Pros using a cheap POS?

[FullumMusic]

Professionals have been using inexpensive/cheap guitars and basses to create professional music in studios and on stage for the better part of the last 100 years, and probably more but i'm not a musical anthropologist who studies the price of instruments used by professional musicians in history.

What does a more expensive bass do that a Yamaha TRBX304 can't do on stage?
What does a Fender Custom Shop do that a Squier Sonic can't do on stage?

Are fishing lures designed to catch the most fish or the most fishermen?

McCartney bought his 1961 Hofner for about 30 Pounds. Somehow it didn't prevent him from making great music.

 

[JRA]

Is this guy, a professional musician, really rocking a Yamaha TRBX304 on stage? Isn't that the beginner-est of beginner instruments?

It’s not about the gear, it’s about how we play it.

 

[Chenzo]

Here in New Orleans, while some of the more high profile players use moderately higher end instruments (George Porter Jr on his custom Lakland, Cornell Williams used to play a Modulus), many of the working musicians I see absolutely kill on Squires and other lower tier basses and guitars.

I think a) they could kill on anything, and b) as mentioned above, few people want to (or can) be carrying expensive gear around town. I once saw a drummer just slaying it on a kit that looked like it fell off a speeding truck, broken cymbals, duct tape and all.

 

[lug]

Lately, my $250 Frankenbass with a plain ol' Quarter Pounder PU has been kicking the shite out of my more expensive basses for live work. It just works better for most of the rooms I'm playing.

 

[JC BASS 91]

Every time this topic comes up, I think of this article:

Arena-rocking Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford has been using $200 Squier Bullet Strats onstage

Now, that being said, I am fairly confident that those Strats have at least had some fretwork and a good setup done to them. Maybe some replacement hardware and electronics? The article doesn't really say, other than it states he likes the pickups in them, but that doesn't mean the pots and such weren't changed out.

Either way, he's on stage playing a $200 Squier Strat.

I, personally, am not a gear snob. Play what you have or what you love. I have always said that if something happened to the point where I was suddenly a big name star, I would not likely switch to only playing super high end instruments.

 

[Discount Bassy]

Wait, so I can't just buy proficiency built into my tools? Next, you'll be telling me I can't purchase respect or adulation. SMH.

 

[KenSmithFan]

No one's taking their expensive gear on tour.

Victor takes his Foderas, Joe Bonamassa takes his vintage gear just to name two.

 

[humbuckaroo]

Victor takes his Foderas, Joe Bonamassa takes his vintage gear just to name two.

I meant in general.

Those guys are able to afford to hire someone to care for their gear while on tour. They're the exception, not the rule.

 

[ElectricBass72]

I don't even categorize my Ibanez Talman ($150 new) and Sterling Stingray ($400 new).... as entry level basses. I could record, gig and do everything with these basses with the same results as my more expensive basses. The Talman and Stingray stay in tune.... have great action, sound good and look good. My first Westone bass from the mid 80's was not nearly as good as the "Indonesian- factory made" Talman and Stingray.

 

[Lo-E]

Wait, so I can't just buy proficiency built into my tools? Next, you'll be telling me I can't purchase respect or adulation. SMH.

You can purchase a respect subscription from me for $39.99/mo. There’s also a $15 service charge.

For a nominal upcharge I can add unlimited adulation.

 

[lug]

You can purchase a respect subscription from me for $39.99/mo. There’s also a $15 service charge.

For a nominal upcharge I can add unlimited adulation.

Link?

 

[Lo-E]

If I can't gig with any instrument I own, I do not need it! That is just the way I see them! They are tools to me!

Likewise. I’ll bring my best instruments to the worst venues if that’s the right bass for the job. I have - and use - instruments from a pretty wide price spectrum.

 

[fnp5150]

Just shows how close in quality budget and professional instruments are nowadays, especially since computers are responsible for 90% of the build.

 

[salmon256]

Just like cars who cares. I'm a werido who enjoys more economical cars and I get excited seeing older ones holding up for so many years same with trucks.

If we ain't racing I could care less rather better MPG than speed lol... bass guitars in a way are the same, if it works for you and you like your, it works for you band end it at that. I could care less and in fact I love to see more pros use crappy gear to showcase to people you don't need 1000 pedals or this type of bass to sound good. I use to play a bit of guitar and I remember being so down seeing the amount of pedals John Frusciante used for Dani California alone, not that you need them all but it felt like I did. Companies would never allow that of course they need their product on the front. Either way OK with it and prefer it.

 

[CMGunther]

If I can't gig with any instrument I own, I do not need it! That is just the way I see them! They are tools to me!

100% agree. I play a Fodera at dive bars (theatres, concert halls, weddings, etc.). I know how to get all the sounds needed from it and it's easy to play for 4 hours. I just don't turn my back on it at breaks.

 

[burpgun]

Right now my favorite bass is a Squier Jaguar short-scale I got for $180. I also own a '75 Precision and an American Jag bass for comparison. Sometimes cheapies can be awesome and more importantly, I don't think anyone listening to your music cares at all, so play what clicks for you.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Taking a wild and crazy guess, but the way the bass looks is a little more important for his gig.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I was goofing off, admiring Esh basses (of which I am a big fan), and saw a picture of Hiisi, from Lordi. He's also an Esh user.
But he hasn't always used an Esh. Check out his picture.

View attachment 7238848

Is this guy, a professional musician, really rocking a Yamaha TRBX304 on stage? Isn't that the beginner-est of beginner instruments?

It’s wood and wire.
I gave a good once over to a Squier Debut (129.00)
Updated the pickups, good fret dress, new nut and pots.
It’s one of the best playing/ sounding/ lightest Precision basses I have EVER played.

(For context I’ve owned 73nder, Warwick, Alembic, RIC etc)

Cheap doesn’t mean BAD these days.

The GOOD is in the smaller details.

 

[burpgun]

Victor takes his Foderas, Joe Bonamassa takes his vintage gear just to name two.

I get sense those two guys are more music for musicians so maybe for branding purposes they've got to take the expensive gear out, 'cause the folks in the audience probably would notice and grumble about down market gear.

 

[TomB]

I don’t know if people think of Danelectros as cheap POS, but they certainly were cheap. Lots of pros used them in the 60s when they were much cheaper than Fenders.

I remember being surprised to see photos of Cream in the studio recording Disraeli Gears where Jack Bruce was playing a Longhorn. Pete Townsend used a Longhorn when credited as “Bijou Drains” played bass on the Thunderclap Newman’s “Something In The Air”. Jesse Colin Young with the Youngbloods used a Dano, as did Joey Spampinato of NRBQ. The Dano 6 strings were commonly used in recording studios, Carol Kaye has mentioned that it was expected in LA guitarists would have one and in Nashville they were doubled with string bass for the “tic tac” sound. All the electric sitars heard on records from the 60s and 70 were the two models of the Coral Sitar made by Danelectro.

That’s interesting! Did the Coral have that sound built into the electronics somehow? I think member @JIO has a few restored Corals, but I don’t know if they can do that “Hooked On a Feeling” (B.J.Thomas) thing. Were the sitar models made on the usual Dano assembly line? Somehow I thought they were Japanese-made (not a criticism).