'Professional' bass guitars

[alaskaleftybass]

I bought my first Ibanez Roadstar in 1980 and have owned them since. Before you sell anything, call the school and ask about six string bass and how much you'll cover with it.
Don't buy/sell anything yet. Your Ibanez basses will serve you well into your career until you have earned enough to buy a more expensive bass, if you desire.
I'm a lifelong musician and I don't feel a twinge of shame that I play an Ibanez SR500 4 string bass. It has served me flawlessly for years as the previous Ibby bass it replaced.
The problem with this society is we're all brainwashed into believing that the first thing we have to do with any small success is to "buy up" instead of using what we already have.
The bass doesn't define your status, your skill set and ability to be a good businessman will.
Good luck, study hard, make us proud!

 

[ColonelZulu]

Topic cites "Professional" bass guitar.
You're a student.
When (if) you become a professional, get a professional instrument.

Don't put that burden on your family.

Most of us survived with one semi-crappy bass for years.

My family didn't have to pay for my college, but I couldn't imagine shelling out for a bass (or any equipment) that was better than I needed in school.

One bass...preferably a decent shape used one...is good enough.

 

[ZBirdV8]

I might add, that chops don't even matter that much when it comes to working with people. YOU is what matters. Give me a passionate rookie over an ******* with chops anytime.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

If the people you play with look down on your gear you're hangin' with the wrooooooooong cats

If you do feel like getting some new gear I'd recommend consolidating your collection and looking at a nice piece of used gear. Better to have one instrument you love than three that are so so.

these are both good answers.

I'd keep the more versatile of the 2 Ibby's and the Pbass. Sell one Ibby and use the proceeds for moving costs and whatever else. You'll always want and need a Pbass, and the Ibby's are fun and useful for all sorts of shenanigans.
At the end of the day, it's the player that makes the bass. Always.

 

[gjohnson441496]

Hey folks,

So... I am hoping to go to University/College to study bass guitar performance and theory. I have a problem however.

I am not from a wealthy family at all, and have average bass guitars at the moment; an Ibanez SRX590, Ibanez SR300 and a P bass copy. We can't afford for me to get any more basses or upgrade, and I need to save up for university now, as I can't rely on my parents to support me.

The question: Will I be looked down on because of the gear I use at a more professional level, even if I 'gots the chops' to 'hang with the big guys'? I don't want my career to be cut short because of a lack of funds in my teens?

Thanks any comments or input is brilliant!

I think you can feel confident that you will not be looked down upon.

 

[Scot]

Jazz guys are going to look down on you if you show up with an electric bass.
Blues guys are going to look down on you if you show up with a 6 string fretless.
Rock guys are going to look down on you if you don't wear your bass below your belt and play with a pick.
Country guys are going to look down on you if you don't play a Fender/Fender-esque bass.

Just smile, strap your bass on and let your playing do the talking. If you can play appropriately for the music and sound good you'll get the nods of approval. Well, except for some of the jazz guys who will probably still turn their noses up.

 

[mellowinman]

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.

In rock and roll, "sloppy" is often "in a good way."

 

[Drzejzi]

"(...) average bass guitars at the moment; an Ibanez SRX590 (...)"

Come on, you have professional bass at the moment. In Poland this bass costs about one and a half of minumum wage. And you have two more basses. I had a bass I bought for about 100 dollars, when I started college. I've found a band, started playing concerts and then I bought Ibanez ATK310 - still cheaper bass than yours.

 

[gjohnson441496]

I've actually seen the opposite happen. There was a student a couple years back that came into the school of music with a Fodera. He got heckled. A lot.

As long as the instrument itself doesn't impede your growing abilities (which a lot of that is due to setup and maintenance over anything else) and is reliable (everything works well, the electronics don't short out), I think you'll be fine.

Jon Moody makes has a good point.

 

[cdavisshannon]

I got through my undergrad degree with an SX Jazz, No name german plywood upright (that probably would have been better off in the trash as the overstand was atrocious and it was nearly unplayable to most people) and a hartke combo. No one ever said a word about my gear. My poor note choice they had plenty to say. Don't sweat it; the tool does not make the player.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

If you're looked down at for not having $$$$$$ gear then just say to the people "so I assume you don't like Nirvana?" If you don't know Kurt Cobain was notorious for using the cheapest gear possible, I heard that he even recorded a song with an acoustic guitar with a missing high e string. Any people who look down at you for this are $$$holes that you want nothing to do with.

