Unless it's playing a killer sounding new bass in a live band setting.
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Taking Stock And Just Playing What I Have
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Unless it's playing a killer sounding new bass in a live band setting.
My hobby is collecting gigs. I find having an empty calendar very depressing so I hustle to fill it with quality engagements.
I still gas for the latest & greatest, lighter, more powerful basses & rigs, fatty gizmos and funky pedals - all those things would make my life better I think, but man everything is so expensive!
At the end of the day though, nothing beats the good nights sleep after a kick butt day on the road and on the bandstand.
I still gas for the latest & greatest, lighter, more powerful basses & rigs, fatty gizmos and funky pedals - all those things would make my life better I think, but man everything is so expensive!
At the end of the day though, nothing beats the good nights sleep after a kick butt day on the road and on the bandstand.
yeah man, and another problem is, I can't just buy some new thing and go play a show with it. Everything needs to work right all the time, and although I usually keep a little spare amp head and a backup bass in my car, if something screws up in the middle of a set its a big deal if I have to walk a few blocks away to fetch the backup stuff.
I play 90% of my gigs with the same bass and amp that I've used on hundreds of gigs and I trust them now and know their quirks. I sound like myself with whatever bass and amp I play through so I am completely uninterested in swapping out some piece unless it has been giving me problems. And even then, it takes a few months before I am really comfortable having changed anything.
That being said, I _love_ trying stuff, but if you play some thing at a music shop you really have no idea what its going to sound like on a gig, and if you plonk down the money thinking some thing is going to make you sound incredible, its really just a roll of the dice. A few times over the years I've gambled by buying something from a company I trust, but I feel like once you get a setup thats working you're just wasting time swapping stuff out for kicks. I'd much rather invest the time playing with new people than swapping out instruments and electronics that I already have a good relationship with.
I have spent more time talking about motorcycles in Off Topic than I have talked about basses. I think life has burned me out on bass GAS. There have simply been a bunch of things this summer that have sucked up money, so working towards any sort of boutique purchase has ground to a halt. The funny thing is that I could have my Carvin SB5000 or my Sire V7 and my Pedulla Pentabuzz and be happy just playing in the choir and home alone.
The funny thing is that I have some other things that I love to collect, and I have sort of burned out on that too (no specifics because of TB rules.) I think the idea of always wanting the new thing has just gotten old for me. I want to enjoy what I have, and not worry about what else I can buy. This may just be a phase, but playing music, instead of worrying about buying another bass is a nice change of pace for me.
Congratulations ! You win the prize
There aren't many shops around here with really uber nice bass gear to tempt me that much. The average trip to GC finds me leaving somewhat disappointed in general. I stop in now and again to see what they might hanging on the used rack but in general they haven't had much draw in that department. There isnt a stocking G&L dealer within reasonable driving distance and the new Stingrays don't move me like the older ones.
I was tempted by a MM Caprice a year or so ago but I passed on it after considering all the qualities I liked about it were nearly identical to my Fender Aerodyne.
I said the same thing—right before I bought my Jack Casady Sig bass last week....I have spent more time talking about motorcycles in Off Topic than I have talked about basses. I think life has burned me out on bass GAS. There have simply been a bunch of things this summer that have sucked up money, so working towards any sort of boutique purchase has ground to a halt. The funny thing is that I could have my Carvin SB5000 or my Sire V7 and my Pedulla Pentabuzz and be happy just playing in the choir and home alone.
The funny thing is that I have some other things that I love to collect, and I have sort of burned out on that too (no specifics because of TB rules.) I think the idea of always wanting the new thing has just gotten old for me. I want to enjoy what I have, and not worry about what else I can buy. This may just be a phase, but playing music, instead of worrying about buying another bass is a nice change of pace for me.
I've been gas free... a dozen times.
I've been more about learning music than focusing on tone or this or that bass with this or that design or even who played on this or that record.
I didn't care.
All I cared for a very long time is to have 5 strings and 24 fret on bass. Everything else was meaningless to me. With that I had enough room to play whatever was thrown at me especially at college level jazz and classical music.
