Why are people afraid to use their gear?

[Fynn]

I know it's a bit of a clickbaity title, but that's what came to mind.

I've read quite a few comments on TB, where people will say that they use only a bass and an amp for gigs, and even home usage. Furthermore, I've read plenty of people say that they don't adjust their EQ, don't buy any effects, basically don't do anything but use their fingers, maybe bass, maybe a slight amp adjustment.
Now I was wondering, why?

I get that people like a simple solution, where they just plug in, turn on the amp, and they're off to the races. But at the same time, many spend quite a lot of time trying to find the right bass and the right amp.
Why would you try to find the perfect amp, instead of adjusting the EQ on your current one, until you like it?
I've heard people say that adjusting EQ too much will cause it to sound unnatural, or that when you have to do that you should better just get a different bass / amp altogether.
I don't quite understand where this came from, because I would assume that when you get a nice piece of gear with a couple of knobs, you would assume that all of them are usable to their extremes. I know that that's not always the case, but I believe alot of gear nowadays is designed to still be usable at their most extreme settings. And even if not, they usually have quite a bit of adjustability.
Why would you not want to take advantage of that?
When I look at all the outboard gear, and more commonly nowadays, plugins that producers use, I feel like I should not ever shy away from trying to make the most of the gear that I have.

This isn't really meant as a critique of the people that use such minimalistic setups, but I would like to know if someone could explain it a bit further to me.
I can tell you, I'm not content with the notion that too much EQ makes it sound unnatural. To me an amplified bass signal already sounds completely unnatural, compared to the electric bass played acoustically, or compared to any other acoustic instrument.

 

[foal30]

If that person is happy with that set up then I’m happy for them.

I like having a number of options. Some people might think I have a ridiculous amount of gear.

 

[Marko 1]

 

[Micha84]

Well, in the end, everyone uses what works for them.

I personally don't like tweeking my EQ too much, because I feel I lose flexibility. I usually play basses with two pickups, so choice of PU, playing position and picking style give me a variety of tonal options that I can only fully exploit if my amp is more or less flat. If, on the contrary, I shape my amp to have a very deep sound I won't be able to switch to a punchy attack, unless I start fumbling with my EQ (which means breaking up play, losing time and possibly messing with the mix). So I am looking for an amp that has a "character" I like (here we are talking a mix of harmonic distortion, transients, compression...) and some people might be pickier here than others.

I have just recently started experimenting with other kinds of effects live (octaver, chorus, reverb, heavy distortion) but in the end I always found those to be gimmicks rather than necessary additions to the song. So I get when people are content with delivering a simple but solid low end.

 

[Nebadon2000]

"Why are people afraid to use their gear?"

Afraid? I don't think so; It is by choice and their experience

 

[Marko 1]

A bass, a cable, a head and a cab is all ya really need (unless just DIing into the PA)

I'm convinced the rest is for vanity and fun...

I know it is for me.

 

[swink]

There are infinite ways to reach the goal.
Each one chooses his path in search of the ultimate sound.

You can adjust the base (bass), the intermediate (effects) or the output stage (amp).
At each point described, you can get into a rabbit hole where you learn new things that you can share with your fellow musicians. Isn't that delightful?
Isn't that what TB is all about?

 

[Katoosie]

It all depends what you're looking for and what you're looking to achieve, OP.

A clean bass most likely won't work for highly experimental extreme deathcore with a lot of synth elements. That same sound won't work for a classical piece... Unless that's what you're going for.

It's all about the application. There is no bad gear. Bad sound. It's all up to your intention and goal.

Have fun getting lost in the soundscape of music!

 

[alembicguy]

 

[Bassic_desires]

Why do golfers need 14 clubs?! Surely one is enough . . .

 

[Auer]

And some folks loves ham hocks and some folks loves pork chops and some folks loves vegetable soup...

 

[el murdoque]

One end of the spectrum, you have those that run an active bass with modded pickups into a pedalboard that has three different EQ pedals, resonant filters, tube saturation and whatnot. Tone is in the pedals.

The other end of the spectrum, there's those that plug their bass into their amp and leave everything flat, maybe even choose the amp for having no coloration of its own, along with a cab that also has a flat response because the tone is in the fingers.


There's a lot of room between those extremes - whatever floats your boat. Obsess about fingers or obsess about pedals or don't obsess at all and go the middle way. Lean left or right, to taste.

 

[Michael Stanley 2112]

If I were to actually use my gear, it would lose re-sale value.

 

[Marko 1]

Why do golfers need 14 clubs?! Surely one is enough . . .

Bass would be more like Put Put,

don't need all those clubs.

 

[Bassic_desires]

@Marko 1 Well played (pun intended).

 

[2saddleslab]

But what if I scratch it?

 

[Savage_Dreams]

I don't quite understand where this came from, because I would assume that when you get a nice piece of gear with a couple of knobs, you would assume that all of them are usable to their extremes.

when you cook do you open your spice cabinet and empty it all into the pan? they should all work together at extremes, right?

i really dont understand what you mean though. should you be able to turn every knob on a piece of gear up to max and have it sound good? im not sure that thats how tone works, or that any piece of gear was meant to work that way.

also.... Ive had rack gear, i have tons of pedals. but if you cant just plug into an amp and get a good tone simply and quickly, either the gear sucks, you suck, or both do. nothing wrong with simple.

 

[HardNHeavy]

If it's brand new i can understand....otherwise throw it in the truck!

 

[No Malarky]

I bought it and I will Bloody Well use it.

 

[turf3]

I know it's a bit of a clickbaity title, but that's what came to mind.

I've read quite a few comments on TB, where people will say that they use only a bass and an amp for gigs, and even home usage. Furthermore, I've read plenty of people say that they don't adjust their EQ, don't buy any effects, basically don't do anything but use their fingers, maybe bass, maybe a slight amp adjustment.
Now I was wondering, why?

I get that people like a simple solution, where they just plug in, turn on the amp, and they're off to the races. But at the same time, many spend quite a lot of time trying to find the right bass and the right amp.
Why would you try to find the perfect amp, instead of adjusting the EQ on your current one, until you like it?
I've heard people say that adjusting EQ too much will cause it to sound unnatural, or that when you have to do that you should better just get a different bass / amp altogether.
I don't quite understand where this came from, because I would assume that when you get a nice piece of gear with a couple of knobs, you would assume that all of them are usable to their extremes. I know that that's not always the case, but I believe alot of gear nowadays is designed to still be usable at their most extreme settings. And even if not, they usually have quite a bit of adjustability.
Why would you not want to take advantage of that?
When I look at all the outboard gear, and more commonly nowadays, plugins that producers use, I feel like I should not ever shy away from trying to make the most of the gear that I have.

This isn't really meant as a critique of the people that use such minimalistic setups, but I would like to know if someone could explain it a bit further to me.
I can tell you, I'm not content with the notion that too much EQ makes it sound unnatural. To me an amplified bass signal already sounds completely unnatural, compared to the electric bass played acoustically, or compared to any other acoustic instrument.

Yeah, what about that Tatum guy that just sat down at any old piano that was there? What was WRONG with him? Why didn't he use more stuff?

You know, maybe people adjust the instrument/amp (for electric bass, the amp is part of the instrument) till they get the sound they want, and then just leave it there. Did that ever occur to you?