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Why have so many basses?

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#441
dmt said:
Not everyone is at the same income or wealth level that you are. For one person, an American Standard Fender might be a major purchase. For another person, it may be an unattainable luxury. For another person, having a number of American Standard and AVRI basses may be a relatively minor expense.

One guy buys a sports car just for fun — its not his main commuter car nor the minivan the family uses to cart around the kids and such, it’s just an extra car that he always wanted. Say it costs $30,000-ish, like the Nissan 370Z a guy I know bought recently. Another guy dreams of having a couple of basses. Another guy wants a swimming pool. Another guy wants a motor home. Another guy wants a vacation home. Another guy wants to upgrade his house to a McMansion. Another guy blows his money on gambling. Another guy literally pisses away his money year after year on alcohol, perhaps A LOT of money if he’s into, say, fine wines — and he’s praised for his discrimination and taste! That’s all okay, but somebody can’t spend, say, $10,000 on a little collection of nice basses if that’s what makes him happy? I can’t agree with that.

On the other hand, why do some people have a dozen or more potted plants in their house?! I only have two, and for years I only had one plant. I can’t see how some people somehow feel justified having a dozen or more plants. And, I see with many of these hobbyist plant collecting people, their plants aren’t even that green! I worked hard and carefully for years keeping my one plant green; I just can’t understand how somebody could have like 6 plants and some of them have yellowing in their leaves or a withered stem here or there — it just doesn’t make sense to me. The other day I was thinking of getting a 3rd plant and I went to the store and there was no plant of the type I wanted in stock! It’s these hobbyist gardners who can’t even keep the plants they have green and lustrous buying all these plants and messing with the supply for serious plant keepers like me. But i’m not gonna judge :roflmao:
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What's the best plant for metal? If you name your plants and have one you call "Robert", that doesn't count.;)
 
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#447
1. I like more than one type of music so I want different tones.
2. Different basses speak to me differently so they inspire me differently.
3. If your playing out you should always have a back up.
4. It’s nice having a bass in a studio or jam spot that I can just drive to after work/ during my day so I don’t have to worry about a bass being stolen from my car while it’s unatended.
5. I grew up poor and had a 100 dollar p bass for 7 years because that’s all my family could afford so I didn’t spend my day looking at nice cars or shoes. I would sit in the grocery store and read music magazines and see all the instruments I wasn’t even privileged enough to touch. So duh I have nice basses now with my original which is pretty much unplayable by this point.
6. It’s my money and my bills are paid so yep.

Haha. I only have 6 basses though and the only reason I would buy another is to get a five string again but I’m pretty content not having that in my collection.
 
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#452
Im pretty sure every hobby is filled with stuff like this to be honest. I know with cars its exactly the same when a bunch of younger dudes get really good at driving in cheap cars that they modded and then see all sorts of "money" driving around in automatic corvettes.
But at the end of the day, we all have our own reasons for wanting what we want.
 
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#456
Bass isn’t my first instrument. So I feel like I adopted a certain “par level” of gear acquisition with bass that I have with my previous instruments, knowing full well that Ill put in the time and effort to eventually “play them” while having fun discovering what I like/works for me.

And honestly, the gear activity here is pretty tame compared to my other instruments’...especially cymbalholic.com where several of us have bought the same exact cymbal from each other over and over lol

Once I find what I like I usually stick with it. Not afraid to buy and sell dozens of instruments along the way though.
 
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#458
maplenecked said:
Bass isn’t my first instrument. So I feel like I adopted a certain “par level” of gear acquisition with bass that I have with my previous instruments, knowing full well that Ill put in the time and effort to eventually “play them” while having fun discovering what I like/works for me.

And honestly, the gear activity here is pretty tame compared to my other instruments’...especially cymbalholic.com where several of us have bought the same exact cymbal from each other over and over lol

Once I find what I like I usually stick with it. Not afraid to buy and sell dozens of instruments along the way though.
Click to expand...

I've known some cymbal heads, so I've seen how big a set can get.
Tell me, though, how can one sell a cymbal only to decide one again needs "that" sound?
Does the true need for that tone really return? Or is the whole enterprise purely OCD-driven?
 
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#459
Lefty4string said:
Did i offend you? we all have our opinion.
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Nope. I don't agree with your opinion but you are entirely entitled to hold it.

IMHO life is too short to worry about how many instruments anyone owns or whether they deserve or have earned the right to a collection. Ownership is a purely economic decision; you don't become entitled to own a collection because of talent, seniority, or any other arbitrary measure. If you can buy or otherwise legally obtain instruments you have the right to own as many as you want. I am good with collectors regardless of their talent level.

Honestly I am more upset by people who buy classic or rare instruments to part out, than those who lack talent who simply collect. Unfortunately parting out instruments is a way to make a larger profit, and it is the owners right to do as they wish. So although I find the practice distasteful and perhaps a bit tragic, I am okay with it and don't spend significant time or energy worrying about it.

I am moving on (thread unwatched) Have a good day.
 
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