martthebass Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Have any of you guys got to the point where you think your bass gear is better than you are (or even worse - could be)? Don't get me wrong I love to play on a really nice bass but when you go to the odd jam night and someone plays the hell out of a £100 bass does it make you feel like leaving your £1000 baby in the gig bag and hacking about on the 'house bass'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 [quote name='martthebass' post='462062' date='Apr 14 2009, 01:01 PM']Don't get me wrong I love to play on a really nice bass but when you go to the odd jam night and someone plays the hell out of a £100 bass does it make you feel like leaving your £1000 baby in the gig bag and hacking about on the 'house bass'?[/quote] At one jam I don't even bother taking a bass. I play the rubbish house bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peted Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 My gear has always been leagues ahead of my ability to play. This place hasn't helped matters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 No, not at all (see sig). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Used to be! I dont even own my own bass anymore... Mind you, that should change very shortly. I have big things on the horizon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 my gear is way ahead of me. and my gear was cheap. gives you an idea of how bad i am! ^_^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golchen Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I am totally unworthy of my best basses. I still consider myself a bass newbie, but at my age one often has a bit of GAS money knocking about and I really appreciate lovely instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I'm playing four-year-old strings on a bass founded on 50-year-old technology, but listening to it though cutting-edge cabs. Sometimes I do wonder how I got to this point, but.. it sounds good. To answer the question.. yes. It's wasted on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Huh, my basses are worth much more than I am, certainly in monetary terms - if only I could stop tweaking and twiddling at them! As for my playing being worth anything - I suspect the only reason I'm in the band is because the guitarist doesn't have 4 arms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobo_Grimmer Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 [quote name='martthebass' post='462062' date='Apr 14 2009, 01:01 PM'] Have any of you guys got to the point where you think your bass gear is better than you are (or even worse - could be)? Don't get me wrong I love to play on a really nice bass but when you go to the odd jam night and someone plays the hell out of a £100 bass does it make you feel like leaving your £1000 baby in the gig bag and hacking about on the 'house bass'?[/quote] For me, being a lefty, it is a little easier, but i know what you mean. Down here in Bournemouth people in pub's and club jam nights are terrible. You get a whole league of "musicians" stood at the bar judging you for what your getting out of that flight case or wheeling in from the car. Pisses me off and makes me not want to play sometimes. What i think of now is that we're all here to play and enjoy the music that we're creating. Who give's a fluff what that kickin riff is played on/thro? When i first started Playing bass i felt so bad. I was real lucky to get some money left to me, about 1500, so i went out and got the best i could with the money. Then i hated getting my new gear out of the car because some of the snooty look's you'd get and horrible heckal's as you enter the pub and start playing, and then they see that i've only been playing about six months. That's one thing i've battled with for years. Am i really good enough to play this stuff? Who and what is Good anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 [quote name='martthebass' post='462062' date='Apr 14 2009, 01:01 PM'] Have any of you guys got to the point where you think your bass gear is better than you are (or even worse - could be)?[/quote] I used to think that way but it's pointless. My playing sounds better / is better when playing on my bass gear. It's a waste of time/money when your playing [i]isn't[/i] any better on higher end gear. I still happily gig with my first bass from time to time though (a $200 Mexican Fender Jazz). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 (edited) certainly is! thank god I'm rubbish! if it wasn't for the toys and the ability to annoy guitarists and drummers then...it would be just a little less than the best thing ever!! Edited April 14, 2009 by andy67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey1-8 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I've never really thought about it. But I can say that my Japanese Jazz gets gigged as much as my more expensive basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I'm a very average bass player. However having some decent gear allows me to be that little bit less average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 [quote name='martthebass' post='462062' date='Apr 14 2009, 01:01 PM'] Have any of you guys got to the point where you think your bass gear is better than you are (or even worse - could be)?[/quote] Probably, but it’s nice owning good stuff. I'm in the process of down-grading my rig so this should help level things out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer61 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 See below, my gear looks the part, I don't play the part though! Will keep on trying................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Much better! It's easier to make money than develop talent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Oh yeah, for sure. But it sounds great, makes me play better than any old rubbish would, and sounds great..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Absolutely. Thats maybe why we all love a modest bit of kit that 'does the job' though isn't it ? I love reasonably priced basses and amps that are up to the mark more than exotic overpriced stuff that scares you silly when you take it on pub gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 My imagination is always better than I am but my playing usually takes several steps forward when I buy better gear. In my experience better gear helps to improve your confidence and playing ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Yup for sure .. Even my jam stuff is better than me Still, I don't really care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmstone Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Absolutely!! At a rehearsal in a covers band I joined recently, the (professional) sax player noticed me getting my bass out.. He came rushing over and said "is that a Warwick? A friend of mine, who is a really excellent bass player had one of those, and always said they were the best basses he ever played".. I told him I was by no means an excellent, or even a good bass player. He said "who cares? You've got a Warwick!" (needless to say that was before he heard me play!!!) James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 [quote name='martthebass' post='462062' date='Apr 14 2009, 01:01 PM'] Have any of you guys got to the point where you think your bass gear is better than you are (or even worse - could be)? Don't get me wrong I love to play on a really nice bass but when you go to the odd jam night and someone plays the hell out of a £100 bass does it make you feel like leaving your £1000 baby in the gig bag and hacking about on the 'house bass'?[/quote] Haha - I've been to a jam night like that. Left the Stingray in its case and played the Squier Jazz - worse than the guy before me. It was all blues blah blah anyway, not my bag. Interesting to note though (with ref to another thread about stage sound) that when I stood out the front it sounded great, when I stood next to the cab it sounded muddier than Muddy Waters. Back to the topic - think my current stable of G&L Tribute, Yamaha BB and second hand Trace stuff suits me nicely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 My problem is that I am so arse rippingly mind buggeringly good that the instrument hasn't been made yet that does me justice. In the meantime I will settle for SX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I don't deserve any of the gear i have. I'm a pretty crap musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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