Have all the expensive basses been a waste of time?

[artisan]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1383318197' post='2263115']
Tools for the job, no matter how many different basses are out there, all I need is a Precision. I`d far prefer to have one that feels right in my hands - and am lucky enough to have found "The One" - but for the sound I need, I could get by on any Precision.
[/quote]
fine if you like Precision basses but personally they bore me to tears,i used to be a Fender fan but no more.

[Lowender]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1383313700' post='2263039']
If you think an Alembic is ugly then I would be very interested to see your taste in women ( or men)( or whatever) .
[/quote]

Don't be a dick, alright?

[Dingus]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1383320893' post='2263178']
Don't be a dick, alright?
[/quote]

O.K ,I'll try really hard from now on . Thanks for putting me in my place.

[neepheid]

Ugliness is contagious, it would seem.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1383323018' post='2263218']
Ugliness is contagious...
[/quote]

Really? that must be why nobody ever sits next to me on the bus.......

Edited November 1, 2013 by CamdenRob

[BassBus]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1383323127' post='2263221']
Really? that must be why nobody ever sits next to me on the bus.......
[/quote]

You're lucky. They won't even let me on the bus. [size=4] [/size]

[peteb]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1383315384' post='2263065']
Alembics are all ugly.

I have one electric bass and one double bass for everything. I have more guitars than basses (4) but play them a lot less. For me, it is and always has been about the music not the tools. The 'music' includes sound so a specific bass is defensible I guess but, for me, they all sound like basses so a decent professional sounding piece of kit works every time. The rest is just fluff.
[/quote]
I can't disagree with you, but it should be borne in mind that you own an old boutique bass that must be worth a pretty tidy amount of dosh these days!

[peteb]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1383304544' post='2262820']
Over the period I've been playing bass, I've been fortunate enough to have had a few fairly expensive basses. 4, 5 and 6 stringers including 5 Status basses, 2 Alembics, an Fbass, 2 Vigiers, a Leduc and 2 Spectors.

Going through old band photos on the PC whilst trying to free up some space, I'm either gigging with a 4 string Jazz or something with a few more strings that cost less than £150. Seems no matter what I've ever bought, I always go back to basics for playing live.

What a waste of money all that turned out to be.
[/quote]
Can I ask why you spent so much money on so many basses if you were never going to gig them??

I agree that basses are pretty much tools and that the music should come first, but good workman always invest in quality tools that allow them to go a good job. If you had these basses sitting at home whilst you took out inferior ones to gig, then I would suggest that you were probably selling yourself cheap!

[Leonard Smalls]

I've been using my Wal as live (and otherwise!) bass of choice since about 1992!
Only problem is that it definitely looks "lived in" now...
Still, it plays better than my others, and I'm always a bit dubious about mint examples of old stuff - reminds me of all those bike shows I used to go to where folks would trailer their pristine Harley to it.

[leschirons]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1383325140' post='2263252']
Can I ask why you spent so much money on so many basses if you were never going to gig them??

I agree that basses are pretty much tools and that the music should come first, but good workman always invest in quality tools that allow them to go a good job. If you had these basses sitting at home whilst you took out inferior ones to gig, then I would suggest that you were probably selling yourself cheap!
[/quote]

To answer your question honestly, I probably fell in love with the look, the feel, the build quality and lastly, the sound. All three previous criteria are unchangeable, the sound of a bass is not as there are other factors to consider from how you play it, choice of amplification etc.

The strange thing is that many replies suggest that I may have been worried about damage. That was the case with the Fbass but none of the others. It's just that when it came to loading up for a gig, it seemed somehow easier to throw a comfortable old friend into the van (the jazz) or if I needed more strings, my old Aria 6. I now tend to gig with an OLP 5string I bought off BC for £80. It does the job and to be honest, doesn't sound any worse than the £2500 ones.

Of course I'm aware that if it does get broken or stolen, it's not a problem at £80 but I think I'm realising that I'm just as comfortable with something basic and no-frills that does what it says on the tin and that a £3000 bass won't make me practise more, play better, or get me more gigs. I also found out that if I'm listening to past gig recordings, I couldn't tell you what bass I was playing on any particular track as they all seem to sound the same whatever I play.

[leftyhook]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1383310813' post='2262969']
I've do both approaches - my main bass is a status but my main fretless is a £150 el cheapo effort. Never been bothered by risk of theft/damage of the status as I bought it to play not to sit at home and admire, although to be fair the fact that I could replace it from a weeks disposable income helps ...
[/quote]
oooOOOOooh you can afford to do that ? must be a programmer

[jazzyvee]

I started out playing electric guitar and since I bought my Alembic bass in 2002, I've almost completely migrated into becoming a bass player. I think a big part of that is because the sound I get from it represents me more than on any other instrument I've ever owned be that bass or guitar. At the time of purchase I already had a Musicman Sterling bass that i bought new a year or so previously but the sound I got from it didn't inspire me to play it much so that didn't last very long after getting the alembic. So for me personally, it has been a fantastic decision and certainly not a waste of time or money.

Jazzyvee

[AntLockyer]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1383328289' post='2263296']a £3000 bass won't make me practise more, play better, or get me more gigs.
[/quote]

All of those things happen to me.

