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Justifications for buying a new bass

This question of justifying purchasing another bass is funny for me because my GAS has never been lower. I am really happy with what I own even though I owned much more expensive basses in the past. The only reason I am slowly paying off a Pedulla is that it is a great deal that fell in my lap, so I guess finding a great deal is the most acceptable reason for me to buy a new bass.



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How 'bout now? Still GAS-FREE Now??!!:laugh::D
:roflmao:
 
OK OK I won't post a pic of an Alembic or Ritter then....
Maybe a nice Roscoe?:roflmao:

I've owned two Alembics and one Roscoe. I have lots of experience with boutique basses. You are pro, you should know that everybody with a name is not necessarily playing a super expensive bass, and even if they were, it does not mean that I need to copy them since I like my results. I have been playing long enough to trust my own judgement.
 
I have been playing long enough to trust my own judgement

This. Times a zillion, at least for me.

There are at least ten basses out there that fit in the "would be nice to own" category that I could pull the trigger on right now (not on all of them at the same time, obviously) but I'm stashing away the funds for the one that actually makes sense in the respect of being able to do what my others can't and what I really need done given the music that I'm currently working on. It simply makes sense. No more, no less.

Could I proceed and live happily ever after without buying it? Of course. I have just chosen not to. I have also chosen not to put it on a credit card, or default on any of my financial obligations. That's why I'm not looking at it right now, but will likely be doing so within a month.

My $0.02 only...
 
Buying a bass can be tough when you already own 3... or 15... or 25. Or more. For those who do, unless stupidly rich there needs to be some justification in order to do so with a clear conscience. I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread to help the newbie who hasn't yet learned how to justify such purchases. I have a few of mine to offer, but I'd like to get a thread going to get as many reasons as possible - lest people start thinking they have some sort of "problem." Pishaw!

I'll start with these:
  • I got a great deal and can sell it for as much as (or more than) I paid. It's money in the bank.
  • I just sold that other bass.
  • This model has been discontinued, and if I don't get it now I may never be able to get it again.
  • I had a 20% off coupon.
  • The bass is on my bucket list, so I'd wind up buying it eventually anyhow. The sooner I get it, the more days of my life I'll have to play it. We're all going to die somewhere within the next 100 years. I want as many days with this bass as possible.
  • I need this bass to match the new clothes I've been wearing.
  • I earn more than half my income playing bass. It's a tax write-off.
  • Because I earn more than half my income playing bass, I can afford it.
  • YOLO
  • I always dreamed of having this exact bass when I was a kid!
  • It makes me happy.
  • I don't drink, do any drugs, party, buy cars, go to strip clubs, or waste my money any other way - really.
Well... that's what I used to justify ordering this 2 nights ago.

fender-american-standard-jazz-bass-v-2008-2012-451375.jpg


I think I need more before I tell my wife :).
I made a thread like this about a year back. My favorite response came from @Gaolee :
"I used to road race motorcycles. Is there any more justification necessary?"
 
Because my guitarist GF gets even more excited than I do whenever some new musical toys arrive…

and: "Because we can, can, can!!!"



And that's just what goes down over the arrival of a new pack of strings!

(You wouldn't believe what happens when something major like a new guitar or amp crosses our threshold. :p:laugh::thumbsup: )
 
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I've owned two Alembics and one Roscoe. I have lots of experience with boutique basses. You are pro, you should know that everybody with a name is not necessarily playing a super expensive bass, and even if they were, it does not mean that I need to copy them since I like my results. I have been playing long enough to trust my own judgement.

I've never owned an Alembic, Roscoe, Fodera, or Ritter.
I don't plan to.
Sadowsky, yes; FCS, yes. Both sold fwiw!:roflmao: They didn't totally float my boat. My most "precious" axe, not in market-value, is my '69 P-Bass. The best.
I'm an avid high-end bass player, not a collector, and every one of my axes goes on stage.
Nobody should "copy" anyone vis-a-vis bass choice, unless they're arrested-developed, don't know where you pulled that from!

