are you precious about your bass

[progben]

I love my basses but a bit of honest wear and tear is fine by me. I'd never buy anything actively relic'd, but I like the idea of minor damage if there's a story behind it.

I'm not a fan of things that are beaten up because it looks cool - it seems to be the fashion really (ie. pubs which are opened with 'pub wear' already present).

[Mattmit]

Not me, and it always comes back to bite me in the arse but I'm never going to change cos I can't.

[Turk]

I'm careful with them all. My BB1000s was already a little road worn when I got it, and unusual for a BB, it had a weak neck. I couldn't fit anything heavier than light gauge strings to get a reasonably low action. I've had two graphite rods inserted in the neck, but never got round to having it re-finished properly after refitting the fretboard (tho only noticeable when at hands-on distance), so that is used for rehearsal and 'messy' gigs,,,.like a local 'Oktoberfest' themed gig last Saturday. My BB3000 is totally mint and only used for 'dry' gigs.

[thodrik]

I have a 1978-ish Precision that I have owned since I was 14 (I'm 30 now). I have played it so much the lacquer has pretty much worn off. It has suffered numerous cosmetic dings to the body (people bashing stuff into it, guitarists ramming into it). So essentially it has a bass that has suffered 16 years or wear and tear on top of the 20 years of wear it had before I even owned it. Funnily enough though it is still in better condition than most 'hardcore aged' guitars you buy new for an additional extra fee.

I only have two basses that I have bought brand new. My Vigier Excess has 12 years of wear on it including some scratches and dings to the . Numerous cosmetic dings and the jack socket had to be replaced after it stopped working. My Sadowsky Metro has been gigged relentlessly for the last 6 years or so since I bought it (the Fender was getting a bit too unreliable). Lots of little dings and some work to fix one of the tone knobs that got bent out of shape. Otherwise it is still okay and in pretty good nick.

I take care of my basses, but cosmetic dings are bound to happen when you use them in a practice and gigging environment. I actually take far more care of my double bass and even that has suffered some damage from cellists who should have paid more attention to their surroundings when swinging their bow around when setting up!

If any of my basses suffered serious damage (broken body or neck) I would be absolutely devastated.

[therealting]

I expect other people to treat my gear AT LEAST as carefully as I do, it's what I would do for theirs.

[bassbiscuits]

I try to be sensible like not using them with filthy/greasy hands etc, and i keep them well cased when travelling to gigs etc, but i'm not overly OCD about avoiding the usual wear and tear that any gigging instrument is bound to get.

[Marc S]

I'm careful with all my equipment, and try to look after it as best I can.
I've rarely had a brand new bass - mostly second hand. It's funny, I know, but if the bass was mint when I bought it, I wanted it to remain so.
I once had a near mint Rick, and I was way too precious about that, so rarely gigged it (twice I think)

Nowadays, I either gig my Squier CV P or my Fender Roadworn P or J. So I'm not too bothered if they get an additional ding or scratch. The Squier is near mint still.... so I suppose I'll be annoyed if/when that gets its' first scratch or ding!

Edited November 7, 2016 by Marc S

[jazzyvee]

I try to keep my instruments in pristine condition but so far I have not dinged any but there is some light scraches in the area of the body where my fingers touch when playing. I'm not bothered about those as I thing they might be able to be polished out. If any got dinged scratched etc to the point it annoyed me I'd just take it to someone like Jaydee and have it refinished.

[ambient]

I like to keep them looking as good as possible. My Yamaha TRBJP is 21 years old, and has a few small marks,. nothing too major, it's been well cared for, and will continue to be so.

I think it odd when you see a bass that someone has had from new, and it's maybe only a year old, but is covered in dents and chips. I had a Modulus Q6 that I sold last year. It was 17 years old, but it excellent condition, likewise the Yamaha TRB6P that I had was 23 years old, and in a similar condition.

My bass is what I use to make part of my living, it makes sense that I'm going to treat it with respect, and look after it.

[Japhet]

I'm not precious at all but we played a private gig a couple of years ago. During the break between sets I came back into the hall and an utterly pissed woman was dancing around with my EB Stingray slung round her neck. To say I was unhappy was an understatement. I subsequently bought a Tokai Hardpuncher for gigging duties and the Stingray stays at home.

[Skybone]

I wouldn't say precious per se, but I do like to look after my gear as best I can. Yes, usually a bit gutted if they get damaged in anyway, but it happens.

[Wylie]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1477834501' post='3164706']
My US standard Precision has a few chips and scrapes here and there as a result of gigs in small spaces, the most serious happened when the drummer knocked the bass over while it was resting against my amp & cab, but now I look on them fondly as reminders of gigs past. It still sounds and plays great!
[/quote]

I also like the idea of my bass's dings, etc., as being part of its history. I brush off the dandruff now and then (the body is shiny black :-)

[4 Strings]

I don't like any damage to any of my (or anyone elses) basses but they're there to be enjoyed and if they get dinged, well, that's what happens. I only ever notice them if I sit looking at them, 99% of the time I don't think about it at all.

