When your "cheaper" bass is your #1

[Dincrest]

Hello Talkbass,

I was just thinking about something... my "former #1 bass" that I'm kinda trying to semi-retire lately seems to be the one I grab far more than my #1 bass that I often call my Excalibur (which is lighter in weight, more ergonomic, allows me to "think less, jam more," and is a far more expensive and far higher quality instrument; quite possibly the best I've ever owned). Maybe it's because my body is more used to that"old" bass (which is far less expensive and lower end than my Excalibur bass, even with all the crazy mods) since I spent over a decade with it. That bass simply does NOT want to retire or even semi-retire (and is perhaps the best sounding bass I've ever owned, despite being "lesser" than other basses).

But still, it made me wonder...

Anyone else have that kinda existential crisis that the bass they grab for more often is their less expensive bass? The #1 isn't the most expensive bass in the stable? Does it bother you in that... you know how sometimes your brain has a hard time justifying that something less expensive ("lesser") gives you more/better satisfaction than something that's more expensive ("more better")? How do you deal with that?

I know TalkBass has had this conversation before, but...

 

[ajkula66]

Anyone else have that kinda existential crisis that the bass they grab for more often is their less expensive bass? The #1 isn't the most expensive bass in the stable?

Crisis? What Crisis?




As long as every instrument in the rack/case has its own raison d'etre, all is well. That's the way I see it anyway.

 

[Michael Milner]

I don't regard my (used) Lakland Skyline JB as "cheap". It didn't cost as much as some my other basses, but it certainly holds it own.

 

[dabbler]

Not currently, but my first 5 string and first 6 string basses (the SXes pictured below) continue to feel like home whenever I pick them up. I typically use one of my other basses when I play out (which, although they cost more than these, aren't high end either) for various reasons, but I will probably never get rid of these 2 "firsts".

 

[WayneP]

I think this goes more to the thread title than the OP’s actual post, but my cheapest bass is my "go-to" for gigs / situations where I’m concerned about possible damage: Like where I have to set up off stage because it’s too small for everyone, and as such the potential exists for patron traffic to knock the bass over.

It’s a Heartfield DR5 – actually a pretty fantastic bass. But I only paid $500 for it, less than half what my other basses or worth.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

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[31HZ]

I respect the ***k out of this. Always, ALWAYS listen to your ears over what TB says is "supposed to be best."

It's a long road, and that's one of the first steps.

How can we make self-authentic art, if we aren't in tune with the self?

 

[pingvuiini]

I find myself grabbing my two Kalas, Flight Jazz and Ibanez Mikro more and more often, but I think it's due more to the fact that they are fretted and fit the songs I am playing at the moment. They are all remarkably well made, tons of fun, play and sound great and are outstanding values for their price points. Prior to any of those basses, I had the two KBs and Lignum at the far right which are my premium basses and fretless, which I much prefer. Lately I tend to take the cheaper basses to gigs just so the custom basses won't get damaged.

 

[nickpc]

I get this - I frequently feel "guilty" leaving my Sadowsky NYC at home and taking my Fender MIM PBass out to play. Everything about the Sadowsky says i'ts the one I should be playing but there's something about that Fender (which is the replacement of the first good bass I ever owned) that calls to me.

 

[Dincrest]

I appreciate the responses so far, and am sure we'll hear more.

But since everyone's posting pics of their basses, perhaps I should post mine for context.

The top one is Hepzibah. She's a heavily modded LTD (by ESP) HTD-600 (Korean-made Children of Bodom sig model) that I bought preowned for under $300 in 2011 (back then, the bass would have been somewhere around $900 new). I had a luthier/friend of mine give it that awesome swirl paint job and swap out the active EMG-DC electronics for a pair of passive Duncans and VVT passive electronics. Anyone I've ever played with says it's the best sounding bass. She's the former #1 (that doesn't want to retire) that costs less than...

Mikan- the orange Ibanez Prestige (Japanese-made) Soundgear SR4600 I recently bought from a TBer. That bass is easily one of the best ever and I often refer to it as my Excalibur. It's light, ergonomic, sounds great, plays amazingly (I can "think less, bass more" when I strap it on) and... simply the best (at least for me). I ADORE that bass! (Brand new, that bass would have gone for over $2500 but I bought it for less than $1500).

Mikan is the better bass than Hepzibah by far. No doubt about that. But I grab for Hepzibah more. (Both basses are absolute keepers, though).

 

[Geri O]

So my new MM Stingray Special was right at 3 grand and my Lull was $3850 when I bought it and now close to 6 grand.

The Stingray has become my number one player. Less than the Lull.

Does that count in this discussion?

Or is it strictly Mexican/ Asian basses VS Sadowskys, Lulls, Fodder's, etc?

 

[Geri O]

Always, ALWAYS listen to your ears over what TB says is "supposed to be best."

