I need and/or want more.

[nonohmic]

The basses forum here has well over 10x more posts than either the General Instruction or Technique forums.

What does that say about TB member priorities?

 

[red_bassist]

Pick a bass that you already own but don't particularly like the finish on, and have it refinished to a green color.

 

[micguy]

I find that regular gigging helps put things in perspective. If a bass never gets called to a gig, it’s pretty easy to see that it’s superfluous. I keep a small herd with as much usable diversity of sounds as I can get in a few basses.

 

[funkinbottom]

There is a nice green bass in this video. I couldn't tell you what it is, though.

Hamer Cruise Bass

 

[truand85]

Stop looking at basses for sale?

 

[bassdude51]

GAS is an addiction. It is related to OCD. GAS is not easily cured or controlled.

Yeah. I have found myself continually buying P basses simply for a damn color. So basically, I'm buying a paint job and not a bass.

There are many of us just like you or I should say you are like many of us.

I hit 30 basses at one point. I'm now down to 20. Still, way too many. I need to sell off more.

Easier said than done. Try to resist buying bass guitars. They are to be played, not collected and stored.

 

[Bonafide]

From previous replies to this same question.

Respectfully, be easy about it and give yourself some needed grace here - the love of gear, it's cool factor, the collect-ability factor, it's fun factor, the curiosity factor etc. have never been synonymous with it's function only. We all know how little gear it takes to be actively gigging. But having a true interest,a keen interest in bass gear or technology etc is as genuine and legit as an interest in anything. It's a familiar dilemma I observe with musicians. Justification of some sort (other than the greatest of all...passion) is required before it can be accepted. It can take a lovely joy-bringing hobby and introduce guilt or negativity of some kind. Particularly if it is measured by skill set or 'work' quantity.

'Need' 'Want' 'Enjoy' 'Makes You Happy' 'Collect' ...none of it is synonymous. High caliber function is simple and requires little 'gear', however the enjoyment can be very vast, creative and very stimulating in which case there is no 'too much'. Every level of gear amount is valid. And you are not taking any of it with you so I do hope you have some fun.

 

[BlueTalon]

If you're going to go green, get something that plays and sounds even better than it looks.

I did exactly that.

 

[buldog5151bass]

1. Quality is better than quantity.
2. Stop looking at them and start playing them.

 

[Misfit toys]

Come to think of it, I don't own a green bass hmmm think I gotta look for one

 

[Doctor Morbius]

Well, here's the scoop. If the bass you covet is SURF GREEN, then it is a necessity and you should get it NOW!

However, if the bass you want is some other type of green, then it is only something you WANT because you've been influenced by advertising.

 

[foolforthecity]

I am very conflicted with wanting more basses that I don't need but want them simply to have them. For example, I'd say green is my favorite color. Someone recently told me I should get a green bass. There aren't a lot, and if they are around or above 1,000 dollars. It's a Hofner Violin Bass. It's an HH hollow body. I already have one like it, and based on demos they sound very similar. Therefore, I don't need it (and don't want the bass because I already have one just like it), but I feel like I should get it for the simple reason of having a green bass. Same thing with bigsby guitars. I like bigsbys, but I'm never ever going to use it, but I want it just so I can have one. There are several other examples similar. Is there any advice the community can offer to help me scale down/calm down and focus on what I really want for a bass and what I really want out of one?

I can offer no real help. I too am afflicted. I keep flapping’ my gums about downsizing, but it ain’t happening with any degree of speed.

 

[foolforthecity]

Come to think of it, I don't own a green bass hmmm think I gotta look for one

I myself did the green Hofner thing a couple of years ago. It’s done floated on down Trade River

 

[Ian Tarbox]

I myself did the green Hofner thing a couple of years ago. It’s done floated on down Trade River

Was it any good?

