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Ready to be ridiculed...

just got the call from the shop, cancellation complete. bittersweet but I think it was the better decision.
I've decided to renounce music in all forms. From now on I will only listen to trees rustling and ocean waves on Spotify.
haha I jest. But yea, thanks Talkbass. now my folly will be recorded here on the forums for the next 20 something year old to read before they make a purchase such as this one in a few years. and hopefully they'll get some wisdom out of it. if they're anything like me however, they wont :rolleyes:
 
Unfortunately to the extent you can even find "the one", it's often not the most expensive one. I hope this bass is everything you hope and dream, but honestly unless you spent some time with it you won't know. I've played (not owned) some vintage Fenders worth over $10k and a couple Foderas. All were impressive in their own right but honestly they were not even close to "the one" for me. And at 50+ years old and a good day job, even $10k is quite doable for me if that's what I needed to spend. For me an ESP Vintage four hits the spot pretty well, which these days go for ~$1,200 or so. I had a Warwick double buck that I gave $900 for that played and sounded amazing, but in the end the corvette body style I just can't handle. It's true with a lot of things, but bass and guitar I've found that up to some price point there are tangible quality things that can make a bass better, at some point it comes down to preference. The high end or boutique stuff is usually fantastic, but may or may not be the best for any individual person.
 
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Ok,
So through out 2021, nearly 10 bass guitars have come in and out of my possession. at this point all of my childhood "dream" basses have been through my hands and I don't own any of them anymore. a few hit the spot but they also left my possession for one reason or another. Im talking Rickenbackers, American Ernie Balls, Euro, and USA Spectors (probably my favorites of all), as well as Status Graphite.

I don't want to be that guy with 20 basses, i would really like to be that guy that bought a certain bass when he was a young man, and that's still what he's playing in his 60s if God allows me to live that long. but for some reason I haven't loved any one bass to where I feel so attached to it that I cant let it go.

Now, a bass that is seemingly the amalgamation of all the good parts of the best basses I have owned has come into the picture, and as a 23 year old with no business doing this, I just bought it through a payment plan. And its expensive, like, VERY expensive. south of $9k but north of $5k. I cant believe I've done it, but I'm just tired of this endless buying and selling cause no bass quite hits the spot. this one IN THEORY, should offer the best of all my favorite basses in the past. As much as I hate to admit it I've really been spoiled rotten by some of the higher end basses I've owned.

Here's the kicker, I SUCK. I am not a good bassist by any stretch. I barely know any theory, I am *alright* in terms of technique but don't have the musical knowledge to put it to any good use. I've been "playing" bass since I was 12, but didn't really take any seriousness and passion to it until recently. I love music and adore bass, I love to listen to the best musicians out there from prog rock to jazz, and marvel at their mastery in technique and tasteful musicality. I just like nice things (though this is a few jumps over "nice"), and to me, few material things are more awesome than a finely crafted instrument, made with amazing dedication and attention to detail. You feel it when you hold them, and it makes you want to play.

Of course this isn't to say that I wont make an effort to become better at the bass. in fact I want this bass to be my trusty tool in the process of learning more than I ever have. It just feels funny, that for a long while, this bass made to the highest caliber of quality will be played by someone who hasn't even scratched the surface yet.

I am selling my other basses save for one beat up Ken Smith copy that I will use when I'm not comfortable taking a multi thousand dollar instrument somewhere.
Of course theres always the chance I get the bass in hand and decide I don't like it, which is why I bought it new from a reputable shop with a return policy. I wouldn't feel very good doing it, but its the only smart thing to do if you buy such an expensive bass and don't like it.

Not sure I want to say what bass it is I bought because maybe someone here was eyeing it and will be angry it went my way haha.

My guess...and that's all it is; Your problem is not a bass...not any bass. Your problem is that you haven't lived yet. You have not had time to find yourself or what really works for you. You are in transit as a person and so will your taste be. You have too much money and hence no need to spend any amount of time with any one bass to really get to know it before moving on and due to your age, you have no patience (or interest, really) to find out.
My advice?

Breathe for a moment. Grow for a moment.

My 2p... and ready to be ridiculed :)
 
Jason, you made a smart, adult call by cancelling that order. When I first read the thread, my thought was "It's your money, do with it what you will." Then upon more reading, and all of the very solid advice from your elders (no insult intended), you listened and learned from people who were trying to teach you a very important lesson.

I am impressed, young man.
 
Smart move IMHO. You can continue to try nice things for a lot less than $7K, especially if you buy used and maintain a “one in, one out” policy. This has been my philosophy with pedals, and I’ve owned a ton of really boutique offerings that cost me little more than shipping.

Good luck in your search! Try to pay attention to what you really love about each bass. I’ve found that I have a list of things I prefer, like 34in scale, four strings, passive, lightweight, rosewood fingerboard, 20-22 nickel frets (hate the narrow/tall frets), 1.5in-1.625in nut width, and a fingerboard radius around 9.5in-12in. These guide my purchases.
 
