To cull or not to cull ?

[ziggydolphinboy]

Hi cumunity ,
i have a slight dilema but only slight,
as you can see from my signiture i have some lovely basses :-)
the thing is i usually only play one bass alot :- my sei5 also i have 3 other second hand sei basses that just are spot on .

so i love my other three basses but they just dont quite make the mark in a live or band or practising situation,
just was just thinking of maybe selling them and mayb sorting a couple more sei basses out or do i keep the others for different music situations that may come along?
mmmm
( i dont need to sell finantialyy at the moment.)


any thougjhts?
kindest regards
ziggy

[neepheid]

I sell stuff I'm not playing any more. Probably going to have a mini clear out soon.

[thepurpleblob]

It depends why you have them. If we are talking about playing then nobody needs any more than a main bass and one backup. Any more than that and you become a "collector". Many (even most) of us here are collectors !!

[Lozz196]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' timestamp='1399304291' post='2442924']
It depends why you have them. If we are talking about playing then nobody needs any more than a main bass and one backup. Any more than that and you become a "collector". Many (even most) of us here are collectors !!
[/quote]

This nails it for me, and why I`ve recently sold a couple, leaving myself one main bass and a cheapy backup.

[Kev]

If you don't need to sell them financially, what is the motivation for a cull? You have four Seis so I cannot imagine there is much you are missing out on there, unless you intend to be a collector.

[discreet]

Sell the 4-string headless and book some spelling lessons.

[ziggydolphinboy]

good thoughts guys,
i gues s i am a collector of beutiful things, only reason is to let someone else enjoty the ones that im not playing :-)

[ziggydolphinboy]

i know man my spelling is terrible , its beacause im blooming sooooo tired im half asleeep.

[ezbass]

Cull? Cull? Sssh! Or Brian May will be along and record a dreadful protest song

Seriously though, I like to have basses that get played and normally move on any surplus. I did buy, and still have, a P bass for 'collection' purposes but I feel I should even move that on; rather like a toy that is not played with, an unplayed bass is a sad thing. After all it's not really culling, more re-homing.

Edited May 5, 2014 by ezbass

[Damonjames]

The question you have to ask is this. If your band situation was to change and your requirements sonically also change, are you confident you could get similar basses back easily that you would be just as happy with? If you don't HAVE to sell, then I wouldn't. They are just lumps of wood, they won't get upset if you leave them locked away for years on end or get jealous if you play another one...
If you think they are replaceable however, ditch them and as you say invest in one other high end bass.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='ziggydolphinboy' timestamp='1399304672' post='2442933']
good thoughts guys,
i gues s i am a collector of beutiful things, only reason is to let someone else enjoty the ones that im not playing :-)
[/quote] guess that's the thing- If you can find someone that want's something you're thinking of moving on and you could use the money for something else then, I guess that's a nice sale.

Otherwise the long drawn out tooth extraction of bumping a sales thread, fighting off tyre kickers and trying to find THAT buyer who both wants the bass, has the funds to play for it and doesn't live in outer mongolia or wherever....

I take the view that the stuff I've got now is pretty good- most the stuff won't be moving but the few things that I wouldn't be utterly opposed to moving on I would only do if the trade or money from a sale could be used for something else better. So unless you're wanting to get an upright, your dream sei, a veryreasonablypricedHellborgpreampinthesalessectionsuitsyousir or something specific then i don't think you gain much from culling for culling's sake.

[Weststarx]

I recently made the decision to just keep it to two basses - both Precisions.


Nothing annoyed me more than spending £££s on basses I wasn't playing. At the end of the day they just got in the way as well.

So I only have two MIM Fender P basses.... both exactly the same bass but different colours so I know they will both get used and justify the grand I've spent on them.

[TheGreek]

I'm having similar thoughts at the moment - do you keep gear that isn't getting played (well, on rotation) or do you move it on so that somebody else gets to put it to use??

I'm not sure when to start with downsizing my collection as I love all my gear for different reasons...I'm sure it must be the same for many other BCers.

[maldy]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1399313561' post='2443059']
I'm having similar thoughts at the moment - do you keep gear that isn't getting played (well, on rotation) or do you move it on so that somebody else gets to put it to use??

I'm not sure when to start with downsizing my collection as I love all my gear for different reasons...I'm sure it must be the same for many other BCers.
[/quote]

Me too! I got down to 4(!) basses and was quite happy with the variety. However, I've just bought another one. I love it, but am already feeling guilty about the cost and whether I actually need it (obviously I don't as I already had 4 perfectly functioning bass!). I also don't really want to get rid of any of the previous ones. I know it is all pointless and I don't why I get caught up in this gear trap, when I see it happening!!!!

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1399313561' post='2443059']
I'm having similar thoughts at the moment - do you keep gear that isn't getting played (well, on rotation) or do you move it on so that somebody else gets to put it to use??

I'm not sure when to start with downsizing my collection as I love all my gear for different reasons...I'm sure it must be the same for many other BCers.
[/quote] what would happen to secondhand prices if we all started downsizing??! prices are odd at the moment - we've already had Genz and now TC do massive price cuts on their new stuff.... are not enough people buying bass gear at the moment?

[JTUK]

I'd sell the basses that don't get much air time and if you have a J5, then drop me line.

Unless you have extreme sentimentality or you think they will rocket in value, then keep the ones you use.
And then look out for one that you can add for live/studio.

I never see the point of too many basses as that makes you more of a collector of them rather than a player of them.

