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Why do you (we) have so many basses???

#61
kreider204 said:
On a not-too-far-off-topic note, I hope some of you guys are kidding about your lousy relationships with your wives - you're making me sad. :bawl: My wife would never begrudge me buying a bass - but then again, I would never buy one if we couldn't afford it.

On a related note, she helped me install new pickups in my bass this week - she did the soldering for me. Damn, she's cool. :hyper:

</hijack>
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one word wow!!
 
#64
Interesting!
I think for most of us it's our hobby and we're passionate about it. We love the instrument... can't get enough of it so we're always looking wondering, and wanting...(lusting) for more tone, looks, etc.

I'm hooked with 3 basses right now, and I'm hooked on photography and have three cameras and lot of expensive lenses.

Between the two hobbies it can get costly. However.... I won't purchase on credit or if I can't afford it.
 
#66
At one time, I had over 10 basses. Looking back, I think I was using it more as a status thing, a "look at all the basses I have!" thing to impress the other local musicians. It wasn't so much about tone at that point, because I still was more influenced by Bass Player magazine and what I thought was cool.

Currently, I have five. They are:

-Fretted electric
-Backup fretted electric
-Fretless electric
-Upright bass
-Electric/Upright bass

There's no real need to get any other basses, because everything is covered that I would need on gigs. I have my tone, and the basses I have give me interesting variants of it, but retain the same style and sound.
 
#70
I've had a 4 banger, 5er, 6er, lined fretless, unlined fretless, fretted, P pickups, J pickups, Soapbars, P/J, Active, Passive, light, heavy, growly, airy, Doubleneck, Shortscale, Longscale, Big FB Radius, Small FB radius, Fat Neck, Skinny Neck, Asymmetrical Neck, High Mass bridge, Low mass bridge.
Gotta Catch Em All, BasseMon!

But all of that was in search of what's comfortable for me. And now I'm trying to get rid of all but 4. Pedulla MVP4, Backup P Deluxe w/flats, Fretless Jazz, and a sentimental gift I can't sell.
 
#71
I've wanted more basses for a few years now, and had three at one point. I just sold my very nice MIM jazz to a good friend who will give it a good home. I will keep my Geddy jazz, and my fretless SX P bass.

It would be hard to move the fretless anyway, and it's a great project bass. I may just go ahead and throw a fretted neck on it so I have a normal p bass.

Bass
Amp
DI box
Cord

DONE.
 
#72
I have several theories some of which were mentioned,I say love of music and mainly guitars are truly a thing of beauty who on these pages will deny that who has'nt fallen in love with a beautiful new bass in that special color,plus we love shapes and colors and sounds am I right or what
 
#75
this thread made me think of something kind of funny...
I got married the first time in my early twenties. I always wondered why women like jewelry so much and why they collect it. I asked my ex-wife but I would never get an straight answer. I was collecting basses at the time!
we got divorced, she sold her jewelry and I sold 17 of my basses, an I still had about 20 left!!!
that's how I got a fresh start after the divorce!
anyway, these days I only have a few basses. just the ones I need, and don't plan on getting more.
 
#76
MAIN REASON:
Consumer mentality drilled into us since birth.

Plus the other reasons posted in this thread.
Here? Because it's affordable at the moment, Rondo, cheap eBay sellers, and quality Japanese brands(i.e. Greco).

About this:
kreider204 said:
On a not-too-far-off-topic note, I hope some of you guys are kidding about your lousy relationships with your wives - you're making me sad. :bawl: My wife would never begrudge me buying a bass - but then again, I would never buy one if we couldn't afford it.

On a related note, she helped me install new pickups in my bass this week - she did the soldering for me. Damn, she's cool. :hyper:
</hijack>
Click to expand...
Similar here.
My wife helps me out with truss rod adjustments by holding the body down on our kitchen island, strings loosened a bit, bass neck supported from behind at fret 7, and I press down near the nut with one hand and turn the truss rod wrench with the other hand.
 
#77
mkandolf said:
You know, I just answered my wife's "Why do you need so many basses? question last night with a question of my own.

"Why do you need so many earrings or shoes?"

...silence...
Click to expand...

Given I've known more than one woman with 300-500 earings, shoes and purses (that is 300-500 of EACH, get it?) bass gas is pretty mild, but still is there for the same reason.

Could a woman get by with just a couple of pairs of shoes, purses and earing? Sure. If you only had two dresses AND you only ever wore them to the same kind of affair where style didn't matter.

But the point is there are LOTS of colors and lots of styles and lots of different venues a woman wears clothes to. She is using clothing as ART to express herself.

So how is that different for a bass? Well if you only play one style of music in one venue and never change, one bass is perfectly fine. But is that really what you do? There is a world of difference between a 6 or 7 string and a fretless 4 string. A doubled 8 string is rather special purpose but when you need it, you need it. I mean how practical are those gold dancing shoes with the extra high heels your wife has? But when you need them they make ALL the difference!

So the bottom line to me is just like the bottom line in the closet: GAS is about what you need to express your art. And that relates to the extent of your musical interest. Me? I'm interesting in ALL kinds of music, so naturally I'm dying from GAS!
 

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