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Is it wrong to be happy?

#41
There's a syndrome in Western culture that says: 1. Nothing is perfect, 2. There's always something better, 3. If you can't find something to criticize, it's because you don't know enough, 4. You should never settle. Ergo, if you're happy with what you have, it's because you don't know any better.

Pretty sad, really.
 
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#42
It's funny. Much to the chagrin of my MF and SW reps, I'm actually at that nirvana state right now where I am happy with all of my main equipment. I'd love to see it last the whole year. I'm crossing my fingers. 🤞
 
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#43
mikeoso said:
There's a syndrome in Western culture that says: 1. Nothing is perfect, 2. There's always something better, 3. If you can't find something to criticize, it's because you don't know enough, 4. You should never settle. Ergo, if you're happy with what you have, it's because you don't know any better.

Pretty sad, really.
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That is sad. The thing that gives me perspective is remembering how much incredible music has been made with P-basses.
 
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#45
mikeoso said:
There's a syndrome in Western culture that says: 1. Nothing is perfect, 2. There's always something better, 3. If you can't find something to criticize, it's because you don't know enough, 4. You should never settle. Ergo, if you're happy with what you have, it's because you don't know any better.

Pretty sad, really.
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Why Sad? Aren't all those examples all true and Fact? Did I miss something by following those 4 rules🙂
 
#47
bherman said:
I’ve long ago learned that I can be happy with just one good bass - if something is lacking it’s on me, not the gear.
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I was always happy when gigging (playing music) steadily and gear was just a means to do that only during in-between Bands,Gigs and a few unkept retirements did I develop Gas for Gear thinking maybe buying stuff would give me a taste of happiness I got from Playing but was only for a moment
 
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#48
Hold on with me for a second.

I read about a Pepsi challenge study in a book I was reading about the brain. It went like this:

They asked people whether they preferred Coke or Pepsi. Then they hooked the group that preferred Coke up to something that measured the response in the pleasure center portion of their brain, gave them some Coke but didn't tell them it was Coke and recorded the pleasure response. Then they gave them some Pepsi while still measuring the pleasure response which was higher than the Coke response for a significant percentage of them. Then while they were still drinking the Pepsi they told them they were drinking Pepsi... and the pleasure response dropped IMMEDIATELY.

So what's this got to do with GAS? Your opinions about what (brand) is better affect your body's pleasure response. So, different strokes for different folks. If you get more pleasure out of a particular bass because it's a [insert brand or model] you will play it more and probably better JUST because you think it's better.

I don't have much GAS these days and I agree with those before me who have said that as long as you have a comfortable, reliable instrument that you like, the best use of your time and money is to just play it and hone up on your skills. You are more likely to play what you like... even if its level of quality is all in your mind.

As for whether it fits a particular genre of music you're into I think the only people who would even notice are going to be you, maybe your bandmates and other bass players, unless it's waaaaaaay different. And even if it is, who knows, maybe you'll start something new. [Remember, Gibson had discontinued the Les Paul until a handful of British guys got their hands on them and started playing some different tones that became popular].

I have a lot of basses because I'm always curious, why fanned frets, why headless, why humbuckers etc. But what do I take out when it matters? A J, a G&L L or M or my 34-37" fan fret. But any of them work for me.
 
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#49
lowfreqgeek said:
If being happy with my gear is wrong, I don't want to be right!
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Likewise! The last time I got a new bass (and kept it) was in 2022. Every time I look for something else to add to my trio of basses, I talk myself out of it.
mikeoso said:
There's a syndrome in Western culture that says: 1. Nothing is perfect, 2. There's always something better, 3. If you can't find something to criticize, it's because you don't know enough, 4. You should never settle. Ergo, if you're happy with what you have, it's because you don't know any better.

Pretty sad, really.
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It's sad, but true. Corporations and other people prey on people's ignorance!
 
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#50
I have a dozen basses, but I'm going to sell some. I can't play that many on any kind of a regular basis. I know I'll keep my 1963 P, my Gretsch Thunderjet, my orange Gretsch 5123 hollowbody, and a couple of custom basses.

I am finding happiness with less - one of he few times in my life. I operate too often with the approach that more is better.

Part of this is that I'm 75, and although perfectly healthy, my wife and I are entering the phase of "get more stuff out of the house" so the daughters have less to deal with in the future.
 
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#52
Dincrest said:
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?
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And whenever I have GAS-pains, I watch this BassBuzz video on how to handle you inner "GAS-guy."
 
#57
NICE GEAR y'all. I got some choice stuff too. You don't need a pic or a list 'cause while it's all nice, I get an (humbling) idea that I can write, arrange and record a song with all the parts played by me, and suddenly, it ain't so easy, even with really nice stuff. Even after years of playing drums, guitar & bass live and years of rehearsals, composing and playing them all well, while the RECORD light is on is a whole 'nother realm.

I wont discuss my singing no matter HOW MUCH booze you offer.

I'm decent in passing but I ain't no studio cat. Much less one with that looks good in multiple hats.

SO much work to do, and so little time.
 
#60
frankie5string said:
To some degree that was due to necessity.
Eventually there were A LOT of butchered P and J basses on recordings as people in those times chased the same flavour of the month tone-options.
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I was not talking bad songs with bad basses. I am thinking about folks like Willie Weeks or Tommy Cogbill who created bass lines fifty or sixty years ago that still hold up and are worth learning today.
 
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