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Oh god...basses do my head in


AndyTravis

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3 hours ago, Paul S said:

^^ This is how I feel.  I am currently busy re-buying all the same types of 4 string basses that I sold 'when I moved exclusively to 5 strings' 😂

People selling their basses to switch to more / fewer strings is how I’ve managed to acquire most of my collection

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46 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

I sold a beloved FB4 to @hiram.k.hackenbacker - amazing bass. 

If I had the cash flow and more space at home then I would have kept it for those fun moments that only a FB4/FU4 can deliver. But I have no regrets, it was a joy to have owned. 

The Purple One is well and in good spirits @Chiliwailer. Hasn’t been gigged since Christmas, but now Jan/Feb are out of the way, it will be coming out of hibernation again very soon.

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@AndyTravis you are insane!  Constantly buying and selling!  🤣🤣🤣

Rather than sell anything, put it away in a cupboard for 12 months, and see if you can live without it.  Chances are at the end of the experiment you will be glad you didn’t sell.  I wish I did that with my lovely vintage oddball microphone collection!

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Hold tight @AndyTravis. It's been a crap winter, pissing it down pretty much since October and I reckon we're all at the end of our tethers. Not long now til we start getting some sun on our backs and a spring in our steps again. I'm sure it will make all the difference to our outlooks on most things. 

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5 hours ago, miles'tone said:

Hold tight @AndyTravis. It's been a crap winter, pissing it down pretty much since October and I reckon we're all at the end of our tethers. Not long now til we start getting some sun on our backs and a spring in our steps again. I'm sure it will make all the difference to our outlooks on most things. 

...plus once the Country has survived the Coronavirus scare, there will be all sorts of gigs aplenty again.  And you'll be glad that you held onto those basses....

Edited by mangotango
big-time grammar fail...
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I had a similar ailment. I have tried out or owned so many basses. It’s tricky. 

However I realised eventually that I only wanted basses from a few categories. Also, I realised that 95% of the sound is from me. So any bass that gave the right sound and felt good would tick the box.

4 string 70s Jazz Ash/Maple - there is literally nothing better for this sound, I believe, than a Celinder. So I bought one in 2013 and have never looked back. If it sounds wrong, it’s me, not the bass. It cost a lot at the time but it put GAS for this type of bass to rest.

4 string 60s Jazz Alder/RW - loads of choice for this one. But I bought a Celinder for this in 2012 and never worried about it since. Similar comment to above re: price and value.

4 string Precision Ash/Maple - Loads of choices for this too. But I waited a very long time and bought a Celinder PJ in 2019. I see no reason to bother looking for another bass of this wood/type again now. Expensive but worthwhile.

4 string Precision Alder/RW with flats - put together a parts bass from bits from eBay and had a local luthier make a Jazz neck for it. I wasn’t so precious as it was going to wear a niche string type. Not expensive.

4 string MusicMan - I bought a secondhand SBMM Sub Ray4, ultimately. This is a niche instrument as far as I am concerned, and after trying out many EBMM basses I am convinced that the sound of these is indelibly in the preamp. Cost - cheap. But I can’t see a reason to spend more - the Ray sound is there. And it feels comfy after I set it up and filed the nut.

’Beater’ bass - my old 2009 Squier CV Jazz. Bought in 2009 and travelled all over the world. Needs fretwork now but going strong and sounds as good as when I bought it. Cost - cheap. 

I have been through periods where I played 5 string. But I never felt the true utility of this. So I sold them after 5-6 years or so. 

I have been through periods where each of these basses was my main and others sat on the rack, even for a year. (The Sub Ray4 is recent but will I’m sure have the same fate.)

But I was always glad that I kept them, even if I briefly thought about selling. My tastes cycle around again. I suspect the OP’s will too. Hold on to your quality gear @AndyTravis

If you can afford it, IMO high quality is worth the investment. If you can’t, don’t sweat it, IMO inexpensive basses are 95% of the way to expensive ones with a little attention from a luthier. 

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On 09/03/2020 at 22:40, AndyTravis said:

Righto...

Been using a Yamaha BB714BS, it’s brilliant. But I only use the P pickup, and the humbucker is in the way.

Using a Modulus flea makes everything sound like RHCP (in my head).

so.

I have two awesome basses I’ve chased all over the place and wanted for years.

And I’m using a P setting.

how infuriating is that?!

Doesn't help that it was a crap rehearsal tonight in a god awful room.

Black or Lava Red?

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On 10/03/2020 at 13:52, mangotango said:

Two things:-

1) You're thinking of the sounds that you want now. That will change in different musical situations, obviously.  There a loads of "basses I wish I'd never sold" regret threads on here and every other muso forum. If you've really wanted those basses and found the ones that you want, I can't see why you'd give them up. Back in my blues guitar playing days (mid-90's), I acquired a Gibson ES-355 - exactly like the one that BB King played before Gibson built him the Lucille.  Except the band line-up changed and I found myself playing the Strat more. So after constant pressuring from a workmate, I sold him the Gibbo 'cos I wasn't using it and I believed it was a "wasting asset".  Of course, I regretted it pretty much straight away and for 20 years after that until I lucked into my D'Andeglico semi, which is all round a better guitar.  The point is, there were loads of times I could have used that guitar after the break-up of the band where I used the Strat. Still not sure that I've learned the lesson, but I'm trying to avoid being bitten by the same dog twice.

2) You already have a bass that does the sound that you feel that you want, as well as the couple of fantastic basses that you're talking about above? Good. Use that for now, but you will still have the basses that you need for all the other sounds in your head that you will want somewhere down the line. Play the long game on this, unless you're in desperate need of the dosh - in which case, make some space in your life to prepare for Mr. Regret to take up residence. :sorry: I speak as knows.

 

As has been said, don't let one duff rehearsal in a rubbish room mess things up for you. Life's too short.

This. The stuff I’ve sold because it wasn’t right at the time.......but would have been in a later/earlier situation. TBH, I’d have most of my basses back in an instant if I could.

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36 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Listening back to rehearsals with a P setting. Just such a sound....

the ones with the Modulus sound...dunno. Just like me playing someone else’s bass 😂😂😂

There’s two things going on there though - one is a p will sit in a mix a lot easier - so without much eq on the recording will probably sound nicer. 
the second is if you’ve been chasing the idea of the bass you want rather than the sound. A few years ago I had 100% active thru necks, my main bass with a cool ACG preamp. All good till I took a punt on a bass I had been recommended “buy if you find one” by a flat mate years ago. Roll forward 2 years and most my basses are bolt on basses with a fender type sound. Maybe the idea of the stunning graphite and sparkle finish flea bass is better than the actual sounds you want to make with it 

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8 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

There’s two things going on there though - one is a p will sit in a mix a lot easier - so without much eq on the recording will probably sound nicer. 
the second is if you’ve been chasing the idea of the bass you want rather than the sound. A few years ago I had 100% active thru necks, my main bass with a cool ACG preamp. All good till I took a punt on a bass I had been recommended “buy if you find one” by a flat mate years ago. Roll forward 2 years and most my basses are bolt on basses with a fender type sound. Maybe the idea of the stunning graphite and sparkle finish flea bass is better than the actual sounds you want to make with it 

Listed it on eBay last night. Have delisted it tonight with 60 views and 5 watchers.

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