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Why Change?

Dr. Cheese

Dr. Cheese

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2004
57,298
120,460
Metro St. Louis
#1
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Yesterday, I was at my favorite independent music store, and the bassist for the local COGIC (Church of God in Christ) church was playing a Ibanez SR705 through an Aguilar Tone Hammer rig and an Aguilar cab. He was working on "A Portrait of Tracy," and he sounded absolutely beautiful. I came up and complimented him and we talked gear a bit. After mentioning that he would like a fretless, I suggested a GWB35 as an inexpensive bass, he was surprised that it is fairly cheap because he confused it with the GWB1. Mentioning that expensive bass caused him to bring up Fodera. I said I had played a few, but I honestly could not recommend one to anybody unless they clearly had the cash on hand to buy one. Similarly, he said he had played Victor Wooten's bass at a Basscamp, but beyond that, he had no experience with them.

My point is not to bash Fodera or any other bass. My point was that I told him that I know he has been playing Ibanez for a long time and that he is used to them and he sounds great. Why worry about change when what you do is clearly working for you?

I just feel that as humans and musicians, we always feel that the grass is greener on the other side, and we do not always appreciate how good we sound or well we play with what we already have. I don't think it is an accident that so many great players have stuck with the same bass or type of bass for years because they know they get great results with what they use.
 
#6
Dr. Cheese said:
I just feel that as humans and musicians, we always feel that the grass is greener on the other side, and we do not always appreciate how good we sound or well we play with what we already have. I don't think it is an accident that so many great players have stuck with the same bass or type of bass for years because they know they get great results with what they use.
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This is unusual! A "You only need one bass for life" thread about a bass OTHER than Fender!

Well, you hit the nail on the head about one thing: It's about humans and musicians. And that means two things. As musicians we all have an interest in making money. So there is a natural tendency if you get involved with any hit, a hit song, a hit play, whatever, to keep it going for income. We've seen one-hit-wonder bands milk the one song forever. And we are all familiar with a hit play where you play the same exact score over and over for as long as anyone will come to see it.

So on the one hand if you've got something good, it makes economic sense not to change it. But we are also human. And humans have certain built-in psychological characteristics. We enjoy appreciation of what we accomplish (which is why as musicians an audience is important) and we are also driven to be "better". Staying the same to most humans is what they call "boring". Instead we like to constantly investigate and try new things. It's part of our nature.

So one can call this "grass being greener", maybe that is what drives us? But the drive to constantly create and learn is clearly there. And obviously part of that is going to come out in experimenting with and learning about instruments. Each instrument is different and those by different makers are often greatly different. So part of life for most will be a constant learning and creating with that new knowledge. And that means change.

One of the major unassailable laws of History is the certainty of change! To try to fight against that not only goes against your own nature, but of the world as well.
 
#10
Dr. Cheese said:
I just feel that as humans and musicians, we always feel that the grass is greener on the other side, and we do not always appreciate how good we sound or well we play with what we already have.
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Speak for yourself, you american's and your possessions. Sadly Canada is headed down your backwoods mentality road.

We just implemented minimum sentencing laws.... because they worked SOOOO well down south:eyebrow:
 
#11
The grass is greenest wherever my gear happens to be. Currently, that's my basement. There's also some green grass being grown in a local builders shop :). My point? I HAVE THE GREENEST OF GRASS!

7uquxrvi4.jpg
 
#12
bassist4dalord said:
Basically, many US Americans are never satisfied. It's the reason for GAS, leasing a new car every two years, materialism, divorce, loss of interest, etc. We get bored with what we have (though it may be the greatest thing) and want "something new".
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Most people lease a new car every 3 years, not because it's the newest car, but because you have a solid car that's not going to die on you, and when it starts to become that problematic age, you trade it for a new one.

I believe the divorce rate is so high not because they are no longer satisfied with who they're with, but because so many people want the 'American dream' so badly that they trick themselves into thinking they were satisfied in the first place, just to fit into that norm which the pressures of society told you that you had to fit into, perpetuated by fear of being alone.

And if you're a musician you should know this: When you play a different guitar, different material comes out of you, especially if you're the type of musician who "feels" the music, and improvises, or writes their material as they feel the direction of the piece is taking itself.

Some basses may feel to you that they feel better to slap with, shred with, strum chords with, etc. Some material you write may require a 5 string, 6 string, or 11 string. Sometimes some instruments inspire YOU to write more material based around the relationship you may have with the instrument. That's not even mentioning amps/effects.

Some instruments may be perfect for what you're doing now, but as long as you stay with that instrument, you may be doing what you're doing now, forever. And as humans, to move forward beyond where we are now is what drives us to become better humans.

I dont believe any bass is better than another. They are all just different. Variety is the spice of life. And until you've found out with your own hands and ears what it's like to play an Alembic carved out of the wood from Noah's ark, then how would you know that you didn't need it?
 
#13
I thinking you're raising an interesting topic, good Doctor!

I'm seeing a fundamental tension built into human nature: the need for stability/predictability, and the need for novelty/innovation. And a bassist's toolkit can be seen as a particular player's management of that tension.

Reading my own equipment evolution, over (gulp) four-plus decades of playing: it's a punctuated equilibrium. I'll go through a time of major GAS (the novelty/innovation phase), then a time where I've got a monogamy on with one bass (the stability/predictability phase).
 
