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Reasons that keep you from…..
- Thread starter ragetoca
- Start date
Mostly it’s the reciprocal purchase I know my wife will make.
Me: “How does a Fodera equal a brand new Lucid Air?”
Her: “Girl math.”
Me: “But you already have a car.”
Her: “You already have a bass.”
Me: “I’m not going to win this, am I?”
Her: “You’re smarter than you look.”
Me: “How does a Fodera equal a brand new Lucid Air?”
Her: “Girl math.”
Me: “But you already have a car.”
Her: “You already have a bass.”
Me: “I’m not going to win this, am I?”
Her: “You’re smarter than you look.”
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,064
- 45,978
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
I own a bunch, so unless something is unusual about the bass, I'm probably not plugging it in.
But if it's "vintage", or something I've wanted to try but never had the chance, I'll play it for a few minutes unplugged.
If it doesn't grab me unplugged, I won't plug it in.
If it does grab me, I'll plug it in to a decent amp.
Playing one unplugged for a while usually tells me if it has the potential to come home with me. Having 2 that I'm 100% in love with, and 3 more that are very decent, makes me pretty picky. The last two basses I bought were strictly for nostalgic reasons, neither of them will see regular playing time.
At this point in my life, I can't see anything other than a New York made Sadowsky or an F Bass getting playing time over my top 2.
But if it's "vintage", or something I've wanted to try but never had the chance, I'll play it for a few minutes unplugged.
If it doesn't grab me unplugged, I won't plug it in.
If it does grab me, I'll plug it in to a decent amp.
Playing one unplugged for a while usually tells me if it has the potential to come home with me. Having 2 that I'm 100% in love with, and 3 more that are very decent, makes me pretty picky. The last two basses I bought were strictly for nostalgic reasons, neither of them will see regular playing time.
At this point in my life, I can't see anything other than a New York made Sadowsky or an F Bass getting playing time over my top 2.
Price - I will never buy an inexpensive bass or guitar again after a few bad experiences - recent and more in the past.
Electronics - There’s no point in testing out a bass if there’s certain pickups, electronics configurations, etc. that I don’t like to begin with.
Brand - Certain brands I just won’t buy. Others are not available for me to try.
Electronics - There’s no point in testing out a bass if there’s certain pickups, electronics configurations, etc. that I don’t like to begin with.
Brand - Certain brands I just won’t buy. Others are not available for me to try.
Your list accounts for trying AND buying - two vastly different things in my eyes. I will try out basses that I know I would never buy, if nothing else out of sheer curiosity. I also make it a habit (not just with basses, but in general) to try something way above my budget before buying something.
The main thing that keeps me from buying or trying a bass is not needing another one
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Seller is overseas. This has saved me a few dollars recently.
String spacing. I play 5 string exclusively and if a bass has spacing that's too narrow or too wide I'm just not interested. Especially if it's too wide. I don't like 19mm or wider on my 5s. 17-18mm is my sweet spot.
Well...
You try being a left handed bass player for a week. See how many basses you can try - or buy...
OK; rant over. Still, unless you live in the right places? Left handed basses - or anything else - can be hard/impossible to find. Aside from a couple that I've had made; 3 or 4 that I've ordered through stores like Sam Ash or Sweetwater; and one that I actually bought from it's owner? All the rest of my 27 basses; 4 guitars; and one banjo, have come from eBay. So much for the "trying" part...
As for the "buying" part? After 30-some years of trying to find a bass for every one of the spots in my "Herd", I finally filled all of them. With a bass I had to have made; a 31" scale Birdsong Fusion lined fretless bass (the "Short Scale Fretless" spot). Which means that the Herd being filled, is what keeps me from buying any more basses. There's simply no reason to buy another one. And, at my age? Just keeping everything in playable condition - and actually playing all of them - keeps me plenty busy. And I really don't care to be any busier than I already am, thank you very much...
I like trying out basses to see what different basses are like. What keeps me from doing that often is that there are very few for sale around here that are interesting.
What keeps me from buying a bass is I don't GAS for much. On average I've bought fewer than one bass per decade.
