#1959736 - 06/18/08 09:17 PM
Do they make Beano for bass players...?
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cassius
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Somebody please tell me some inspiring, Victor Wooten-ish, leave-the-instrument-behind type sayings. I can't get these high-end Ricky models out of my head. The 4001 C series keeps calling my name! Ugh. Must stop thinking about it.
How do you get yourself to STOP thinking about music-related materials? I can seriously spend the better part of a day just thinking about a bass I want. I think about it more than women sometimes! (Maybe it's just because I'm being a good husband.) Seriously, I have better fish to fry. I'm doing an awesome internship right now...
Oh, and with regard to my case, "Rickenbacker sucks" doesn't cut it for me. Sorry. Me being the spiteful creature that I am, it'll probably make me want the bass even more. Nice try though. Although "You'll probably have to wait a decade or more" probably IS a valid "anti-GAS" statement, discounting the used market.
Seriously. How do you find your "I don't give a crap about physical objects" zen space when you start fixating on a bass or amp, etc...?
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#1959739 - 06/18/08 09:26 PM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: cassius]
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dcr
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Run out of money. Works for me every time!
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#1959749 - 06/18/08 09:51 PM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: dcr]
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Bottomgottem
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"Before one's birth, one has no relationship with the world and its material objects. After death, they and all kith and kin disappear. This sojourn is just a game played in the interval."
- Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."
- Buddha
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal..."
- Jesus of Nazareth
"Run out of money."
- dcr
_________________________
"Our time should be spent on building intimate, everlasting relationships with those who care for us, thus transcending this physical realm....but first you have to get that bass." - rizzo9247
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#1959791 - 06/19/08 12:34 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Bottomgottem]
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Davo-London
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Yeah, but if GAS was completely in control, what kind of musician would we be? I do worry about friends GAS and mine too. But now I have three bases that I am very happy with my bass guitar GAS is diminishing. I need to concentrate on the playing side more and "give me a gig, man" side of things.
I know what you're going through cassius. Use the energy positively rather than destructively. Let's face it, there's plenty of pros who only seem to use one bass. I blame Entwistle and his like. RIP.
Davo
_________________________
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#1959804 - 06/19/08 02:00 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Davo-London]
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Phil W
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I hardly ever think about gear. I really think instruments are over-rated. But then I'm lucky enough to have one great one. And also to be in dcr's 'no money to spend' situation.
Just play the bass you have. Play it a lot. Play any instrument you can get your hands on but focus on the music, not the tool.
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#1959866 - 06/19/08 05:51 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Phil W]
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cassius
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"Before one's birth, one has no relationship with the world and its material objects. After death, they and all kith and kin disappear. This sojourn is just a game played in the interval."
- Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."
- Buddha
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal..."
- Jesus of Nazareth
"Run out of money."
- dcr
All good stuff. Thanks. The first three comments remind me of what a spiritual person I used to be before I simultaneously got wrapped in pursuits and became disenchanted with my local religious community. That's a whole other issue I've got to work on.
Yeah, but if GAS was completely in control, what kind of musician would we be? I do worry about friends GAS and mine too. But now I have three bases that I am very happy with my bass guitar GAS is diminishing. I need to concentrate on the playing side more and "give me a gig, man" side of things.
I know what you're going through cassius. Use the energy positively rather than destructively. Let's face it, there's plenty of pros who only seem to use one bass. I blame Entwistle and his like. RIP.
Davo
Here's my problem: I keep wanting to work my way up to "That One Bass". So my 4003 is a whole lot closer than my Jazz Bass or my Stingray (which I'm still trying to sell), but certain things on it could still be improved, and the 4001C64S generally makes these improvements. But once I got it I'd probably still want slight tweaks. I think it's partly just seeing greener grass on the other side.
I hardly ever think about gear. I really think instruments are over-rated. But then I'm lucky enough to have one great one. And also to be in dcr's 'no money to spend' situation.
