Have all the expensive basses been a waste of time?

[leschirons]

Over the period I've been playing bass, I've been fortunate enough to have had a few fairly expensive basses. 4, 5 and 6 stringers including 5 Status basses, 2 Alembics, an Fbass, 2 Vigiers, a Leduc and 2 Spectors.

Going through old band photos on the PC whilst trying to free up some space, I'm either gigging with a 4 string Jazz or something with a few more strings that cost less than £150. Seems no matter what I've ever bought, I always go back to basics for playing live.

What a waste of money all that turned out to be.

[karlfer]

Epiphany

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1383304685' post='2262826']
Epiphany
[/quote]
Epiphone?

[BigRedX]

Everyone's tastes and needs are different.

Other than the Burns Sonic that I bought back in 1981 for the grand sum of £60 all the basses that I've gigged regularly have been what would be regarded as high end. I use them because they are the best tools for the job that I do. I've never really worried about the value - if I was playing somewhere where I was worried about theft or serious damage to by musical equipment, I would probably be more concerned about my personal safety. Gear can be repaired and replaced. Body parts not so much.

If you enjoy the instruments that you play then how much you spent on them is largely irrelevant.

[PaulWarning]

that's GAS for you, in a live band situation as long as you can hear the bass, (often you can't, especially when going through a PA, it's just a low end rumble with no definition) that's good enough for me, I've got a MIA P but would have settled for a MIM one if they did them cack handed

[BassBus]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1383304544' post='2262820']
What a waste of money all that turned out to be.
[/quote]

I wouldn't say that at all. What if you hadn't bought any of these expensive basses? You would always be wondering "what if".

Gary Willis once commented on what influences us as musicians, or anything else for that matter. The things you don't like influence you just as much as the things you do like. Having owned all these expensive basses you know, without doubt, they are not for you. Money well spent as I see it.

[chris_b]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1383304544' post='2262820']
....What a waste of money all that turned out to be.....
[/quote]

You're getting old!!!!!!

[gjones]

The guitarist who plays in my band has owned quite a few rolexes over the years, but never wears them. They're sat in a safe at home, which means he's always asking me what the time is on my cheapo Seiko.
Guitars and basses are like watches; if you hate the idea of them being damaged or stolen, when you take them out of the house, then you should save yourself the bother and expense of buying them in the first place. You could have spent that money getting your old bass set up and modded to perfection by a luthier or tech. And not have to worry about some drunk knocking it off it's stand. Basses are for playing not for hanging on a wall and admiring.

[artisan]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1383308035' post='2262894']
The guitarist who plays in my band has owned quite a few rolexes over the years, but never wears them. They're sat in a safe at home, which means he's always asking me what the time is on my cheapo Seiko.
Guitars and basses are like watches; if you hate the idea of them being damaged or stolen, when you take them out of the house, then you should save yourself the bother and expense of buying them in the first place. You could have spent that money getting your old bass set up and modded to perfection by a luthier or tech. And not have to worry about some drunk knocking it off it's stand. Basses are for playing not for hanging on a wall and admiring.
[/quote]
+1 my Alpher will be out gigging tomorrow night,i bought it to play not brag about

[Matt P]

i built a couple of cheap bitsa basses for pub gigging and never used them, always going back to my 77 p-bass, both the bitsa's were sold a couple of months ago when my Letts 5 string arrived, i have the rockbass corvette 5 as my backup but the Letts is the one that i'll play 99% of the time (the p-bass will come out for certain gigs even though it weighs the same as the moon)

pretty much everything i own is to be used and when it comes to the watches analogy i actualy bought myself a 1950's Longines automatic a couple of weeks ago and have been wearing it pretty much every waking hour since! I bought it to tell the time, any investment potential it might have is secondary.

i have insurance for pretty much everything i own, if something gets lost/Broken/stolen then i'll be sad right up to the point that the insurance money arrives and i can go out to buy some other shiny toy to keep me amused.


Matt

[Happy Jack]

Different strokes and all that.