[Low End Bee]

Not really bothered once a bass has had its first bash.
My extremely well used 9 year old P bass has loads of dings and dents. It's even worn through to the wood on the forearm chamfer due to being chipped repeatedly by cufflinks, jacket buttons, watches, poor technique, etc and I've had to sand down the jagged chips. Trouble is all this honest wear makes it look like a half arsed relic job. I might end up refininshing it.

[bubinga5]

I get dings in my playing , bum notes in a jam station etc. Why shouldn't my bass. We're in this together.

[drTStingray]

I'm pretty meticulous with my basses and try to avoid getting them dinged. I provide bass in a jam session and took my brand new Stingray 40th Anniversary as an extra bass to try out in a high volume situation.

I was most careful with it - wore a jumper to avoid any button scratches - put it on the back side of my two guitar Hercules stand away from the drummer and other players - guess what - when I put it away it had two dings on the back - why - a twat guitarist friend of mine had yanked the mains leads from his two pedal boards from behind the amps and guess what the plugs hit??

Oh well my own fault as I should have put it in its case but what a wonderful feeling to have some thoughtless idiot ding your £2k bass on its first outing. I have an even bigger downer on guitards than ever before 😕

A positive note - the bass sounded spectacularly good and drew a lot of attention. I've virtually polished the main ding out and the other has completely gone but the main one is through the clear coat. The guy who did it was probably pissed and didn't even notice.

Edited November 9, 2016 by drTStingray

[blue]

[quote name='la bam' timestamp='1477830099' post='3164655']
Just thought id ask as this issue came around again with me after buying a new bass....

When I got my first few basses they were second hand and well used. They used to sit in the house unprotected not on stands and picked up whenever for a play. They had dints all over them and I didn't care.

Then I got an immaculate fender isa p bass. And I couldn't have looked after it more. It lived in its hard case, was only used in clear spaces so it could get bashed.

I did 3 years in a band before the drummer pointed out that I needed to get some dings and bashes on the bass for it to be a 'proper' rock n roll bass (all be it tongue in cheek - more a laugh at how protective I was of it).

Then I Did get a ding in the headstock, and forever more it bugged me until I sold it 7 years later!

I've since had 3 different basses that didnt really bother me, but now I have a metallic red Yamaha I've noticed I would absolitely hate any kind of scratch or ding in out!

Does anyone else get this on certain basses?! They prob should get dings in them if they're gigging instruments!
[/quote]

Some dings are fine for me even cool, as long as their my own personal dings.

However dings on the back of the neck that you can feel when your playing are not cool at all.

Blue

[Rich]

I don't mind a few dings as long as I put them there. If anyone else dings it, I get moody about it.
I definitely agree with blue re: neck dings though, they are annoying.

[lojo]

I like gigging basses with dings in , we clown around a bit in my current 80s outfit and sometimes clash headstocks etc.

I do have a bass I don't want to ding, so I only use that for more formal stand still type things.

[M@23]

Not precious, but careful. It's not just basses though. I'm THAT guy. I like things to be neat and in good condition. I would probably he more upset about scratching my tablet or watch. I do like a roadworn P bass though.

[josie]

My 1992 Jazz Aerodyne has a big deeply scratched patch in the middle of the back - some previous owner obviously played it a lot wearing a big sharp belt buckle. I guess s/he didn't care because nobody else could see it. It makes me sad, but I accept it as part of the guitar's history. I would never let that happen to any of mine though, even if I normally wore flashy belts, which I don't.

[CamdenRob]

Wouldn't say I'm precious about my gear but I don't see anything wrong with looking after it...

I have a small ding on the underside of my Wal from putting the gigbag down too vigorously on one of those weird knobbly bits of paving they have on tube platforms... Was pretty annoyed at the time, but no-one can see it and it has zero effect on the bass so I've come to accept it... still rather I hadn't done it though and I'm certainly not now in the mindset that I'm now happy for it to end up battered just because it has an imperfection.

[mr zed]

I'm very precious about all my gear (and other cherished possessions). I work hard for my money and enjoy the pride of ownership having something nice brings. I never play my basses in a buttoned shirt and a belt is always covered by a tee shirt for fear of scratches. My basses stay in their hard cases when not being used and come out at the last minute on a gig. It is the first thing packed away at the end of the night. I treat other people's gear in the same way - with respect. I'm THAT guy I'm afraid. I love the road worn look on a bass if it is intended to look that way. I'd be gutted if I put extra damage on a road worn instrument as it's not supposed to be there. Some may say OCD but I think I suffer from CDO. This is similar to OCD but worse as I struggle that the letters are not in the right order.

[bazzbass]

I'm torn.

My 2014 MIA P bass was brand new when I got her (Mia, geddit?) and I'm dreading the first dent I get.

But I also would like to have a roadworn bass, but with real road wearing by me, but since I can't fast forward 20 years I'll have to buy a roadworn, or put my first dent in Mia .....so torn

[fretmeister]

First ding is painful but inevitable.

After that first one I'm more relaxed. Ultimately they are tools that get used and will suffer wear and tear.