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Playing bass for one year - anything wrong having already 8 instruments?

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.

Great post!
 
The problem I found was that if you own a lot of guitars you spend too much time keeping them all playable ie changing strings and tweaking setups etc....

In the end you have a small handful that you attend to and play regularly and the rest end up in cases ..

.I really should sell the less used ones but I know as soon as I do that I will have an urge to play them again and regret letting them go.

It's a curse.
 
To OP: like other guys that posted, I can relate and guilty of being the same way. I've been playing for 4 years and my chops really just deserves the MIM Fender P (although I did change out the pickups to Fralins, added a BAII, shielded the PG and installed a detuner I had - do now probably not even that, lol). I had thought buying a house would slow me down, but it didn't. I've had perhaps 30-40 basses through my hands and the most i had at one time i think was 18. I now have only 11 basses and 2 guitars. GAS is pretty much inevitable here on TB. I know someone mentioned your rig (for me it wasn't till the second year where I started to GAS for a better rig, I then had 3 good sized rigs). Perhaps you'll follow suit and soon follow that trend.
I'd bet too, perhaps after a year or two more, you'll get a feel for what you really like and get a custom build :bassist: I "think" it's under control but now contemplate my next build :hiding:
 
I have one bass but bet your ass if I had the money to spend I'd have another electric bass and one acoustic. The electric I'd wanna spend 4 to 5 Hundy on. The acoustic could be a cheapie. That's basically all the desire I really have. Quite happy with my two 100 watt Amps also
 
And no offense to anyone else but I wouldn't feel right playing a 3000 dollar bass unless I was like doing gigs recording albums and being hired as a session player and what not. Just wouldn't feel right with myself. Like those kids u knew when u were a kid that had the dope all chromed out gt performer bikes with the sick cranks but they couldn't hop a curb. And not to say those people Didnt deserve what they had. It just looks weird to me I'd feel embarrassed owning something like that unless I had a good mastery.
 
Less eBay more Mel Bay. If you have the spare cash lying around, find the best teacher in town and get some lessons or start a band and buy the PA/lights.

Since you are asking, yes it's ridiculous to be spending 10k on basses on your first year because that money could be better spent, but at the same time, you didn't start collecting vintage motorcycles, so it could be worse and it's not ridiculous if you have the means. Why are you asking strangers on an internet forum a question when you already kinow the answer ?
 
People collect art without being able to even draw. If you enjoy collecting bass guitars and can play them too even if it's not the best, why not. I've been "playing", ok practicing only a couple months and already have three, though mostly use my squire cv jazz. Now, I have only spent $350 total on the other two, mostly to see how different basses play. Easy to read on these forums how people discuss the different basses and their varying tones. Shoot, same can be said about strings. So, purchase all the instrument's you desire. Play them, sell them, save them as an investment. Enjoy your works of "art".
 
I don't understand the whole "be a better musician instead of buying fancy stuff? Better compared to what? So I shouldn't own a Bongo 6 string because I've only been playing a few years? When will I know when I'm good enough? Some people like to act that if youre any sort of musician, you MUST become good, you MUST revolutionize the instrument, this and that that and this. Some people just want to have fun, man.

I just don't get the whole "get lessons instead of more gear" talk. A lot of people aren't interested in becoming the next Jeff Berlin or John Pattitucci. They just want to have fun, play some kickass gear, and enjoy themselves. I'm barely good enough to be playing my MIM Jazz 4, but I'll be damn if I haven't loved playing all those instruments I've bought, sold, and traded in the few years I've been on here. Same applies to all those people who drive Ferraris and Lambos and Maseratis. Does one now need to become a professional, championship racer to drive such a car? NO!
 
I don't understand the whole "be a better musician instead of buying fancy stuff? Better compared to what? So I shouldn't own a Bongo 6 string because I've only been playing a few years? When will I know when I'm good enough? Some people like to act that if youre any sort of musician, you MUST become good, you MUST revolutionize the instrument, this and that that and this. Some people just want to have fun, man.

I just don't get the whole "get lessons instead of more gear" talk. A lot of people aren't interested in becoming the next Jeff Berlin or John Pattitucci. They just want to have fun, play some kickass gear, and enjoy themselves. I'm barely good enough to be playing my MIM Jazz 4, but I'll be damn if I haven't loved playing all those instruments I've bought, sold, and traded in the few years I've been on here. Same applies to all those people who drive Ferraris and Lambos and Maseratis. Does one now need to become a professional, championship racer to drive such a car? NO!

+1
 
I don't understand the whole "be a better musician instead of buying fancy stuff? Better compared to what? So I shouldn't own a Bongo 6 string because I've only been playing a few years? When will I know when I'm good enough? Some people like to act that if youre any sort of musician, you MUST become good, you MUST revolutionize the instrument, this and that that and this. Some people just want to have fun, man.

I just don't get the whole "get lessons instead of more gear" talk. A lot of people aren't interested in becoming the next Jeff Berlin or John Pattitucci. They just want to have fun, play some kickass gear, and enjoy themselves. I'm barely good enough to be playing my MIM Jazz 4, but I'll be damn if I haven't loved playing all those instruments I've bought, sold, and traded in the few years I've been on here. Same applies to all those people who drive Ferraris and Lambos and Maseratis. Does one now need to become a professional, championship racer to drive such a car? NO!

Last time I checked, I can only play one bass at a time.

Maybe I'm just pragmatic (or cheap) but I like the idea of having a few basses that I know like the back of my hand instead of a stable, which is just a fancy term to say that 50% of them just stay in their case not getting played. Collecting is fine, but it's also a lifelong journey. At this rate, OP will have more guitars than John Entwistle himself in ten years !

Also, all the lessons I took didn't prevent me from having fun and just playing. Even for basic technique and injury prevention, lessons are a sound investment.
 
Last time I checked, I can only play one bass at a time.

Maybe I'm just pragmatic (or cheap) but I like the idea of having a few basses that I know like the back of my hand instead of a stable, which is just a fancy term to say that 50% of them just stay in their case not getting played. Collecting is fine, but it's also a lifelong journey. At this rate, OP will have more guitars than John Entwistle himself in ten years !

Also, all the lessons I took didn't prevent me from having fun and just playing. Even for basic technique and injury prevention, lessons are a sound investment.

I have to agree....all my basses are different...hollow body..fretless...etc.. I would have a hard time justifying two basses of the same format. I do get gas from trying out new basses in a store and I could easily afford them but I want to build up long term relationships with my basses and guitars that I have now ....I want them to get old with me like old friends that I won't let go...warts and all.