When does a bass upgrade translate to a performance upgrade?

[micguy]

Any increased incentive due to getting a new toy -- err, instrument -- will be short-lived.
.

Which leads to 2 camps:

A) The "Live with it, learn to love what you got" camp, and:

B) The "Well,.... if it's only going to be exciting for two weeks, I'll buy a new bass every 2 weeks" camp.

I think those 2 camps describe at least 90 percent of us here.

 

[IamBF]

I agree with all who are saying only upgrade if you have a purpose for doing so. Case in point, I have a MIM J and did my best to set it up properly but could not solve the A string buzz problem. I bought a 3-string tree from Hipshot and instantly was more confident in my sound because of it. Is a MIM J into an ampeg combo a tone chasers wet dream? No. BUT I pick up my bass a lot more because it is more fun to play because it sounds good enough for my needs.

If only Sweetwater, GC, etc.. sold additional hours of practice time, then I would hit the purchase button more often!

 

[jnuts1]

this attitude is so counterproductive and silly really.
an easy playing bass will make it easier to play the bass thus improving playing. I am also a believer in being very intimate with a single bass. Ive only had (2) real basses for the past 19 years and I've become extremely intimate with them to the point I can do things on them I can't on other instruments without serious woodshedding.
but you may feel the opposite effect until you get used to the higher end bass. I have bassists tell me all the time my basses are super hard to play because they play so easily and they are not used to it. but after a few minutes they quickly change their tune.

 

[ThingsAbove]

Most objective studies have clearly shown that tort improves your groove.

 

[MVE]

I have 2 decent, low-cost "working man's" basses. I've been thinking of an upgrade. Basically, same bass but nicer components. I want to separate inspiration from GAS.

So I'd love to hear your experiences and opinions on the subject. When does a nicer bass translate into making you a better player? Is it as simple as inspiration to pick it up more? Does the craftsmanship translate into something tangible? Or is it all just ego?

I have some theories, but would love to hear YOUR thoughts!

To be clear, I do believe an instrument can be inspirational in itself, and therefore make you a better player if you are inspired to play it.
...just like a fine Cognac can “inspire” me to drink waaaaay too much and make me a “better” conversationalist.

 

[micguy]

Most objective studies have clearly shown that tort improves your groove.

That only holds true for pre CBS celluloid tort....."no risk of fire, it don't inspire"

 

[JRA]

this attitude is so counterproductive and silly really.

the OP posted a notion and i laughed.

an easy playing bass will make it easier to play the bass thus improving playing.

I am also a believer in being very intimate with a single bass.

cool beans! i have a menage a trois going myself, but: "if you can't be with the one you love, then love the one you're with."

I have bassists tell me all the time my basses are super hard to play because they play so easily and they are not used to it. but after a few minutes they quickly change their tune.

 

[lfmn16]

Squier vs MIM, but basically yes. I avoided the cliche "F v. S" because I think it applies to all brands. But in all those threads, players talk about "better" components, but my whole point here is does that make you a better player?

Upgrading component will only make you a better play if your currently components are causing an issue in your playing. If your components allow you to set up the bass properly, tune it, get a consistent tone, upgrading them won't help your playing. IMHO anyway.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I have 2 decent, low-cost "working man's" basses. I've been thinking of an upgrade. Basically, same bass but nicer components. I want to separate inspiration from GAS.

So I'd love to hear your experiences and opinions on the subject. When does a nicer bass translate into making you a better player? Is it as simple as inspiration to pick it up more? Does the craftsmanship translate into something tangible? Or is it all just ego?

I have some theories, but would love to hear YOUR thoughts!

I would that it would effect me much. I’d sill have the same brain, same fingers, and the same amount of talent.

 

[mrcbass]

When does a nicer bass translate into making you a better player?

Pretty much never. Unless your "entry level" basses are set up so poorly that they are hard to play, a "better" instrument is not going make you a better player. Any functioning bass can be set up to play well for someone who knows what they are doing. And discounting effects of course, 98% of your bass sound comes from your fingers, ears and head.

That being said, some may very well be inspired to work on their game because they bought something that is inspiring to them; form that perspective, a shiny new bass can make you play better - not specifically because of the bass, but because you are working on it.

Take Fender Ps for example. I've played Squiers (own), MIMs (test driven a 4 string) and American Pro (own) 5 stringers. I can't honestly say that I can feel or hear the difference between the three while playin them. Maybe my skills are not refined enough, but other than the difference in the bridge and tuning keys that I got intimate with while restringing my Squier and AmPro, they are the same beast to me. Blindfold me and hand one to me, I wouldn't know the difference. If I'd have located the Squier (or fond an MIM) before investing in the AmPro, I would have been plenty satisfied.

