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Playing bass for one year - anything wrong having already 8 instruments?
- Thread starter mitzache
- Start date
First off, what you are doing in purchasing basses is normal for you and there is nothing wrong with you owning one or many basses. If we were all the same, music and life would get pretty boring.
Some people collect
Some people play
Some people play and collect
All are normal. I've been playing for over 30 yrs and only have 3 electrics and 1 acoustic all are very nice bases.
I made the decision that if I buy a bass, the bass has to earn its keep and be a useful tool. That said, I helped my nephew, who is a hobbyist, build a pro rig and find some good basses. My nephew collects more that he plays, but he has a great time (my nephew also asked me this same question). So, where ever you fall in the playing or collecting spectrum is normal for you.
20 yrs ago, I was trying out a nice acoustic and the guy I was with told me that I did not play well enough to own a bass of that quality. At the time, I could not make the purchase, so I decided that I would do the very best that I could with the double bass that I had and spent a year working on pitch and articulation as my main focus. A year later I found a double bass that was better and cost less than the one I was, "Not a good enough player to own".
I'm still playing and sitting principal for a local Symphony. So, what other people think does not matter in this case.
I would like to offer some advice to improve playing.
Pick one bass and stick with it for at least couple of months before switching. I would choose your best playing bass, follow Marcus Miller advise and learn to fully use the equipment you have before switching/purchasing more equipment (I'm thinking Miller plays more than he collects). Here is why:
1. A better instrument is always easier to learn on.
2. This will give you time to gain more knowledge as to what the bass can and cannot do as far as play ability and sound production.
3. You will gain a solid comparison reference point when you switch to or try a different bass and the higher the bench mark, the better.
When practicing:
1. Find a good teacher and record your lessons for review and practice.
2. Use a metronome when you practice.
3. Buy a tascam or zoom recorder and record a bass only run through to really hear how well you are playing. To this day I find my recorded run throughs sobering.
4. Take time and listen closely to the tone of the bass you're covering and then try to emulate that tone on your chosen bass. Some tones you will be able to reproduce and some you will not be able to reproduce. This will give you a good starting tonal reference point win you do switch to a different bass.
I hope that this helps and comments are welcome.
Dimitrius
Great post.
+1 ... love it! Many forums feed GAS ... take a look at The Gear Page, for example, or The Acoustic Guitar Forum. Too each his own I say, but if I meet someone with an expensive new or vintage ax or hear someone going on about his wonderful collection I reserve any conclusion until I've heard him/her play it. Let's just say I'm inclined to be more charitable toward the beginner with a run of the mill bass than I am with a beginner with a $5000 custom instrument.
- Feb 10, 2006
- 379
- 14
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Aguilar Amplification, Mike Lull,MXR,Gruv Gear, Mono
True statement. Yet to extend the analogy, the man who is experienced with Colt, Sig, Glock, CZ, Makarov, Browning, Beretta and various other instruments will be able to use whatever happens to be handy when the need arises. Maybe not as a virtuoso, but well enough.
Diff'rent strokes, no?
Nothing wrong with it in my eyes. Next thing you know you will be asking the same question but about amps 
Sound is weak and can only get a decent sound if I run it through an amp. I am not sure if that's an issue with all acoustic basses out there but can only play a decent acoustic session with an amp on this one.
Agreed and that's why I asked my question because the nay-sayers are answering the OP's question with a big negative. So again: when is the correct time to buy many basses? What's the required skill level? Some people think one year of play time is some sort of standard that's the same for everyone. It's not. Seems to me like the OP has a passion for bass playing. He expresses it by playing lots of bass & buying lots of basses. I doubt most new bass players do this so it's not "normal". However, I see nothing wrong with it.
Basses are safer than motorcycles, cheaper than cars and less trouble than girlfriends.
Bwhaha, essentially what I said when I was buying my third bass. Doesn't take my motorcycle, project car or crappy relationships out the situation though.
That's the approach I took--each their own sound that I fell in love with. Eventually my preferences will whittle down to that one piece of awesomeness!
OP, I'm in the same boat in terms of a barn of gear with only a short time in--I'm on the cheap side though (college kid). Nothing wrong with having as many resources as possible to be as good as you want to be. I'll give you this; you practice and play. I've seen some amazing gear thrown off to the side never to see light again (or at least a feather duster). It's a different type of blasphemy to have a Fender in the house and NO ONE plays.
The only thing I have left to figure is you have enough to never really have to spend anymore actual money (trade galore!)--with that part out the way, I personally wouldn't distract away from the real goal--having a good time making music.
If that's the case...then "normal" should be the last of your worries.
By my 4th year of playing I had owned over 27 basses and owned around 14 or so at that point in time. It. Was. Ridiculous.
One day I walked in my music room and said I didn't deserve most of them as I could only play one bass at a time. It made me realize that I spent more time researching basses and GASing over them than actually sitting down, playing them, and becoming a better player and musician. I sold all but 3 of them off, and I instantly became much happier. My life was less cluttered, I found myself actually practicing again, but I still had enough basses on hand to keep things interesting if I ever needed a change in my life. It's been 4 years since then, and I've traded, bought, and sold basses, but I've always kept my stable right around 3. I have 4 now: my P, my J, my StingRay, and my Modulus Q5. As far as I'm concerned, I got all my bases covered, and I'm much more skillful and deserving of owning as many as I do. IMHO, anyone who has only been playing for a year should only own one bass - that way they can actually focus on becoming a better a player and focus less on acquiring more basses... Unless that's what they want to do, but I don't get that mindset.
.. and I think I will get to do your thing. I am in an exploring stage right now; I might go around get some other basses and see how I feel about them and probably sell those I am not happy about. So far I am super excited for my Alembic, Fodera and '75 P (which is my opinion is the best of all). I might get rid of the Modulus and J-bass.
i think its ok if you want it!,
i have 3 and i have played for 3 years and a half, but for example i use each of them for certaing things:
Warwick standar 4: standard bass, the best bass i have, i use it for all the music, but specially if i have to use slap (i dont like slap to much but its the only bass that works good with it)
Shecter malosetti signature 5 string: for low sound, or tapping, chord melody (i try to practice in this bass becasue the 5 strings)
Fretless: when i want to make something more acoustic and basslines with more freedom
i have 3 and i have played for 3 years and a half, but for example i use each of them for certaing things:
Warwick standar 4: standard bass, the best bass i have, i use it for all the music, but specially if i have to use slap (i dont like slap to much but its the only bass that works good with it)
Shecter malosetti signature 5 string: for low sound, or tapping, chord melody (i try to practice in this bass becasue the 5 strings)
Fretless: when i want to make something more acoustic and basslines with more freedom
