Al Krow Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 A bit of light-hearted (or more serious if you prefer!) banter for a Sunday afternoon. So what are your most expensive gear related mistakes? My top three have been: 1. Buying new 2. Complete schoolboy error: I got a 7 bass rack to replace my 5 bass rack. Ok so no biggie you may think? But, and here's the thing, I didn't try very hard to shift my 5 bass rack.. So I now have storage capacity for up to 12 basses – doh! I've since discovered there's a not-well-publicised law of music that: The number of basses owned by a dyed-in-the-wool bass player inevitably expands to fill the rack space available. 3. Speaking to @ped et al about Ken Smith basses…Ok, that's not technically been a 'mistake' just expensive 😂 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 Joining basschat. 4 1 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 Launching Basschat 6 1 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 3 minutes ago, jrixn1 said: Joining basschat. Ha ha, fair point, although if I hadn't, I would still be playing a crap MIJ Jazz through a Peavey TNT combo, which would have been a far greater mistake. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 7 minutes ago, ped said: Launching Basschat But we love you for it mate 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 42 minutes ago, Beedster said: Ha ha, fair point, although if I hadn't, I would still be playing a crap MIJ Jazz through a Peavey TNT combo, which would have been a far greater mistake. Yup exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 52 minutes ago, Beedster said: Ha ha, fair point, although if I hadn't, I would still be playing a crap MIJ Jazz through a Peavey TNT combo, which would have been a far greater mistake. That was exactly my set up too... TNT130 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 1: Believing that I could get a better tone from a Class D head - you can't, get a Class A/B and strong friends. 2: Looking for "The One" - doesn't exist that's why I/you need more than one bass 3: Thinking that you can get the same Tonal Palette from cheap gear. - you get what you pay for so buy quality gear in the first place. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 I bought a Boss BR-80 micro recorder that I found totally exasperating. My dumbo brain found it far too fiddly. I've since then made myself a little rule - beware something that has a user manual bigger than the item itself. I gave the thing away to a young chap who'd got the patience but no money to buy one himself and got a Zoom H2 to replace it. Much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 A 1995 Fender Bass VI... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathy Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 I could say everything in the past 15 years, as my tastes have come full circle. It has been a useful learning experience though, and I have owned some great basses along the way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 I wouldn't say mine were mistakes, per se - more collateral damage from multiple 'epiphany moments' Like changing from roundwound strings to flats, back to rounds and now back to flats again. Going from 4 strings to 5 strings and now having both. Going from long scale to short scale to medium scale to long scale and now all of them. All incredibly good experience. And fun. But I really don't want to think in terms of money spent. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 1 hour ago, TheGreek said: 1: Believing that I could get a better tone from a Class D head - you can't, get a Class A/B and strong friends. 2: Looking for "The One" - doesn't exist that's why I/you need more than one bass 3: Thinking that you can get the same Tonal Palette from cheap gear. - you get what you pay for so buy quality gear in the first place. Yup, certainly agree with those Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mep Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 In the early 90's I bought a new 5 string fretless Stingray. I thought I needed a 5 string, which I didn't, and for some inexplicable reason got a fretless instead. I never really got the best out of it and had to sell it quickly for a huge loss to fund a move abroad. I still haven't bought a 5 string and have done ok with a Hipshot D Tuner instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassfan Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 Buying various signature basses believing they would magically make me sound like Flea!! 😂 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 An ex John Entwistle 1961 Precision. The E string was completely dead no matter what I did and with any number of different strings on it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 2 minutes ago, bassfan said: Buying various signature basses believing they would magically make me sound like Flea!! 😂 But they do! They do! No really they do!! 😁 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 Just now, Steve Browning said: An ex John Entwistle 1961 Precision. The E string was completely dead no matter what I did and with any number of different strings on it. Aww - that would have been totally gutting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 1 hour ago, ahpook said: A 1995 Fender Bass VI... Thinking about it, my 2nd expensive mistake is that I still have it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 (edited) Buying fretted basses as I (almost) never play them, being a fretless guy. But the worse was getting into (truckloads of) vintage instruments as these are not better ones, but certainly way more expensive, for sure. Thankfully, I always got my money back, and learned so much about vintage gear that, now, I know that most of them are fake ones... Sad but true. Edited September 29, 2019 by Hellzero 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil.c60 Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 16 minutes ago, Steve Browning said: An ex John Entwistle 1961 Precision. The E string was completely dead no matter what I did and with any number of different strings on it. Hopefully you won't get fooled again. 1 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burns-bass Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 51 minutes ago, Hellzero said: Buying fretted basses as I (almost) never play them, being a fretless guy. But the worse was getting into (truckloads of) vintage instruments as these are not better ones, but certainly way more expensive, for sure. Thankfully, I always got my money back, and learned so much about vintage gear that, now, I know that most of them are fake ones... Sad but true. I had the same. People will laugh me out of the forum when I say that the Mexican standard jazz I picked up earlier this year sounds and plays better than every other vintage bass I’ve ever owned aside from a totally original 64 I sold on here (which was incredible on every way) and the 66 I still own. I’ve never lost money on any bass to date, but the time I spent messing around with dusty old Fenders could have been much better spent! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 1. Believing that buying stupidly expensive gear would make me play better. 2. Buying amps/cabs that sound great but are too big to carry. 3. Taking over 20 years to figure out 1&2.... 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurksalot Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 Monetarily , spending too much on guitars I hadn’t tried before I pulled the trigger. time wise, persevering with trying workarounds with old kit , it’s great when it pans out , but now I just buy new kit that works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 One of my expensive mistakes was buying a very expensive Avalon acoustic guitar. I didn't need it, already had a good acoustic (bought new in 1979), didn't play it and ended up giving it to my brother who was looking to upgrade his acoustic guitar. So 100% loss there then. 😀 Frank. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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