If I'm not mistaken, Jack White still plays a red Kay guitar from time to time. It was his first one, but man alive that thing has got to be cheap lol

 

[Dana R Gregory]

There have been similar threads regarding this situation and one thing you must be aware of is theft. There are several warnings to music school students here on TB not to take an expensive instrument to school due to theft. You are better off taking an inexpensive bass at least during your first year. If things go well, and you feel more secure about the security of your equipment then go ahead and go for a higher end instrument. As for any snobbery, let your fingers do the talking and forget the attitudes. If they like your playing, then they will accept you regardless of what you are playing. You can always explain that you will upgrade in the near future when available funds allow it. Good luck and keep thumpin'.

 

[PortlandBass77]

If I'm not mistaken, Jack White still plays a red Kay guitar from time to time. It was his first one, but man alive that thing has got to be cheap lol

Great example, and I think most people would probably agree Jack White is a better musician than Kurt Cobain.

 

[nostatic]

There is no such thing as a professional bass guitar. A bass does not get paid to play a gig - the person does. So there are professional bassists, not professional basses. And professional bassists have been known to use everything from a washtub instrument to a Fodera and everything in between. Whatever gets the job done...

 

[KevInDaBassment]

There have been similar threads regarding this situation and one thing you must be aware of is theft. There are several warnings to music school students here on TB not to take an expensive instrument to school due to theft. You are better of taking an inexpensive bass at least during your first year. If things go well, and you feel more secure about the security of your equipment then go ahead and go for a higher end instrument....

Ok this is a REALLY good point that doesn't get discussed enough. Any expensive looking bass will be more likely to get lifted at rehearsal spaces, church gear closets, bar/club gigs, college, or anywhere else there is an opportunity to steal. Very good point Dana.

 

[skunky33]

One thing that will continually piss me off are people use the word "professional" when talking about gear, as if somehow a 2500 dollar bass makes them professional. For awhile now I've been playing a cheap bolt on Epi Thunderbird becuase it sounds great. I have other basses but my Thunderbird has always had a special place in my heart. It's worth all of 125 bucks. I'm so over the gear stage in my life. I'll play just about anything on stage.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Whatever works for you. I have my butt-ugly Frankenfender that I've had for over 30 years - still remember it cost me $250 from some guy who needed the cash more for blow than making music. If it weren't so heavy, I never would have bought any other bass. It still gets played a lot.

 

[bopeuph]

As a music performance graduate, here's my two cents:

I started college as a euphonium major. I didn't own my own euph the first few years, so I had to borrow one from the university. Being the top player without a horn, I got a very good instrument until I bought my own, which was the same model.

When I transferred schools and changed my major to jazz studies, I used a trombone that I bought at a pawn shop for $75. I was shunned by the trombone players at the school for two reasons: 1.) I had only played trombone for two weeks when I was placed above most of the studio during jazz band auditions (I was still a euph major at this point and forced to play trombone in the big bands), and 2.) my trombone was a student model instrument with a very crappy mouthpiece I bought off Woodwind & Brasswind for $4. Mind you, this was one of the top public universities in the country for jazz. By the way, I still use that horn for pro gigs, and now I only get compliments about its sound and playability.

When I switched to bass studies, I wanted to just learn upright, but my professor forced me to study electric. He lectured me on a regular basis about my Epiphone bass with the dead pickup, but I managed to get through college, and bought my upright and Geddy Lee basses off of a friend just before my senior recital.

I didn't get along with a lot of the musicians at this school, but it had a lot to do with age difference; I took a break before transferring, and because I switched majors I had to take a lot of freshman jazz classes with kids four years younger than me. Also, one of the few students that didn't have any money coming in from my family meant I had to penny pinch all the way through college.

But this subject always reminds me of a few things:

1.) Quote from Coltrane: "You can play a shoestring if you're sincere."
2.) Charlie Parker played a plastic saxophone at the concert at Massey Hall (Mingus' album Jazz at Massey Hall). Story is that Bird hocked his horn for some heroin, and that was all he could find at the last second.
3.) Bud Herseth was approached by a student before a concert who was unhappy with his cheap trumpet. Bud asked if he could play it on the concert, and did an excellent job.
4.) The crappy local guy who bought a Fodera bass still sounds crappy.

Take of this what you will.