Ok putting my own logic to use I went to grab another bass and was immediately perplexed.. what do I go for??? Fender, Spector, mmm maybe a Vigier or 8 banger ? So that took a minute to sort out.
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Is it wrong to be happy?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I’m a serial obsessive. When I’m into something I’m REALLY into it.
So I have learned to slow my roll and just buy things I will use.
Thankfully for me I have been a musician my whole life and, although I have lots of gear, I use it.
In fact on my way to my studio this morning to work on a new song. That’s what keeps GAS at bay for me.
So I have learned to slow my roll and just buy things I will use.
Thankfully for me I have been a musician my whole life and, although I have lots of gear, I use it.
In fact on my way to my studio this morning to work on a new song. That’s what keeps GAS at bay for me.
That’s really the key to breaking the habit. Nowadays I only look for new gear when I need to solve a problem. By now, most of my problems have been solved because over time I was able to get some very good gear used at very reasonable prices.
Truth is a "perfect" tone is very situational to the material / gig.
Truth is most of our pursued "prefect" tones are recorded examples or bedroom tones, not practical performance examples.
For me GAS elimination was all about letting go of "perfect" and replacing it with "reliably very good"
My wife is also reliably very good, and I try to be the same.
Truth is most of our pursued "prefect" tones are recorded examples or bedroom tones, not practical performance examples.
For me GAS elimination was all about letting go of "perfect" and replacing it with "reliably very good"
My wife is also reliably very good, and I try to be the same.
Ah, yes. The Maximizer’s Paradox in action!View attachment 7412026
I think I have been a GAS bag so long, I guess it feels weird to satisfied with my gear. I knew my Tagima and Peavey were high end , just uncommon. I always knew they were premium, even if my Peavey is nearly 12lbs. I guess the surprise are my Sadowsky’s. My RSD fretless five and Sadowsky ME Modern are basses that Roger Sadowsky himself said have comprises with his NYC basses so they could be sold in the sub $1,500 market. It would be cool if my fretless had lines, but live, I can play in tune just fine. It has taken me a while to learn to eq my Modern, but it works just fine for me, especially after I had a VTC installed. I said I wanted a Metroline Modern or maybe Japanese Metro Modern, but I am more and more inclined to keep my money in my pocket.
In late 2017 I ordered a Sadowsky MV4 and when it arrived I knew that I had made the right choice. The only thing that pushed me off of that bass was wanting to give 5 string a shot and I eventually ended up with a really great MV5 through some horse trading. That bass put me at a point where I stopped thinking about my instrument. Suddenly the music was the only worry when playing. That's a really cool place to be, where you gel with an instrument in a manner where you just kind of forget about the instrument at all and just play music.
Dr. C.:
AS MANY basses as you've owned and test-driven, I'm absolutely sure that you can pick up a bass, look it over, play it a minute, and know what you're holding.
All any of us really need is a solid instrument that will get in tune and stay/play on tune, hold a setup, and sounds right without any electronic noise and sits on a strap or in your lap at a good weight as and just feels right
If all that happens on a bass we like with the right neck, done deal. I bet you can look at pictures and read the specs and form a possible Yes or No just from that
I'm as also sure that like me you've seen that these kinds of instruments are available at most any price range.
In my doddering old age, it finally dawned on me that as long as it's a solid axe that I like, it doesn't matter what I paid for it:
It's the playing, not the axe. But whatever suits you at whatever price works, but mo money never changed me from Clark Kent to Superman on bass.
There's the advantage of living to or past retirement age: Guys like us have lived and seen a lot, and smartened up over this long haul. With your experience, I'm utterly certain you'll do fine with these.
Until . . .
D
Learn from my mistakes. I used to buy great Basses, then i would think they werent appropriate for the band i was in, and i would trade or sell. Only buy for yourself. No band, unless you absolutely know youll keep it, is worth spending big money on. Youll be happier and not have as much regret.
What is your goal? If it’s to make music, then obsessing over gear is a waste of time and money. You have basses, go shred. If your goal is to obsess over gear, then Im afraid you are on the wrong track.View attachment 7412026
I think I have been a GAS bag so long, I guess it feels weird to satisfied with my gear. I knew my Tagima and Peavey were high end , just uncommon. I always knew they were premium, even if my Peavey is nearly 12lbs. I guess the surprise are my Sadowsky’s. My RSD fretless five and Sadowsky ME Modern are basses that Roger Sadowsky himself said have comprises with his NYC basses so they could be sold in the sub $1,500 market. It would be cool if my fretless had lines, but live, I can play in tune just fine. It has taken me a while to learn to eq my Modern, but it works just fine for me, especially after I had a VTC installed. I said I wanted a Metroline Modern or maybe Japanese Metro Modern, but I am more and more inclined to keep my money in my pocket.
