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Why have so many basses?

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Certainly not to be judgemental or come across superior in any way.other but i often wonder why do so many people own so many expensive basses when they can hardly play one? maybe i am missing something here, but it just seems pointless and a waste. is it perhaps an insecurity thing . you know the more great basses you have will make you a better player? also it would stand to reason that a serious player would want to "bond" with one instrument and get to know it intimately. i would think that is important. in my first years i had one good 80s fender precision bass that was with me for many bands clubs and gigs. i didn't need 10 basses. was just wondering what others thought.

Maybe you need to look up "judgemental".
 
I started out on a MIM Fender P. It was big, heavy, uncomfortable, and hard to play. I bought my second bass (Squier Jag SS) because it was more comfortable to play. Then playing bass became more enjoyable, I played more, and got better faster.

After a couple months I started to notice just how thin the neck was on the Jag. It almost felt as though I could break off the Headstock if I squeezed too hard. So I got another bass, and another bass, and another bass...........

For me it was because I was always looking for a more comfortable, better sounding bass, and I could buy faster than I could sell. And some basses you sell and regret, so some basses you don't want to let go.

A buddy asked me once, "how much money have you spent on basses?"

I said, "less than you've spent on cigarettes."
 
i have responded to that 4 times. one or 2 basses to get to know very well. and break in.

:) one to get great you said?

i have the three bass guitars i love

:) that' s okay so far...

i have 3 basses. fender Jazz. fender 78 precision and a MM stingray 5.

And no fretless? :p Sell your basses get one!!! (I will keep my fretted basses, until I am perfect on fretless :roflmao:)

there are a lot of very insecure "musicians" on this thread

So What! Learn how to play this...(So What) and to understand it! Then come back to tell storys :laugh:

so typical of you from california to be the first to try to ban what you do not like or agree with

???????????? yes those hippies and surfers and gays and ....rhey just don 't get what tolerance is about???? :speechless::unsure::confused:

You only need one or two carrots to be a great rabbit.

well this is good for a...

thGBI18ZLN.jpg




Wise(b)ass
 
Sometimes people feel like having things, maybe many things, will bring them a sense of satisfaction that they feel is lacking in their lives. I have struggled with amassing large collections of several things in my life, each time believing the things would fill an emotional hole in my heart. It never was. Some people just have obsessive personalities, and possessing large amounts of something could simply be a symptom of that.
 
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nail on the head...
Ive been playing since the mid 90's and can confidently say that the number of times ive seen a guy sucking on a great instrument are FAR less than the times ive seen someone ripping it up on a cheapo.
Stop by sometime. I can show you a barely mediocre bass player with some expensive basses. Then again, I did not start till my 50’s and can afford what I like. Other than my wife I do not justify to anyone.

Bottom line is no matter how good you think you are, there are too many to count players better than you and if any of them told you what or how many basses you should own, you would likely tell them to go commit an act of self love.
 
Stop by sometime. I can show you a barely mediocre bass player with some expensive basses. Then again, I did not start till my 50’s and can afford what I like. Other than my wife I do not justify to anyone.

Bottom line is no matter how good you think you are, there are too many to count players better than you and if any of them told you what or how many basses you should own, you would likely tell them to go commit an act of self love.
My last paragraph was to OP, not to you, to clarify.
 
Sometimes people feel like having things, maybe many things, will bring them a sense of satisfaction that they feel is lacking in their lives. I have struggled with amassing large collections of several things in my life, each time believing the things would fill an emotional hole in my heart. It never was. Some people just have obsessive personalities, and possessing large amounts of something could simply be a symptom of that.

Good points all, but still doesn't change the fact there remains in my heart a hole large enough to store your Steve Harris.
Divest thyself!
 
I'll probably have 4 basses at most tbh

6-string for anything under the sun (check)
4-string for drop-C or D-standard (check)
5-string for F-standard or any other extremely low tuning (not yet)
Fretless (5 or 4) for anything... fretless (not yet)

Is that too much, or too little?
While I could say I "need" them.. It's really just a matter of personal opinion. (I'm not sure if I even "need" the fretless, but even if I don't end up making music using it, it would still be a canvas, or a fun tool)

Some people just want to collect, and their "skill" won't stop them.
Some people also get different musical ideas from different basses, because they all feel different.
I can personally say that riffs I've made on 4-string and 6-string do differ a lot. You have to focus and compress more on 4-string, but 6-string gives more legroom for harmonic ideas too.

If someone really likes what a bass looks like, what's there to stop them, assuming the bass isn't prohibitively expensive, buying it?
 
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One advantage is you can buy a bass and enjoy it, and if you tire of it you can always sell it for more than you bought it for, so why not have several? Notice I said "allways" that has been true in my case.
True. You can be smart about purchasing to the point where it diminishes the financial aspect.

Or you can be like my uncle that refuses to drive anything less than luxury vehicles...and refuses to buy used....and refuses to drive the same one for more than 2.5 years...and refuses to lease.
Its absolutely nuts. He bought a Benz for $90k and then traded it in for $50k two years later.... on a BMW for $70k that he then traded in for $30k 3 years later. I was like DUDE.... thats $80,000 for 5 years of driving. If you would just pick something and stick to it you could have bought a used F360 Modena and daily driven it for less. Not that I'd buy that either though lol.
Anywho... my point is that theres no smarts in buying $1400-5000 basses brand new and then selling them every year or two. Especially when there are sooooooo many bedroom warriors out there with 15 year old instruments that look brand new at a fraction of the price.
 
Certainly not to be judgemental or come across superior in any way.other but i often wonder why do so many people own so many expensive basses when they can hardly play one? maybe i am missing something here, but it just seems pointless and a waste. is it perhaps an insecurity thing . you know the more great basses you have will make you a better player? also it would stand to reason that a serious player would want to "bond" with one instrument and get to know it intimately. i would think that is important. in my first years i had one good 80s fender precision bass that was with me for many bands clubs and gigs. i didn't need 10 basses. was just wondering what others thought.
Because if I want a bass, and I can afford it, I get it. Even though I'm not a very good player.
 
mordbass. as i have already stated in a prior response. i have 3 basses. fender Jazz. fender 78 precision and a MM stingray 5.
BTW.... im sure there are guys out there on a SUB bass or Squier P or J that are amazing... does that diminish your "right" to own the basses that you do? I only ask because you earlier stated that you believe there is a direct connection with skill level and moral right to own better or more basses.
 
does it come across judgmental? well take it as you will.
It was judgemental to the extent that you implied that if a player has more than one bass, then they don’t play well. That’s a relatively absurd construct.

For sure, there are people who don’t play at all, but happen to collect musical instruments. I’m sure there are also players who don’t play well, but make the mistake of thinking that one more instrument will make them better. So what?

Ultimately, why would you pay attention to any of that? No shortage of good instruments. What’s the problem? You can have the satisfaction of going to the open audition and smoking everyone with your one instrument. Move along, nothing to see here.
 
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