What Value Is Your 'Pub Gig' Bass?

[ern500evo]

My Streamer LX is my main bass. I use it for every gig regardless of whether it's a function in a posh hotel or providing some background music for the fighting down the local! The majority of our gigs are pubs at the moment so if I didn't use it in pubs it would be left at home 90% of the time and simply can't justify having almost £2k worth of bass not being used. I always try to find a safe spot for it between sets etc and it's back in the case as soon as we finish. If anything kicks off while we're playing I'm ok as our singer/rythmn guitarist uses a very expensive Heritage guitar which he's very protective of, and he's a bit of a headcase so I know as long as i'm further back than him I know he can get stuck in long enough for me to get the Warwick back in it's case!!

[ThomBassmonkey]

I mostly use my Ray MM5, also got a RayM5.

I expect most people here usually gig pubs, having an expensive bass then not using it is a bit pointless IMO.

[Matt P]

last time i played a pub gig on bass i only had one bass so that was easy (about 300 quid's worth i think) but back in my guitaring days then it depended on the gig, i played a few acoustic sets with my Mcilroy where i was definately uneasy (very low stage and very drunk punters very close) i think i would have been happier with my old Yamaha and i'm darned sure the punters wouldn't have noticed the difference between 2k's worth of handbuild Northern irish beauty and a 25 quid argos special.

i have had a cheap bitsa p/j built as an alternative to my 77, but that was mainly because of the weight, i can only play for so long with 11lbs of bass on my shoulder, so a short set will get the 77, but if i'm up there for a long time then i'll only use the 77 where it's needed for a song here and there, the bitsa will get most use.

all my instruments are tools to be used and i try not to get precious about them, and i do pretty well most of the time but the thought of damage to my Mcilroy brings me out in a cold sweat.

Matt

[akabane]

Since I got the TRB JP 2 (bought second hand for ~1200£, retail price £2700 according to Bass Gallery even if I think that should be dollars and not pounds ) I take it with me whenever I have to play anything, anywhere.
No point IMO in not taking your best gear with you

...even when they're playing something where that monster would look out of place XD

Edited July 13, 2012 by akabane

[krysh]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1342169545' post='1730607']
Why would I want to leave my best bass at home?

That's not why I bought it.
[/quote]
+1 .
no reason not to give and play the best anytime.

[alyctes]

This is why I've never bought an expensive bass.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1342183258' post='1731010']
This is why I've never bought an expensive bass.
[/quote]

What is why...?

[johnDeereJack]

I have a few basses I can choose from (see my sig) so it all depends on what band I'm playing with.
The Misty Moon & The Hep Cats get either the Squier VM fretless or my '89 custom Larkin fretless, Deluded Buddhas get my Larkin fretless and Son of Six get my US '75RI jazz.

[Bilbo]

My Wal - its the only electric bass I have so I have no choice - 26 years gigging without it getting stolen or broken by a punter. I see noreason not to use it. You drive your car there and leave it outside and that is worth more than your bass.... mostly

[PTB]

Most of my pub gigs are on upright (2500ish). If I am playing bass gtr, its generally the Sadowsky RV4 (say 1300?) or the Reverend 5L (no idea what it's worth!).
I don't take my MTD or my Fretless to pub gigs simply because I tend not to be playing the sort of music they are best suited to in those venues.

[TRBboy]

My Sandberg is only worth between £500 - £1000 used but it would have been over a grand new. I ticked £500 - £1000 anyway.

[Dave Vader]

You can buy basses that are more than £500

In all seriousness, my main gigging bass is worth approximately f&&* all, however, it is irreplaceable, due to finding all the bits I made it out of again being close to impossible. I'm not going to not use it though, that's what i made it for.

[leschirons]

Aria 6 string. Paid £165 for it.

Don't use it because it's cheap, use it because it's really light and comfortable so I guess value doesn't come into it for me.

If one of the expensive ones were lighter, I'd use that.

Edited July 13, 2012 by leschirons

[Sean]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1342127848' post='1730225']
£2500 status streamline[/quote]

Wow! What extras have you got on the Streamline? Must have LEDs to get the price up that high, surely?

[throwoff]

A million pounds.

[surfinbernard]

I only have one bass, it's a Fender USA Jazz from the late 90s. It cost me £450 about 10 years ago but would probably sell for a bit more than that now. I ticked £500-£1000.

[spike]

I gig with my 2006 MIA Jazz fitted with a J-retro, cost to me new was £950 between them. I don't have any problem taking it to pubs, I've never had any of my gear damaged by punters in around 30 years of playing. If there are drunks staggering around it's easy enough to keep my bass out of harms way. Can't understand having a nice bass and not taking it to gigs.

[bartelby]

I use my Steve Harris P that cost me £850, or a EBMM Stingray that was £650 s/h, or a Warwick Corvette Proline that's cost me about £300 (including s/h preamp, and all new gold hardware) of a Dean Edge 4 that cost me £200.

[Marvin]

New my bass will cost you £275ish

[mrtcat]

Seem to be playing an old Yamaha BBG5 more and more these days. Worth £150. I have a nice US75 Jazz which I've gigged loads but the Yamaha sounds better at the mo. Money is irrelevant tho. I kitesurf and my kites are over £1k each and could be torn in a moment of non concentration or even lost if I needed to ditch one in an emergency. Likewise we all drive round in £ks worth of cars which could be banged, smashed or stolen. Insurance is key and after all a bass is just wood and metal and a bit of plastic.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1342211094' post='1731932']
Likewise we all drive round in £ks worth of cars which could be banged, smashed or stolen.
[/quote]

You have not seen 'Vera' my mushy pea green £930 Morris 1000 then?

[krysh]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1342212283' post='1731959']
You have not seen 'Vera' my mushy pea green £930 Morris 1000 then?
[/quote]
ok, then you are in the 1.000.000£ category.

[mrtcat]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1342212283' post='1731959']


You have not seen 'Vera' my mushy pea green £930 Morris 1000 then?
[/quote]

If Vera was a bass she'd be worth £1000's. Vintage, British, terrible colour.

[stingrayPete1977]

She has plenty of mojo thats for sure, it is a bit odd gigging with gear worth more than the car, even just my practice night gear is worth a lot more (genz shuttle 3.0, Genz 1x12 cab and one of my Ray 5s).

[police squad]

I bought a mid 70's P bass 22 years ago. I'm still using it for rock stuff.
In my police tribute I use a CIJ 70's re-issue Fender P bass fretless. Never find them for sale so I don't know what its worth, I also use an old Steinberger XL2,
and hopefully by about christmas a Bravewood '57 P bass replica of Sting's really beaten up bass.

Cost, for me, is not an issue. If I own it, I'll generally play it out (the only exception is my '59 Les Paul Jr as it's worth a little too much. Although I did use it a lot when I bought it 10 years ago)