I missed something.

Just what is "supposed to be the best" according to TB?

 

[31HZ]

I missed something.

Just what is "supposed to be the best" according to TB?

You definitely missed something, friend.

 

[Dincrest]

I think that counts @Geri O

Country-of-origin matters less than it used to, but some people still hold onto that (for various reasons).

The idea was simply talking about that whole "cognitive dissonance" many folks have about their less expensive ("lesser") bass being their #1/the one they more readily grab for. In your case, it's your Stingray over your Lull. $800 dollars makes a difference. It may not seem significant between your $3000 Ray and $3800 Lull, but it makes a difference between someone's $800 and $1600 basses where they favor the $800 one but their brains are all "does not compute" because the $1600 one is/should be "better" right?

I dunno... I had a moment about that with my basses and figured I'd open a discussion about that here since I figure others might have similar stuff going on in their heads. Simply having a few folks already saying, "I hear you" is kinda reassuring, ya know? Like, I ain't alone with my thoughts/feelings.

 

[Geri O]

You definitely missed something, friend.

Not gonna enlighten me?

 

[31HZ]

Not gonna enlighten me?

You do this a lot, like every day this week so far.

Sorry friend, I'm not taking the bait. Hope you have a good weekend.

 

[31HZ]

I appreciate the responses so far, and am sure we'll hear more.

But since everyone's posting pics of their basses, perhaps I should post mine for context.

The top one is Hepzibah. She's a heavily modded LTD (by ESP) HTD-600 (Korean-made Children of Bodom sig model) that I bought preowned for under $300 in 2011 (back then, the bass would have been somewhere around $900 new). I had a luthier/friend of mine give it that awesome swirl paint job and swap out the active EMG-DC electronics for a pair of passive Duncans and VVT passive electronics. Anyone I've ever played with says it's the best sounding bass. She's the former #1 (that doesn't want to retire) that costs less than...

Mikan- the orange Ibanez Prestige (Japanese-made) Soundgear SR4600 I recently bought from a TBer. That bass is easily one of the best ever and I often refer to it as my Excalibur. It's light, ergonomic, sounds great, plays amazingly (I can "think less, bass more" when I strap it on) and... simply the best (at least for me). I ADORE that bass! (Brand new, that bass would have gone for over $2500 but I bought it for less than $1500).

Mikan is the better bass than Hepzibah by far. No doubt about that. But I grab for Hepzibah more. (Both basses are absolute keepers, though).
View attachment 7374183

"Think less, bass more" is the sigline we all need. I'll be using that when I'm trying to describe what it's like to be in the zone!

 

[Geri O]

You do this a lot, like every day this week so far.

Sorry friend, I'm not taking the bait. Hope you have a good weekend.

Bait??

What are we even talking about now?

Rhetorical question. Goes right along with this pointless thread.

Whatever.

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I just use what I like the sound and feel of and what I think will work best for the gig and/or session.

I regularly teach and gig with a Squier Classic Vibe J and a Yamaha BB434, which are 2 of my cheapest electric basses. The Squier in particular records really well.

I actually sold a Fender American Standard J a couple years ago simply because I wasn’t using it and didn’t see a point in having it.

 

[Aric Bjorn]

Hello Talkbass,

I was just thinking about something... my "former #1 bass" that I'm kinda trying to semi-retire lately seems to be the one I grab far more than my #1 bass that I often call my Excalibur (which is lighter in weight, more ergonomic, allows me to "think less, jam more," and is a far more expensive and far higher quality instrument; quite possibly the best I've ever owned). Maybe it's because my body is more used to that"old" bass (which is far less expensive and lower end than my Excalibur bass, even with all the crazy mods) since I spent over a decade with it. That bass simply does NOT want to retire or even semi-retire (and is perhaps the best sounding bass I've ever owned, despite being "lesser" than other basses).

But still, it made me wonder...

Anyone else have that kinda existential crisis that the bass they grab for more often is their less expensive bass? The #1 isn't the most expensive bass in the stable? Does it bother you in that... you know how sometimes your brain has a hard time justifying that something less expensive ("lesser") gives you more/better satisfaction than something that's more expensive ("more better")? How do you deal with that?

I know TalkBass has had this conversation before, but...

I have three basses now, and the one that gets played most is my cheapest, which was also my first. I'm not worried about leaving it out on the couch, so it's there to pick up and play on a whim, and I'm not at all worried about taking it out of the house either, so it's the one that gets played. It's comfortable for me in a way that my other two basses aren't, at least not yet. I really like the neck dimensions on it. They're good basses too but I absolutely have a sentimental attachment to my starter bass, my trbx174. Not a crisis though. More like a learning curve.

 

[HotelX]

I missed something.

Just what is "supposed to be the best" according to TB?

A p with flats of course