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Never ceases to amaze me...
- Thread starter bass40hz
- Start date
"TalkBass has us chasing basses and amps, working jobs we hate so we can buy s#!t we don't need."
- Fight Club (paraphrase)
- Fight Club (paraphrase)
I've been playing bass for pay for nearly 50 years (yikes!)
I originally joined about 11 years ago because I was amazed that there was such a great internet resource for bass players and I was revamping my working rig and was seeking info on gear I was not familiar with. It worked out great, and continues to work out great from my perspective.
The TB classifieds have also been great for me, at least in the few trades/deals I have done over the years. There is a higher level of trust here than elsewhere on the web .. at least IMO/IME.
I have certainly got myself into a few unfortunate situations here on TB, but have only been warned 2x (once for a non contributing member sale situation), and was in fact, banned once for a week or 10 days (?, it's been a long time). Sometimes the discussions are very useful, sometimes they are not, sometimes they are actually kind of hilarious. I do try to keep things civil, but I don't always succeed. I'm human
The gear knowledge that's available here, and the representation by several manufacturers and boutique product folks is just great.
rock on TB
I originally joined about 11 years ago because I was amazed that there was such a great internet resource for bass players and I was revamping my working rig and was seeking info on gear I was not familiar with. It worked out great, and continues to work out great from my perspective.
The TB classifieds have also been great for me, at least in the few trades/deals I have done over the years. There is a higher level of trust here than elsewhere on the web .. at least IMO/IME.
I have certainly got myself into a few unfortunate situations here on TB, but have only been warned 2x (once for a non contributing member sale situation), and was in fact, banned once for a week or 10 days (?, it's been a long time). Sometimes the discussions are very useful, sometimes they are not, sometimes they are actually kind of hilarious. I do try to keep things civil, but I don't always succeed. I'm human
The gear knowledge that's available here, and the representation by several manufacturers and boutique product folks is just great.
rock on TB
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Actually neither of them. That's why I refrain from participating in my country's bass forums in my native language. I have absolutely no interest in neither teaching/learning or being into the club of mutual admiration mancave freemasonry (!). I e being passionate. Neither am I beligerent. That's why my views from another culture may just bring in a different view or a "third" option to the otherwise polarized views always present in such a conservative environment as the musicians are, not only basses. Me too, have learned and watched of course, that there's another culture out there, say a lot of worship, prayer players, as well as this "pay to play" gigs that are totally unheard of in Scandinavian countries. It's like I "learn" more from that than I learn about techniques or new gear. The different civilization. No so much about learning about new music, playing styles either.
For better or worse, as I come in - very often - as a "where did you come from..?" thing, as a social gadfly of some sorts, like asking questions that are initially upsetting, and controversial I can't help that in your civilisation that conduct is seen as "purposely bait people into argument". Posing novel, potently upsetting questions, usually directed at authorities. A social gadfly is someone who persistently challenges people in positions of power, the status quo or a popular position
I can tell you that in Swedish bass forums, the exact same posts, phrasing, and wording would cause absolutely no troubles at all. I do - more often than not - come across some sort of a devils advocate, ad hoc arguments, and provides a different slant, a third view, when I've read through a pages, and all this polarisation that either it's black or white, when I come in like a wrecking ball (ha!) and disrupts the berated debate (!). This of course, is viewed by some, as a total besserwisser, and I do sense that most people thinks that any idea I have I got out of the blue, and are so totally out of it. But, when I point to others more authorative people links (mostly luthiers, and sources with a publicist behind) people finds out, that nothing I've ever said or proposed in any thread in here at TB is something unique and from my own ideas. It's doesn't hold any threshold of originality at all. Someone else came up with the idea before, but no one else around here thought about it until I chimed in. I refrain always from discussing any musical taste, or music styles. It's like discussing if red is better than green. Bores me silly.
- - - - - - -
Now let's move on to the other thing in your post, about the "negative" things always occurring. I've viewed this in another thread recently, and it's related to a very high degree to nerds coming up after a gig and wants to talk shop and always starts off with a negative slurred question like "why don't you use [insert any brand] instead?" Like they're showing off they know better and wants to raise an argument about a thing. Mind you, I don't mind talk shop, but if they started with something like "Hey cool sound, but why are you using this or that for?" that's a neutral question about wanting to know a reason for something. Neither negative nor positive. It doesn't start with "why don't you use.." the "don't you" includes that something you are currently using are bad or not up to snuff or not modern, or - more often than not - not vintage hard core enough.
The anoraks, and nerds. This beats me. I've never done this myself on any gig, even less bringing it up to my friends, or question their choice of gear.
