Why do we obsess over the instrument?

[Holy War]

Serious question here.

I obsess over certain instruments sometimes just as much as the next guy, but sometimes, when talking to musicians, it seems like its just too much. I mean, didnt we all get into this for the music? Looking at it literally, a bass is a tool in which we can express ourselves musically, without the human element, your bass is just a chunk of wood. I see a lot of "musicians" who seem to care more for how much they spent on a bass than on the actual music they are creating with it.

I mean, what is the point of that, really? Does it really matter that your bass is "vintage" or "rare" or whatever as long as you have something to play with that sounds good to you? I understand how finding the right bass to express yourself through is a very important matter in developing your sound and tone, but the little sonic nuances that some bassist/musicians look for in an instrument can be down right ridiculous, and in my experience, seem to get lost in a live setting most of the time anyways after amp EQing and the mixing board.

Lastly, 2 things: I know I can sometimes be guilty of all the above, and lastley, I am not singling anybody out at all, this is just a general observation.

This youtube clip/interview has really made me think about this. Its kind of long (9:32), and you may not like the band or music, but the guys have some incredible points about being artists and musicians.

 

[LCW]

I never really cared for the looks of what i played i just went with the sound. Alot of guys IMO spend way to much time swapping instruments and not playing , but hey if thats what they like to do then by all means go for it.

 

[capnsandwich]

Instruments are like anything else IMO. People drool over cars but in reality they only exist to take us from point A to point B. People like to take them and sup them up, rebuild them, make them look brand new, even though they're 30 years old, etc., but they're only to take us to point B from point A.

I agree with the guys in the video, especially the last part. I FF to the end but the very last statement was about music not being a business. That's so true, but then again, people have taken the art and have found a way to exploit it to make money, lots of money, off of it.

I just played a big festival this past weekend and while there were plenty of great bands playing, I noticed that they all looked very much alike and sounded very much alike. It was almost like they were cloned from each other and mass produced to be shipped to the stores and sold. I'm afraid that's what happens when the industry gets a hold of these young bands, promises them the world, but then changes their image to look exactly how they want them to sell to the masses. It's a shame that a band looking for a guitarist or bassist will go after looks before they go after talent. A guy like me, who has decent enough chops to make it in the music business, will get overlooked while the kid who's been playing for a year and a half will get picked up because he looks good in a pair of skinny jeans and a tight black t-shirt. Oh well, those are the breaks and I love music too much to let it get me down.

 

[Holy War]

Instruments are like anything else IMO. People drool over cars but in reality they only exist to take us from point A to point B. People like to take them and sup them up, rebuild them, make them look brand new, even though they're 30 years old, etc., but they're only to take us to point B from point A.

I agree with the guys in the video, especially the last part. I FF to the end but the very last statement was about music not being a business. That's so true, but then again, people have taken the art and have found a way to exploit it to make money, lots of money, off of it.

I just played a big festival this past weekend and while there were plenty of great bands playing, I noticed that they all looked very much alike and sounded very much alike. It was almost like they were cloned from each other and mass produced to be shipped to the stores and sold. I'm afraid that's what happens when the industry gets a hold of these young bands, promises them the world, but then changes their image to look exactly how they want them to sell to the masses. It's a shame that a band looking for a guitarist or bassist will go after looks before they go after talent. A guy like me, who has decent enough chops to make it in the music business, will get overlooked while the kid who's been playing for a year and a half will get picked up because he looks good in a pair of skinny jeans and a tight black t-shirt. Oh well, those are the breaks and I love music too much to let it get me down.

thats a great analogy

 

[fourstringbliss]

I never really cared for the looks of what i played i just went with the sound. Alot of guys IMO spend way to much time swapping instruments and not playing , but hey if thats what they like to do then by all means go for it.

I'm guilty of this - big time! I've been playing for about seven years and haven't owned a single bass for more than six months! I've spent precious little time improving as a player. I'm going to hold on to my current bass for at least a year before I even consider trading/selling.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Serious question here.

