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Professional or amateur?

Are you a career musician?

  • Yes, all of my income is derived from playing music and I do not have a second job.

    Votes: 33 11.6%

  • Yes, most of my income is derived from playing music, and I have a second job to fill in the gaps.

    Votes: 11 3.9%

  • I'd like to be, but the majority of my income is derived from work outside of the music industry.

    Votes: 81 28.4%

  • No, I play regularly, but it is not my career. My income is derived from another job.

    Votes: 160 56.1%
  • Total voters
    285
#21
I know a lot of people, myself included, that I'd call semi-pro. Guys and girls that play in bands that play original material,and gig frequently. Many have material released on labels with a fair amount of distribution, and some tour regionaly, but still have a day job to pay the majority of the bills. I've found that high end stuff is not the norm. Usually it's just tough utilitarian instruments that gets the job done. My friends that are full time touring musicans seem to play the same stuff. Time tested stuff that will stand up to constant touring. It's been my experince that the guys I see playing the real high end stuff either play "Madison Square Living Room" or play in cover bands. Ofcourse there are exeptions, but these have been my observations. I see lots of working "P"s and "J"s. Your results may vary.

Recording bass. '64 Fender Precision

Working bass '05 SX SPB 62

Sunn 200s...2000s
 
#23
My view is that if people truly depended on gigging as their only source of $$$ then almost everyone would be playing squiers through used peavey rigs. The 0.001% of people in a band that gets big would get all the gear they want because companies give it to them for free.

I play in a band that writes original material and we gig around... maybe 1-2 tmes a month. Reherse every week. We make money... but not enough to cover my gear. I see it as a really fun hobby that happens to give me a bit of money in return.
 
#25
savit260 said:
It's been my experince that the guys I see playing the real high end stuff either play "Madison Square Living Room" or play in cover bands.
Click to expand...

I would have to agree. Though there are exceptions (rich kids... and the odd band that hits it really big... hahaha) the only people that can afford 12 "custom 14 string basses with curly flamed bubinga knotty pine with a 72 laminate neck with real pearl inlays of dragons fighting skeletons over a naked woman on the neck" ted to be doctors or businessmen (both too busy with work/family to really get out and use the stuff) or retirees with a solid savings.

By the time I can afford my dream SVT rig I will be too old to really enjoy it myself. Enzo Ferarri used to say that the only problem with Ferarris was that the only people who could afford them were too old to truly enjoy them.:hiding:
 
#26
throw_this_away said:
My view is that if people truly depended on gigging as their only source of $$$ then almost everyone would be playing squiers through used peavey rigs
Click to expand...

Most guys I know that are full-time (myself included) play in several different situations. In addition to my 2 regular gigs, there's about 3 other bands/situations I work with in addition to freelance throw-together type gigs and some studio work. I wouldn't consider myself "in a band", and I agree if that is your situation, the chances of you making a living from just that are slim indeed.
 
#28
mark beem said:
Dang, why so much disdain for the "Living Room performers"???

Is there some "wallet envy" at play here???

;)
Click to expand...


Certainly no disdain or "wallet envy" here ;) The point I was making is that I don't see many big $$$ basses actually out there working. Just my observation :)

I'm sure you noticed what I record with. Not exacly a cheepo :D I gigged with that one for years, and just recently retired it from playing out. It played it's last show in Feb. of this year.

I bet we all have played "Madison Square Living Room" at some point in our lives. I know I have. (sound of the crowd roaring in the background :bassist: )
 
#29
I think a lot of TB'rs, like myself, took up instruments as adolescents, and while we dreamed of making it big, pretty few of us did. But I've never stopped my love of playing music, so even though I'm only a hobbyist, I use my playing to relax and keep the mind young. I'm also secure enough financially to be able to afford higher end instruments, so that's what I buy. It's the same reason I drive a higher-end car rather than my old '67 volkswagon. :bassist:
 
#31
Interesting thread - I've often wondered the same thing about who populates TB.

I have been a part-time player for about 20 years with another full-time career. I play music for the enjoyment and a little extra cash that I usually put right back into new gear, etc. Some of my bands have played almost every weekend, others just once per month. Sometimes I even make enough money to get both a Big Mac AND fries on the way home...

I spend more money than I should on gear; vintage Fenders and more recently Sadowsky...

Just happy to be in a position that I'm playing music and enjoying it!
 
#32
I've been playing for about 20 years. I WANTED to play professionally in my youth (session guy like Will Lee), but fate inserted me into the general population. I'm sorta glad I did. I had some buddies who went pro full-time and regretted it. I've been fortunate enough to be able to afford my gear (as well as find a SO who allows it). I'm actually thinking about 'thinning the heard' so to speak as I look at this stuff, and think "man, I'm not even a pro, why do I have this?". I don't know... I mean, how many basses to I freaking need?
 
#33
mark beem said:
Dang, why so much disdain for the "Living Room performers"???

Is there some "wallet envy" at play here???

;)
Click to expand...

