I think this fits me better. I plan on saving my nickels for a rainy day and focus on the practice room!
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When does a bass upgrade translate to a performance upgrade?
- Thread starter CallMeAl
- Start date
My first bass was a late 80's Peavey Patriot bass that my dad had bought for himself but never really got any good at. I had assumed it was a starter bass and thus something I'd "outgrow". (boy was I naive. Also I didn't really research the model much until recently!)
But it's the bass I keep coming back to. I've sanded the neck a bit, fixed it up, threw on some flats, and I really feel like I'm making in my own. I'm never going to part with this thing. When I upgraded my amp, my tone got WAY better (but that was from an old practice amp to a GK combo)
Once I got my head out of my butt, I realized my "starter bass" was a 100% gig worthy instrument with lots of personality and playability. I bring it to everything. I love the sh*t out of my warwick rockbass (which was "the one" that I spent many months looking for, and has more frets and strings and can be a little easier to play), but it still leaves the house less than my trusty Peavey. I'm not super good, and the Peavey looks unassuming. I'm going to keep hating getting comments like "that's a fancy bass you got there!" until I'm good enough that it doesn't feel like people are saying I have more money than chops.
GAS is just GAS. I still get it, but I realize it's mostly caused by BEANS (Bass Envy And NotEnough Skill). It can be inspiring (or just plain fun!) but ultimately it distracts me from getting better in most cases.
But it's the bass I keep coming back to. I've sanded the neck a bit, fixed it up, threw on some flats, and I really feel like I'm making in my own. I'm never going to part with this thing. When I upgraded my amp, my tone got WAY better (but that was from an old practice amp to a GK combo)
Once I got my head out of my butt, I realized my "starter bass" was a 100% gig worthy instrument with lots of personality and playability. I bring it to everything. I love the sh*t out of my warwick rockbass (which was "the one" that I spent many months looking for, and has more frets and strings and can be a little easier to play), but it still leaves the house less than my trusty Peavey. I'm not super good, and the Peavey looks unassuming. I'm going to keep hating getting comments like "that's a fancy bass you got there!" until I'm good enough that it doesn't feel like people are saying I have more money than chops.
GAS is just GAS. I still get it, but I realize it's mostly caused by BEANS (Bass Envy And NotEnough Skill). It can be inspiring (or just plain fun!) but ultimately it distracts me from getting better in most cases.
Changes in ergonomic factors like scale length, string spacing, radius, etc. could all result in something being easier for you to play and thus "increase performance". But it is probably a good idea to play as many as you can to get an idea of what parameters in those areas work well for you before you go out and just randomly start buying bases to find out.
I'm in the yes / no / maybe camp .
That said I play and feel more competent on my Warwick, but the simplicity and tone profile of my Squier or Chinese Danelectro get stage time regularly. Although the L2500 strikes a good balance and gets the most playtime, with the Squier VMP5 pulling a close second. The Dolphin would get the nod more often were I not paranoid of someone stealing / damaging it
Depends on the level of upgrade. The difference between a mid-level Squire $200-400 bass and something nicer in the $800-ish range IS noticeable. Less buzzing, less fret noise, most consistent intonation, etc., leads to not only sounding better, but hearing how badly you're playing! Which makes you a better player.
Something super-duper high end might have a really unique sound that strikes some new inspiration in playing. I got a semi-hollow body bass recently, and while it isn't super-duper high end, that new sound gave me some inspiration for some new basslines and song ideas.
But I really don't think going from an $800 P-bass to a $2,400 P-bass really makes a heck of a lot of difference. Sometimes there is a noticeable feel in craftsmanship, but to my ears, they sound the same, and for the most part, they play the same when you're in the middle of a song. Maybe if you A/B them you can tell a difference.
But also: owning nice things is nice! If you want to buy yourself something nice for that reasons, go for it!
Something super-duper high end might have a really unique sound that strikes some new inspiration in playing. I got a semi-hollow body bass recently, and while it isn't super-duper high end, that new sound gave me some inspiration for some new basslines and song ideas.
But I really don't think going from an $800 P-bass to a $2,400 P-bass really makes a heck of a lot of difference. Sometimes there is a noticeable feel in craftsmanship, but to my ears, they sound the same, and for the most part, they play the same when you're in the middle of a song. Maybe if you A/B them you can tell a difference.
But also: owning nice things is nice! If you want to buy yourself something nice for that reasons, go for it!
