Luckystrike Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Looks like I'm in a definite minority here - 2 of my basses are case queens for my enjoyment or recording. They're in excellent condition and the aesthetics of guitars are a big thing for me, so a dink or chip would really bother me. I have others with battle scars that are just as aesthetically appealing for their history and character, but I can see why people can be precious about immaculate instruments certainly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 (edited) All my gear goes out at one time or another. Everything has a ding or two on it, even my Shuker. But it's a consequence of being used, and they're meant to be used not just hung on a wall. On 07/06/2018 at 22:30, BigRedX said: I once took my 3 Gus G3 Basses and and Gus G1 Guitar to a gig. Total value along with the bass rig I was using at the time, somewhere around £25k... A jazz guitarist mate of mine has a vintage Gibson Super 400 worth in the region of 15 thousand quid... yup, it gets gigged. All his vintage gear does. Although his gigs are rather more sedate affairs than yours or mine Edited June 9, 2018 by Rich 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 It's almost the reverse for me. I played a gig the other day and on a whim took my Squier VM fretless Jazz. Never gigged it before, and spent the whole night thinking "why am I playing this when I have so much better at home in their cases?" .... In the classical world, there's no such thing as "too nice to gig". Granted, there are fewer drunken punters, but I know violinists who sit in the pub post-gig with a £50k instrument on the floor next to them. Look after your gear by all means, but instruments are for playing music, and music should have people listening, and the people listening deserve the best you can give them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 I buy kit for 2 reasons: to gig, or to use in my home studio. All my amps, guitars and basses get gigged, as do most of my fx pedals. Having said that, there are times when I take the less expensive stuff, usually when I'm going to have to leave kit in a parked car or hotel bedroom. Also I will take my Mustang bass rather than a Precision if it's a really cramped venue - a 4in shorter neck makes a significant difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 30 minutes ago, neilp said: In the classical world, there's no such thing as "too nice to gig". Granted, there are fewer drunken punters, but I know violinists who sit in the pub post-gig with a £50k instrument on the floor next to them. Agreed, although for me carting a Precision around into bars / restaurants in the few hours before a show just isn't practical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 I don't have 'stupidly' expensive gear. It's professional grade stuff, I suppose. I've just bought a Fender Elite Precision and I know at some stage it's going to get it's first dent but I'm resigned to that. Occasionally my band will do mini tours, where we will have to stay a few nights in hotels. I usually take my Squier for those gigs, as otherwise I'd get paranoid about somebody nicking my bass from the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 I have one really valuable/favourite bass (1970 precision), an intermediate one (Epi Jack Casady) and a cheapo one (Yamaha BB604). I gig them all. I tend not to take the old precision to dodgy venues, on flights, or to gigs where I'll end up having to keep such as close eye on it that it'll spoil my evening. But for everything else the precision is my first choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 I think I cart around four grands worth of gear about with me. But I bought it to use so that's what I do. I look after my stuff but they are tool tools and subject to wear and depreciation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Anything that isn't gigged stands a good chance of being sold. Except a couple of 4 strings that I like but don't gig with 4 strings. There are some things I don't take to some pubs though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 I have a Tama Swingstar kit for practising, lending out and generally trying stuff on, but wouldn't dream of gigging it. I'll always use my vintage (it wasn't when I bought it, new..! ) Camco kit, and full cymbal set. Beyond price, now, but well over two grand back then in early '70s. It's had its fair share of scars from pro, semi-pro and amateur use over all that time, although I've always kept it all in the best condition I could. I don't suppose anyone would be walking off with it all at a dodgy pub, though; they'd need a van..! Even the cymbal flight-case has enough weight to deter folks; I struggle with it myself, now ..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbass Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Not necessarily to nice to use but I did have a couple of early 70's p basses which I got rid of after trying a Squier and realising hanging on to them was not financially viable, and to be honest I did use to worry every time I gigged them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 On 08/06/2018 at 00:28, chris_b said: Nope. Everything I buy is to be gigged, as often as possible. