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I Blame You, TB...

#61
For decades, one bass, and one amp...

Guy asks me to fix his bass amp (technician is my trade), one side of an electrolytic snapped, cheap/easy fix. Guy tells other guy about me, that guy hands me a jazz bass, wants it shielded, wants an S/P switch, with N3 pups. My usual site (Guitar Nutz) was down for maintenance/server upgrade. I did a quick search for a diagram, and TB came up with a bunch (first exposure). I bookmarked it, and forgot about it. Then when my JP-90 j-pup went microphonic, I searched for similarly voiced replacements (and/or re-potting methods)... TB again. After a few more bass related searches, it was clear that: "There's gold in them thar hills".

I lurked and used it as a resource for a few more years, then finally joined in 2013.
Things have evolved (or devolved, depending on your POV) since then.

So in my last five TB influenced years, I've gone through 20 or more basses, modded (for myself) 7 of them, did two parts builds, went through 8 amps, two multi-effects bass pedals, 6-7 different types of strings (of which only one (LaBella flats) won me over on one bass), participated in at least one thread war where the OP was banned (in praise of expensive basses), and discovered that my penchance for finding brandy new cargo shorts (even when out of fashion, and most stores), is shared on a global scale.

Right now:
image.jpg
Six basses, three amps, and almost enough parts to build another bass.
 
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#69
TB taught me many things, like that no matter how old you are, you can still rock and have a fantastic time jamming with your friends to songs you love. However, it also taught me that there are a LOT of middle-aged, Fender-adoring guys on here who just love to discuss the colour of their pick guards on their latest Jazz bass and think that anyone who doesn't agree that Jaco and Geddy are legends must be 'idiots' who like metal.
 
#70
TB also taught me tons of things about bass maintenance, spotting fakes, how to deal with guitarists, which brands and luthiers are good and which ones I wouldn't even advise my worst enemy to buy.
 
#74
Originally came to TB in search of a Reverend Rumblefish (number of basses owned: 2)

Thanks to TB I bought six of them, and then sold two along with the Bongo, as well as couple of other basses that somehow managed to creep into the house. TB has also taught me the "how" and "why" of a lot of the electronics and acoustical stuff, which enabled me to actually reduce what I own amp/cabinet wise. Switched back to flats on three basses. Sold the solid state amps and bought a B15, a V4B, a AB200, a series of smaller cabinets and a Streamliner. Still not sure I have ever listened to Geddy, though. Realized that my interest (fetish?) in tort pickguards wasn't unprecedented. (number of basses now owned: 7).

So TB has made me more knowledgeable, increased the number of instruments I have, but most importantly for me, hear from enthusiastic players of all styles about what's important to them.
Oh...and it made me realize that my OCD about such things is well within the range of normal for a bass player.
 
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#76
It has shown me that there are a lot of "my way or the highway" types with access to the internet.

That there seems to be a flavor of the week for nearly everything.

Also members Agedhorse Jimmy M, and Duke La June, are always a good read.
 
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