Psychology behind collecting instruments

[Franticsmurf]

41 minutes ago, three said:

The more I play basses (with some kind of aim), the less I buy them.

Now I think about it, I can see that pattern, to a certain extent, with me. At the beginning of the year I left a long term band with the intention of starting a new one. In the first three months or so after leaving, I bought 4 new basses and sold two, bought two amp heads, three new cabs and several pedals. I know that's not a lot for some but it is for me. Since joining a couple of new bands, the purchases have ceased apart from a couple of pedals for specific songs within the set lists. I suspect in the hiatus between bands I was thinking about doing new things and needing different instruments for the right sound. There was an element of upgrading involved and experimentation with a fretless. But now I'm playing regularly, I'm more interested in getting consistently the right sound for the bands. I now have an amp/cab combination and a 'go to' bass for each band. I haven't quite sorted the pedals out yet but the ones I have do the job.  My GAS is satisfied, to some extent, by bring an old bass out of its case for a gig or two or re-arranging the pedal board.  😃   

[lurksalot]

I’ve got more instruments than I need , but I’m lucky enough to have enough room to hang them on walls or put them on stands where they look good.

I play most of them at some point but even Mrs lurks likes the look they create. I’ve got non in boxes under the bed or in cupboards, if it got that far it would go.
instruments as wall art ?  It has it’s place I guess 😁

Edited December 10, 2022 by lurksalot

[Oomo]

There's also something to be said for learning more from a greater variety of tools/basses/equipment etc.

 

E.g. learning how different pickup combinations sound, how different neck profiles feel, how amps respond to active/passive basses, learning how different effects work, learning how compressors respond, etc.

 

I've always learnt something new from each piece of gear I've used, so even if I've sold it afterwards, I always feel I've gained something.

[TheGreek]

Guilty as charged but in my defence I don't drink, smoke or take drugs. No kids or partner so all my disposable income is mine to do as I please. 

I'd rather have things I want than cash earning very little interest in the bank. 

[Lozz196]

10 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Guilty as charged but in my defence I don't drink, smoke or take drugs. No kids or partner so all my disposable income is mine to do as I please. 

I'd rather have things I want than cash earning very little interest in the bank. 

Same here, if hard times hit and need to sell then unless bought new it’s pretty much getting your money back as well. May as well enjoy your investments - and playing a bass much more enjoyable than looking at an online bank account imo.

[Owen]

It is an odd thing. I suppose we are only responding to urges which everyone has but we are expressing it in bass-dom. 

 

In the past 2 years I have gravitated towards solid colour basses rather than natural wood ones which were my thing. The problem is that I have more than one bass which essentially do the same thing as soon as the Guitarmageddon kicks in.

 

A case in point is my MM5/G&L L1000/5 conundrum. As soon as I crank the bass on the MM (and why would I not?) or hit the afterburner switch on the G&L (and why would I not?) then they are much of a muchness. I know that there are all sorts of differences, but to own both "for that special moment" is difficult to justify. But I like them both. 

 

The other side of the coin is that given that I buy carefully then I know I can get my money out of them easily so it could be a lot worse. 

 

I would happily flog 3 or 4 if I could find one bass to rule them all, but every time I have bought that one bass, they have never hit the spot. 

[SH73]

5 hours ago, nilorius said:

If i had a situation "money must be funny in a rich man's world'' - at start i would buy 5 different sounding feeling basses i like most, then would make a special room for collecting basses, guitars, uprights with their own interesting description and history. Currently i own 3 different basses which i like a lot and don't think to change my mantage till the end.

Would be good 👍 to be a rich man

[Stub Mandrel]

They are nice and I enjoy playing them which encourages me to play more which is good for me in many ways. Fundamentally they bring me pleasure.

[SH73]

22 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

They are nice and I enjoy playing them which encourages me to play more which is good for me in many ways. Fundamentally they bring me pleasure.

They do, and it all depends on the mood which one is played 

[msb]

I have twenty something , and it’s been over a year since I bought one , there’s one I might sell. I have a nice selection at this point , but there’s always room for another. No gas at all right now. 

I have picked up several amps in the last year. 