I obsess over certain instruments sometimes just as much as the next guy, but sometimes, when talking to musicians, it seems like its just too much. I mean, didnt we all get into this for the music? Looking at it literally, a bass is a tool in which we can express ourselves musically, without the human element, your bass is just a chunk of wood. I see a lot of "musicians" who seem to care more for how much they spent on a bass than on the actual music they are creating with it.

We all go into the restaurant because we are hungry. That doesn't mean we're going to all want the gray gruel that has all the nutrients we need but none of the flavor we want. As much as focusing on trite details can be an annoyance for us, in the end we do it because we like to. What fun would life be if we all settled for the bare minimum?

 

[etoncrow]

For some people it is the search for the "Holy Grail". You find the same phenomenon in the fire arms industry. Each year they seem to promote the newest "magic bullet"

"Hey ladies and gentlemen with this new .758 ultra-magnanimous Hornady/S&W/Marlin round you can shoot around corners up to 4-1/2 miles and kill an elephant attached to a gnat's ass w/o the gnat even knowing it's gone!"

In both cases, basses and bullets, it is the practice that makes the difference.

 

[5string5fingers]

I've traded a few instruments over the past couple of months,but for me 1,they were never high priced instruments,but I also just wanted to try certain ones out,see what I like and what I don't like. I think it's good to try out different basses,but not to dwell on them. I've always had two constants in my basses which are my first two basses,and combined worth is no more than 400 dollars. I could careless about fancy wood tops and multiply necks etc. I upgrade and change my instruments mostly so they work and sound better. Not to say I dont LIKE those highend luxeries,I just dont need them.

 

[your idol]

simply put ...the right instrument will motivate you with sheer passion when motivation gets low..sometimes my Rare and Beautiful P Plus that i searched for for 3 years will give me those "Bedroom Eyes" from across the room and ill have the urge to drop what im doing and just dig in and tear it up.

while in all practicality is the use of the tool the passion keeps the relationship hot and you on your A-game

 

[LaughingGroove]

I have wondered the same thing about others.

I for one do not obsess over anything, I know you are thinking ya sure, but I don't.

I have been playing almost everyday for 9 years, I'm on my second bass, second combo amp, first amp head, and first bass cab. Wondering how many people can say the same. LOL

Not that way with just music gear either. Bought my truck brand new in 95', still my daily driver.

Edit: oh yeah, and I don't have a cell phone, don't have long distance, don't have cable TV, in fact only have one tv. I do without all of these things even though I make 40,000 a year alone. (my wife make a bit more than I)

 

[TerrorRhythm]

Some instruments sound a lot better than others.

I played the same ****** bass for 10 years before I was able to afford the ones I wanted. I play with the same fingers, but the sounds coming out of my rig couldn't quite have been achieved previously.

And if I posted a picture of my trumpet, I'd get laughed it. There are holes in it patched with fiberglass.

 

[Holy War]

We all go into the restaurant because we are hungry. That doesn't mean we're going to all want the gray gruel that has all the nutrients we need but none of the flavor we want. As much as focusing on trite details can be an annoyance for us, in the end we do it because we like to. What fun would life be if we all settled for the bare minimum?

not my point, Im not saying we all just need to settle for the bare minimum. Ive finally narrowed my collection down to 2 basses, a 08 MIA P, and a 81 Ric 4003, hardly the bare minimum. I got both these instruments 2nd hand, and they were a little banged up etc etc, but they play and make music. What else could I possibly need?

 

[5string5fingers]

not my point, Im not saying we all just need to settle for the bare minimum. Ive finally narrowed my collection down to 2 basses, a 08 MIA P, and a 81 Ric 4003, hardly the bare minimum. I got both these instruments 2nd hand, and they were a little banged up etc etc, but they play and make music. What else could I possibly need?

an MIA jazz

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

not my point, Im not saying we all just need to settle for the bare minimum. Ive finally narrowed my collection down to 2 basses, a 08 MIA P, and a 81 Ric 4003, hardly the bare minimum. I got both these instruments 2nd hand, and they were a little banged up etc etc, but they play and make music. What else could I possibly need?

