bass snobbery

[The Burpster]

[quote name='skywalker' post='194694' date='May 8 2008, 02:20 PM']I use a bass that suits my talent, so I could never ever justify paying a four figure sum for a bass - I ain't that good, so I have my Jazz, which is still better than I can justify but helps me strive to be better, and my cheapie fretless which actually sounds great for something that cost virtually nothing.[/quote]

Isnt that a bit self deprocating? (AFWIW I think your a pretty good player!)

I'd only been playing 8 months from scratch when I bought my 1st PRS. Its has me inspried to pick it up and play it every day (nearly 2 years later), irrespective of how I feel, all other basses I come across are judged by that one as a yardstick. I cannot think of, and have yet to come across a better commercially available bass.

Using your analogy above I should still be using my Yamaha RBX 170, as I'm not a pro or even semi pro, therefore why should I have a pro instrument......

AFAIC any bass should sit there and scream at you.... "play me" if it doesnt, it doesnt matter if cost £3 or £3000 its no good for you unless you are a collector in which case different rules apply.

[7string]

As long as your playing a bass that suits you, then that's all there is to it.

I could imagine that people could look down on others who 'only' have a MIM, but that really shouldn't be the case. I remember when I had to sell all my gear and a mate of mine lent me £30 to get an acoustic guitar out of Argos.

OK, I have recovered from that but I never look and compare someone else's basses to mine. Besides, I have a Jackson 'Kip Winger' which is probably one of the most uncool basses you could get

[skywalker]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='194719' date='May 8 2008, 02:49 PM']Isnt that a bit self deprocating? (AFWIW I think your a pretty good player!)

I'd only been playing 8 months from scratch when I bought my 1st PRS. Its has me inspried to pick it up and play it every day (nearly 2 years later), irrespective of how I feel, all other basses I come across are judged by that one as a yardstick. I cannot think of, and have yet to come across a better commercially available bass.

Using your analogy above I should still be using my Yamaha RBX 170, as I'm not a pro or even semi pro, therefore why should I have a pro instrument......

AFAIC any bass should sit there and scream at you.... "play me" if it doesnt, it doesnt matter if cost £3 or £3000 its no good for you unless you are a collector in which case different rules apply.[/quote]

There are lots of untalented musos around playing hideously expensive kit (not just basses), just becoz it has this or that "designer" name, and I have always bean a fenderhead, so the jazz is probably the best bass I have played and it suits me. (not wishing to be a snob of course).

[Rich]

[quote name='gilmour' post='190295' date='May 2 2008, 09:26 AM']I'm not a bass snob - but I am definately an Amp snob I'm afraid. My tech Spec specifies that I won't use an Asdown as supplied backline [/quote][quote name='dabootsy' post='194473' date='May 8 2008, 10:08 AM']I think thats definate snobbery as i think people follow trends and things that are in vogue. My ashdown sounds great and once again i think driver error is the case as i can make a cheap bass sound great[/quote]
I can't get on with Ashdown gear either, and it's not driver error or snobbery. I've been doing this lark for long enough to know how to drive an amp, and the only way I've ever got an Ashdown to sound acceptable to me is by using huge quantities of eq. Set flat, it totally mangles the sound of my bass... not what I want from an amp.
Just MHO, of course.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='OldGit' post='194240' date='May 7 2008, 10:25 PM']CrazyKiwi has a smiffy [/quote]
a smiffy or two, used to be three once upon a time...

[metalmaniac]

As long as its nice to play and nice sounin I really dont care. I do love my brand name expensive 'tars, but when I find a cheap JapCrap that sounds and plays beautiful I cant help but smile.

[machinehead]

Good thread this.

Seems like a lot of people here like nice gear and don't care about the badge so long as it plays/ sounds/ looks good.

I agree with this and don't like to spend anywhere near four figures for a bass. I have some nice basses and 6 string guitars at various price levels - mostly bought second hand I have to say.

And I am happy with unfashionable names if I know they're well made.

I just recently bought a Stagg fretless. Nice feel and look and sounds OK and I will gig it this weekend.
But I know the tuners are 5hite and the pickups are a bit weak and weedy. Not a bad bass overall and for what it cost me it's excellent. Lovely player.

I also know that I'm likely to want to upgrade to a better fretless if I enjoy actually playing it. Again, I might buy a Warwick or similar but any fretless I find satisfying will be also OK in my book.

So I don't think I'm a gear snob - well, not much.

[OldGit]

[quote name='tauzero' post='194647' date='May 8 2008, 01:12 PM']They haven't leaked oil since 1991, and neither has my Warwick.

[/quote]

They probably both need some oil then

[Kiwi]

I'm wondering how many people here have come down the other side of the GAS mountain? Sold up expensive or rare instruments because the amount of money tied up in them was verging on scary and wasn't actually justified in terms of the gigs?

I find myself vascillating constantly from thinking about MORE interesting stuff to thinking about selling up and getting fewer but specifically custom made instruments. Then I look at the basses I own that are keepers and resign myself to probably never having a clear cut and simple position on gear.

[7string]

Yup, I agree with that!

Sometimes I do feel that I have too many instruments in general. However, they all do a slightly different job (fretless, different tuning etc). I think if I ever got to the stage when I had 3 or so instruments that do exactly the same thing, then I'd think about thinning down the herd !!

[Telebass]

I'm not a snob as such, I simply know what I like, or don't like, as the case may be.
I love Fender Precisions. I doubt I'll ever play anything else, as they make me happy!
Amps is different, although, having found Markbass, I doubt I'll change from that either.
I do not like active instruments, full stop.
I use a radio, for two reasons: eliminates cables, which I am particularly talented at stepping on, and, without a cable, no need for active.
I used to be a bit iffy about bass speakers smaller than 15", but now use twelves...however, I want a Markbass 2x15!
The Yamaha I recently acquired from the local dump is turning out to be a nice bass, which I may yet gig! (and it's basically a Precision!)
So you must know what you like, keep an open mind, and never hit on anyone for their choice of gear, because it's THEIR choice.