'Professional' bass guitars

[antontanzil]

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.

Well, everyone has said it, I just want to add something from my personal experience, a Four or Five string Bass with (relatively) narrow and thin necks are better for school, especialy in the first few Seasons where you will need to practise a lot. There's no urgent need for a 6 String (as a matter of fact, there's no subject that I remember requires a 6 String). Also, practising 8 hours a day requires a Bass that's really comfortable playability wise rather than a bass with a great sound. And a bass that's comfortable beling played while sitting down also helps a lot.

Have fun. You won't regret this experience.

 

[Mike M.]

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

Goes hand in hand with: It's not what ya got, it's what ya do with it.

 

[el murdoque]

I've met and or gigged with 4 people of which i know they studied bass. 2 of them had gear that was average at best, only one had really fancy stuff, one was on a Fender J.
I think the quality of your gear is not as big a thing as you're making it.

 

[cnltb]

I think that if people look down at you for the instrument you play, you might simply have to work on your playing.
That's how it goes at times; If you play real well, very few people will mind what instrument you do it on.
A Professional bass; one that sets up well and is reliable, I think.

 

[joebar]

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

+ eternity and then beyond eternity-when that eternity ends, find more eternity

 

[joebar]

I played a 300 dollar bass for 25 years straight and it never occurred to me that people would scoff at me.
you know why? because I could play it real well.
in 30 years, not one person has ever said a word about me playing it either. all I ever heard was "hey-that bass sounds good"

 

[El Papa]

It's not the arrow it's the Indian.. I know of several pro bassists That gig and record with Squier basses. I also know of several other local guys that own several basses like Fodera and MTD and that could hardly play them... which believe me... to each his own...... it's always nice to here someone who can really play and then realize it's a less expensive bass

 

[David Jayne]

No. It doesn't matter. Anyone that thinks it does is an idiot. Forget about it.

 

[Robroy]

I intentionally don't use expensive basses. It's because I'm a hipster.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

It's not the arrow it's the Indian.. I know of several pro bassists That gig and record with Squier basses. I also know of several other local guys that own several basses like Fodera and MTD and that could hardly play them... which believe me... to each his own...... it's always nice to here someone who can really play and then realize it's a less expensive bass

Valid point, however, couldn't you have picked a less racist analogy?

Back on topic, I will go against the grain here and say I would highly recommend you get another bass if you want to be a professional. Get yourself an upright! If you actually want to this as a career you would be an absolute fool to not learn upright. At the absolute least, learn another instrument and learn to sing. A non-singing bass player is basically useless in the professional world outside of pits.

 

[Jack MN]

I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure there will be tons of people there who can't afford expensive gear. And besides, if somebody wants to judge you by how much your bass cost, they're not the type of people you'd want to be friends with anyway.

 

[Humbled]

Valid point, however, couldn't you have picked a less racist analogy?

It's not the Sword it's the Samurai ?

 

[Batmensch]

It's not the meat, it's the motion.
Oh, wait ...

 

[AMJBASS]

Agreed with the posts that say it doesn't matter. It matters a lot more that you play well and sound good. If and when you get out there playing professionally then you can buy the tools you need for the job.

 

[strictlybass_ic]

I think anywhere you go, and in any "hobby" subgroup there will be people who judge you based on how much you spent on your equipment/tools/gear/clothes/whatever. The good news is those people typically suck and aren't worth your time. At some point you will encounter one, they will be a jerk, and you can either ignore them or blow them away with superior skills (it's up to you to decide which is appropriate/achievable).

Also, I'm a big fan of Ibanez basses and I think what you have listed is more than adequate. Heck I sold off my more expensive basses and bought some SR300's. I had Sweetwater do a thorough setup on them and they're great. Couldn't ask for anything more out of a bass, and if some drunk ruins one at a bar I'm only out $300.

 

[El Papa]

Relax bud. I'm full blood American Indian. Sorry if I offended you!

Valid point, however, couldn't you have picked a less racist analogy?

Back on topic, I will go against the grain here and say I would highly recommend you get another bass if you want to be a professional. Get yourself an upright! If you actually want to this as a career you would be an absolute fool to not learn upright. At the absolute least, learn another instrument and learn to sing. A non-singing bass player is basically useless in the professional world outside of pits.

 

[petrus61]

Now is the time to focus on your playing. The rest will come in time. One thing I think is important to do when the time does come to "upgrade" is to keep it simple. A fanned fret, multi stringed bass with amazing electronics might seem like it's going to broaden your options, but that kind of thing can actually work against someone who is just starting out professionally where many bandleaders take a minimalist approach to both sound and image. By all means, you should play what you want and use the tools that can help get what you need out of any musical situation, but you may be surprised at how little those extra "options" are actually called upon in many situations. Conversely, they can become a signature representation of what you bring to the table and some guys build careers on being one of the small handful that can actually bring and use such a tool successfully.

 

[static0verdrive]

A poor craftsman blames his tools...

 

[Kevan Campbell]

I had an issue like this when I was in college. My only bass was a Japanese Fender '75 Reissue Jazz that I was playing pretty often and regularly around town while taking classes and working a part-time job, and one day my roommate's friend comes by. He played a custom F Bass at the time and was giving me crap about how cheap my gear was in front of everyone. I simply asked him why I was getting calls to play my cheap gear around town while he was sitting at home playing video games. Just goes to show you that while gear may or may not be important, good technique and chops AND a friendly attitude are ALWAYS necessary.

 

[ZBirdV8]

The only thing you got to have is a amplifier that can be heard over a drum kit.