'Professional' bass guitars

[wmhill]

one of my favorite and respected players (local) always had decent stuff, nothing special, but he played so well it sounded amazing in his hands. he had a saying that stuck with me -" it's not the arrow, it's the Indian"

 

[gsquare]

The Ibanez models are great instruments, but if you haven't, I'd invest in a professional setup on the one you plan to be your main instrument. Just a suggestion.

 

[Kmonk]

A good bassist can usually make a cheap bass sound decent. I bad bassist will never make the best bass sound good. There is nothing wrong with the basses you have.

 

[JACink]

I have a friend who is the lead singer and bassist of a group that is making it quite big here at the moment. He plays really well, and has studied at the "Conservatory of Music". He plays a Stingray because that was what he was given as a gift at 16. He has never had another bass, and probably couldn't name more than a couple of brands, but as soon as he starts playing, nobody "looks down" on him.

If anyone ever make that sort of comment, just smile and keep playing!

 

[chris_b]

What you play and how you play it is far more important than what you play it on.

Work on your technique and rub their noses in it.

 

[BBox Bass]

You have nicer gear than I did when I went to college!

I took a Peavey Foundation to my first audition. The drummer and guitarist were excellent musicians with good gear. Neither said a word about my bass, but much to my surprise they asked me to join the band right after we finished running through my audition songs. I must have done something right, and if you do too, the brand on your headstock probably won't matter much.

 

[PortlandBass77]

I feel like this isn't the best example, Kurt wasn't known to be a very good player, but then again I'm not a nirvana fan.

Well of course Kurt wasn't a very good player, he played guitar, not bass . Well anyways it's a matter of opinion. I feel some Nirvana songs are way overplayed but for the ones that aren't Kurt's playing is pretty revolutionary, though it is sloppy in a good way.

 

[wintremute]

Thank you to everyone who has commented One thing that I would consider doing is selling my two Ibanez's for their new 6 string fanned fret. I feel with that it would cover so many possibilities both tonally and tuning-wise I would be pretty safe with it.

I think that's a good idea, but very premature.

You're going to go someplace where there will be a ton of other musicians and styles and experiments. Some of the best parts of going to college/university are the new worlds that you encounter, that you had no idea existed, that you never thought you would enjoy. It's possible that there's a style of bass out there that you never considered, or never knew existed, but after trying it out you'll see it's close to what feels right for you.

Don't go there trying to "fit in" and "look professional", because then all of the other people looking to expand their worlds will be limited by you. Start off by being the best self you can be, and don't worry about the instruments.

I would suggest you go to school with what you have, experience life a few months to find out what you really like, and THEN think about making the change.

 

[Lava]

Don't sweat it brother. As someone mentioned, get a professional setup and concentrate on your playing and technique. You will know if and when you're needing to step up to something else bass-wise.

 

[radioface]

If, you play well enough, no one will look down upon you regardless of what brand of bass you are playing.

 

[Jake72]

Chances are that youre going to find that the students with great gear are going to be vastly outnumbered by students playing on gear similar to yours.... In the early 90's when I was in school, parts guitars were the name of the game for people who were studying performance. (Some of the classical guitar students had amazing instruments, but they're also a bit of a different animal).

 

[mpdd]

just write mike lull on the headstock of your p bass with a marker and you're set, i didn't have enough money to buy a nice bass until i was 36

 

[deeptubes]

Dude. Professional gear is anything you use to earn money, from a $10k Wal to a $50 Rogue. It's all what you do with it.

 

[noahw1]

Just play the hell outta those basses you have now and everything will be just fine.

 

[Sav'nBass]

It's better to be better at bass than to have a better bass.

Did anyone else hear music when they read this... like... a 20k member choir going ....... "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh.... "

Professionalism is always judged by behavior rather than gear.

Come prepared. Be on time. Do the work.. and you could be playing a $100 bass... and you will get more props than the guy with the AS Jazz who does none of that.

If you want better gear get it because it opens up things within the instrument for you... as a player .... and better gear will indeed do that... but don't ever sweat what people think. There will always be better bass players than you with better gear and there will always be worse bass players than you with worse gear .. so just do you and do the work.. be grateful for the gift because playing music is a gift and not everyone can do it... and be grateful for the opportunity and the time to do the work and study.

Don't sweat posers and always pay it forward.

 

[ReneB]

You've gotten a lot of advice here, so now you certainly have food for thought. I did see a suggestion to perhaps consider consolidating your various basses to upgrade to a better used one. I would second this suggestion and add another aspect for you to consider.

Given that it's you the player not the gear that counts the most, and that at university you'll also be exposed to some probably heretofore unknown basses, why don't you wait until you've gotten a bit of time under your belt at your university to decide what you want to upgrade to.

It may be that one of your fellow students or instructor has a bass that you fall in love with that you may not have ever met before. I think this is why it may make more sense to wait until you've had a few bass flings (maybe even a few one night stands under your belt) to make a decision. Then you may realize that your Ibanezes may be better (or worse) than you thought, or maybe mods to existing gear is what you want, or perhaps it's a whole new/used guitar that you want.

And, best of luck to you. Remember, work diligently but most important, enjoy!

 

[ReneB]

It's better to be better at bass than to have a better bass.

AMEN! Words to live by really (in that I feel this philosophy applies to other things in life)

 

[physics]

You're going to find an obnoxious element of elitism in any field of study or profession, it's just something that one has to deal with. In my particular field, physics, there is no shortage of a**holes, they just seem to gravitate(pun intended) toward that field. Let your intrinsic interest in the bass be the guiding force as you progress through your studies and you'll be fine. There will always be people who are richer, smarter, more handsome, more talented and just plain more lucky than you are. In the end it really doesn't matter, so do the things that you intuitively know are right for you and you'll ultimately be happier in the end. Just concentrate on the bass and ignore those distractions, everything will sort itself out.

 

[BazzTard]

I think the opposite might happen, that is, people will appreciate how well you can make a cheap bass sound. We all started with cheap basses.

The good news is cheap doesn't mean crappy anymore. Relax, learn, enjoy !

 

[Kirk Bryant]

B minor-ly concerned about the nattering nabobs of criticism but Major-ly motivated by the joy of learning, playing, creating and by all means have fun, if it isn't fun you're doing the wrong thing. It's all about the journey and not about the destination! Yes the GAS will come and go and come again but in the end just shut up and play yer' bass. And yes it is
"All about the bass, the bass, the bass, the bass! yea baby!