#14
Dr. Cheese said:
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Why worry about change when what you do is clearly working for you?

I just feel that as humans and musicians, we always feel that the grass is greener on the other side, and we do not always appreciate how good we sound or well we play with what we already have.
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Well said cheese. +1

I believe chasing gear to find your sound, is time wasted. Become a better player, practice! The better you are able to play magically, any bass you touch sounds better. :)
 
#15
It's very simple. When you are into your craft and you're putting in the work, studying, playing, gigging, studying, practicing and you see those cats like Victor Wooten, and Anthony Wellington, Richard Bona, Tom Kennedy and you get a chance to meet them and they show you some love where the rest of the world hardly even recognizes the bass player but you see how well known they are and they all are playing on Fodera, you want one too. After seeing Malcom Hall on youtube I wanted a Brubaker Brute and I eventuall got one. I had to save up for it. Now I want a real Brubaker. I have been fortunate in that I will be coming into some cash very soon and I'm going to get me a real Brubaker. This is all inspite of my SX Jazz Bass Copy and my OLP MM5 copy. I'd rather have a Foder than an Ibanez any day. But alot of these cats we see have endorsements. The put tin the hard work and as a result someone wanted to promote their product offerings and there we have it. I would guess back when it happend, Fodera approached Victor. I waould guess Aguilar approached Anthony Wellington. But at the beginning maybe they did save up their money and purchase the first one
 
#16
Some people thrive and are renewed by change. Others seem more comfortable with things staying the same. Seems like it's part of human nature.
Not sure if it's a good analogy, but a teacher may teach the same subject for 30 years. One kind of teacher keeps teaching the same class, the same way for 30 years.
Another kind of teacher tweaks things, changes things, each and every year.
Everyone has their own approach. Sometimes it's better to meet people where they are than to try figuring out why they are that way.
 
#17
Dr. Cheese said:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Yesterday, I was at my favorite independent music store, and the bassist for the local COGIC (Church of God in Christ) church was playing a Ibanez SR705 through an Aguilar Tone Hammer rig and an Aguilar cab. He was working on "A Portrait of Tracy," and he sounded absolutely beautiful. I came up and complimented him and we talked gear a bit. After mentioning that he would like a fretless, I suggested a GWB35 as an inexpensive bass, he was surprised that it is fairly cheap because he confused it with the GWB1. Mentioning that expensive bass caused him to bring up Fodera. I said I had played a few, but I honestly could not recommend one to anybody unless they clearly had the cash on hand to buy one. Similarly, he said he had played Victor Wooten's bass at a Basscamp, but beyond that, he had no experience with them.

My point is not to bash Fodera or any other bass. My point was that I told him that I know he has been playing Ibanez for a long time and that he is used to them and he sounds great. Why worry about change when what you do is clearly working for you?

I just feel that as humans and musicians, we always feel that the grass is greener on the other side, and we do not always appreciate how good we sound or well we play with what we already have. I don't think it is an accident that so many great players have stuck with the same bass or type of bass for years because they know they get great results with what they use.
Click to expand...

I agree. There's no reason to change if you like what you're playing. And there's good reason not to buy an expensive bass if you don't have the cash. Conversely, if you have cash and GAS at the same time, there's only one thing to do.
 
#18
Dr. Cheese said:
Why worry about change when what you do is clearly working for you?
Click to expand...

Some people, like me, are always on a quest for what may work better for them...perceived or in fact. This applies to all facets of my life. I am constantly swapping out basses and every few years or so I end up shifting my 1st string to something new. I've been hooked on the Fender RBV for a while, but others preceded it, and I'm sure I'll be on to something else eventually.

I think where people go wrong is thinking that throwing more money at an issue (the perfect bass in this instance) will automatically equal improvement.
 
#19
Dbassmon said:
Well said cheese. +1

I believe chasing gear to find your sound, is time wasted. Become a better player, practice! The better you are able to play magically, any bass you touch sounds better. :)
Click to expand...

Does it have to be either/or? Can't someone practice *and* keep a look out for something that may work better or give them something different?

In addition, basses are both tools and something that you can (hopefully) develop a relationship with. A single tool may or may not do the job for you. And a particular instrument may or may not allow for "bonding" (if you are that kind of player). Sure, you *can* use almost anything, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you should. Depends on the individual's circumstance.

For instance, after a couple of years of churn I've settled on some really nice basses. The cover most everything I want to do at the moment. Except that I want to experiment with playing a 5-string E-C to work on chord/solo/duo project. No matter what I try I can't seem to string my 4-string with 5 strings :D

Also there are some gigs where the bandleader wants a specific "look." Now, in a perfect world should that even matter - after all, I'm playing music. Well, reality says that I'm a performer, and looks are part of the package. So if the gig requires a "vintage look", then I'm going to do what a professional does - I'll show up with what is required and not a coffee table bass. Thankfully this doesn't happen very often, but for some it happens a lot.

There are many different definitions of "bass player." Some guys never play outside their bedroom, some only play at church, some slog through crappy bars, others tour stadiums. None of those are inherently better or worse (well, except maybe the pay :D). But each will have a different set of requirements for gear. It isn't the be-all, end-all, but it can be part of the equation. Then if you figure in the fact that a human is playing the instrument and humans are...well...human (ie nuts), then the "logic" of gear choice can quickly go out the window.
 

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