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japhet Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 I find that the 'best' gigs are the rowdier ones where people have a few and want to dance, sing, jump about etc.. That means that I don't much like taking my best gear out and generally use my perfectly adequate other stuff. Then I find that I don't take the quality stuff to the other gigs because it feels like overkill when there's only a few punters who aren't listening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 11 minutes ago, Japhet said: I find that the 'best' gigs are the rowdier ones where people have a few and want to dance, sing, jump about etc.. That means that I don't much like taking my best gear out and generally use my perfectly adequate other stuff. ^ +1 all day long ^ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 As said above, "don't gig" isn't the same as "don't use". I'll probably never gig my EB2, but I get great joy from playing it (and it improves my technique) and so do my son and his musician friends, so I'm satisfied that it's well used and appreciated. I don't gig my fretless atm, because I don't play it well enough yet, but I'm working on that and its time will come. On 09/06/2018 at 11:48, gjones said: I've just bought a Fender Elite Precision and I know at some stage it's going to get it's first dent but I'm resigned to that. That reminds me of a lovely story from Matthew Crawford's wonderful book The Case for Working with Your Hands - he's a specialist restorer of vintage motorcycles, and tells of a friend who had ordered a beautiful new bike and invited his friends to be there when it was delivered. To their horror the first thing he did was to pick up a handful of gravel and throw it at the gas tank. When asked why, he said "I don't need to worry about it getting its first scratch now!". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I often think buying a nicer more expensive bass would be good but there are so many things that happen at gigs I'd be terrified. The only recording I do is rough recordings of rehearsals and I don't get time to play just for my own indulgence. So all my gear is gigging gear. My MIJ P bass got a small dent from the drummer kicking it over by accident which upset me. My MIM Jazz has been beaten worse than Audley Harrison in his pro career, which makes it suitable for every occasion, and my fretless Kramer has had the odd tumble. It's a hazard of the job I guess, so I couldn't justify buying something too nice to take out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 If the venue is SO dodgy*, that I feel I may need use my bass as a weapon, I take the Squier. * i.e. it's in Dundee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I usually try to take my best (or most appropriate for the gig) gear, so it's not that stuff is too nice to gig with, it's that it's not nice enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazzer Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 The only one that I don't gig these days is the '74 Jazz, studio & home use only now.... The 2 US Precisions & Stingray are my workhorses now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 2 hours ago, gjones said: If the venue is SO dodgy*, that I feel I may need use my bass as a weapon, I take the Squier. * i.e. it's in Dundee Funnily enough, I played the Beat Generator in Dundee twice and had a great time. However one of the support acts "accidentally" lifted our lead guitarists Gibson SG`s. He got them back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 I once 'lost' a pair of 2x12 (with horn) Selmer prototypes......... the police found them for me quite quickly.........stupid really, there was only one band that could have 'accidentally' walked off with them, and we had their gig list............at least they didn't nick my bass bins........... 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 16 hours ago, taunton-hobbit said: I once 'lost' a pair of 2x12 (with horn) Selmer prototypes......... the police found them for me quite quickly.........stupid really, there was only one band that could have 'accidentally' walked off with them, and we had their gig list............at least they didn't nick my bass bins........... 😎 It isn't limited to the pop music world. A drummer friend (who also does orchestral work) told me that a visiting Russian orchestra once walked off with the 80 grand's worth of the Festival Hall's timpani. Straight in the back of the coach and back to Moscow. They could hardly have done that "accidentally". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 My Overwater Custom 6 fretless is never gigged but taken to recording studios only. My Warwick Thumb 89 NT i don't gig mainly because its a bit too heavy but i just couldn't part with it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The59Sound Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 On 07/06/2018 at 21:41, taunton-hobbit said: Being more-or-less retired, I look at my kit from time to time......... I have some frighteningly good Matamp (valve) 300 watters, which are mint, never having been out. If I were to consider gigging, I think I'd use my Crown 2000, which is immaculate, but not irreplaceable if 'something' happened.........does anyone else have kit which is 'too nice to use'? Or am I just being 'old'? Wow - count yourself lucky to have such nice gear you won't have to sacrifice gigging. First world problems... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 I take my nice kit gigging. Life's for living. If I stay in a hotel I won't leave a bass in the car but if the thieves can lift the Ampeg rig, I figure they've earned a reward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.