I realized last night that I was very lucky to have what I did, just after I posted this thread. I've got a fretless Ricky on order that includes a Toaster and a vintage capped Hi Gain bridge... who would want anything more than that? It's already a total beast. The MG I have on order as well, fretted, could easily be modify for around $700 to match the 4001C64S closely and without the goofy reverse headstock.
The Ric I have pictured in my avatar has been my workhorse for a long time, but it's not actually mine: it's my Dad's. He bought it as an investment and potentially to relearn the bass, but he said until I got my Mapleglo finished 4003, I could play his. And for THAT I am infinitely grateful. It does cause me a lot of GAS though, because I think, "Oh, I want a Toaster pickup in the neck slot..." or something, but can't modify the bass at all.
Just play the bass you have. Play it a lot. Play any instrument you can get your hands on but focus on the music, not the tool.
I actually only have my Jazz Bass right now to play anyways (because I'm temporarily living in an workplace community dorm in Lawrence) and am always being reminded of what a neat instrument it is on its own. I record with it through GarageBand and it always makes me smile.
I should know better than to get obsessed... last night I went into Supersonic Music (or some name like that) on Mass. Street and picked up this funny looking Ibanez ATK bass. I ended up jamming Marcus Miller's "Power" on it for five or six minutes while I talked to a couple of drummers. What fun! And I doubt you'd call that $400 bass a high-ender.
Thanks for the advice, good stuff all around.
Oh and by the way Phil, thanks for access to your Pandora stations. Tatu / Agartha Funk and Robben Ford Radio are probably my favorites.... Modern Fusion as well.
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#1959868 - 06/19/08 05:56 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: cassius]
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Phil W
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Glad your enjoying them. I still haven't accessed them since they were blocked for the UK. I keep meaning to use a proxy. The problem is, I mostly used to listen to Pandora at work and there's no way the work Internet filter is going to let me access an IP Proxy site. 
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#1959871 - 06/19/08 06:05 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Phil W]
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cassius
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Yeah, I listen to them at work 95% of the time. Whenever I'm slugging through a big article or doing a spreadsheet they are very conducive to my sanity.
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#1959878 - 06/19/08 06:20 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: cassius]
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b5pilot
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Get a wife. They can be an awfully good at anti-gas.
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#1959882 - 06/19/08 06:27 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: b5pilot]
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Phil W
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+1
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#1959886 - 06/19/08 06:31 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Phil W]
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dcr
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Heck, there's a $240 difference (MSRP) between the C64 & the C64S, & they're both about twice what a 4003 costs anyway. So $700 to drop a toaster & a horseshoe into a bass that (a) you already like and (b) you already HAVE (no 3-year wait) sounds like a pretty good alternative to me.
The only worry is that even with those new mattresses, you might still be able to feel that pea. It's really easy to get obsessive about these things--believe me, I know. Ultimately that's the thing that has to be conquered, if it's an issue.
I've also noticed that the more specific my practice goals, & they more focused I am on them, the less Beano I seem to need.
_________________________
"Tonight's forecast: dark." -- Al Sleet
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#1959907 - 06/19/08 06:52 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: dcr]
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dcr
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Having gazed into my crystal ball , I see that you are striving for a very specific Sound--think, say, "Roundabout," mayhap?
It's ironic. People hear that song and think, "That's what a Rickenbacker sounds like." Then they buy one and they realize, "No, that's what Chris Squire sounds like." I recently watched some videos of CS playing "Parallels" with Yes. It sounded exactly like the bass we associate with CS. But it was a Fender. Nowadays, he travels with a whole arsenal of basses, some custom made. He always sounds like himself.
Trying to emulate That Magical Sound--Squire's or anyone's--can be a real path of pain. You get the bass. Then you get the other bass. No, wait, that bass. Then you get the pickup. Then you get the other pickup. Close, but what about that circuit? And maybe that pickup needs to be moved 1/2". Better; but if only I had that zero fret...
