Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Playing a vintage instrument wouldn't solve my lack of talent. But, it might be worth a try to find out.
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Vintage basses: Could it Be?
- Thread starter Rob S
- Start date
Just remember these basses are for us to use for a little while. Most will survive after we are gone to be passed on...mojo and all.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
As are the ones we buy new. The good ones will be around in 50 years, most likely.
That's what I've been doing wrong! All of my basses must have been owned by some pretty terrible players before me because I can only get so much out of them before I hit a wall.
God help the poor soul who gets mine when I finally let them go.
If my 2 year old grandson picked up one of those ancient Fenders, it would sound just as clangy and noisy as if he picked up my 2009 Precision. Using your thought process, he would be a superstar player already. Besides, how do you know the previous owners had any skills? They could have sucked
EDIT: I see that possibility had been mentioned before...oh well.
I hung around a group of knife makers at a knife show for a few days many years ago, and when speaking
amongst themselves they used hushed and reverential voices to paint mystical scenes of themselves
wrestling with a particular piece of steel as if with the devil in their quest to forge a blade. I am not talking about
an act they were doing for outsiders like myself; rather, I witnessed them talking in candor and passionately sharing their "truth."
These guys were deep into it! And presumably trying to imbue their blades with some of that energy.
Were the men and women at Fender working with such mystical mindset? Doubt it. Would it matter if they were?
Only in a QC sense, probably (although "placebo counts too," we are learning). Nevertheless, imagining their is some inherent totemic power in objects is a good way to "magic up" drab reality, thus enhancing the flavor of living.
amongst themselves they used hushed and reverential voices to paint mystical scenes of themselves
wrestling with a particular piece of steel as if with the devil in their quest to forge a blade. I am not talking about
an act they were doing for outsiders like myself; rather, I witnessed them talking in candor and passionately sharing their "truth."
These guys were deep into it! And presumably trying to imbue their blades with some of that energy.
Were the men and women at Fender working with such mystical mindset? Doubt it. Would it matter if they were?
Only in a QC sense, probably (although "placebo counts too," we are learning). Nevertheless, imagining their is some inherent totemic power in objects is a good way to "magic up" drab reality, thus enhancing the flavor of living.
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This is definitely a valid theory. I've had at least two different career bass guys play my 2011 P with genuine surprise and delight, to the point where they only reluctantly gave if back, and picked up their respective, burled walnut/Romanian owl wood custom furniture basses with far less enthusiasm. As an average, my-mid-life-crisis-is-a-band bassist, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that I haven't yet caused any degradation in character.
The acid test would be picking up a pre-owned instrument and suddenly being able to perform a scale one
had not even heard before, let alone played flawlessly.
Any result short of this proves only that the instrument is "a player" and nothing else. However, a player is
nothing to sneeze at, as such animals offer an ease of operation and a "perfection" of neck dimension which
makes playing so easy that songs seem to suggest themselves. In fact, I think this is the real phenomenon
as the OP is searching to define.
had not even heard before, let alone played flawlessly.
Any result short of this proves only that the instrument is "a player" and nothing else. However, a player is
nothing to sneeze at, as such animals offer an ease of operation and a "perfection" of neck dimension which
makes playing so easy that songs seem to suggest themselves. In fact, I think this is the real phenomenon
as the OP is searching to define.
I don't know I always thought the player placed their Mojo on a guitar, not the maker.
Yes, of course, you are correct. I didn't really button my long-ass story but my intent was to compare those knife makers with bass players and say,
if you think some musicians are wide-eyed mystics, then you should have seen THIS other crew. They were bad-ass guys, too.
But their tendency to idealize and to imbue their tools and creations with magical significance made similar displays around Talk Bass seem mild.
I find my fretting hand goes into better position on my 56 and my 82 Fullerton 57 RI than most other basses- I have been putting it down to the great neck profiles on those basses- soft V.
I also find the shaping of those old basses more comfy- - the contouring is deeper.
Maybe you are playing better because the bass is really comfortable to play.
I also find that I play better on a bass that I really like the sound of. I have a 73 P that sounds fantastic and I know I play better on that.
Congrats on the 58- I played a lovely one of them about 6 months ago, as well as a truly great 59.
I also find the shaping of those old basses more comfy- - the contouring is deeper.
Maybe you are playing better because the bass is really comfortable to play.
I also find that I play better on a bass that I really like the sound of. I have a 73 P that sounds fantastic and I know I play better on that.
Congrats on the 58- I played a lovely one of them about 6 months ago, as well as a truly great 59.
Aw man, I'm already feeling sorry for the next owner of my basses.
No, and it isn't a spiritual question. You cannot ingrain knowledge and skill into a plank of wood; heck it's tough enough to ingrain knowledge and skill into kids!
Again, easily verifiable: Your fingers must start playing existing scales previously unknown to you. Presumably your fingers will be felt to move under their own power, as with a Ouija board. Good luck and please report back.
Yes, this is what I think too. And inspiration. If something inspires you to play it/drive it/work out to it/pick it up - your performance improves whatever it is you are doing.
I started this thread to hear you guys' thoughts. I guess, like everything, some people can appreciate the energy/spiritual aspect to something or they can't (the more pragmatic personality). Whether the "mojo" is there or not, maybe is not the question. Maybe the question is, are you sensitive to it?
I started this thread to hear you guys' thoughts. I guess, like everything, some people can appreciate the energy/spiritual aspect to something or they can't (the more pragmatic personality). Whether the "mojo" is there or not, maybe is not the question. Maybe the question is, are you sensitive to it?
I've had my '66J since '83, and am the second owner, the first being a country guitarist who got it for jam sessions so somebody could be appointed bass player if one didn't show up. He sold his gear when he retired and this one had been in the case for over 11 years. It was my first good bass and I gigged it for 10 or so years. Liked it but never loved it. Tried string changes, a '77p fretless maple board neck, a vintage P rosewood board fretless neck, a fretted P neck. Still didn't love it. I love my various Ps though. I'd sell it but since it was my first will keep it, and hand it down to my son (sadly not a musician). Other musicians have liked it so it's not a dog. Wish it had gone to a better owner or someone who could feel the mojo...
