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When to upgrade your Bass?

mrshane

mrshane

Aug 20, 2009
23
1
#1
I realize this is probably a dumb question and or it is more opinionated, however with that being said. When do you think is a good time to upgrade your bass to a much better one? Because as of right now I don't feel that I am good enough to warrant such a thing.

Your thoughts suggestions please.

Thank you
Shane.
 
#5
I thought I wasn't good enough for a new bass (I'd been using a factory second Dean Hillsboro that only cost me $125) but I decided to go for a mid-level bass that was in the four to five hundred dollar price range so I bought an Epiphone Pro IV.
It was a good move. The T-bird was almost perfect right out of the box and with a few adjustments and some new flatwound strings it became such a great-sounding, easy-playing bass that it simply demanded I practice more and become better.
Now, I'll be playing out at a local open mic night with a friend who plays some really good 12-string and writes his own songs, and isn't that what it's all about?
Do yourself a favor and find yourself something nice that might encourage you to practice more. You must have a favorite bass that you've been dying to get your hands on. Buy it!
Upgrading your bass just might upgrade your skills.
 
#7
i'm sure everyone is going to have basically the same opinion; focus on music. new basses are nice, but they wont make you a better player. they'll hardly even make you 'sound better.' they will allow better players the ability to sound better, but can't make bad playing good.

as far as "when to upgrade," it depends. i bought a nice USA fender when i was 12. could i play then? not really, i knew some blues stuff and zeppelin tunes, that was about it. but for me it was time to upgrade because i worked all summer to be able to afford that bass. i was 12, and when i had that kind of money (exactly $630) there was no way i wasn't gonna get a nice bass.

retrospectively, i was pretty dedicated- i worked my butt off, never once considered spending that money on anything because i knew i wanted a bass. i supposed dedication like that is an indicator that it's appropriate to get a nicer instrument.

the only time i think you "have to" upgrade is if your pursuing music professionally, or a music major at college, and don't have a pretty good instrument. doesn't need to be great, but should play properly, be reliable, and sound pleasant. (usually that's the case with DB players, though.)

if you think about it, (just like me when i was 12) the one thing really standing between you and a new bass is money. for people who have it to spare, whenever they want is the "right time" to upgrade. for people who cant, once the instrument is actually limiting their potential is the time.

basically, once you decide its worth the money, its time to buy a new instrument; but never expect that to make you a better player, because it just wont.
 
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#8
I upgraded when I found a good deal on it. However, I am very much a believer in player over instrument. Because of this, I don't think I will ever own one expensive bass, but numerous intermediate level basses, such as 4, 5, 6 strings, fretless, piezo pickup etc. that I can use in multiple situations.
 
#9
For me it was when the flaws in my first bass were inhibiting my ability to play. My first bass was getting unreliable. Problems ranging from tuning, action due to a warped neck, and electronics (volume knob doesn't turn, jack fails once in a while). By the way, I still play it, I just know it's not stage-worthy.

Certainly I could upgrade (or fix) that actual bass, but I decided to get a new one since I had the money. This allowed me the opportunity to try something different and/or better. Different because I got a five-string bass. Better because it had a wider range of tonal possibilities and seemed a lot more reliable. Being a little more experienced in playing, I knew a bit more of what I wanted from a new bass.

I, too, am a strong believer in the "player not the bass." I just want to make sure my bass is reliable enough to be played. I don't want to worry that my bass might conk out any moment during a gig, because it won't matter if I'm the greatest player in the world (I'm not) if my bass and other gear don't work.
 
#10
My opinion. Usually, the instrument outplays the player. This goes with EVERYTHING in life. I like shooting. A lot of times I go to a shooting range with my basic bolt action 308, but I have good technique and I am a good shooter. The guy next to me has 5000 invested in his gun but cant hit targets at 25 yards.

The point is, most of the time, not all the time, the person is not going to outplay his instrument.

In my case, I have a crappy rogue 5 string bass. I am going to keep this bass, get new strings, new pots and new caps, add some shielding and make it sound like a much better bass then anyone will expect. Also, I feel that if I bought a 700 dollar bass, I would look stupid playing my basic riffs on it. As someone would expect more from a better 'instrument', when in fact the instrument is the person.
 
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#11
I felt really compelled when my bass wasn't working in a new band I was playing in. It just wasn't sitting in the mix right, I needed a more modern, full-range sound with deep bottom but still tight.

I had even upgraded my amp, which I hoped might solve the problem. I also just needed an amp upgrade, the time had come. But when a better amp didn't really put the problems to rest I did buy a nice used active electronic four-string, specifically an SSD made in Czech Republic, the forerunner of the current Spector Euro. Super happy that I did that instead of putting an active circuit in my fender.
 
#13
I don't know that I've ever upgraded, but I have sold basses when I found something I liked better. I started with standard scale bass, a Peavey Grind. After two techs told me the neck was shot, I got another 34" scale bass, a Cort GB-34. In the mean-time, I got a Sky ABG for playing around the house. It was a lousy bass, but it taught me that I am a short scale guy. So I found a used Epiphone Viola, which I liked until I got a Squier SS Jag, which I love, but is a less expensive bass than the Viola, so one might say that I traded down. One of my friends wanted to take a shot at straightening the neck on my Peavey. Naturally, he was successful. So the Peavey was sold. I gave the Cort to my son. (Semi-long story.)

Anyway, I currently have the Squier and a Gold Tone MicroBass. I'd like a Picco basshttp://piccomusicusa.wix.com/piccobass#!piccobass/c13dn , but really don't need three basses. Then again, what's "need" got to do with anything? I have an allowance for these kinds of things.
 
#14
They are all correct - You upgrade when

Your current bass is not good enough - poor sound or action or reliability
You need a different sound or features for what you are now doing
You have a pile of $$ you don't know what to do with

If the money is not an issue, and if you feel your bass is holding you back - go play a few at GC or preferably a good music store where it will be set up properly and see if you can play better because of it. Try to ignore the "new toy" feeling. I have probably "upgraded" 40 times, and I can truly say that I would have been fine in the long run staying with my old bass.

And now that imports such as the new Squiers from Indonesia are so amazingly good, don't think that you have to spend $2500 to get something worthy.

Kudos to you for being prudent and looking before leaping.
 
#15
mrshane said:
I realize this is probably a dumb question and or it is more opinionated, however with that being said. When do you think is a good time to upgrade your bass to a much better one? Because as of right now I don't feel that I am good enough to warrant such a thing.

Your thoughts suggestions please.

Thank you
Shane.[/QUOTE
Click to expand...

If you already own a pro level bass, there's really no good reason to buy another one.
 

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