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Scott Devine has some really good advice regarding GAS


miles'tone
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If a P bass and that sound were all that was available that would cure my gas straight away. Not to my taste. I know I am in a minority there though. I do see his point. Much as I would not be without my Status and Overwater basses I also have a Cort bass that cost a tenth of the expensive ones and it is great to play. Wonderful neck. Fretwork needed a lot of attention though.

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It took about 8 minutes before I actually heard the 'point' Scott was trying to make, so if you have a short attention span you might want to skip through a fair amount at the beginning!

As for his 'point', I think he is being rather naive in thinking that the only difference past a certain point is the "handmadeness" (?!) of a bass. I don't remember Fender ever offering me personally ANY custom options, direct customer service, aftercare and consultations when I purchased my Nate Mendel precision. It was shipped to a store, bought off the peg and the set up direct from Fender was poor. My experience commisioning a custom bass so far with Alan at ACG is completely different and has been an amazing experience.

For me, I am not paying more for the "handmadeness" (although that is a factor!) but for the expectional level of service, to support true craftsmen (not machines in Mexico!) and to have a bass that is uniquely crafted for me, built with a lot of my input. These are luxuries/principles that would likely not be available if you walk in a store and buy off-the-peg, mass-produced basses and that's before you even start to look at the differences in actual build quality (like hardware, body woods, pickups, finishing, fretwork, wiring and so on). However, the price is irrelevant as you can get all of these options by purchasing from places like Maruszczyk and pay less than the cost of a mass-produced Fender like the one in Scotts video.

I think the point he makes about tone coming from the fingers is true but equally, finding an instrument that lets you feel comfortable and free to let your fingers do the talking is important too. Basses with 19mm string spacing and 36" scale with 6 strings might be comfortable for one player and let them express themselves but for me, that would require me to adjust my entire technique to play and would create a level of discomfort in my technique that would affect my ability to let my fingers play naturally (or as I've learnt/practiced!), so I'm not sure I can agree with Scott on the view that it's just attention to detail after a certain price point.

Additionally, it's a brave move for someone who has openly supported and marketed himself as an overwater player to basically come out and say he doesn't see a significant enough difference between an Overwater bass and a mass-produced, budget mexican Fender to justify the price!

Edited by skej21
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[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1450523120' post='2933536']
Why is is talking about the price of the bass in dollars? He is British doing a British bass course. I know these are watched worldwide, but why do we need to know what it costs in the states?
[/quote]

Probably to get on our nerves as we`ll most likely pay the same numbers, just in pounds.

I do get what he means though, the eternal quest is something I`m certainly guilty of, and thinking about it there will always be a bass with a neck I`ll prefer/sound I`ll prefer/balance I`ll prefer out there, but given the amount of basses there are, it`s unlikely I`ll ever find them all. Maybe I should be content with the ones I have and just get to know every bit of them and make them work for me as well as I can. Would still love to find a Jazz bass I really click with though.

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[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1450526239' post='2933588']
The main message I took away from the clip..which some people seem not to have received.. is that a high end bass, or one especially made for you, is not going to make you a better player.
[/quote]

Thank you. This is indeed the point.

My, a lot of Grinches around this time of year!

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[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1450527039' post='2933608']
I think the main point of his message was that he posted a video of playing, and more people were concerned about what he was playing on than what he was actually playing. As a bass teacher that must be a bit depressing.
[/quote]

Agreed.. and for that reason he was trying to get across the..." a high end bass does not make a great player"..message. ;)

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[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1450526239' post='2933588']
The main message I took away from the clip..which some people seem not to have received.. is that a high end bass, or one especially made for you, is not going to make you a better player.
[/quote]

Very good point.

However, I'll put it from another perspective.

My Mother used to have a colleague who's son has progressed through the Orchestral music profession very successfully. In the 80s when he was a young man he entered a music competition playing his oboe. Without being arrogant he knew from his performance that he was good enough to win. He came second and was gutted. The judges took him aside afterwards and told him they were making a special award to him of £2000 towards the cost of a new instrument. They knew he was of a higher class than the other contestants but felt the quality of his instrument let him down.

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[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1450529814' post='2933655']
Very good point.

However, I'll put it from another perspective.

My Mother used to have a colleague who's son has progressed through the Orchestral music profession very successfully. In the 80s when he was a young man he entered a music competition playing his oboe. Without being arrogant he knew from his performance that he was good enough to win. He came second and was gutted. The judges took him aside afterwards and told him they were making a special award to him of £2000 towards the cost of a new instrument. They knew he was of a higher class than the other contestants but felt the quality of his instrument let him down.
[/quote]


You make a fair point also, but I think we are splitting hairs here. Again, the message I drew from the clip was that [u]solely [/u] concentrating on the guitar itself (I suppose you could also include FX pedals etc. here ) and neglecting other things like basic theory, technique, ear training, reading etc, is not the way to go. Granted, no one wants to play on an instrument that is not fit for purpose...the point being that it does not have to be "high end" to be fit for purpose. Lots of entry level basses (especially these days) are very playable and comfortable.

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But coming from a guy that sponsors a high end bass (and I love mine), and that repeatedly rants about economy of movement in the left hand... Try that on a chunky precision, see how much economy you get.

His point is fair, but beginners should also be told some things about neck radius and profile, types of strings, PU position, etc having an immense effect on sound. To preach that it's all in the fingers is deceiving. Once you've reached a certain level, and with a decent instrument decently set up, it's mostly in the fingers - if you have some talent. That'd be more accurate IMHO. You will get to that level faster if you have a bass that suits you from the get go. Not any bass.

Edited by juliusmonk
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[quote name='juliusmonk' timestamp='1450543583' post='2933802']
But coming from a guy that sponsors a high end bass (and I love mine), and that repeatedly rants about economy of movement in the left hand... Try that on a chunky precision, see how much economy you get.

His point is fair, but beginners should also be told some things about neck radius and profile, types of strings, PU position, etc having an immense effect on sound. To preach that it's all in the fingers is deceiving. Once you've reached a certain level, and with a decent instrument decently set up, it's mostly in the fingers - if you have some talent. That'd be more accurate IMHO. You will get to that level faster if you have a bass that suits you from the get go. Not any bass.
[/quote]

In fairness I dont think Scott (correct me if I'm wrong) said anything against getting a bass that suits you...or to pick up just any old bass. ..just not to make too much of a fuss about the bass itself, and instead to concentrate your time, effort and enthusiasm into learning it.

I have seen great bass players pick up a "cheapie" bass and sound amazing. I have also come across mediocre players picking up a high end bass and sound....well....mediocre. ;)

Also, on his site he gives advice about choosing a bass.

[url="http://www.scottsbasslessons.com/courses/the-definitive-beginners-guide-to-bass-guitar/choosing-the-right-bass"]http://www.scottsbas...-the-right-bass[/url]

Edited by Coilte
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