Repeat ad povertum.
Suppose you've now got the bass as tweaked as you can. It's still not quite there. You go through $50 in picks, and $300 in strings, since even the impoverished can still buy them in dribs and drabs. Your thoughts will be filled with core profiles, winding profiles, winding materials, winding platings, winding coatings, this brand, that brand, tension levels, why is that dog talking to me, tapering, non-tapering...
Now time to look outboard. That preamp...it's pretty good, but if only it had a slider at 100, & not just at 150. And after that, the power section; it's really got to be tubes, doesn't it? Then an infinite array of cabs to choose from--ohmages, wattages, driver sizes, paper or plastic, porting ...
You are now all broke and half crazy. Mean while someone else has spent the same amount of energy practicing & he now has your gig.
I chased the Squire/Lee sound for a long time. Then one day, sort of on a whim, I put a set of strings on that sounded nothing at all like that, but made me go, "Wow! I really dig that!" Not what I was looking for, but it was great.
Find a sound you like & get cracking. Just go with the first one that sounds OK to you. It'll change 1,000 times before you're through anyway.
_________________________
"Tonight's forecast: dark." -- Al Sleet
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#1960041 - 06/19/08 10:28 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: b5pilot]
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5 string Mike
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Get a wife. They can be an awfully good at anti-gas.
+1  A young mouth or 4 to feed will do it, too.
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The real art of conversation is to not only say the right thing at the right time, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
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#1960043 - 06/19/08 10:35 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: 5 string Mike]
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Lowtones11
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Baseball causes me to keep my mind off anything related to music. It's long season and there are games every day of the week.
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#1960071 - 06/19/08 11:07 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: cassius]
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Bumpcity
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I can't get these high-end Ricky models out of my head. The 4001 C series keeps calling my name! Ugh. Must stop thinking about it.
Then buy one.
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#1960073 - 06/19/08 11:10 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Bumpcity]
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dcr
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The direct approach!
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"Tonight's forecast: dark." -- Al Sleet
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#1960078 - 06/19/08 11:19 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: dcr]
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Bumpcity
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I'm all about the direct approach.
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#1960111 - 06/19/08 12:22 PM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Bumpcity]
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Nicklab
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Immerse yourself in music. That is after all what a musician should be doing, isn't it? Work on songs. Work on your technique. Work on theory. Start a new project or join another band in addition to your current one.
All of us can benefit from doing some serious woodshedding from time to time. And when you find that you've surmounted something that had previously been a musical obstacle, the sense of accomplishment can be significant.
As for G.A.S.? New gear is nice. But eventually it isn't new anymore and it loses it's lustre. The instruments, amps & cabinets are all tools. And the instrument will not play itself.
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#1960113 - 06/19/08 12:30 PM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Nicklab]
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kenfxj
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Practice?!? F**k practice! Just buy more gear!
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#1960193 - 06/19/08 02:33 PM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: dcr]
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cassius
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Having gazed into my crystal ball , I see that you are striving for a very specific Sound--think, say, "Roundabout," mayhap?
No, I know that "Roundabout" is a stereo-mixed sound, and CS's tone is his own. Actually I'm into a more bassy sound for my own use anyways--somewhere between Chris Squire and Paul d'Amour and several non-Ric players, something that I'm developing into my own thing. While I love CS, I don't want to sound exactly like him! I do admire his tone though, especially on Fish Out Of Water. I don't know if I made this clear in my CS post, but I actually want to learn more about his picking technique than how to get his tone. (I'm thinking of switching to picking part-time because occasionally my fingers blister up during long, intense performances. It may just be Ric strings or the tensions, because my Jazz Bass, which feels "snappy" and loose, doesn't do this to me.)
This is your "crystal ball" right?:
I really like the sound of the hi-gains, but when I listen to CS play it just sounds a bit like the voice of God to me, and a part of me can't help but feel that the combination of the Toaster and the Horseshoe aren't doing something to aid that.