Hey, 95% of my gigs are in Madisen Square Living room. It is a nice venue and I get encores whenever I want them. Plus the crowd doesn't mind if I play the same part over 1000 times. However "Madisen Square Next Door" doesn't like it much.

Wallet Envy? Nawww... I personally always want more, and consiter myself lucky to have what I have consitering I am a student and I bought it all myself. I will always have nice gear not because I am professional... but because I have learned that it is better to save and invest in something high quality than to throw away money on cheap gear. Plus after feeling and hearing a good quality bass/amp... I could never step back down to medeocre.

What kills me is people with huge amps that never get to be pushed to their full designed potential and a huge collection of beautiful basses that just hang on a wall. Kinda like caging a lion for show at a zoo:hiding:

but then I like to collect things so who am I to talk.:rollno:
 
#34
jefft54 said:
I think a lot of TB'rs, like myself, took up instruments as adolescents, and while we dreamed of making it big, pretty few of us did. But I've never stopped my love of playing music, so even though I'm only a hobbyist, I use my playing to relax and keep the mind young. I'm also secure enough financially to be able to afford higher end instruments, so that's what I buy. It's the same reason I drive a higher-end car rather than my old '67 volkswagon. :bassist:
Click to expand...

I restored a 67 VW once, but sold it when I needed cash . . . I agree with Jefft54's sentiments. Years ago I gig'ed like mad for the money.
I couldn't afford new gear. I played the same Guild 301 for 19 years, often playing music I really didn't like . . but had to.

Now I have a ton of gear and play out a couple gigs a month, music that I like. It's more fun when music is not a job but an enjoyable diversion.;)
 
#35
I'm definitely a hobbyist. I'm not even in a band right now. I just play with some friends every so often and have just recently started messing around with home recording. Future plans do include playing out. (at what I'm sure will be very small bars) I'm using:

(CIJ) Fender Geddy Lee Jazz -> a boss TU2 tuner pedal -> an older Trace Elliot AH250 -> Eden D210XLT

I think that my gear is just perfect for what I do with it. I wouldn't part with any of it, but I also don't want another thing. For the time being, I have beat G.A.S.
 
#36
Matthew Bryson said:
I think that my gear is just perfect for what I do with it. I wouldn't part with any of it, but I also don't want another thing. For the time being, I have beat G.A.S.
Click to expand...

I am also very happy with my current gear. I have a great sounding amp with the perfect amount of power for me, and two rics... my favorite bass design by far. But, there is always something that I want... be it a big SVT rig (impractical) or more rics.

Part of the fun is in "the hunt."
 
#37
interesting responses so far.
I do detect a hint of "wallet envy" in some posts, whether people admit to it or not. It's interesting that such nice gear lies in the hands of people that aren't performing publicly with it (or recording).
In my experience, the teachers I've had have all had very nice instruments. For the most part, they're all professional players in NYC and travel nationally and beyond. They play a variety of axes, from Carl Thompsons, to Foderas, Smiths, Modulus', vintage Fenders, Pensa's, etc. However, they are all pretty well established and don't seem to be the mainstream of professional and semi-pro musicians. Also, NYC seems to be a bit more skewed to the boutique market. I rarely see a non-boutique instrumetn at a jazz gig here, and rock gigs tend to still have some very nice gear.

Personally, I'm in the last category. I'm a medical student right now and have really never had more than a pipe-dream fascination with becoming a professional, full-time musician. For the next 20-30 years or so of my life my time is more or less spoken for. Whether that changes toward the end of my career and I attempt to do something else remains to be seen. My gear borders boutique and utilitarian--a Kinal MK5, a handmade 4string from a local luthier (boutique but not too expensive), some more utilitarian type instruments (TBC, Waterstone), a nice GBE600 head and a nice Aguilar GS112 cab.
I have absolutely no time to gig in the next few years, although that will hopefully change in the future. In fact, I haven't jammed with anyone since the school year began in September. But, I still like gear, and I still enjoy playing nice instruments in my down time. It's a hobby, an expensive one, and a great diversion.
 
#39
IotaNet said:
Great Thread!

I think however, that your poll is missing a category that comprises a lot of TB ...

"Bass Hobbyist" (i.e. someone who plays less than 10 paying gigs a year and/or just plays for fun.)
Click to expand...

I fall under that category.
I have 3 basses and 2 amp since I started playing again in '04. none are really high end stuff.
 
#40
Back when I was a drummer (I know, boo...hiss) I could have gone pro - was doing a LOT of sessions and gigging but I made the decision that I would be better off not going that route. For me "better off" was being able to have a family without worrying if I could feed them, being able to just relax in down-time, actually having a vacation each year....

Now, 30 years later I am earning a comfortable living, have a family, will have enough $$ to retire, and am only taking gigs that I want to - lots more people asking me to play than I say yes to. Yeah, there are periods when I don't play as much as I want to because of other commitments (family and work) but those are generally short.

Since I don't have to support my gear habit with my musical earnings, I can get what I want, not what music would pay for! I'd say that I probably enjoy playing more than I ever did when I was scrambling for gigs and sessions!

Just my $0.0000002!

Dan K.
 

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