That IS the point I was making- people do it not because it is what they need, but because it's what they want. You've obviously gotten instruments that are both what you need and what you want. There are people playing $200 instruments that can claim you worried too much about your instruments and could have done just fine making music with a super cheapo. Whatever your answer would be to them would be the answer you should expect from people doing the same thing with more expensive/elaborate/specific wants than you have.

 

[funkybass4ever]

If I had the finances I would probably have 10 basses by now and be half as good as I am. It is great to try out new basses for new sounds and stuff and as you get better your interests in different sounds and stuff increases. I have been playing the same bass for 2 years now and probably won't be getting another one for a year or more.

 

[protoz]

I obsessed over the gear I had because I knew it was the tone I wanted. Once I got it I was satisfied. Well until those Orange isobaric cabs came out. I still want to play one of the 4x10's to see if it would be up my alley after playing 15's for years.

 

[j.stemmler]

not my point, Im not saying we all just need to settle for the bare minimum. Ive finally narrowed my collection down to 2 basses, a 08 MIA P, and a 81 Ric 4003, hardly the bare minimum. I got both these instruments 2nd hand, and they were a little banged up etc etc, but they play and make music. What else could I possibly need?

im sorry if i seem bitter, but this thread seems a little pointless. what kind of answers did you expect when you made this thread? "sure, i'll get rid of my high end gear because you have gotten by with cheaper basses"

people like different things for different reasons. so your ric and your pbass is all you need. i'm glad you have the only two basses you will ever need. however, most musicians needs change. whether it be that they have joined a new band in a different genre, or have changed their technique, a new bass can really spice things up. of course both your basses "make music" and yes, all the talent comes from the player. but if we can afford this gear, and it makes us love our instrument that much more, then why not? so what if we are "picky" about our tone, and willing to spend thousands to attain our tone. in the end, having nice gear makes me want to play more because everytime i pick up my instrument, it sounds and feels right for me.

in the end, a kleenex box with elastic bands makes sounds too, but is it the sound you want? everyone has different tastes/styles/fincances, thats why the instrument market is as vast as it is. so there is something for everyone

 

[the humanity]

I love my bass, and am a constant victim of GAS still. that said, I would never let my lust for gear get in the way of my love for bass.

 

[etoncrow]

...this thread seems a little pointless...

If having a point was a required criteria for posting on TB they could reduce the server memory by 97.3%

 

[BartmanPDX]

not my point, Im not saying we all just need to settle for the bare minimum. Ive finally narrowed my collection down to 2 basses, a 08 MIA P, and a 81 Ric 4003, hardly the bare minimum. I got both these instruments 2nd hand, and they were a little banged up etc etc, but they play and make music. What else could I possibly need?

I was going to say . . . don't you have a vintage Ric arriving tomorrow?

I guess the car analogy works for me. Some guys are really into their cars (or boats or whatever). For me, as long as it runs and gets me and my stuff wherever I need to go, it's fine by me.

OTOH, I love having a wide variety of basses to play. They inspire me to practice more often. And whereas I have been married for a dozen years, I can always "play the field" with a number of different basses. I still sound a lot like myself, but there are some big differences between a Dark Star P with flats and a Steinberger XL-2, or some of my other basses for that matter. I like a wide variety of music, and love to find a bass tone that's just perfect for a certain song.

Do I NEED eight different basses to make music? Of course not. I will occasionally play the same bass (PJ) for an entire four-hour show. But I love having them, and I can't think of anything I'd rather mess around with than bass gear. If that means I drive a crappy car, wear crappy clothes, etc., then that's fine by me. Bass is the biggest source of joy in my life, and I have no problem in indulging in my favorite hobby.