I think this is not exclusive at all for TB, but now, all forums - alas - works like this:
You mix totally noobs, beginners, lamers, with top pro connosieurs, professionals, seasoned veterans, as well as seasoned and experienced players that have been there, seen that, heard, played, done that. Those that detects things easier than others, and see caveats, advantages, disadvantages sooner than those who've just started out. For the grumpier older guys, like me, there's fewer "firsts" coming up. For the noobs, beginners there's nothing but "firsts" coming up. They are always enlightened, excited, and GASsed gearheads. They don't see the point of them asking a question for the first time, and getting the response that the same question has already been answered ten times over, deep sixed, and beaten to death, as in:
AD NAUSEAM:
"This topic has been discussed ad nauseam" signifies that the topic in question has been discussed extensively, and that those involved in the discussion have grown tired of it. An argument made repeatedly (possibly by different people) until nobody cares to discuss it any more. In other words, it refers not to something initially or topically unpleasant; rather, it is something discussed to the point of being so." Regardless of it's a beginner or a seasoned veteran asking the question again, or bring up a new discussion.
There's a reason why they separate first graders with university professor whenever in class at school, don't you think?
I think most of the time the OPs starting, especially the noobs, lamers, a question in which they make a false assumption and take for granted that we all know all things about them and their gear in the first place. Like they undeliberately forgets to mention key things, that will make us come with better answers in the first place. Then it has to go on pages and pages before the OP answers back with "Ok ok, it's an active bass I use!!" wondering where the distortion comes from and he doesn't for a second thought that active basses came with batteries that needs to be changed out. It saves a lot of gripe by spilling it out in the first post, what gear, and this or that one is using. It requires a lot more of typing but so be it.
They themselves sees the gear in front of them, and thinks that we own the same things, exactly like him. And his problems should be all encompassing and equally as true to any other bass or gear. They can't think there would be difference between different strings, pickups. They just asks "where does the hum com from?" and then all answers starts to coming in, ranging from here to the moon and back. That's my perception of all things TB. And other forums as well. And this is probably because people don't want to type that much...
... said who...
People likes to type twitter like question, and assumes a short twitter like answers. "What's the meaning of life?" and except an equally as short answer. Of course we all know that it is "Playing bass!" but, on the other hand...
They themselves sees the gear in front of them, and thinks that we own the same things, exactly like him. And his problems should be all encompassing and equally as true to any other bass or gear. They can't think there would be difference between different strings, pickups. They just asks "where does the hum com from?" and then all answers starts to coming in, ranging from here to the moon and back. That's my perception of all things TB. And other forums as well. And this is probably because people don't want to type that much...
... said who...
People likes to type twitter like question, and assumes a short twitter like answers. "What's the meaning of life?" and except an equally as short answer. Of course we all know that it is "Playing bass!" but, on the other hand...
On the other hand....You could give the correct answer (42).....
......Apologies if you find my response to be somewhat crass but I appear to have a very short attention span today.....
Maybe its just me, but it seems that some of the real down and dirty from days gone by has toned way down .. particularly in the Amps and Cabs Forum.
I also know that it does not take too much of the "gear type X, which happens to be the gear I use, will crush/destroy/annihilate any others" stuff to get under my skin.
Another type of post/poster/response that has the potential to get me riled up is the presumed/revered expert who loftily pronounces things as if they are simply correct, rather than just simply responding to questions or inquiries.
On the positive side, I really enjoy some of the more technically minded and clearly very experienced folks here who usually respond in great detail with great clarity, usually on fairly technical topics, and manage to do so very civilly ... even when faced with some pretty knot-headed folks.
I don't want to embarrass anyone like that, but Fdeck, AgedHorse and Passinwind come to mind as examples along with a host of others who's names I can't quite deliver off the top of my head. In that vein, I also really miss folks like Dave GreenBoy Green, Bill Fitzmaurice and John Kallas (johnk_10). They each certainly had a PoV, but their posts were so informative and engaging to read. Of course, they did not suffer fools gladly either, so they sometimes did not make friends with all.
oh well, its the web. we should just be happy that TB has maintained all these years.
I also know that it does not take too much of the "gear type X, which happens to be the gear I use, will crush/destroy/annihilate any others" stuff to get under my skin.
Another type of post/poster/response that has the potential to get me riled up is the presumed/revered expert who loftily pronounces things as if they are simply correct, rather than just simply responding to questions or inquiries.
On the positive side, I really enjoy some of the more technically minded and clearly very experienced folks here who usually respond in great detail with great clarity, usually on fairly technical topics, and manage to do so very civilly ... even when faced with some pretty knot-headed folks.
