesn't include the stuff I sold to get the gear: vintage dirt-bike given to me by uncle that I couldn't ride ($700), a BMX bike that I bought for $150 and flipped for $300 ($150). So take another $850 off of the above total.

so I guess I really only spent about $180 to find my sound.

 

[fractiouslowend]

i thought he meant time spent.
so far - 14 years. i expect to be searching forever though....

 

[toddLURR]

duff mckagan sig fender: $310
BC Rich Mockingbird: $400
1991-1993 Gibson T Bird: Trade
Jackson CMG: Trade
Gallien Krueger 1001rb: $300
Gallien Krueger 4x10, and 1x15: $600


Ebay Bidding, and Pawn Shops come in handy

 

[lowphatbass]

I've made way more money playing bass than I've spent, of that I'm very thankful. Also,having the confidence to dig scary deep financially to get the best gear possible has really paid off over the years

 

[Muddslide]

I've said it here many times, but i've been playing more than three decades. I have owned, swapped and sold a LOT of basses. Some of them very nice.

In the late 80s and all through the 90s I acquired and went through all kinds of gear, getting fancier and more expensive stuff. All the bells and whistles, trying to dial in "The Toooone."

Come to find out, I was just going the long (and expensive, and time-consuming) way around to discover that what I was really looking for was to just get back to the simple sound of a passive P-bass.

 

[prophecy6972]

A list of basses i got thru the years.

1. Ibanez SR506 - $690
2. Traben Array Ltd 5 - $550
3. Warwick Streamer Std 5 (borrowed)
4. OLP Stingray 5 - $200
5. Warwick RB Corvette 5 - $200
6. Charvel 3B - $200
7. Cort TM Stevens Signature - $350
8. Warwick Vampyre SN 5 - $1400
9. Warwick Dolphin SN 5 - $1800
10. Yamaha TRB5Pii (traded the Vampyre for it)
11. Spector Rebop 4 - $750
12. Warwick Dolphin SN 5 (traded back after a year touring in the hands of another owner)
13. Warwick FNA 5 - $1000
14. SX Jazz bass - $100
15. Warwick Corvette Std 5 Bubinga (traded the FNA)
16. Status Energy 6 (traded the Corvette Bubinga)
17. Warwick Streamer Std 5 (borrowed again)
18. Warwick Fortress Masterman 5 (traded the Status)

Currently in my stable are
Warwick Dolphin SN 5 - Eb tuning
Warwick Fortress Masterman 5 - D tuning
Warwick Streamer Std 5 (borrowed) - standard tuning.

As some have mentioned, it's mostly in the fingers and techniques. I just love the feel and string spacing of the Warwick 5 strings.

 

[berzerker92]

I think i'm right about where i wanna be right now for 4 string

Ibanez ATK-$300
Peavy Tour 700-$250
GK 4x10-$175
DR Hi-beams-$25

so about $750

 

[Scogman]

In almost 30 years, not adjusting for inflation, just adding up in my head basses (I've had 7 total in my life, still have 5) and a couple of combos before my big rig I had for twenty years, and the fEARful/TC rig now, about $10,000 bucks give or take over almost 30 years. Now to try to figure how much earned over that time.