Gear fads

[ped]

Over the years I’ve seen lots of ‘fads’ come and go. I’m not saying the equipment is bad or anything but you know that rush which filters through the community when something is adopted at scale. 

I’m trying to recall some of the most memorable and wondered what you can think of, considering some of you have been here almost as long as me!

The first I remember I think was Thunderfunk amps. Everyone needed one. 

What else have you got?

[Chiliwailer]

The Flea Jazz was one I’ll remember - hope you got commission! 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

Future Impact? Seemed to be a whole lot of people getting them and then selling them some time later.

Plus a few p’d off Deep Impact owners who had to drop their prices 😂

Still have my Future Impact though. That reminds me, I must update it to V 3.0.

[Paul S]

Sue Rider Precisions came in and out of vogue with equal haste.

[barkin]

Sue Ryder P-alike. Zoom B9

[Dad3353]

The tide for Basschat Straplocks has yet to peak... 

 

[hooky_lowdown]

20 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Sue Rider Precisions came in and out of vogue with equal haste.

This, along with Westfields and SX's.

[Burns-bass]

Short scale basses. 

[Cato]

I'm not sure it counts as a fad because a lot of people including me have held onto theirs, but there were a lot of people getting Sire V7s when they first came out.

[TheGreek]

Genz Benz....

Everybody liked them and had to have one - so much that somebody bought the company (razor acknowledgement).

Then they killed it off!!

[OliverBlackman]

33 minutes ago, Cato said:

I'm not sure it counts as a fad because a lot of people including me have held onto theirs, but there were a lot of people getting Sire V7s when they first came out.

Guilty 😂 bought the Sire gigbag from someone on here before you could get them from Thomann too

[Dazm66]

Fretwraps?

[TheGreek]

Finger puppets on machine heads? 😉😉

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Bass whammy ? 

[MartinB]

Trying to copy the guy from Royal Blood with his separate signal chain for bass and octave up

[Crawford13]

1 hour ago, MartinB said:

Trying to copy the guy from Royal Blood with his separate signal chain for bass and octave up

Not to derail the thread but let's be honest that guy would be much better off playing guitar. 

[PatrickJ]

3 minutes ago, Crawford13 said:

Not to derail the thread but let's be honest that guy would be much better off playing guitar. 

With a separate signal chain for octave down?? 🤔

[Crawford13]

17 minutes ago, PatrickJ said:

With a separate signal chain for octave down?? 🤔

I understand where you are coming from, let me explain my view on this band. 

One of the biggest stereotypes we have as bassists is that we play it because we are failed guitarists, or that it's an easier instrument to play with less strings. 

Now my view is that he is in general playing the bass as if it was a guitar. 

Before everyone rushes to slate me, its only my opinion and I'm more than happy to accept that I'm probably wrong. 

[Merton]

Marooochick

 

Don’t get me wrong, they look wonderful, but there was a point in time where everyone seemed to be getting one

[Frank Blank]

Crack?

[dave_bass5]

FRFR

HPF

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Oiling your fingerboard

[Vin Venal]

Fingering your oilboard.

[OliverBlackman]

11 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Finger puppets on machine heads? 😉😉

Thankfully basschat saw sense and this didn’t catch on!

[LukeFRC]

We have trends on here, but I think we also have a massive tendency to see ppl over here jump on whatever Talkbass trend is happening... despite the fact that that gear might not be so good by the time you’ve shipped it Over and paid extra. 
 

that said - trends on here I have noticed...

• j retro with everything
• Fender roadworn
• marskzyzhuch (So)
• Barefaced are the best
• barefaced handles are the worst
• shuker basses
• celinder
• sue ryder
• a cycle where everyone ends up with passive precisions...
• Moving to 5 strings
• moving back to 4s