I don't want to embarrass anyone like that, but Fdeck, AgedHorse and Passinwind come to mind as examples along with a host of others who's names I can't quite deliver off the top of my head. In that vein, I also really miss folks like Dave GreenBoy Green, Bill Fitzmaurice and John Kallas (johnk_10). They each certainly had a PoV, but their posts were so informative and engaging to read. Of course, they did not suffer fools gladly either, so they sometimes did not make friends with all.
oh well, its the web. we should just be happy that TB has maintained all these years.
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On the other hand....You could give the correct answer (42).....
Apologies if you find my response to be somewhat crass but I appear to have a very short attention span today.....
Don't encourage....
I came here to hang. I am now old and I don't imagine I'll ever gig again. I get to jam occasionally and thats fine with me. I have a day job and no interest in waiting till 3 am for some surly bar dude to give me my $100.00.
Having said that,, I HAVE waited till 3 am for some surly bar guy to pay me. I HAVE lugged an SVT up and down flights of stairs. I bought my first new car simply because the 8x10 would fit in the hatchback...with the bass on top...and the head in the passenger seat. So maybe....sometimes...I can offer a bit of wisdom.
But don't count on that.
Having said that,, I HAVE waited till 3 am for some surly bar guy to pay me. I HAVE lugged an SVT up and down flights of stairs. I bought my first new car simply because the 8x10 would fit in the hatchback...with the bass on top...and the head in the passenger seat. So maybe....sometimes...I can offer a bit of wisdom.
But don't count on that.
I'm kind of enjoying being on unemployment and being off tb. I just get so much more stuff done when I'm not advising people who are too intranetcentric to actually go see bands, start their own band, learn how to set their eq, learn basic trouble shooting, and how to not disparage people who have differing opinions. I'll still check out the photography threads though, cause that's always fresh and positive.
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It's mainly about that, when it comes to negative vibes on any forum really. I do find, though, that reviews of gears, pedals, basses on internet forums trumps somewhat those who are cut short due to editorial purposes by magazines that are ad dependent and are mostly "friendly". Prior to the internet, most magazines didn't review really cheap or bad stuff, like pedals or amps, and told the readers in a polite way "If you're not reading about anything here, it's probably not worth mentioning and have a low rating".
I find the huge plethora of different posts on any forum regarding reviews of the latest gadget, somewhat "tied in". I view all posts as a totally, all encompassing "different chapters of a large total review". And all negative rants about a product adds to the total, and the early adopters and fanboys. I do have found out, not only here on TB, that "negative" vibed reviews do contain MORE information, not necessarily important, maybe neglible even, but it all adds up to the total verdict of any product.The positive ones always reads like a manufacturers ad, or their demos, anyway and does not add to an already known trait about the product. Rather just confirms it over and over again.
We all can detect whether any negative post is just bickering for the sake of it, or whether it contains valid information to the ones reading it. What's negative for me, in a review, may be considered totally positive by another person. We all need these negative posts in order to make a fair assesment. I can tell you that with any posts, that reading a lot of threads about - especially - gear reviews have not wowed me to any sides. I e changing my opinion totally, opposite against it, or totally for it, but it has put me on the fence quite a lot. Standing neutrally in the middle and wait to see what happens. It's more often than not of making choices of what gear to buy.
.. but still these days... there's always "what's the best bass for metal" coming up, all of the time, the new generation still think it's a very valid question, and they're too lazy too do a search first. BTW the search function on this forum - as well as others - are a little bit so-so, so it's little wonder. And after a while it's no wonder that we, that's been around for a while starts to question why it's just the music form metal that are stuck to these questions, and very rarely any other music style, if any at all. And then you just have to go patronizing, and be pejorative, and bigottery on the metal crowd. There's a reason films such as "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" and "Spinal Tap" came around in the first place. It wasn't exactly about jazz, you know...
Do you ever notice how a lot of reviews use the same words, phrases, and hyperbole? It's clear that many people writing reviews are not giving their opinion, but an amalgamation of opinions they've previously read from "reputable" sources. The same is true of musical Gear, films, video games..
I joined to learn and enjoy conversations with folks with a similar interest and hear different viewpoints. The vast majority of the people here are great, informative and funny. I have learned to use ignore when I see people (rarely) who come accross as so pompous that they feel they have to correct anything that does not fit the only correct view on anything (theirs). I chalk them up as being rather insecure and immature that they cannot accept that someone can have a different viewpoint. Honest disagreement and a mature discussion of different viewpoints makes things more interesting. As I get older, I embrace a saying my Grandfather had: Always do and say, the kindest thing in the kindest way. In other words, we should respect someones views, thoughts or questions whether we agree with them or not.
