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Poll: Do you have a "beater" bass?

Do you have a beater bass?

  • Total voters
    442
moon-bass

moon-bass

They call me El Jefe .. El Jefe del groove
Supporting Member
May 10, 2004
5,695
10,517
USA, New Orleans
#1
Question for the collective: do you have a beater bass? One that you would be okay with if it got stolen, lost, or damaged?

When I gigged frequently I had a beater, but I hardly ever used it. I ended up selling it a long time ago. Recently I picked up another beater, but not sure if I'm going to keep it. A good portion of my basses aren't in pristine condition, so a bump here or there won't bother me. I've never had a bass stolen, and my most irreplaceable basses aren't going to be gigged.

So, thoughts? Ever glad you used a beater?
 
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#2
I bought one for the road precisely because I wouldn't cry if it was damaged or stolen. Of course no one wants a bass to be broken or taken, but it obviously happens. I had a REALLY nice bass (still do) but it became obvious that I should have something less rarified. It wasn't a shambles of a bass either, but it was about 1/15th the cost of the one I had been gigging.
 
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#6
mine is currently non-assembled, pending me learning how to:
A) fix a headstock break :eek:
2) paint :nailbiting:

20200924_213701.jpg
 
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#9
moon-bass said:
Question for the collective: do you have a beater bass? One that you would be okay with if it got stolen, lost, or damaged? ...
Click to expand...
I can't have nice things. Every base I own is a beater. At the same time, they are all precious to me, and I would be upset were they to be lost, stolen, or damaged.
 
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#11
I bought this clapped out Ibanez 5 string a few months ago, this poor bass looked like it'd taken more than one trip down a flight of stairs. DEEP dents and dings all over it, but the neck is surprisingly bang on straight, & it stays in tune. The guts were a wreck, the preamp had somehow gotten cracked, so I scored a deal on a pair of EMG 40-J pickups & a wiring kit on reverb, tossed that in and it sound rather nice. It's the one I leave at our rehearsal space with my amp & cab so I can save my Warwick & Fender for gigs.
 
#13
moon-bass said:
Question for the collective: do you have a beater bass? One that you would be okay with if it got stolen, lost, or damaged?

When I gigged frequently I had a beater, but I hardly ever used it. I ended up selling it a long time ago. Recently I picked up another beater, but not sure if I'm going to keep it. A good portion of my basses aren't in pristine condition, so a bump here or there won't bother me. I've never had a bass stolen, and my most irreplaceable basses aren't going to be gigged.

So, thoughts? Ever glad you used a beater?
Click to expand...

I consider my first 2 basses (Squier P and Spector Q4) to be my beaters. That being said, I would be heartbroken if something happened to either. I'm just not concerned with keeping them pristine, or their resale value.

I consider them more practice/writing basses because they have reliability issues that would prevent me from gigging with them and I usually feel the most inspired when playing both on my own.
 
#15
Yes. In addition to playing in a band, I play bass every Sunday in church. I got tired of lugging a bass back and forth weekly for one or two songs, so I did some rehab on an 80's Peavey Dyna Bass 5 that I've owned for several (10+) years. I put a new Schaller bridge on it because the original bridge had a bunch of stripped out screws in the saddles. It's an exact replacement for this bass; had to be the one Peavey used. Adjusted the relief and set the string height, oiled the fingerboard and put in a new 9V and it now lives on a stand at church. The thing plays so good now that I actually look forward to playing it each Sunday. Doesn't really fit the definition of a beater bass but it's the closest thing I have. Yes, I would be bummed if it were damaged or stolen but I could replace it easily as these are still one of the most undervalued basses available, IMO.
 
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#16
I think my heap of parts I screwed together qualifies as a beater, tho it’s my favorite bass right now. Part of the appeal is that I don’t mind modding it. My “nice” bass is all stock.

I’d hate either to be lost or stolen, but monetary value favors the “beater” in this regard.

I don’t mind any of my basses getting damaged, as long as it is repairable.

But I’d never buy a bass so valuable that I would have serious regret if it was lost or stolen. My nicest bass was stolen, and my only thought was “I hope someone’s gonna play that thing”.
 
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#18
Hmmm... none in currently in my possession. I have willingly "loaned on a permanent basis" (given away) 3 basses to people who would put them to (better) use. For me that meant making peace with not having control over use/storage/maintenance/condition/safety of those instruments. Which, by extension, meant that I became OK with losing them. Which was kinda liberating.

Late in my sixth decade (and not really playing all that actively these days), I've grown less and less attached to "stuff" in general, and that includes my basses. It would bother me a great deal to lose my 77/78 P, though.
 
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