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Is it wrong to be happy?

#61
Dr. Cheese said:
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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I don't mean bad songs... I mean good songs... It's funny though, because you're playing Sadowsky, who was famous for customizing Ps and Js early on to get around the sonic and mechanical issues of bare-boned Fenders. Willie plays Sadowsky too, and he likely went to Roger for mods back in the day. Lots of Fender basses were butchered to make good music. People did all sorts of things with their tools at the time.
 
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#62
frankie5string said:
I don't mean bad songs... I mean good songs... It's funny though, because you're playing Sadowsky, who was famous for customizing Ps and Js early on to get around the sonic and mechanical issues of bare-boned Fenders. Willie plays Sadowsky too, and he likely went to Roger for mods back in the day. Lots of Fender basses were butchered to make good music. People did all sorts of things with their tools at the time.
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When did Willie Weekd go Sadowsky? I have not new video him in a long time.😊
 
#63
Dr. Cheese said:
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.😉
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These days I'm just looking to admire. I have four very nice basses and all four get used. I lost my GAS when I built a couple myself.
That's me done!
 
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#66
Only thing I'm never satisfied with is strings because the unreal amount of string choices today is tempting....bass players I'm guessing are more open to different strings vs guitarists in general,no?

So I could definitely see myself changing string types a LOT just for kicks but the problem with that is flats need to be broken in.
 
#67
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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The key to happiness is finding it within. Too many people look to external things, like, "If I can get this car/house/widget, then I'll be happy." But then once you get the thing, you need new this, that, or the other to go with that thing. Then it becomes the vicious cycle of "the more you get, the more you want."

It's like that BassBuzz video I linked to where you get the fancy new bass, and then "GAS-guy" is in your head saying, "Do you really want to play that exquisite bass through your paltry little combo amp? What your bass needs, what you need, is this premium amp" or "Would you string that fancy new bass with basic D'Addario XLs? What your bass needs, what you need, is premium strings."

If you look to external means for happiness (even something as silly as "if my favorite sports team wins tonight, I'll be happy") then you'll never be happy.

TalkBass less, PlayBass more.
 
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#68
Dincrest said:
The key to happiness is finding it within. Too many people look to external things, like, "If I can get this car/house/widget, then I'll be happy." But then once you get the thing, you need new this, that, or the other to go with that thing. Then it becomes the vicious cycle of "the more you get, the more you want."

It's like that BassBuzz video I linked to where you get the fancy new bass, and then "GAS-guy" is in your head saying, "Do you really want to play that exquisite bass through your paltry little combo amp? What your bass needs, what you need, is this premium amp" or "Would you string that fancy new bass with basic D'Addario XLs? What your bass needs, what you need, is premium strings."

If you look to external means for happiness (even something as silly as "if my favorite sports team wins tonight, I'll be happy") then you'll never be happy.

TalkBass less, PlayBass more.
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What you're speaking of is the basis of the Four Noble Truths, I think. Very nice.
 
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#69
Dincrest said:
The key to happiness is finding it within. Too many people look to external things, like, "If I can get this car/house/widget, then I'll be happy." But then once you get the thing, you need new this, that, or the other to go with that thing. Then it becomes the vicious cycle of "the more you get, the more you want."

It's like that BassBuzz video I linked to where you get the fancy new bass, and then "GAS-guy" is in your head saying, "Do you really want to play that exquisite bass through your paltry little combo amp? What your bass needs, what you need, is this premium amp" or "Would you string that fancy new bass with basic D'Addario XLs? What your bass needs, what you need, is premium strings."

If you look to external means for happiness (even something as silly as "if my favorite sports team wins tonight, I'll be happy") then you'll never be happy.

TalkBass less, PlayBass more.
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Strings are cheap and rounds don't need breaking in....I listen to a lot of sound clips since I retired ...my hands aren't young I'm fortunate to not be in worse shape for age 66 lol but playing more is not something I force myself to do, its a passion I do for my own leisure....if I'm up to it then good, otherwise I've got plenty of other things to do.
 
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#72
Dr. Cheese said:
It would be cool if my fretless had lines, but live, I can play in tune just fine.
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Cool as in looks or cool as in a convenience feature,? If you can play in tune already without lines, I think it's already cool.

Unlined basses put the dots in the right place which I would like to see on lined and even fretted basses amd is a cool feature,
 
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#73
logdrum said:
Cool as in looks or cool as in a convenience feature,? If you can play in tune already without lines, I think it's already cool.

Unlined basses put the dots in the right place which I would like to see on lined and even fretted basses amd is a cool feature,
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I play in tune well enough for situations. If we’re recording a track to be mixed with other instruments, flaws in my intonation would be more obvious.
 
#75
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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There is so much truth in that. We are spoiled for choice and we are always chasing the perfect partner/job/house/bass, you name it, although we all know that perfect doesn't really exist. So while we are looking for something we can never find, we miss out on a lot of good things coming our way.
 
#76
I'm always very happy with my basses. I own, play and gig the best basses I can find, so every day I’m playing my "dream" bass. The next bass is always an upgrade, so the next one will be an even better "dream" bass. Currently I'm gigging a Mike Lull PJ5, which I've been playing for 15 years and a Sadowsky RV5 jazz, which I’ve been playing for 9 years. I've seen basses that are just as good, but "just as good" doesn't make the sale. I'm at the stage were better basses don't come along very often, so I'm always very happy.
 
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#79
DavidEdenAria said:
Strings are cheap and rounds don't need breaking in....
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There are several expensive strings out there that would be considered "luxury." Thomastik-Infelds, Dogals (especially the Hellborg sets), and others. And there is GAS for that stuff.

Do I need any of that? No. My favorite strings feel great, sound great, last a long time, and don't break the bank.
 
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#80
Bass4ThePublic said:
Feel that, brother. I made a similar post in the show your basses thread, and yes I agree that it feels weird not having much GAS. It kind of feels like I got lucky eventually, finding instruments that I gel really well with.

The 2 that do it for me are my 65 Jazz and my Maple Cap parts P. They just sound and play exactly how I want them to. They sound different and have completely different neck profiles, yet each one feels like an extension of myself.View attachment 7412085View attachment 7412086

Another thing that really kills my GAS is being a full time luthier/tech. New instruments every day hah, and I love it! If anything, fixing people’s broken crap all day makes me more grateful that I can simply come home and all of my instruments are in pristine, ready to be played condition.
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So apropos
 

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