What’s your attitude...

[mikel]

3 minutes ago, BrunoBass said:

Don’t get me wrong, I look after my stuff too. My thread was more that my basses are, in my opinion, merely functional objects.

Well yes, but that is my attitude towards them. We are a partnership, I look after and take care of them and they do the same for me. I keep them looking great and sounding great. If I didn't I would simply wait for a string to break or a pot to fail and that would be a different attitude.

[12stringbassist]

Tools.
Pension fund.

[Marc S]

On 03/09/2019 at 12:18, bertbass said:

It's just a tool for me.  A very nice one mind you.  I don't display all the hammers or screwdrivers I've ever bought even though some of them have also been very nice.

Actually, this is a good point. I realise some among us will hang our saws, hammers, spanners etc up on the garage or workshop wall
But re basses and guitars - although they are essentially "tools" they are also "things of beauty" and artistic design (or at least, they can be)
Those who only think of their bass or guitar as a "tool" - do they hang them up on the wall?

My basses are tools, but they can also be displayed for their aesthetic appearance
Actually, my wife hates it when my double bass isn't in it's usual corner - to her (as a non-musician) my DB is part of the furniture, and is her favourite item as such

Edited September 4, 2019 by Marc S

[hooky_lowdown]

3 minutes ago, Marc S said:

Actually, my wife hates it when my double bass isn't in it's usual corner - to her (as a non-musician) my DB is part of the furniture, and is her favourite item as such

Funny you mention this, as I see my bass as an extension of my furniture, and I generally have it out knocking about around the house.

[Roger2611]

2 hours ago, Marc S said:

Actually, my wife hates it when my double bass isn't in it's usual corner - to her (as a non-musician) my DB is part of the furniture, and is her favourite item as such

My wife loves my EUB sitting halfway up the stairs on the small landing area, she is right it looks good there, my only issue is the way it mocks my inability to play the darned thing every time I walk past it

[spongebob]

My Ricky is primarily a tool - but given how it sounds, and it's a little modded, it's my tool - and it's the coolest tool in any box!

It's been my only bass for a while, I'm not into having others, been there, done that.

Not precious about it getting the odd knock, that's life. When I stop playing, I'll probably just case it under the bed anyway! 😀

[TheGreek]

If I could find affordable sturdy hangers which I trusted I'd hang more of mine on the wall.

Something like these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ukulele-Hanger-Horizontal-Acoustic-Electric/dp/B07WZZQ92Q/ref=sr_1_239?keywords=guitar+wall+hangers&qid=1567530955&s=gateway&sr=8-239

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kabalo-Horizontal-Stylish-Display-Electric-Acoustic/dp/B0743CPWDZ/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp?keywords=guitar+wall+hangers&pd_rd_i=B0743CPWDZ&pd_rd_r=4f98ae79-55ca-4dc3-ac0c-345e74e9c900&pd_rd_w=B2gex&pd_rd_wg=DRL2l&pf_rd_p=7dc56c0d-8a5f-4d97-9143-7233b106859a&pf_rd_r=3JD5XPG5797YYT616TA0&qid=1567530955&s=gateway

Edited September 3, 2019 by TheGreek

[NickD]

They're tools, but I know if I look after my tools they'll look after me.

[Monkey Steve]

somewhere in between

I've got through a fair few instruments, both guitar and bass, over the years.  the ones that have stuck have tended to be the ones that I love to play and cannot be easily replaced, whether for sentimental reasons or because the model isn't made any more and it would be hard to find a match.  Anything I don't really enjoy playing gets moved on reasonably quickly, and in times of financial need I'm OK with selling on any that don't have a sentimental value, or are simply a standard model that I can pick up when my finances improve,

For instance, I'm on my third Lowden acoustic - love them, but in the past if i needed to raise cash in a hurry I haven't minded parting with them because it's pretty easy to find a replacement to exactly the same spec when I next have the funds.  Same with Warwick basses - I'm on my fourth now and will almost certainly stick with that (because it's a custom shop Stage 1 built to my spec, including paint and inlays) but didn't worry about offloading the previous ones because I knew that I could always buy the same model (in fact they were largely moved on when I got a new Warwick that I preferred)

My longest serving bass is my 1975 Rickenbacker 4001 that I got at 19, and I can't see that it will ever be sold because it's the one that means a lot to me - my only bass throughout my 20's, gigged regularly in my first serious band, etc.  In fact my girlfriend of that time always said that in the event of my death, it would be the one thing of mine she would keep because it most closely reminded her of me.

So that's never getting sold.

Of my current collection:

Never selling:

Ricky (obvs), Fender Tele (dirt cheap USA version that I stripped, customised, and have battered to bits playing - not easy to replace), Warwick Custom Shop Stage 1 (to my specs).  When it arrives I'm confidently adding my new Wal to this, again because it's to my specs, but this will be my third so maybe it should go onto the next list)

Unlikely to sell unless I'm really hard up:

2 x Les Pauls of varying vintage and specs - no intention of selling if i can help it, and replacements to the exact specs would need a lot of tracking down, but I'm open to the idea that I might find other LPs that I like better; 

Not intending to sell but would be the most easy to move on if I do ever tire of them:

7 string Explorer; 1 Les Paul that I don't love as much as the other two; acoustic Ortega 5 string bass, FarWest UEB, Lowden acoustic

[Krysbass]

I see my basses as much more than tools.  Even mass produced basses embody a certain amount of craftsmanship and innate beauty, so I do take a lot of care to protect my basses from damage and keep them looking as good as possible. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by Krysbass

[dave moffat]

Only been learning seriously for around 10 months, so somewhere in between. 3 very different instruments, Ibanez was my 1st and definitely a keeper, Taylor was bought to work on technique/ theory without having to faff around with cables etc, Excelsior completes (sort of) my range of ukes and is a treat to play. They're all teaching me different things and pointing towards my own preferred kind of sound,  next acquisition will be fretless but don't know whether out and out electric or electro-acoustic.

[dmccombe7]

I have some basses that have sentimental value ie presents from my wife and i won't sell them.

Others i have bought as GAS and maybe for specific projects / bands. Again some of them i really enjoy and altho not sentimental value i just like having them. My Fender Jazz Geddy Signature being one i just like having. Its a great bass to play. My Sandberg VM4 is same. My Overwater J4  and my Fender P deluxe MIM are basses i would sell on without 2nd thought. They are ok basses but not great basses.

All in all i tend to keep basses i really enjoy playing or need for a specific band.

Dave

[Nicko]

2 hours ago, Krysbass said:

Even mass produced basses embody a certain amount of craftsmanship and innate beauty,

Something like this.  I'm a bass player by accident and don't really have an emotional connection to the instrument in general.  The basses I own took a lot of trial and error before I found the ones that felt right. Both are P Basses so you'd think just go and get another but one of them would be difficult to replace like for like.  They ain't beautiful but even mass produced basses differ one to the next.

I have a few 6 string guitars that I'm more emotionally attached to, even though I haven't ever played guitar in a band. 

I think of myself as a newbie on bass, even though I've now been playing over 10 years.  My first guitar was probaby nearly 40 years ago now (it was a Kay LP copy with zebra stripe DiMarzios fitted - I dont have it any more)