What is the 'old' TalkBass?

[tb-player]

That analogy would be relevant if Hawking or Sagan walked in

(dude... Hawking couldn't walk. )

 

[CryingBass]

So a lot of us were there, and we don’t remember it. Or other’s don’t.

That’s a tell.

 

[bdplaid]

He was one of the more rambunctious posters on TBL. Not quite troll level, but he could be provocative.

I didn't mean to be. Thanks for remembering!

 

[kevbassman]

Well, I miss the old Talkbass. I miss several members no longer with us........ they always shared their opinions....no correct that, their wisdom, especially Chef.

I've been on here since 2007. To sell or trade now you must be a paying member, that was not the case in the old days. I miss the members no longer with us on this earth more than paying a fee.

 

[Bernin]

Dunno, looks like I've been a member since 2007 and I still like it.

My experience exactly!

 

[MattZilla]

I was just thinking about the ragequits a few weeks ago. Most of them were at least a little funny. I don’t think I’ve seen one since before CoViD.

 

[bassballs27]

Bump! (There’s talkbass nostalgia)

At one time posting a comment would bump a classified ad to the top of page 1. Now you can’t do this for a minimum of 24 hours.

I joined in 2002.
Anyone remember the days of newsgroups? That’s pre-talkbass back in the caveman days of the 90s. When Netscape existed.

Heck how about bassgear.com? The dudepit? Now I’m dating myself.
I miss Bass San Diego!
I’m fortunate to have visited that shop.

Talkbass has changed a lot.
There’s not nearly enough Fodera Customs listed for sale today in the Classifieds anymore. Going back 12 years, Sadowsky NYCs were $3K…and the old old rule of things being worth like 50 to 60% of list price used is pretty much over (except for a few brands). There’s basses and gear selling for 90% of new!

TB has evolved, lots of amazing people have moved on, some to Facebook, others unfortunately passed away. We did have the pandemic…that pretty much affected everything, did it change talkbass? How did it not?

 

[JPJ]

I've actually been thinking about this recently, and while I don't post much anymore, I thought I'd share a few thoughts - I joined TB in the spring of 2001.

Keep in mind that everything below is simply my perception. For those who see no difference in "old" and "new"...you're probably right.

When Talkbass was new, everything was new:

• The experience of an internet forum was fresh, and unlike guitar forums (a dime a dozen), all bass players were primarily in one place
• The conversations were new and people were interacting with each other from all over the world in a new way - outside of early chat boards, the platform was a brand new thing.
• Topics were fresh and hadn't been discussed a million times. While some topics were as old as the instrument, the majority of the discussion was fresh and dynamic
• Posts tended to be longer and more "discussion-based". Now, you see a lot of one word answers or one sentence posts (text/twitter influence on communication)

The way of using the site has fundamentally changed:

• As already mentioned...there was no "top topics" section on the home page. You had to scroll through it all to find what you were interested in (not even a search function early on, if I recall). This scrolling and sifting would often bring you to topics or conversations that you might otherwise miss (and would certainly be overlooked today).
• There was no proliferation of "clubs". Once the club phenomenon started, general discussion in an open forum was jettisoned and many users stuck to the "club" or "clubs" for the stuff they're into as opposed to being exposed to the full spectrum of TB.

There were more bass players and more bands (I have no empirical data on this, but I think it tracks):

• It seems like there was much more bass activity 25 years ago than there is now...more players, more bands, more people playing bass, more people buying basses, etc.
• We all know that the music scene is not what it once was - bass heroes are fewer (or older and aging out of the industry), and instead of having many people buying a few basses, you now have a few people buying many basses.
• An example of this is how EBMM was once a bass company that dabbled in guitars. Now, they're clearly a guitar company that dabbles in basses (is my beloved Sterling even being made anymore?).
• There used to be far more discussion and posting around band activity, people at gigs, going gigs, etc. While there's still some of that, it's a fraction of what it used to be - everyone's a one-person band in their bedroom.
• Because there were more bassists and band playing small and local shows, there was more discussion around that activity - bands, music, gigging, and live gear in general, instruction, technique, etc.

There was an excitement around what was happening in the community, and a real community it was:

• Local hangouts and get-togethers were regularly scheduled and were happening all the time (in large cities, small to medium towns, at manufacturer shops, at trade events, etc. TBers would get together and bring their gear, hang out, show off, jam, etc. TB Get-Togethers were routine all across the U.S. and other parts of the world - I don't think that is happening nearly as frequently as it did.
• Because people would get together regularly, friendships and connections would form that were tangible...not just internet-based. People knew each others real names, faces, etc.- that benefited discussion and exchange on the forum.
• Because the internet was opening up opportunities and markets in new ways, there were a host of new and exciting personalities, builders and brands that were emerging (and were worthy of discussion)...small builders building basses in their garages, new pickup winders, new amp and speaker cab companies were launched, etc. As someone who started an internet boutique bass specialty store, I was talking to customers on TB all day long and talking about the guys that I wanted to promote, but also participating as a bass enthusiast myself, doing research, learning, and being exposed to new things from fellow TBers. There were a lot of bass-specific businesses opening up, and now (as a result of changes discussed above), that has contracted quite a bit.
• Technology changed how we interact - the forum platform was new, and now it isn't. YouTube has largely taken over as source for demos, content, reviews, etc. in a more unique and diverse way.