Ok,
So through out 2021, nearly 10 bass guitars have come in and out of my possession. at this point all of my childhood "dream" basses have been through my hands and I don't own any of them anymore. a few hit the spot but they also left my possession for one reason or another. Im talking Rickenbackers, American Ernie Balls, Euro, and USA Spectors (probably my favorites of all), as well as Status Graphite.

I don't want to be that guy with 20 basses, i would really like to be that guy that bought a certain bass when he was a young man, and that's still what he's playing in his 60s if God allows me to live that long. but for some reason I haven't loved any one bass to where I feel so attached to it that I cant let it go.

Now, a bass that is seemingly the amalgamation of all the good parts of the best basses I have owned has come into the picture, and as a 23 year old with no business doing this, I just bought it through a payment plan. And its expensive, like, VERY expensive. south of $9k but north of $5k. I cant believe I've done it, but I'm just tired of this endless buying and selling cause no bass quite hits the spot. this one IN THEORY, should offer the best of all my favorite basses in the past. As much as I hate to admit it I've really been spoiled rotten by some of the higher end basses I've owned.

Here's the kicker, I SUCK. I am not a good bassist by any stretch. I barely know any theory, I am *alright* in terms of technique but don't have the musical knowledge to put it to any good use. I've been "playing" bass since I was 12, but didn't really take any seriousness and passion to it until recently. I love music and adore bass, I love to listen to the best musicians out there from prog rock to jazz, and marvel at their mastery in technique and tasteful musicality. I just like nice things (though this is a few jumps over "nice"), and to me, few material things are more awesome than a finely crafted instrument, made with amazing dedication and attention to detail. You feel it when you hold them, and it makes you want to play.

Of course this isn't to say that I wont make an effort to become better at the bass. in fact I want this bass to be my trusty tool in the process of learning more than I ever have. It just feels funny, that for a long while, this bass made to the highest caliber of quality will be played by someone who hasn't even scratched the surface yet.

I am selling my other basses save for one beat up Ken Smith copy that I will use when I'm not comfortable taking a multi thousand dollar instrument somewhere.
Of course theres always the chance I get the bass in hand and decide I don't like it, which is why I bought it new from a reputable shop with a return policy. I wouldn't feel very good doing it, but its the only smart thing to do if you buy such an expensive bass and don't like it.

Not sure I want to say what bass it is I bought because maybe someone here was eyeing it and will be angry it went my way haha.
It's fine. There's people out there that spend 50k on a car. Most of them aren't racecar drivers. And many of those people don't really actually have the money for it either. What matters is that you don't bankrupt yourself or torture yourself mentally to the point of self hatred. The rest doesn't matter. Do what brings you enjoyment. There is quite literally nothing else to live for... Enjoyment
 
Its funny to read this OP because honestly it is the opposite way most pros thought back in the day. Why? Most of us had no money. So we basically tried to get the most versatile instrument for what we could afford and then honestly played the s--- out of it for years and rarely thought about gear again.

My point is that the trap here is having too much money and wanting to spend it all on something new and shiny. It's pointless because there really is no one special instrument. I'd rather have one awesome sounding versatile bass and money in the bank after. I have been doing this most of my life and finally made it up to 4 basses owned.

Also a Ken Smith bass is amazing. I love those things but they have a specific tone and weigh like 12 pounds.

New players who aren't that great should invest in lessons and have a nice lightweight, versatile bass. Think ahead. Honestly, bass guitars can get REAL overpriced REAL fast. It took me 20 years to buy a NYC Sadowsky because I could not afford one. I am really glad I own one now, but there is no way I would have bought one when I was just starting to learn to play.
 
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I don't want to be that guy with 20 basses
This story sound familiar to me. As a guy who has been on the eternal quest for the one, I have owned many, many basses over the years! And for the same reason as you. Now that I'm closer to my 60s than my 20s, all I can say is, don't count on the desire to own more basses to go away, just because you bought a very expensive bass. Me too...I found my number one about 25 years ago and it has served me well! It has paid me back many times over and allowed me to buy more basses! As a matter of fact, I have a new bass being delivered today. That didn't stop me from looking in the classifieds this morning and every single morning since I joined TalkBass 14 years ago! GAS is a fickle mistress. I'm even thinking about buying a bass from thelowend.net site, but I'm trying to show some restaint. Try it. Or you will quickly run out of storage at your current home. Play the bass. Enjoy it. And buy a new one when you want. Good luck!
 
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I was in a similar boat about 15 years ago. I was older than you, but still single and making decent money. I had been through a bunch of nice J basses in a few years, and decided to order a new Sadowsky NYC as a round-number birthday present to myself. It was a gorgeous bass, perfectly crafted, but I never bonded with it and eventually traded it away. Turns out I'm not really a J bass guy. Now I have a P, a P/J, three EBMMs and a Dingwall. And I'm still not very good.

I'm not sure what the moral of the story is, but being happy with what I have is a quality I've developed with age. Not sure I could have gotten there at 23.
 
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***UPDATE***

I sent a Cancellation request last night and will try to follow up with them today when they open.

