wives vs basses (shhhhh! don't let them see this thread!)

[LaCeibaBass]

My wife isn't very interested in my playing, but she seems to have an issue about buying new basses. My secret is always buy basses painted similar to existing ones, therefore I have 2 black basses and 2 tobacco sunburst. As long as they are all not out of the cases at the same time she doesn't know the difference. It did take her 2 months to notice the electric upright in the living room, by then I could legally say it wasn't new.

 

[Ddshel]

I have many basses and my wife has lots of shoes. I tell my wife that when I die the basses are a type of 401K, whereas if she should pass before me, the shoes will all be worthless.

 

[FenderBass71]

My wife manages all of our finances. If I need new equipment, we discuss and she tells me when we can afford it. This as arrangement does exclude small stuff like strings

 

[Pete Greaves]

I buy basses, I build and assemble basses, I sometimes sell basses. My wife buys art, shoes, tons of stuff for her wonderful garden, art supplies, and paints. She almost never comes to my gigs, just not her thing, is never jealous, and is happy I go play. I support her art and events. I realistically know I need to sell about ten basses, but it is hard to sell basses you built (emotionally and just name recognition). I also realistically know I buy basses and parts I could do without, but we are financially OK, i'm not robbing the water bill to buy a bass.
Bottom line, hiding music gear purchases is no different to hiding computer part purchases, shoes, purses, games etc. If you are buying gear you don't need and can't justify by making money from it, and your family is doing without as a result - stop. And don't hide it regardless.
I'm sure I sound supercilious but I include this in the sphere of growing up and being an adult.
Someday I will do a production run of the a few of the prototypes I have built and maybe I will actually make some money from building basses.

 

[NZBassman]

My wife manages all of our finances. If I need new equipment, we discuss and she tells me when we can afford it. This as arrangement does exclude small stuff like strings

My wife manages all the finances too.... and once I bought some new strings for my bass (about $30 NZ) and she told me off for not telling her about it or getting her 'approval' to buy the bass strings.... then a week later she goes shopping and buys a pair of shoes on sale for $120 and didn't see an issue with it...
My wife has close to 50 pairs of shoes - I have 1 bass, 1 amp (well 2 if you count my little practice amp) and one set of strings....
Now days I just tell her I'm buying new bass strings and I go and buy them

 

[Jimmy4string]

I don't have a wife.
Just a string of girls over the years.
I got two basses and for me that is two too many!
They are nice to look at though. The basses and the girls.

 

[dannylectro]

So long as I have fewer basses than she has pairs of shoes... I figure I’m in a good place. With a lot more basses in my future

 

[Mark76]

lol he looks like he's staring at a bassless future

Bassless or boobless.

 

[Michedelic]

THIS is the trick.

None of this "honesty" nonsense.

When my wife asks me if I'm okay with her mom visiting for the weekend, I tell her that would be delightful.

When I ask her why she's looking at me like a turd she just stepped in, I would very much like her to say, "Nothing... Just thinking about politics."

Honestly, the truth is for single people and future devorcees.

xD

The most functional path is not ‘dishonesty’(it will come back to bite you on the ass eventually), but managed honesty, a need-to-know basis. Beyond that, as my wife is a musician herself(and a very unusual instrument itself—harp), I’ve done a lot to facilitate her gigs, and help her with funding pedals/amplification, letting alone sorting the technical aspects. So I get a pass.

 

[Dave Neal]

I'm a Batchelor so I never need to ask anybody anything, but in past relationships purchasing or playing my basses seemed to take away their #1 spot on the attention list. I have but one true love and that is music, second is my kitty and she hates it when I play too. I guess pussy and axes don't go well together.

 

[mark roberts]

I'm a Batchelor so I never need to ask anybody anything, but in past relationships purchasing or playing my basses seemed to take away their #1 spot on the attention list. I have but one true love and that is music, second is my kitty and she hates it when I play too. I guess pussy and axes don't go well together.

There’s a lot more depth to this than meets the eye, brain or heart. You may or may not be surprised at how not being number one (whether dancing with the narcissism or to a lessor degree with your partner) creates divide in a husband/wife situation...whether husband, wife or both are musicians/artists. Throw children into the mix...and you have an explosive recipe.

 

[Dave Neal]

There’s a lot more depth to this than meets the eye, brain or heart. You may or may not be surprised at how not being number one (whether dancing with the narcissism or to a lessor degree with your partner) creates divide in a husband/wife situation...whether husband, wife or both are musicians/artists. Throw children into the mix...and you have an explosive recipe.

One of my past relationships started because she loved that I played and giged often but when we started living together she tried her darndest to change me. I gigged but also rehearst and recorded, travelled guite a bit too. She didn't like not being center field and I tried to comprimise by dropping a few projects but this stillwasn't enough. Funny how falling in love with a music man and that being the reason she liked me in the first place was also the first thing she wanted to destroy.

 

[NZBassman]

One of my past relationships started because she loved that I played and giged often but when we started living together she tried her darndest to change me. I gigged but also rehearst and recorded, travelled guite a bit too. She didn't like not being center field and I tried to comprimise by dropping a few projects but this stillwasn't enough. Funny how falling in love with a music man and that being the reason she liked me in the first place was also the first thing she wanted to destroy.

I was in a similar relationship many years ago..... my band split up and my ex gf encouraged me to get into another band..... my next band rehearsed 2-3 times a week and eventually started gigging - then she got unhappy I wasn’t spending time with her

I remember one evening she begged no not to go to rehearsal and spend time with her.... so I canceled rehearsal and stayed home but all she wanted to do was watch television!

 

[Dave Neal]

Women inspire men to do great things and then prevent them from accomplishing them.

 

[Crash 56]

I have a ratio that keeps things cool at my house... 1 bass equals three pair of shoes, or something sparkly, if its a high end instrument....

 

[headband]

I've had two wives (one for 25 years), and many basses. In the end the basses win. I have a great girlfriend now, and have no intention to marry again. I'm still playing bass.

 

[58kites]

Been married 40 years and she's my best friend and wants me to be happy.
I'm her best friend and I want her to be happy.
So we try to make sure the other one gets the things they need or want....material or otherwise.

 

[Bill G.]

Some days I wish I could have grown up in Louisiana.

I grew up in Louisiana and I'm still stuck in this miserable place! Once my youngest kid hits 18 and I don't have to pay child support anymore and I'll actually be able to earn money, I'm getting outta here. And I'll be buying more basses!

I'm going through my second divorce. After this, there won't be any more marriage crap for me. Neither of my divorces were over music, though.

 

[Bass V]

I was in a similar relationship many years ago..... my band split up and my ex gf encouraged me to get into another band..... my next band rehearsed 2-3 times a week and eventually started gigging - then she got unhappy I wasn’t spending time with her. I remember one evening she begged no not to go to rehearsal and spend time with her.... so I canceled rehearsal and stayed home but all she wanted to do was watch television!

lol the classic example
wemink!