So you are either spot on, or way off
I hate to sound morbid. But I’m 46. I’ve lost a few class mates over the years. My dad will be 76 in August and he has lost a lot of his friends since 2020. Mom is retiring in March. Playing keeps dad going. If GAS becomes a hobby that keeps you motivated and happy and gives you something to look forward to then I would embrace it. I saw a Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones movie once where Robert Duvall’s character said that being happy is nothing more than having something to look forward to. If it’s simply trying out basses at a shop, go for it.
I want vs I need.
Once your "I need" is met, your "I want" becomes a un-defendable expense.
Well....thats the idea anyway.
Once your "I need" is met, your "I want" becomes a un-defendable expense.
Well....thats the idea anyway.
As others said, the more I play, the less I GAS. (Because the more I PlayBass the less I TalkBass).
I have two basses that have proven time and time again to be my Excalibur and an Excaliber (as good a backup Excalibur as can be). I love those basses. Playing them makes me happier than ever. I don't need to flip them due to impulsive or fleeting GAS pains.
I'm happy, but sometimes, our brains make us question that. It's like when you're in a relationship with a person that you're beyond happy with, but they're not "your type" or "the type you normally go for." That's when you gotta let go of those self-imposed limitations and just allow yourself to be happy. Think less, relationship more.
There have been instances when I had magical experiences with gear that could be classified as superior to what I have at home, but left preferring what I had at home.
And on a different note, on my Excalibur's last setup, the strings I tried (I'm a notorious string-GASer) on it were/are just PERFECT. Yeah, I had "what-if?" string-GAS until a few TBers talked some sense into me and just go with my gut feeling of "these strings on this bass are perfect!" every time I play it. If all is right, why listen to the devious "gotta try 'em all" string-GAS guy rot my brain like a used care salesman?
I have two basses that have proven time and time again to be my Excalibur and an Excaliber (as good a backup Excalibur as can be). I love those basses. Playing them makes me happier than ever. I don't need to flip them due to impulsive or fleeting GAS pains.
I'm happy, but sometimes, our brains make us question that. It's like when you're in a relationship with a person that you're beyond happy with, but they're not "your type" or "the type you normally go for." That's when you gotta let go of those self-imposed limitations and just allow yourself to be happy. Think less, relationship more.
There have been instances when I had magical experiences with gear that could be classified as superior to what I have at home, but left preferring what I had at home.
And on a different note, on my Excalibur's last setup, the strings I tried (I'm a notorious string-GASer) on it were/are just PERFECT. Yeah, I had "what-if?" string-GAS until a few TBers talked some sense into me and just go with my gut feeling of "these strings on this bass are perfect!" every time I play it. If all is right, why listen to the devious "gotta try 'em all" string-GAS guy rot my brain like a used care salesman?
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I do believe if I wanted a fretless 5 string Jazz bass, that one would be exactly what I wanted. I should resume my search for one.View attachment 7412031
This is a better photo. My music room is small and is also the laundry room and dog’s bedroom.
This is why I stick primarily with classic basses: Precision, Jazz, StingRay, Rickenbacker, Hofner. Plus Sadowsky now. No matter what band I'm in, something is going to be perfect.
My problem is, I have far too many multiples of most of these. I need to sell off some of them, but I always remember why I bought them in the first place!
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
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- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Not weird at all, IIRC you've posted the same thing countless times over the years. It'll only be weird if you actually still feel that way in a week or a month, or more tellingly a year or three. But you seem to enjoy the ride, which is the whole point, right?
Unfortunately I’ve got gas right now but it’s probably because of where I went to eat last night.
Does everything I need and more. Especially through the 2x12 ampeg. Got it on sam ash’s used site for $750
You have every right to sing this song!!View attachment 7412026
I think I have been a GAS bag so long, I guess it feels weird to satisfied with my gear. I knew my Tagima and Peavey were high end , just uncommon. I always knew they were premium, even if my Peavey is nearly 12lbs. I guess the surprise are my Sadowsky’s. My RSD fretless five and Sadowsky ME Modern are basses that Roger Sadowsky himself said have comprises with his NYC basses so they could be sold in the sub $1,500 market. It would be cool if my fretless had lines, but live, I can play in tune just fine. It has taken me a while to learn to eq my Modern, but it works just fine for me, especially after I had a VTC installed. I said I wanted a Metroline Modern or maybe Japanese Metro Modern, but I am more and more inclined to keep my money in my pocket.