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two ways, you being able to play easier and you practicing more . That's it
Seems to me that there is a minimum price level below which you don't wanna go even as a beginner, as the cheapest gear often actively makes playing well harder.
A Peavey Patriot has a sweet neck. I've owned many basses but there's something about these early US made Peavey basses, they were so well made for what was even then a reasonable price. Out of all the basses I have, my Peavey Fury is easily one of my favorites. I only paid $100 for it and it included a Peavey case. I actually traded my MIM Fender P bass recently because the Fury was the P style bass I decided to go with and keep, something about the feel, the neck - it just feels right. Definitely hang on to that Patriot.
Not to derail your newfound Zen attitude, but what you want is a Fender American Special Precision Bass.
I hear you, but playing more impacted by the music I’m playing, than the bass I’m playing. I have two, a 4 string Am Fender P-Bass Deluxe, and a 5 string Warwick Corvette boat anchor..... I play in an oldies band, doowhop meets beach music, when only a Fender will do, and I use my Warwick for more modern music.
When it gives you motivation to work harder, study more and makes you happy to play a better instrument.
To quote my attorney ex-wife, "it depends..."
What are you trying to accomplish musically, how are you going about that, and why is your current gear falling short? If you can't articulate those three things (what, how, and why), then it is pretty much all GAS.
For instance, if you wanted to start comping chords and soloing more, certain instruments may facilitate that better than others (e.g. 24-fret neck). If you're focused on a more traditional approach to playing, then almost anything works and instead it comes down to preferences in playability, tone, ergonomics, and aesthetics. How an instrument looks certainly can influence how you perform with it. Humans are always subject to bias, and I prefer to try and work with that rather than trying to get 100% clinical.
What are you trying to accomplish musically, how are you going about that, and why is your current gear falling short? If you can't articulate those three things (what, how, and why), then it is pretty much all GAS.
For instance, if you wanted to start comping chords and soloing more, certain instruments may facilitate that better than others (e.g. 24-fret neck). If you're focused on a more traditional approach to playing, then almost anything works and instead it comes down to preferences in playability, tone, ergonomics, and aesthetics. How an instrument looks certainly can influence how you perform with it. Humans are always subject to bias, and I prefer to try and work with that rather than trying to get 100% clinical.
I can play no better on an Alembic than I do on an Ibanez. Neck, setup and balance matter more than $$$.
Basses are a lot like Golf Clubs.
You can buy a bass your favourite player uses, but you’ll be playing it. You will not sound like them immediately but you could come close one day.
I’d love to improve my playing to that of a professional level but I’ve made some life choices that will never let me have the lifestyle that goes with it regardless how I’d fight it. So, I’m happy playing in my living room, for friends or family.
Do I need the basses I own to do that? The reality is, I don’t. But it’s my choice to own them as they brought me some of the most interesting experience in my life. I have many to thank from this websites Classifieds which helped get me to my experience today.
Call me a wannabe, call me hobbyist, but I still call myself a musician and don’t need to justify that to anyone.
Nor do I have to justify what instrument that inspires me most to create music!
Play the bass as they say...stop looking at talkbass...and play!
You can buy a bass your favourite player uses, but you’ll be playing it. You will not sound like them immediately but you could come close one day.
I’d love to improve my playing to that of a professional level but I’ve made some life choices that will never let me have the lifestyle that goes with it regardless how I’d fight it. So, I’m happy playing in my living room, for friends or family.
Do I need the basses I own to do that? The reality is, I don’t. But it’s my choice to own them as they brought me some of the most interesting experience in my life. I have many to thank from this websites Classifieds which helped get me to my experience today.
Call me a wannabe, call me hobbyist, but I still call myself a musician and don’t need to justify that to anyone.
Nor do I have to justify what instrument that inspires me most to create music!
Play the bass as they say...stop looking at talkbass...and play!
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!
In this day and age, you have to work hard to find a terrible instrument, so I hate to say it, but the skill improvement will only come from hours you invest into your craft. That said, a new instrument might inspire you to practice more, but once invested, those are hours that'll reflect in any instrument you play.
To me, the only aspect that matters to me is whether my instrument is making it easy for me to do what I intend to do, rather than making me fight it. One of the best basses I own is a SX jazz, and it gets to that category because I've invested time and effort into making it great. My friend has a musicman with sharp frets. My SX is a better bass because it has perfect fretwork now. So it's not about the price, it's about how polished the instrument really is, for me.