[Bassfinger]

Im a lightweight compared to some of you folks with only 12 basses, 2 guitars, a keyboard and a mandolinn, but the psychology is simple - playing, admiring and owning them brings me pleasure.

[lurksalot]

5 hours ago, SH73 said:

Would be good 👍 to be a rich man

Riches aren’t always monetary  👍

[LeftyJ]

I'm a bit of a hoarder. With any interest I start getting into, I can never stick to keeping things simple. When I got into birdwatching, I needed a nice pair of binoculars and a spotting scope. I gave myself a budget, and like I always do, ended up spending double that because I found something nicer. I got a pair of military surplus binoculars, loved them, and got another pair just like it - for no real reason. I now have two Leica Swiss army 8x30's and a Hensoldt (Zeiss) German army FERO D16 8x30. Do I use any of them anymore? Sure, the Hensoldt lives in my work van in case I get to some place nice that deserves a closer look. Other than that, I moved on to the next fling. 

 

I'm similar with my basses and guitars. Find one I like? Then I need another just like it "as backup", even when I'm not gigging it. Being a lefty makes matters worse, because I have difficulty parting with instruments - as they're all incredibly rare, being lefty instruments. What if I get hit with seller's remorse? How will I find one like it again? I've certainly experienced this and have a couple of guitars that still cross my mind regularly even though they've been gone for over a decade. It's what made me hold on to several basses for long periods of time without ever laying a finger on them - and how I ended up with 3 Ibanez ATK's, 3 Ibanez MC924's, 2 MIJ Squier Strats, 2 Status Graphite S2 Classics (well, one's a 5-string so technically it's a different instrument...) and several others that have come and gone. Which, to be fair, I haven't missed at all. 

And then there's the basses that I hold on to for sentimental reasons. I've been in two recording and gigging bands where I had a very clear 5-string "main axe" that I used on most gigs, but don't really play anymore. But I could never bring myself to selling them! In fact, I bought the 4-string equivalent to match... (Warwick Streamer LX) 

 

I'm at 20 guitars and basses combined at the moment, and have thought of selling a few so I can try something new (I've been aching to try fanned frets) but I can't bring myself to sell any of the instruments I currently own - except for my Carvin LB75, which is for sale but won't get me anywhere near Dingwall money. 

[Grimalkin]

I have 12, which I'm narrowing to 6, but I'd be content with 4. I know what I like, the others tend to collect dust thereafter.

[Ed_S]

Historically my odd approach has been to find a bass that I really like, then get another one exactly the same to be the appointed 'main gigging' bass since I wouldn't want to risk anything happening to my new favourite, then get a cheaper range version to be the appointed 'gigging backup', then realise that I like the two expensive ones equally for different reasons and wouldn't want to risk either of them getting lost/nicked/damaged, then get another that's essentially the same but in my second choice colour scheme so I artificially like it less and don't mind taking it out.

 

The pandemic has given me time at home to really trip over stuff and wish I had more space, though, so I traded 7 last time I had a week off work, and I have another 3 lined up to go next week. That gets things back under control for now!

[miles'tone]

I'm down to 7 basses. After the festivities I'm getting rid of 5, leaving me with a P bass and an upright. It's all I need and use. Sick of looking at the others as they just remind me of my past impulsiveness and make me feel bad about myself. 

[Woodinblack]

I have too many basses at 10 (or so), but honestly not sure which basses I would get rid of as I use them all. Actually, no I have a 4 string ibanez I don't use often, but that was one of my earliest decent basses, so I would be loathed to get rid of it.

Looking around at the others, there isn't a bass I wouldn't or don't gig, so not sure. If I wasn't gigging, then maybe there were a couple I rarely play at home.

[msb]

Whenever I’d get a new bass I’d gig it until it paid for itself , and then go back to the old reliable. 
 

 

[Barking Spiders]

19 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

Im a lightweight compared to some of you folks with only 12 basses, 2 guitars, a keyboard and a mandolinn, but the psychology is simple - playing, admiring and owning them brings me pleasure.