 

[vindibona1]

To improve your playing, I would recommend the following modifications of needed.

1) Fret leveling. It will let you lower the action without buzz, so playing is easier.
2) Fret end dressing. It will decrease friction when you move your hand up the side of the neck. This is something you really notice when you compare to a higher end bass, especially on the higher frets.
3) Consider sending the corners of the fingerboard to make a rolled fingerboard. It will likely increase comfort.
4) Sand down the gloss on the back of the neck finish off applicable. It will make for a faster neck.
5) Do a proper setup including filing the nut if applicable. Replacing the nut is really inexpensive in most cases, but you would have to set it up. If you want to do this more than once, files are around $70, which is about the cost of a new nut and a professional setup.
6) If your pots make static sound, get some electric contact cleaner. Probably $9 for a lifetime supply.

Other things to consider but less useful most of the time.
7) IF you have neck drop OR you have tuning instability, swap out the tuners and/or bridge based on goals.
8) IF you have lacking sustain, consider a new bridge for minor improvement.
9) IF you don't like how your bass sounds, get new strings, consider using foam, etc.
10) If your bass has a hiss or too much background noise, consider a different pickup.

All other modifications, do if you have money and don't care about spending it. Just remember, you can get used, American made high end instruments for $800. If you are buying $400 worth of stuff to put on your $200 bass because you don't like it, maybe you should try a different bass.

James has pretty much hit on all the stuff I would say (especially the first 5) and have done - with incredible results. I started with a 2011 Squier VM Jazz, used for $150 and did everyting on the list except for tuners and can honestly say that it plays, feels and and sounds like a dream bass costing multiple times more while I have less than $500 total into it.

 

[twinjet]

I have 2 decent, low-cost "working man's" basses. I've been thinking of an upgrade. Basically, same bass but nicer components. I want to separate inspiration from GAS.

So I'd love to hear your experiences and opinions on the subject. When does a nicer bass translate into making you a better player? Is it as simple as inspiration to pick it up more? Does the craftsmanship translate into something tangible? Or is it all just ego?

I have some theories, but would love to hear YOUR thoughts!

If it plays or sounds better, that's a performance upgrade to me.

 

[bassrique]

Out-play the competition. Be the better musician. Obsess on that like Micheal Jordan did with his craft.

The gear will come later.

 

[CallMeAl]

I see you have a P-looking bass in your avatar pic. When I was buying my 2nd bass, after I’d identified that the sound I really wanted was the P sound, I tried some Ps and was really, really impressed with the American Standard, but at that point in my bassmanship (novice), I felt I just couldn’t justify spending well over a thousand dollars on a bass. So, I bought an MIM Standard, upgraded the electronics (this was a while ago, when the stock electronics weren’t very good), shielded the cavity, put in a new alnico pickup (instead of the stock ceramic) and had a setup done. At that point it sounded great and played well, but to some extent it felt like lipstick on a pig — sounded just how I wanted, played fine, but inherently it would always be an MIM with its many glued together pieces of poplar body, a rough looking piece of rosewood for the fretboard, the white pickguard I’ve never changed, etc. Boring black urethane paint job, slightly heavy. I always did like the neck though (important!).

Okay, so years later, after always being bothered a little by not having just gotten that American Standard I’d fallen in love with at the store back when I bought my MIM, I went ahead and bought a very nice American Standard much like I’d long wanted. Funny thing is, after having the MIM tweaked just how I liked it and using it to make music for 15 years, I was surprised to find that...I clearly like my MIM better! I’m just comfortable with it now, I’d always liked the neck (that’s why I bought this particular one), plus the electronics are all good and the pickup sounds like my dream sound...

What’s the point? I don’t know, lol. I’m not saying not to buy a nicer bass. Nicer basses are nicer, generally. For me, if they’re too expensive though, I get less comfortable with them, at least until it’s been so long that the money spent eventually becomes forgotten (takes years). But if you see something you need or fancy, get it if you can swing it. Try it out, see how it goes. Some of my fancier gear are my favorites. But also, some of my cheaper gear are favorites (and same goes for medium-priced gear, too).

For me, I absolutely did have to upgrade to pretty nice gear at one point to see what I was missing and what really suited me best. Now though, I know who I am as a player and what suits me, so I’m often more willing to spend in the mid or lower mid-priced range if something strikes me as fitting a need. But not always. Sometimes I want something a little nicer. But it’s all the same notes, basically. Still, you do want something you dig, not something uninspiring (let alone something you loathe). Higher priced stuff can be the answer, but not always. For one, an expensive piece of gear that you hate is hated doublely! But a cheap piece of crap is a cheap piece of crap. And so on. Anyway, good luck on your gear quest

The avatar bass is a squier with a peavey neck. My other is a squier standard precision. I'm fond of a P bass with a J neck, so I find it's hard to get a bass right off the rack. It's been a lot of experimenting and leaps of faith. I can try out basses, but have to compartmentalize a bit. If I find a Jazz neck I like, I can order the same make/series but wont necessarily feel the same.