 

[GreyBeard]

I am very conflicted with wanting more basses that I don't need but want them simply to have them. For example, I'd say green is my favorite color. Someone recently told me I should get a green bass. There aren't a lot, and if they are around or above 1,000 dollars. It's a Hofner Violin Bass. It's an HH hollow body. I already have one like it, and based on demos they sound very similar. Therefore, I don't need it (and don't want the bass because I already have one just like it), but I feel like I should get it for the simple reason of having a green bass. Same thing with bigsby guitars. I like bigsbys, but I'm never ever going to use it, but I want it just so I can have one. There are several other examples similar. Is there any advice the community can offer to help me scale down/calm down and focus on what I really want for a bass and what I really want out of one?

Bad case of ROTATING GAS

 

[JW56789]

'Is there any advice the community can offer to help me scale down/calm down and focus on what I really want for a bass and what I really want out of one?'

It depends. Are you a collector, or a player ?

If you're a collector (with the qualifier you're not a recording musician or professional who legitimately needs many tones), buy all you want.

If you're serious about being a player, but you're, shall we say, blinded by too many choices, too many basses . . OK, sell all of them, or all of them except the one you like best, or buy one more you think you can live with alone for quite a while.

If you went to the most expensive buffet in Vegas every day, you'd be hard pressed to know if you like lobster better than prime rib or a cherokee ribeye. Or Chinese. Or TexMex. Or French. I often find more is too much, and less IS more when it comes down to figuring out the core, the deep insides of an idea.

Hunker down, work your ass off, and find that tone in your hands and head and heart that you will hear from now on no matter what you're playing. Then you can distill what you need and don't need real quick.

This may take quite a bit of time.

Of course, it's quite possible I'm Full of It, and just buy another dozen: You're bound to find one that hits you.

 

[BlueTalon]

Bad case of ROTATING GAS

That sounds painful.

 

[Raman]

I am very conflicted with wanting more basses that I don't need but want them simply to have them. For example, I'd say green is my favorite color. Someone recently told me I should get a green bass. There aren't a lot, and if they are around or above 1,000 dollars. It's a Hofner Violin Bass. It's an HH hollow body. I already have one like it, and based on demos they sound very similar. Therefore, I don't need it (and don't want the bass because I already have one just like it), but I feel like I should get it for the simple reason of having a green bass. Same thing with bigsby guitars. I like bigsbys, but I'm never ever going to use it, but I want it just so I can have one. There are several other examples similar. Is there any advice the community can offer to help me scale down/calm down and focus on what I really want for a bass and what I really want out of one?

I solved that by painting the pickguard on my P green.

 

[Lackey]

Hoarding vibes.

But this is talkbass. Nobody is gonna think that unless you bring it up first.

 

[luciens]

I am very conflicted with wanting more basses that I don't need but want them simply to have them. For example, I'd say green is my favorite color. Someone recently told me I should get a green bass. There aren't a lot, and if they are around or above 1,000 dollars. It's a Hofner Violin Bass. It's an HH hollow body. I already have one like it, and based on demos they sound very similar. Therefore, I don't need it (and don't want the bass because I already have one just like it), but I feel like I should get it for the simple reason of having a green bass. Same thing with bigsby guitars. I like bigsbys, but I'm never ever going to use it, but I want it just so I can have one. There are several other examples similar. Is there any advice the community can offer to help me scale down/calm down and focus on what I really want for a bass and what I really want out of one?

Sounds like what you really want out of a bass is that it's green. So get a green bass.

You're describing a kind of collector impulse to me, which, IMO, is perfectly legit. Lots of people collect all kinds of things and nobody really knows why or even cares. So, why not collect basses?

I sort of have the collector organ somewhere in my body also, and with most things I'm into I tend to end up with 2 or more instances of whatever it is. Basses I seem to hover around 4 or 5, 5 being my current number. I don't gig anymore due to hearing damage, but my basses are kind of like an art collection of sorts. Now that playing and being a musician etc. are (distant) secondary concerns, mere utility is less of a priority as time goes on. And more often I seriously consider basses that I may not play as a main bass or even play very frequently at all.

And I've been known to hang on to an instrument or two in the past that I rarely or never played. But they had sentimental or even kinda-sorta rarity or financial value (may they all R.I.P.).

Since GAS only goes into remission and is never cured, I expect it to come back and Ill end up with another bass or two or... possibly just for collecting reasons....

L