If you're a lightweight then I'm flyweight with now having just 3 basses (all bought new for <£550), 2 electric guitars, 1 x well worn but trusty electro-acoustic, 1 x Yamaha keyboard, cajon, djembe and caixa. Last week I sold a Martin acoustic and one bass for £1,100. All my GAS urges are gone with  disposable income now just for travel and adventure sports.

Edited December 11, 2022 by Barking Spiders

[Lozz196]

3 hours ago, Ed_S said:

Historically my odd approach has been to find a bass that I really like, then get another one exactly the same to be the appointed 'main gigging' bass since I wouldn't want to risk anything happening to my new favourite, then get a cheaper range version to be the appointed 'gigging backup', then realise that I like the two expensive ones equally for different reasons and wouldn't want to risk either of them getting lost/nicked/damaged, then get another that's essentially the same but in my second choice colour scheme so I artificially like it less and don't mind taking it out.

 

The pandemic has given me time at home to really trip over stuff and wish I had more space, though, so I traded 7 last time I had a week off work, and I have another 3 lined up to go next week. That gets things back under control for now!

I’m similar Ed, I have my fave black/black/maple 2015 US Standard Precision which has mucho sentimental value so it’s not gigged. As such I have a matching 2013 for gigging, 2014 for flats/in reserve and a Mex as backup/in case of gigs where we fly.

Oh and of course I have a matching 2014 US Standard Jazz, well it would look odd without one.

[Misdee]

According to Freud, the compulsion to collect stems from toilet training and an unwillingness in the infant to relinquish  their faeces. That is the psychology behind collecting anything, if you accept Freudian psychology, anyway.

 

Regarding collecting basses, my own experience is that I have often bought basses that I absolutely need to own, but in practice don't particularly need to play, if you see what I mean. I must just like the reassurance of having those options available should I choose them. 

 

 

[WinterMute]

I've always had fretted and fretless basses, one of each usually 5 strings, and i've only changed them as I've been able to afford a better quality instruments or a particular model that I've wanted to own.

 

Currently have 4 basses with the 2 older basses not being used very much for a few reasons, the Bongo was a 50th birthday pressie from my best mate, the "SR5" fretless is a mongrel of spares and other parts that isn't worth very much to move on, and more importantly, I no longer need to fund other purchases and I have the cash to spend if I need to.

 

I may move the Bongo and the Frankenstein on to raise funds for another ACG at some point, but I'm in no hurry.

 

As I've said elsewhere, it's not having what you want, it's wanting what you have.

[DGBass]

I've pretty much got the collecting basses psychology whipped into shape. Last time I had a lapse and bought one was seven years ago and it more or less gathered dust until I sold it recently. A pair of Fenders do more than everything I need and have done for a long time. I do have one other bass i've owned for nearly forty years but I pretend that its more ornamental than for everyday use so its listed in my head as furniture & fittings. The part I haven't yet got fully under control is buying bass amps of all shapes and sizes. I'm almost there and have leaned more and more towards using ABM's for several years now. I recently emptied out a whole pile of amps I'd accumulated over the years leaving me just two amps, a main and backup. Everything was going well until the proceeds of the selling spree burned a hole in my pocket and I ordered a custom shop UK Ashdown.  

As soon as it arrived, I did sell my main gig Ashdown ABM so back down to two. Oh, and then a GK arrived in the post so back up to three. Oh dear, I think there is a Trace Elliot on the way as well. Back up to four. And thats how it goes.

It's my thing though and I enjoy trying all sorts of used amps and mostly selling them on when i've had my fix of whatever they have to offer, or if I need cash for something more pressing. Gigging also helps me rationalize what is actually needed and what is a nice to have.  I have the ultimate basses for me, i just need to settle on the ultimate bass amp for me and I think i'm close to that.

[King Tut]

I've got way too many. I'm currently gassing for a Squier 40th Black n Gold P from Thomas ay £299 - bargain. Do I need it? Absolutely nt. Managed to resist for today but it's so easy with online sales! Another facet of my addictive personality!

[SH73]

So I'm trying to clear out but at the same time bidding on a nice cream Squier Strat. Luckily, I forgot about the auction so it went to someone else.