Kids with expensive basses...

[Engine207]

I don't see how that's any different from last generation. I seem to recall the boomers going crazy over cell phones.

I realize I'm making some broad generalization here, but my 47 years of observations have led me to this:

I think the difference is in the general sense of entitlement. My dad's generation would never dream of purchasing something that they didn't feel like they'd earned. It didn't have to be fancy, just good quality and a hell of a deal.

My generation (tail-end of boomers) were much less inclined to save up for something, choosing instead to "just charge it". We were more inclined to choose fancy labels and shiny bling over function.

The next generation seems to not value much, because they have been given so many things they haven't earned or worked for. "If someone else has it, it's not fair if I don't."

Of course, there are exceptions to all these...just my observations of trends.

 

[mcblahflooper94]

just remember, tone starts here...

(points at hands)

How does one point at their own hands??

 

[FrednBass]

How does one point at their own hands??

One hand at a time?

 

[BillyRay]

I realize I'm making some broad generalization here, but my 47 years of observations have led me to this:

I think the difference is in the general sense of entitlement. My dad's generation would never dream of purchasing something that they didn't feel like they'd earned. It didn't have to be fancy, just good quality and a hell of a deal.

My generation (tail-end of boomers) were much less inclined to save up for something, choosing instead to "just charge it". We were more inclined to choose fancy labels and shiny bling over function.

The next generation seems to not value much, because they have been given so many things they haven't earned or worked for. "If someone else has it, it's not fair if I don't."

Of course, there are exceptions to all these...just my observations of trends.

Who is this "new generation" ? Last I checked, the working age youth of today have not been given much in the past ten years, what with them trying to enter an ultra competitive job market in a deep economic slump. We are in an age of instant gratification, yes, but we entered that age long before the new crop of 20 to 30 somethings were of working age. Cheap credit and the consumer mentality didn't start with iPhones.

 

[karl_em_all]

I play an Epiphone T-bird that I bought second hand for $200. It's all I use. I could go out and get the Gibson model for $1500(roughly) but what I have is getting the job done very nicely.

Those Ric's are expensive and look great, and that fella is probably getting a lot of attention for having it. He has a lot of practice ahead of him to grow into it. Having really nice gear is great but when it comes down to it nothing beats being able to play. Don't sweat it.

 

[JimmyM]

And those Höfners were pretty expensive, because they were built like violins (top carved from a solid piece of spruce, no heatbending, but carving with chisels), a very timeconsuming and expensive way of building

And yet, Paul said he bought one because it was the cheapest bass in the store. And I distinctly remember a 60's Hofner Beatle sitting on the wall of a music store over a year with a price tag of $250 and no takers. Only when McCartney started using his again did the price go up so ridonkulously.

 

[mcblahflooper94]

One hand at a time?

But he specified hands, plural. Then again, now that I look at it again, he didn't specify who or what was doing the pointing...

 

[Salamenster]

You have to keep in mind that those sixties Epiphones are Gibsons, but with another headstock. Apart from the name on the headstock and the other name of the model (casino <-> 330, rivoli <-> EB2) they were identical. Both made in Kalamazoo Michigan, on the same production line, with the same woods & hardware, by the same people. Only thing that's different was the address on the shipping crate. Gibson used the street where the main gate was, Epiphone the gate around the corner...

And those Höfners were pretty expensive, because they were built like violins (top carved from a solid piece of spruce, no heatbending, but carving with chisels), a very timeconsuming and expensive way of building

Conclusion: The Beatles were all spoiled brats.

 

[lpdeluxe]

Years ago, I was that kid with the crappy gear (to this day I must have a nice hardshell plush lined case for each of my instruments, compensation for all those cardboard cases).

Now I'm 71 and have all the gear I need (my lady friend says, including a lot of gear I DON'T need): amps, basses, guitars, Dobros, mics, and so on, and I like that

What's the key to happiness? Patience. If you can't have what you want so badly, prepare yourself by playing the hell out of what you have. Instant gratification is for infants.

 

[dkelley]

I didn't own a bass for my first 5 years as a player (high school) and only played the school fender p. I was envious of my friend with his ripper etc. But I got really serious on that p and sure it was a good bass but if they'd had olp back then I would have felt lucky to own such a great bass.