Let me tell you from my experiences, it varies. I know of a lot of working players who are gear-heads and love to own and play the boutiques.
I know of lot of working players who frankly don't give a **** other than that their bass is playable to them, has the intonation and the feel they like; other than that- Give 'em a high-end bass, awesome, if not- awesome too.

The World's undisputed (2) greatest bass players, Jaco and Jamerson used Fenders, that if presented here "anonymously"
so to speak, would be dismissed by a lot of players as beaters.
So what?
 
I've never owned an Alembic, Roscoe, Fodera, or Ritter.
I don't plan to.
Sadowsky, yes; FCS, yes. Both sold fwiw!:roflmao: They didn't totally float my boat. My most "precious" axe, not in market-value, is my '69 P-Bass. The best.
I'm an avid high-end bass player, not a collector, and every one of my axes goes on stage.
Nobody should "copy" anyone vis-a-vis bass choice, unless they're arrested-developed, don't know where you pulled that from!

Let me tell you from my experiences, it varies. I know of a lot of working players who are gear-heads and love to own and play the boutiques.
I know of lot of working players who frankly don't give a **** other than that their bass is playable to them, has the intonation and the feel they like; other than that- Give 'em a high-end bass, awesome, if not- awesome too.

The World's undisputed (2) greatest bass players, Jaco and Jamerson used Fenders, that if presented here "anonymously"
so to speak, would be dismissed by a lot of players as beaters.
So what?

The higher end basses that I liked best tended to sound very modern and had 35" scale. I really loved a Stuart Spector Design five with EMGs, but my favorites were two Modulus Q5s I had. The funny thing is that I always felt that Stingray fives were comparable in build quality and B string performance. Currently a I have two fives with 35" scale, a Peavey Forum V and a Lakland DJ5, so I still can get that thunderous B when I want it. On top of it, my Ibanez TMB605 is no slouch in the B string department either.
 
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Buying a bass can be tough when you already own 3... or 15... or 25. Or more. For those who do, unless stupidly rich there needs to be some justification in order to do so with a clear conscience. I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread to help the newbie who hasn't yet learned how to justify such purchases. I have a few of mine to offer, but I'd like to get a thread going to get as many reasons as possible - lest people start thinking they have some sort of "problem." Pishaw!

I'll start with these:
  • I got a great deal and can sell it for as much as (or more than) I paid. It's money in the bank.
  • I just sold that other bass.
  • This model has been discontinued, and if I don't get it now I may never be able to get it again.
  • I had a 20% off coupon.
  • The bass is on my bucket list, so I'd wind up buying it eventually anyhow. The sooner I get it, the more days of my life I'll have to play it. We're all going to die somewhere within the next 100 years. I want as many days with this bass as possible.
  • I need this bass to match the new clothes I've been wearing.
  • I earn more than half my income playing bass. It's a tax write-off.
  • Because I earn more than half my income playing bass, I can afford it.
  • YOLO
  • I always dreamed of having this exact bass when I was a kid!
  • It makes me happy.
  • I don't drink, do any drugs, party, buy cars, go to strip clubs, or waste my money any other way - really.
Well... that's what I used to justify ordering this 2 nights ago.



I think I need more before I tell my wife :).

Don't understand. The justification for buying a new bass is that you want a new bass. Am I missing something? This could be why I'm single...
 
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I am a weekend warrior type and have a good day job, but don't own a Harley, a boat, play golf, etc, music is the only "other" thing i do and what money i make from gigs I save for gear and such. Although I could probably afford to, I typically don't buy bass's all that often, very infrequently in fact. However, when i do they are typically the lifelong keeper types, so I am very picky. I look for a new bass when there is a tone i'm after that i can't get or can rotate more easily, but there is usually a practical reason. For example I only have one P bass and love it with both flats and rounds, changing back and forth with readjustments, setup, etc is a huge pain so Im keeping an eye out for a solid P bass that "has it".
 

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