I started the thread because I thought it was interesting, but I've pretty much made up my mind: save my pennies and wait for inspiration (or failure!) To strike.

 

[39-Bassist]

To improve your playing, I would recommend the following modifications of needed.

1) Fret leveling. It will let you lower the action without buzz, so playing is easier.
2) Fret end dressing. It will decrease friction when you move your hand up the side of the neck. This is something you really notice when you compare to a higher end bass, especially on the higher frets.
3) Consider sanding the corners of the fingerboard to make a rolled fingerboard. It will likely increase comfort.
4) Sand down the gloss on the back of the neck finish off applicable. It will make for a faster neck.
5) Do a proper setup including filing the nut if applicable. Replacing the nut is really inexpensive in most cases, but you would have to set it up. If you want to do this more than once, files are around $70, which is about the cost of a new nut and a professional setup.
6) If your pots make static sound, get some electric contact cleaner. Probably $9 for a lifetime supply.

Other things to consider but less useful most of the time.
7) IF you have neck drop OR you have tuning instability, swap out the tuners and/or bridge based on goals.
8) IF you have lacking sustain, consider a new bridge for minor improvement.
9) IF you don't like how your bass sounds, get new strings, consider using foam, etc.
10) If your bass has a hiss or too much background noise, consider a different pickup.

All other modifications, do if you have money and don't care about spending it. Just remember, you can get used, American made high end instruments for $800. If you are buying $400 worth of stuff to put on your $200 bass because you don't like it, maybe you should try a different bass.

+2

Get a good setup 1st then see what your bass may need (if anything) next.

 

[walking Bass]

I would that it would effect me much. I’d sill have the same brain, same fingers, and the same amount of talent.

True for me too, but I play each of my basses a bit differently and each has it's own tonal palette. I feel lucky that all of my instruments are of high quality and have only "upgraded" one. I replaced the stock plastic tuners on my Gibson SG 6-String with Grovers after I bent one and I'd upgrade tuners anytime in the future as needed. Fortunately all my other instruments have great stock tuners.

 

[Maxdusty]

Don't forget an amp is every bit as important as a bass. So for someone moving up from a 15w to a 150 w is going to be inspired to play more. Playing out of a 15w is akin to playing with a tin can as speakers so you don't hear the fine nuances as much so yes, it makes you a better bass player. Not to mention in my most cases, you won't even hear the B string of a five string bass on a lower wattage amp.
In terms of the bass, I agree with the post above that mentions set up being a major part of the process- I personally know of a budding bassist who was learning to play a bass which had extremely high string action, the neck was also bowed - not all too surprised she was experiencing great difficulty learning to play on the instrument until I fixed it for her.

 

[CallMeAl]

Out-play the competition. Be the better musician. Obsess on that like Micheal Jordan did with his craft.

The gear will come later.

I like that, well put!

 

[CallMeAl]

To improve your playing, I would recommend the following modifications of needed.

1) Fret leveling. It will let you lower the action without buzz, so playing is easier.
2) Fret end dressing. It will decrease friction when you move your hand up the side of the neck. This is something you really notice when you compare to a higher end bass, especially on the higher frets.
3) Consider sending the corners of the fingerboard to make a rolled fingerboard. It will likely increase comfort.
4) Sand down the gloss on the back of the neck finish off applicable. It will make for a faster neck.
5) Do a proper setup including filing the nut if applicable. Replacing the nut is really inexpensive in most cases, but you would have to set it up. If you want to do this more than once, files are around $70, which is about the cost of a new nut and a professional setup.
6) If your pots make static sound, get some electric contact cleaner. Probably $9 for a lifetime supply.

Other things to consider but less useful most of the time.
7) IF you have neck drop OR you have tuning instability, swap out the tuners and/or bridge based on goals.
8) IF you have lacking sustain, consider a new bridge for minor improvement.
9) IF you don't like how your bass sounds, get new strings, consider using foam, etc.
10) If your bass has a hiss or too much background noise, consider a different pickup.

All other modifications, do if you have money and don't care about spending it. Just remember, you can get used, American made high end instruments for $800. If you are buying $400 worth of stuff to put on your $200 bass because you don't like it, maybe you should try a different bass.

I've done most of these things, the most notable improvement was the fret ends. I like my basses, dont get me wrong! Just a curious guy.

 

[beaglesandbass]

It's a tool, nothing more.

a $1,000 car and a $100,000 car will both take you from point a to point b, but they're worthless if you don't know how to drive.