You're in great shape... Now play the crap out of that thing! One day that guy's 4003 will be for sale...

 

[socialleper]

There are a couple factors working here that muddy the waters.
First, just based on the OP, we don't know how the "kid" came across that 4003. Maybe someone in his family works for Rickenbacker; maybe it belonged to someone in his family that died at passed it along to him; maybe his parents just came into some money and they wanted to spoil him a little. We don't really know the details, so judging is little wrong.
Second, we live in an increasingly stratified society in the US. The 'haves' have more and the 'have nots' have less. If his family is well off then if it wasn't the bass it would be something else. I couldn't get a car until I was 20 because of the cost and the insurance. That's not the fault of the other kids for having more money than me. Was a jealous? You bet. But I knew that wasn't going to change for me, so whatever.
Lastly, there is a very subjective meme as to whether someone "deserves" an expensive instrument, that I myself have been guilty of, but is ultimately meaningless. Some of the bass collections I've seen here on TB out price the collections of some signed musicians that are on tour all the time supporting albums distributed world wide. Part of me says "why does someone who isn't a major artist need $40k worth of basses" but them part of me says "you would do it to if you could; so #$%^ it."

So someone in their teens has a uber expensive Rick. W/E. How does that really affect me?
Now if he's some hipster that wears wool beanies, scarves and jorts then you should snatch that bass from him, whack him with it while pointing at him saying "No! Bad!"

 

[dreads311]

Now if he's some hipster that wears wool beanies, scarves and jorts then you should snatch that bass from him, whack him with it while pointing at him saying "No! Bad!"

Don't forget to rub his nose in it or he'll never learn.

 

[SplinteredSkull]

check the sig &#728;

 

[RandomBox]

I'm 16, and am certainly not a great bassist. I can get my way through a lot of songs though, and consider myself to be between "okay" and "pretty good". I'm currently saving for a Ric 4003. Does that make me spoiled? No. I've been working (still am) very hard to save for it. Just because somebody has expensive gear doesn't mean they just got it because its expensive. Granted, he is thirteen, so he probably got it as a gift, but expensive basses can motivate a bad player to become even better.

 

[Mark4]

As long as they aren't jerks about it, more power to them. I feel the same way about adults with expensive basses.

 

[Troph]

There is a kid at the music school where I take some lessons who is a killer blues guitarist, and he's like 9 years old. He plays a standard Fender mexi-strat, unmodified. He plugs into whatever amp is available and sounds fantastic regardless.

He's an example of a kid who could get away with fancy equipment if he really wanted it, and no one who has heard him play would raise en eyebrow.

It's the disparity between equipment and capability that raises eyebrows. Not necessarily experience.

But it's no different from buying a 16-year old kid who just got a license a brand new Porsche. Unless the kid is some kind of racing prodigy or multi-millionaire tech genius, it's incongruous. But it happens. Whatever. Some parents like to throw away their money and spoil their kids. Who am I to stop them?

 

[bigmoosepi]

I am glad I had very little money to spend on gear in my teens, it forced me to learn to make my own effects due to how much cheaper it was and now I make my own effects that you can't buy. It all worked out for the best.

I also couldn't afford too many parts so my circuits were all simple and simple circuits seem to sound the best.

 

[_jojo_bass]

I'm 16. I started when I was 7. For the longest time, all the kids in my school had the nicest gear for the battle of the bands that their rich parents got them. I had my shotty Yamaha. Well, come highschool, all the kids have up and I bought their gear for super cheap. Now I gig and pet paid and they sit in their basement and play xBox

 

[Bassmunnky]

Don't feel bad bud, I'm 50 and I see the same thing in the clubs all the time, guys my age with 10k worth of gear that could blow through changes, even if you told them it wasn't a song by David Bowie. It is what it is. Don't listen to us fogies either.

 

[MovingPitchers]

I think if you can avoid caring about what other people have, you'll be better off. Just keep practicing. It's better to be better than him than to have a better bass.

Or unless you show off your better bass to him and the guy/girl will feel totally unmotivated and give up...