[EMG456]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1399366982' post='2443389'] I never see the point of too many basses as that makes you more of a collector of them rather than a player of them. [/quote]

I never understand this argument at all. Too many for what?

If you are playing for the public then to my mind at least you should have a backup instrument so that if something goes wrong, you don't let anyone down. What if some tunes require fretless? Do you also need a backup fretless?

Extended range needed? Mmm... 5 string, 6 string... should I have fretless versions of those as well? And so far this ignores the fact that a Jazz sounds/ feels different to a Precision or Ibanez or Alembic or Wal or Musicman etc. etc.

In my opinion, owning and using lots of different basses makes you more rounded as a player. You are more able to cope with all of the different idiosyncrasies of tone, feel, action etc. and that can only be good for you as a player. Your only restrictions should be the practical ones - can you afford it, do you have room to store it? The others like can I justify it, do I really need it? etc. are purely imaginary constructs of your own making.

Who here would claim that John Entwhistle was more of a "collector" than a player?

Not that I'm opinionated or anything...

Cheers

Ed

[discreet]

[quote name='EMG456' timestamp='1399368917' post='2443414'][size=4]Who here would claim that John Entwhistle was more of a "collector" than a player?[/size]
[/quote]

Well I would, for one. The book 'The John Entwistle Bass Collection' is proof. The clue's in the title of the book.
A lot of those basses he didn't play on a regular basis, that's for sure.

Edit: Of course, the ones he DID play, he played A LOT.

Edited May 6, 2014 by discreet

[neepheid]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1399366982' post='2443389']
I never see the point of too many basses as that makes you more of a collector of them rather than a player of them.
[/quote]



Can you please quantify what "too many basses" is? I want to gauge how much of a poser you think I am.

[EMG456]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1399369703' post='2443430'] Well I would, for one. The book 'The John Entwistle Bass Collection' is proof. The clue's in the title of the book. A lot of those basses he didn't play on a regular basis, that's for sure. Edit: Of course, the ones he DID play, he played A LOT. [/quote]

I do understand that, but you would view him primarily as a bass collector rather than a bass player? Simply based on the number of instruments he owned?

I think he obviously was a collector but I would first and foremost characterise him as an excellent bass player.

If you're interested in nice photography of vintage basses, it's a good book but there's too many guitars included for my liking!

Cheers

Ed ( bass play... er, collect...errmm... ach- who cares!)

[discreet]

[quote name='EMG456' timestamp='1399372896' post='2443472']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I think he obviously was a collector but I would first and foremost characterise him as an excellent bass player.[/font][/color]
If you're interested in nice photography of vintage basses, it's a good book but there's too many guitars included for my liking!
[/quote]

Let's just say he was both. It IS a good book, but produces far too much GAS.

[JTUK]

[quote name='EMG456' timestamp='1399368917' post='2443414']
I never understand this argument at all. Too many for what?

If you are playing for the public then to my mind at least you should have a backup instrument so that if something goes wrong, you don't let anyone down. What if some tunes require fretless? Do you also need a backup fretless?

Extended range needed? Mmm... 5 string, 6 string... should I have fretless versions of those as well? And so far this ignores the fact that a Jazz sounds/ feels different to a Precision or Ibanez or Alembic or Wal or Musicman etc. etc.

In my opinion, owning and using lots of different basses makes you more rounded as a player. You are more able to cope with all of the different idiosyncrasies of tone, feel, action etc. and that can only be good for you as a player. Your only restrictions should be the practical ones - can you afford it, do you have room to store it? The others like can I justify it, do I really need it? etc. are purely imaginary constructs of your own making.

Who here would claim that John Entwhistle was more of a "collector" than a player?

Not that I'm opinionated or anything...

Cheers

Ed
[/quote]

I have 2 basses and don't need anymore for what I do.
I am not interested in any fretless styles that I can't emulate on my current basses
so 2 of my basses do everything I need.
I don't want a modern sounding bass so that had to go...
The sound my basses produce is the sound I want them to produce
and I don't have any limitations on type of sounds I go for.
I can go from classic MM to 60's vintage or vintage modern so can
cover anything I need.
I don't want 4's so they had to go.
I don't want 6's and they would probaly cost you most gigs than they got you anyway
If I felt I had a gig that wanted more, I'd consider it.

I would add another bass if it was exactly what I wanted but since I'll most likely have to have it
commissioned, it would probably lead to me selling a current bass as the crossover would be
apparent.

So, I don't have tools of the trade lying around that don't actually do any work.
I fully understand the defintion of a rounded player but do I think a Wal or Alembic/Ken Smith etc will make me
one...???

[Lw.]

I've horded quite a few bits of kit for years but last year decided on a change of approach; from now on i[size=4]f it’s not getting used it goes. [/size]Doesn't[size=4] have to be used regularly, but if it performs the same job as something else that I used more then I don’t see the point of keeping it, then the money can be put towards something that will be used more or performs a job that you can’t currently do (be that sound/style/range etc…).[/size]

That approach has helped me clear space in the house & gave the money to buy something nice, though obviously there’s nothing stopping you keeping all the basses & just getting more!

[JTUK]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1399369911' post='2443431']
Can you please quantify what "too many basses" is? I want to gauge how much of a poser you think I am.
[/quote]

What gigs are you doing?

[UglyDog]

I'd keep the Sei 4 and 5 and one of the sixes, and the Pentabuzz. With the sale proceeds from the others, I'd look to getting an old Jazz or the like.
YMMV.