And now I have only 2 basses. A warwick thumb bo 6 fretted and fretless. I don't own an amp because I think it is useless now. I have a few pedals and a preamp.
The reality is ( to me ) you only need max 3 basses ... a fretted, a fretless and maybe ( a big maybe ) an accoustic.
I didn't care.
All I cared for a very long time is to have 5 strings and 24 fret on bass. Everything else was meaningless to me. With that I had enough room to play whatever was thrown at me especially at college level jazz and classical music.
And now I have only 2 basses. A warwick thumb bo 6 fretted and fretless. I don't own an amp because I think it is useless now. I have a few pedals and a preamp.
The reality is ( to me ) you only need max 3 basses ... a fretted, a fretless and maybe ( a big maybe ) an accoustic.
My GAS philosophy:
The secret to happiness is not having everything you want...
It is wanting everything you have.
The secret to happiness is not having everything you want...
It is wanting everything you have.
I feel this. I've gone to the store to try basses and a few hours later I leave empty handed. There's some amp stuff I want, but im not in a big rush. Time to dump money into the house I guess?
Last week, I was at the Triumph motorcycle dealer, looking at newer versions of my bike. My bike is a 2008, and the newer bike has a bigger engine and much fancier electronics. The bottom line that it still looks and performs pretty much like my bike. I just got my bike back from its annual service, and it is running better than ever. Actually riding a bike is a whole lot more fun than looking at one at a dealer or YouTube.
The same is true of basses.
I'm more of a Squier, low-end Fender guy. I just purchased a bass I never thought I'd own...a Fender USA Jazz. It's a beautiful bass, and is the best if the 8 or so that I own. I gigged it for the first time last week, and I had a rare feeling of contentment...that I might be cured of GAS for a long time.
Then literally the next morning, I was surfing Talkbass classifieds while sipping my coffee, and there was a Shawn May Custom slapping me in my face. I know Shawn personally, and owning one of his basses has been a dream of mine. The price was right, and even my wife said "you should buy it!" Then I called Shawn himself to ask about it, and he said "you should buy it." So I bought it. Should arrive later this week. I can't believe it.
Now I have more basses than I know what to do with. So like the OP, maybe it's time to just enjoy and appreciate what I have. Maybe let a couple things go that might bring joy to somebody else.
Then literally the next morning, I was surfing Talkbass classifieds while sipping my coffee, and there was a Shawn May Custom slapping me in my face. I know Shawn personally, and owning one of his basses has been a dream of mine. The price was right, and even my wife said "you should buy it!" Then I called Shawn himself to ask about it, and he said "you should buy it." So I bought it. Should arrive later this week. I can't believe it.
Now I have more basses than I know what to do with. So like the OP, maybe it's time to just enjoy and appreciate what I have. Maybe let a couple things go that might bring joy to somebody else.
"Collecting gigs," is a great attitude indeed. I will have to quote you some day.
Best thing I did for my setup was to add a Broughton always-on HPF.
Sold off all my other basses and kept my '83 active/passive Ibanez Musician PJ: 24 frets, J neck, 3 band eq, dead ground wounds...pick-pluck-palm mute and along with the HPF, I can beat any rig or venue into submission.
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I have spent more time talking about motorcycles in Off Topic than I have talked about basses. I think life has burned me out on bass GAS. There have simply been a bunch of things this summer that have sucked up money, so working towards any sort of boutique purchase has ground to a halt. The funny thing is that I could have my Carvin SB5000 or my Sire V7 and my Pedulla Pentabuzz and be happy just playing in the choir and home alone.
The funny thing is that I have some other things that I love to collect, and I have sort of burned out on that too (no specifics because of TB rules.) I think the idea of always wanting the new thing has just gotten old for me. I want to enjoy what I have, and not worry about what else I can buy. This may just be a phase, but playing music, instead of worrying about buying another bass is a nice change of pace for me.
Welcome to the club. I have enough instruments I really like and I just concern myself now with keeping them in tip-top playing condition.
To be clear, I am not claiming to be over GAS. It is part of who I am. I just think it is good to appreciate what I have. I was of sound mind when I bought or traded for my stuff. That's all.