[jazzyvee]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1383328289' post='2263296']
a £3000 bass won't make me practise more, play better, or get me more gigs.
[/quote]

My experience has been different. Having a bass I could get a great sound from made me want to practice more and as a result I play much better and virtually all my gigs now are on bass.

Jazzyvee

Edited November 1, 2013 by jazzyvee

[Lozz196]

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1383318680' post='2263127']
fine if you like Precision basses but personally they bore me to tears,i used to be a Fender fan but no more.
[/quote]

Like doesn`t come into it, it`s infatuation!

No, what I meant was, having also been through many basses, what is right for [u]me[/u] is a Precision - it could so easily have been a Wal or a Rick or an Alembic, in which case the same principle would apply, just with a different brand/model.

[LukeFRC]

I've had a fair few basses in the last few years, mid to high mid ranges, but mostly played one or two live.
Not regretted it a bit, it's helped me work out what I like and what I want in a bass.
Yes it does turn out to be the one I've played live the most but hey! I know that now!

[bassmachine2112]

If it rings yer bell-that,s the one.
Love is blind

[TheGreek]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1383314560' post='2263054']
This is not ugly..? (and I'm an Alembic fan, but still...)

[attachment=147370:Alem_Ugly.jpg]
[/quote]

http://basschat.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-11876-0-28037400-1383314469.jpg

So that's where the missing piece of the jigsaw went!!!

I've got several high end basses..each inspire me in a different way and I'm convinced that everytime I get a new bass it teaches me something new....how can that be a waste of time???

Edited November 1, 2013 by TheGreek

[Roger2611]

I have a few basses of varying prices but I find myself gigging in the covers band with a souped up Mike Dirnt Squire Precision....purely because it is pretty light, sounds great and most importantly totally suits the set we play....In the originals band I mostly play a ltd edition Warwick $$ Corvette, again just because it seems to suit what we play

[JTUK]

I'd rather have the bass that I want than worry about playing them in sh **holes
I don't get why people would play those places... but if a bass get damaged, it's only wood so get it repaired.

[peteb]

Basses are far more likely to get damaged / knicked at proper theatres with professional crews than they are at supposedly rough pubs!

[4000]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1383315384' post='2263065']
Alembics are all ugly
[/quote]

Bollocks. Some of the most beautiful basses I've ever seen are Alembics. It's all just personal taste.

FWIW I think anyone who thinks all basses sound the same has cloth ears. Of course whether it matters what they sound like is a different issue, but it matters to me.

To answer the OP, experience is seldom a waste of time. I've had loads of basses at all price points and haven't regretted any of them because I've learnt something from all of them.

[4000]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1383328289' post='2263296']

I also found out that if I'm listening to past gig recordings, I couldn't tell you what bass I was playing on any particular track as they all seem to sound the same whatever I play.
[/quote]

It always worries me when people say this as I can always easily tell which bass I'm playing, even down to individuals of the same type of bass.

[Dingus]

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1383397372' post='2264021']
Some of the most beautiful basses I've ever seen are Alembics.

FWIW I think anyone who thinks all basses sound the same has cloth ears. Of course whether it matters what they sound like is a different issue, but it matters to me.

To answer the OP, experience is seldom a waste of time. I've had loads of basses at all price points and haven't regretted any of them because I've learnt something from all of them.
[/quote]

+1 on these points.

I don't think all basses sound the same , but in certain uncritical environments , i.e playing them through fairly rudimentary equipment at a local pub gig with the typical sound mix for such a performance , they can sound pretty similar. But , crucially, the revelation that ,played in a band context, most bass guitars sound like a bass guitar is not really much of a revelation at all, to be frank with you . Considering the role and situation of the bass as an instrument in most music , it's hardly that surprising really is it ? . In that context, if all you want to do is participate in playing the songs then a cheaper bass will do . But so what?

To draw the ultimate conclusion from that that all expensive basses are a waste is very silly and completely untrue for most players. If you seek the ultimate satisfaction of playing as well as you can with the best possible tone , as m serious musicians playing any instrument tend to do in all genres of music , then it is entirely consistant with that to seek out the best instruments to do that with . The sonic qualities of texture and timbre are absolutely central to the experience of creating , performing and listening to music , and which instrument the performer uses contributes hugely to those elements of sound . Even back in the most ancient of times , the first primative men who tried to fashion music from animal bones and bits of wood will have experimented to see which designs and which materials sounded best . Are we to suppose that the same process of creative sonic experimentation should now be abandoned after all these thousands of years ? Just because a cheaper bass sounds similar to a more expensive one when you play it down the pub ?

What about when you play your bass at home when you practise , or if you are in a situation where you are recording music in a critical environment with a crystalline sound balance ? What if your a good player who has the skill to make an expensive bass sound better than a cheap one, even played ay a pub gig ? The sound might be in the player more than the bass , but that is because the player has the experience , touch and innate ability to bring it out of the instrument, and many better quality basses ultimately have a much more fulfilling sound that can be brought out of them by the right player. For those reasons alone ,and also many more besides, expensive basses are not a waste of money.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Dingus

[Cat Burrito]

I've been through the whole buying basses GAS thing and now am happy with a couple, ironically favouring a Squier. I think ultimately it's whatever works for you. If you want a £2k bass, go for it. I had a lot of fun buying kit (unnecessarily?) but am thankfully more settled now.