While I thought (perhaps erroneously) that the Toaster & Horseshoe pickups were helping craft his tone, I don't want them just so I can sound like him. I believe (and I think rightly) that they are versatile, special tools that can be used a number of ways. The Horseshoe, as I understand it, is a mellifluous, neat pickup that I would love to make use of. I hear they can be quite bassy as well as chock full of overtones. The Toaster is time-honored as well for its articulate sound. I want to use these pickups to craft an crisp-yet-deep, true jazz meets jazz prog meets bassy blues rock sound--because that's how I try to play. Somewhere between those lines.
I know what you're saying though. Chasing one person's tone is idiotic. I tried it with Tool when I was young! While it's possible to get close, the results aren't even worth it--who wants to sound like a clone?
I've already decided I'm just going to mod my Mapleglo after sleeping on this. I really don't need a zero fret that badly. I really love my current 4003's tone, and what I'M getting out of it--something unique to me. The sound I get on my song "Hat Trick" is how I really want to sound--once my band's album comes out (soon) you guys can hear my Ric through my Ashdown and know what I'm talking about. While I really want vintage pickups, I think the only one that is really needed is for the neck slot--the Horseshoe may not even be necessary, because my Hi Gain in the bridge slot sounds AWESOME (with the cap engaged). Plus I'm getting fretless Ricky with a Toaster and a Vintage cap, and how cool is that? I mean come on. I can't complain... unless they never build it.
I think I just had to get this out of my system. Thanks all.
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#1960310 - 06/19/08 06:12 PM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: dcr]
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Bottom End
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Run out of money. Works for me every time!
+1
Get married and ask your wife about buying another bass, do it right after you get the bill for your kids' orthodontia.
Seriously, ask yourself a few questions:
1. "Can I afford it?" If you are not living off your parents or girlfriend, and your bills are paid, congrats, you're a responsible adult, move to the next question.
2. "Do I really need it, or am I kidding myself that another bass will cause me to be an even better bass player?" Only you can answer this question.
3. "If I didn't buy another bass, what would I do with the money?" In my younger days, and today, rather than spend money on material stuff (and now I have tons of junk, where did it all come from?) I'd save the money and then take a vacation, and come back refreshed and ready to take on life and music. Maybe you need to do something else, backpack around Europe, a cruise on the Med, soemthing other than music.
[/amateur psychology]
Edited by Bottom End (06/19/08 06:21 PM)
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Guitar solos only last about 30 seconds, the bass line goes on for the whole song.
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#1960312 - 06/19/08 06:14 PM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Bottom End]
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cassius
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Run out of money. Works for me every time! +1 Get married and ask your wife about buying another bass, do it right after you get the bill for your kids' orthodontia.
*just choked a little and considered a vasectomy*
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#1960661 - 06/20/08 11:35 AM
Re: Do they make Beano for bass players...?
[Re: Bottomgottem]
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Tom Capasso
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I can't help you manage this. I have been able to lust after gear and keep my wallet in my pocket. Having a Minister Of Finance and a pair of Responsibilities also helps. While I can tease about the limitations that they impose, I also remember that I love them.
I have found that there is always another bit of gear that I would love to have. I can play in church and in my band with what I have (which ain't bargain basement stuff, but I was able to afford it). The money will dictate if and when more gear is bought.
"Before one's birth, one has no relationship with the world and its material objects. After death, they and all kith and kin disappear. This sojourn is just a game played in the interval."
- Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."
- Buddha
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal..."
- Jesus of Nazareth
"Run out of money."
- dcr
I wanted to comment about this excellent compendium of wisdom that Bottomgottem put down for you. Let it drive your spiritual (re-)thinking. But remember that only one saying is completely practical, and it comes from the only one of the four people with an actual doctorate in philosophy. The first three are just a bunch of has-beens talking dreamy stuff.
Tom
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www.stoneflyrocks.com Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt
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