I bought an Alleva-Coppolo and a Mike Lull because they were superb Precisions to play ... so I play them.

I've gigged much cheaper basses, of course, and no doubt I will again, but if you own a BMW you're more likely to drive that than a Fiat.

[Guest bassman7755]

I've do both approaches - my main bass is a status but my main fretless is a £150 el cheapo effort. Never been bothered by risk of theft/damage of the status as I bought it to play not to sit at home and admire, although to be fair the fact that I could replace it from a weeks disposable income helps ...

[Dingus]

Even if you did only play them at home , that doesn't mean the expensive basses were a waste of money. Did you get pleasure out of playing and owning them on any level ? If not then you have learnt that lesson from the experience, but if you liked them but were reticent to risk damaging them because you would have struggled to replace them , that is entirely understandable and perfectly rational . Human beings are psychologically complex creatures , and the need to find perfection in some way or another and then protect and nurture it is a relatively common compulsion . The idea that you have to justify owning an expensive high-end bass bass taking it out and gigging it to satisfy someone else's muso code of conduct is complete rubbish , but one which no doubt plenty of people try and propogate.

You were inquisative about what top quality basses had to offer , you wanted them , you bought them , you used them, you don't want them anymore. In other words, you had to buy them and go through that process to get to the stage you are now where you are happy to play a relatively modest instrument . That process was worthwhile.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Dingus

[Grangur]

You could argue that if on day-one, as a learner you'd bought yourself one nice, mid-range bass it would have been the one and only bass you'd ever need. It could with the right amp have possibly have given all the tones you'll ever want.

But, if you'd done this would you still be playing?
Would you have got bored and gone off the rails and bought an accordion? (Okay, maybe not that far off, but you take my meaning)

[Lowender]

At one point I HAD to have an Alembic. The sound was so unique. Then suddenly, that sound got on my nerves. And all I was looking at was a really ugly bass.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1383313470' post='2263031']
At one point I HAD to have an Alembic. The sound was so unique. Then suddenly, that sound got on my nerves. And all I was looking at was a really ugly bass.
[/quote]

I know perception is subjective and all that... but your right... Alembics really are ugly...

[Dingus]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1383313470' post='2263031']
At one point I HAD to have an Alembic. The sound was so unique. Then suddenly, that sound got on my nerves. And all I was looking at was a really ugly bass.
[/quote]

If you think an Alembic is ugly then I would be very interested to see your taste in women ( or men)( or whatever) .

[Conan]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1383305036' post='2262837']
If you enjoy the instruments that you play then how much you spent on them is largely irrelevant.
[/quote]

This!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1383313700' post='2263039']
If you think an Alembic is ugly then I would be very interested to see your taste in women ( or men)( or whatever) .
[/quote]

This is not ugly..? (and I'm an Alembic fan, but still...)

[attachment=147370:Alem_Ugly.jpg]

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1383314560' post='2263054']
This is not ugly..? (and I'm an Alembic fan, but still...)

[attachment=147370:Alem_Ugly.jpg]
[/quote]

Looks like a pretzel...

[Bilbo]

Alembics are all ugly.

I have one electric bass and one double bass for everything. I have more guitars than basses (4) but play them a lot less. For me, it is and always has been about the music not the tools. The 'music' includes sound so a specific bass is defensible I guess but, for me, they all sound like basses so a decent professional sounding piece of kit works every time. The rest is just fluff.

[Paul S]

Need vs want. Different things. We don't live in caves any more!

[CamdenRob]

[Dingus]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1383314560' post='2263054']
This is not ugly..? (and I'm an Alembic fan, but still...)

[attachment=147370:Alem_Ugly.jpg]
[/quote]

If Lowender bought an Alembic that looked like that then he only has himself to blame . And I would be even more interested to see his taste in women .

[Lozz196]

Tools for the job, no matter how many different basses are out there, all I need is a Precision. I`d far prefer to have one that feels right in my hands - and am lucky enough to have found "The One" - but for the sound I need, I could get by on any Precision.