What keeps me from buying a bass is I don't GAS for much. On average I've bought fewer than one bass per decade.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,794
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
“already own many awesome basses"
I switched to fifths tuning some years ago, and never could get along with roundwound strings. Plus I mostly play DB, which is probably a big part of the not liking roundwounds. So, unless I want to have inconsistent tensions, that means d'Addario Chromes or octave4plus custom flatwounds are the only real options, and the Chromes only come in one length. So, that pretty much narrows it down to 4-strings (tried tuning a 5 FCGDA and I really don't need the extra low notes) with a 34"-35" scale length, though I did get custom strings for a hollowbody with a couple of extra inches of string behind the bridge. In theory a shorter scale with a few inches behind the bridge that would take normal-length strings would work, but with the low C and being used to DB, I don't really want a shorter scale either.
I also play lefty, but strung righty, and I've mostly played right-handed basses over the years. I've owned two proper lefties and didn't really see much benefit (even though one was a very nice 70s BC Rich, back when they weren't so expensive). But for some reason I like larger bodies, and a Thunderbird upside down feels small because there's not much under the forearm. My four BGs right now are a big deep hollowbody around 16.5" wide with a single right-handed cutaway, a big thin chambered body around 15.5" with a similar cutaway, a Flying V which is symmetrical, and a Killer Simmony which is kinda shaped like a Ricky but upside-down and then I play it lefty so the shape is right side up again... it's just funny.
So, scale length and body shape are a big deal. So's number of strings and frets - I've owned a couple of fretless basses and don't really feel like I need one. Another factor that isn't in the poll: I prefer bigger necks, but J-width is OK, and so is somewhat narrow string spacing at the bridge (which both my hollowbodies have), so those won't keep me from trying a bass. Neither will color or finish - in theory I like things bright and shiny and eyecatching, but the big hollowbody is a satin brown sunburst... Electronics, well, all my basses are passive, but if an active one looks really cool I can live with a battery and EQ knobs which I'll probably just set one way and keep forever. I don't really need a bridge pickup, either.
Weight doesn't matter much either, I was totally comfortable with an 11+ pound bass on a normal-width strap for three-hour rehearsals, though moved on from that bass because I had no need for the fifth string. Fingerboard material, headstock shape I've never really thought about, though they do need to match the overall look of the bass. Brand won't keep me from trying a bass; the Flying V is homemade and unbranded after all.
Price, well, OK, probably, everybody has their limits... though I'd try a $4000 bass and hope I can someday find one used for $1500, heh. That's pretty much the ESP hollowbody I have. And I've played a bass I bought for 40 British pounds on a gig.
Sorry for the novel-length post, heh. I started thinking and typing and just kinda kept going.
I also play lefty, but strung righty, and I've mostly played right-handed basses over the years. I've owned two proper lefties and didn't really see much benefit (even though one was a very nice 70s BC Rich, back when they weren't so expensive). But for some reason I like larger bodies, and a Thunderbird upside down feels small because there's not much under the forearm. My four BGs right now are a big deep hollowbody around 16.5" wide with a single right-handed cutaway, a big thin chambered body around 15.5" with a similar cutaway, a Flying V which is symmetrical, and a Killer Simmony which is kinda shaped like a Ricky but upside-down and then I play it lefty so the shape is right side up again... it's just funny.
So, scale length and body shape are a big deal. So's number of strings and frets - I've owned a couple of fretless basses and don't really feel like I need one. Another factor that isn't in the poll: I prefer bigger necks, but J-width is OK, and so is somewhat narrow string spacing at the bridge (which both my hollowbodies have), so those won't keep me from trying a bass. Neither will color or finish - in theory I like things bright and shiny and eyecatching, but the big hollowbody is a satin brown sunburst... Electronics, well, all my basses are passive, but if an active one looks really cool I can live with a battery and EQ knobs which I'll probably just set one way and keep forever. I don't really need a bridge pickup, either.
Weight doesn't matter much either, I was totally comfortable with an 11+ pound bass on a normal-width strap for three-hour rehearsals, though moved on from that bass because I had no need for the fifth string. Fingerboard material, headstock shape I've never really thought about, though they do need to match the overall look of the bass. Brand won't keep me from trying a bass; the Flying V is homemade and unbranded after all.
Price, well, OK, probably, everybody has their limits... though I'd try a $4000 bass and hope I can someday find one used for $1500, heh. That's pretty much the ESP hollowbody I have. And I've played a bass I bought for 40 British pounds on a gig.
Sorry for the novel-length post, heh. I started thinking and typing and just kinda kept going.
Trying is free. Under the right scenario why not try? Buying, on the other hand, is way different. Everything on your list, and things not your list, are considerations
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,008
- 1
- 31,709
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- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
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