But, at the end of the day, it's probably exactly the same (but just different to me).

 

[Nev375]

Things are definitely different now and I'd love to explain in detail how and why with cited examples, charts and data and a smashing refrain in 3 part harmony.
But I'd like to remain a member in good standing and my experience tells me certain things are not supposed to be brought up.

Sadly, I'm sure Nobody knows what I'm talking about.

 

[james condino]

You dadgumn'd kidz get off my tort lawn!!!!!!!

 

[Timmah]

(dude... Hawking couldn't walk. )

Now THAT is an example of Old TB.

I joined a long time ago but mostly lurked- guys like Phalex and Munji and JMatt did a lot of posting in those days and it felt like everyone on the forum knew each other personally. There were pros and cons to that- some of the friendly ribbing and camaraderie was more entertaining, but definitely less PC. That made it a fun environment for those who were "in," but probably less inviting for those who weren't. I certainly felt it, for better and worse.

The discussions felt livelier, maybe, and definitely devolved into name-calling and ad-hominem crap quite a bit more frequently than they do now. The discussions now are a bit more worn-feeling, more polite and cordial but maybe more distant. I often think that the posting demographic now skews much older as the younger folks have gravitated toward more "hip" and less moderated streams offered by social media. That being said, maybe it's just because you gotta be a little more mature to stay on here.

I think the same could be said for most forums in this format, though- the Wild West feeling of the 2000s is long gone, and turnover is to be expected. The vibe might be different, but there's still value.

I think the only member of the "old guard" (old Gard(?)) I still see regularly is @JimmyM, who convinced me to buy my first Ampeg probably 15 years ago. It's weirdly comforting to see him continually doing his thing.

 

[GretschWretch]

Moderating is tough. I was a mod for another bass player site. It's a thankless job.

It is indeed. I cannot imagine the time and energy it consumes. That is one reason I am willing to cut a Mod a little slack even when I think s/he is coming on a bit too strong.

 

[GretschWretch]

The really annoying people come and go. There are always about 3-4 at any given time that actively post. After a few years, they usually get banned.

This place has it's quirks, but I still love it. I think I'm 18 years in. My TB profile can now buy nudie mags! Woo-hoo!

These are, what? Catalogs of spangled, seqined, country and western wear?

 

[Naturekev]

I was recently thinking about the legendary Qintar. I did a search and found some of his old posts. It was fun to read those again. You won't learn anything bass-related reading them, but they're good for a laugh.

 

[tb-player]

I was recently thinking about the legendary Qintar. I did a search and found some of his old posts. It was fun to read those again. You won't learn anything bass-related reading them, but they're good for a laugh.

I heard Ian Allison from Scott’s Bass Lessons talking about the old days on TalkBass on one of their podcasts. So I looked him up on the site. He was a bit of a troll back in the day. I DM’d him about it and we had a good laugh looking through some of his old posts. Some of his snark wouldn’t fly today. lol

 

[Jason Sypher]

It's just nostalgic nonsense and means different things to different people. Nostalgia is merely a critique of the present. Someone experience confirmation bias of something they don't like and harken back to a time when they didn't have that experience.

TB has always been the same. Trends in instruments and music have changed, as well as our media consumption patterns, but this place really isn't different from years ago.

It’s totally different now. I joined in 2000 I think. Very small. Mostly professionals.

 

[rojo412]

Back when you could post a bass for sale and not have to weigh it...
Or you could find numerous photoshop threads with members' faces attached to funny pics...
Or when funny pics weren't repeated on the same page (they'd delete it because the storage was lower capability...
Or when polls didn't have carrots...
Or when an EBMM Stingray would be listed for $750 and actually take a while to sell...

That was some of what I remember from the old Talkbass days.
I can't believe I've been here for 24 years.

 

[cataract]

Yeah Talkbass seems pretty much the same to me with the exception of that Darrin Huff thread not having been updated since 2021 lol I’ll be over here waiting

 

[sylvanbass]

I joined in 2004 despite my "Start Date" on my current profile. It was definitely different. Not so many posts and you could freely post a question without someone commenting on your post with a link to an already created thread making you feel dumb. On that note, the TB search function sucked back then as it does now. Sure, I can find a thread on an amp/bass/pedal/or issue I'm referencing doing a search, but clicking on that thread takes you to page one and I don't feel like scrolling through the other 97 pages looking for my answer. I'm even an IT guy and I know how to do an advance search.... But I digress.

I miss Chef that was a mod the most. I think he was like one of only five or something way back when. He was awesome on here and enjoyed our PM's. Got to meet him when I was playing a show out in MO. I dunno, it just didn't seem so much as an "I know more than you" thing. Seems like there's a lot more talking down to and questioning going on now. Even as I type this and contemplate posting this as a comment, I can already anticipate the call outs and negativity. But, here goes.

 

[darwin-bass]

I don’t know. Maybe it was before my time?