Please nobody think that anyone here “bullied” me in to cancelling the order.
Lots of you just told me what I already knew, I just needed to hear it from someone else, Lord knows why :rollno:
Sometimes we’re not good at taking our own advice and need someone else to tell it like it is however sweetly or bluntly they do.
$7k is a lot to ride on for an instrument that may or may not do it for me. I’ve always been good with making payments, but there’s just so much more I could do with that amount elsewhere, I mean that’s at least few days worth of H**kers and bl*w! Looool I kid of course, far be it from me :angel:.
I figured it would be better to cancel now before it’s been shipped out than waste anymore time for anyone on both ends of the transaction.

This was a much needed intervention on my impulse buying habits and I’m grateful you guys came through.

A very wise decision. Kudos to you for taking the well-intended advice.
 
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Ok,
So through out 2021, nearly 10 bass guitars have come in and out of my possession. at this point all of my childhood "dream" basses have been through my hands and I don't own any of them anymore. a few hit the spot but they also left my possession for one reason or another. Im talking Rickenbackers, American Ernie Balls, Euro, and USA Spectors (probably my favorites of all), as well as Status Graphite.

I don't want to be that guy with 20 basses, i would really like to be that guy that bought a certain bass when he was a young man, and that's still what he's playing in his 60s if God allows me to live that long. but for some reason I haven't loved any one bass to where I feel so attached to it that I cant let it go.

Now, a bass that is seemingly the amalgamation of all the good parts of the best basses I have owned has come into the picture, and as a 23 year old with no business doing this, I just bought it through a payment plan. And its expensive, like, VERY expensive. south of $9k but north of $5k. I cant believe I've done it, but I'm just tired of this endless buying and selling cause no bass quite hits the spot. this one IN THEORY, should offer the best of all my favorite basses in the past. As much as I hate to admit it I've really been spoiled rotten by some of the higher end basses I've owned.

Here's the kicker, I SUCK. I am not a good bassist by any stretch. I barely know any theory, I am *alright* in terms of technique but don't have the musical knowledge to put it to any good use. I've been "playing" bass since I was 12, but didn't really take any seriousness and passion to it until recently. I love music and adore bass, I love to listen to the best musicians out there from prog rock to jazz, and marvel at their mastery in technique and tasteful musicality. I just like nice things (though this is a few jumps over "nice"), and to me, few material things are more awesome than a finely crafted instrument, made with amazing dedication and attention to detail. You feel it when you hold them, and it makes you want to play.

Of course this isn't to say that I wont make an effort to become better at the bass. in fact I want this bass to be my trusty tool in the process of learning more than I ever have. It just feels funny, that for a long while, this bass made to the highest caliber of quality will be played by someone who hasn't even scratched the surface yet.

I am selling my other basses save for one beat up Ken Smith copy that I will use when I'm not comfortable taking a multi thousand dollar instrument somewhere.
Of course theres always the chance I get the bass in hand and decide I don't like it, which is why I bought it new from a reputable shop with a return policy. I wouldn't feel very good doing it, but its the only smart thing to do if you buy such an expensive bass and don't like it.

Not sure I want to say what bass it is I bought because maybe someone here was eyeing it and will be angry it went my way haha.
No ridicule here. more power to you. You are still a very young man and you deserve having what you want. Good luck on the rest of your bass journey. I started messing with a bass at 12 years old and at 23 I thought I sucked. At almost 72 I no longer suck! :laugh:
 
The only bass I have owned that I will not consider selling is a Fender USA Geddy Lee Jazz. I got it for $1200 used. I've owned and sold several more expensive basses (MM, Ric, Gretsch, other Fenders), but the Geddy is something special. And this is coming from someone who prefers P Basses to Jazz Basses.

That being said I don't think price is the most important thing in finding "the one," but let's face it, more expensive things do seem to be "better" in our minds for some reason. I really hope it is everything you want it to be!
 
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All sounds like lacking focus to me.
Not sure what you like and have a scattergun approach to buying anything and everything.

Dont sweat it..as long as you dont lose a bundle, just enjoy, or not get too down on it.
 
Dont feel bad, I was raised on Fender P bass, but dont own one now. Just dont have the sound I want. I cant keep a bass either. I got ridiculed talking about the resale value of a bass. That is important to me. I dont like it, its going. Buy used from guitar center. If you dont like it, you can take it back. I have a nice jazz I just bought I dont like,,,,
 
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@ OP

Just don't be surprised when you're $k holy grail bass doesn't scratch your itch either... Tastes evolve, ears develop, what you listen for changes... IMO, you can't truly tell if you love a bass until you put it through the wringer a bunch of times; a la gigs, recordings, etc... Something new in the hands will always feel different, sometimes that different feel tricks to think it's better than what we already have.

IMO, buy what you need for the gig so you have the right tool for the job. Lots of players on here have many basses because they have had many different gigs that required a different tool.

I've had multiple basses that I didn't like at first but once I practiced on it, gigged with it, and got used to it I changed my mind...

It sounds like you're looking for a reason to sell...?
 

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