jeremy c Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I use all of them except for the Matt Freeman bass which I will never sell. Why don't you use it? The bass sounds like Matt and that's not what I want to sound like. But it wouldn't be right for me to sell a gift like that. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 After 44 responses on Q1 and 43 responses on Q2... -I'm suprised by how many of us have five or more instruments. We are a broad mix of players, and I doubt that so many of us actually need that many basses. However, many of us have also played for a while, and have accumulated gear over time that we have chosen not to part with. I often think that 3 types of electric basses would cover most playing situations -- a traditional, passive P or J bass; a modern, active 5-string; a fretless -- and everything else is gravy. A fourth bass might be a URB or ABG -- for a more acoustic sound -- and I explicitly focused the poll on electric basses. Thus, I expected (wrongly) that the mode would be for 3 electric basses. We do appear to be a pack of GAS-addled thumpers. -I did expect the cost question to play out as it has thus far. The distribution falls pretty heavily in the $500-$1500 range. Currently, I think that is a sweet spot for a lot of really good instruments -- playable, decent tone, variety of options. Anyone who's made a relatively recent purchase of a new bass likely would have at least considered that price range, and many probably followed through in that range. Assuming that price range also represents some basses folks bought 10-20 yrs ago, those more experienced players among us invested in an instrument that they have stuck with over time. Some of this makes me wonder anew about our membership here. I think quite a few of us have played quite a number of years, so have had time to accumulate instruments. Also, I think quite a few of us are not, shall we say, spring chickens, and by middle age or beyond have perhaps had some time to accumulate the means to support some extras in our chosen hobby, semi-profession, or profession. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFLA Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Some of this makes me wonder anew about our membership here. I think quite a few of us have played quite a number of years, so have had time to accumulate instruments. Also, I think quite a few of us are not, shall we say, spring chickens, and by middle age or beyond have perhaps had some time to accumulate the means to support some extras in our chosen hobby, semi-profession, or profession. Peace. --SW I feel the same, and it certainly fits in my situation. From 1973 until 1998 I had one bass at a time (3 in total). Since then it has gone well in to the 5+ category - in great part because "I could" and because I had always wanted to try different basses, but could not afford to buy. "Trying" a new bass doesn't equate to long term evaluation that requires a purchase. Now - if I could get over having such great instruments (but not playing them regularly) and sell them, I'd be in great shape... Jim Confirmed RoscoeHead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I often think that 3 types of electric basses would cover most playing situations -- a traditional, passive P or J bass; a modern, active 5-string; a fretless -- and everything else is gravy. A fourth bass might be a URB. I agree. I have the modern active 5 covered with my Roscoe. I've been noticing and liking a lot of P bass lately - maybe with flats. My fretless has me torn between a Rob Allen or a Roscoe. Very different I know. If I had an URB then I'd go Roscoe fretless. :-) Actually, as I think about it and my current playing, my Roscoe really covers any gig. But it would be fun/nice/marketable to have an EUB for jazz/pit type gigs. Maybe even a few tunes at church. I've had them before (surprise, right) and gotten great comments and enjoyed playing them. I liked my Azola, don't care for the NS as much but the price is right. The Eminance would be fun to try. I like the more upright design - not a bass on a tripod like the NS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Gollihur Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I feel the same, and it certainly fits in my situation. From 1973 until 1998 I had one bass at a time (3 in total). Since then it has gone well in to the 5+ category - in great part because "I could" and because I had always wanted to try different basses, but could not afford to buy. "Trying" a new bass doesn't equate to long term evaluation that requires a purchase. Now - if I could get over having such great instruments (but not playing them regularly) and sell them, I'd be in great shape... +1 almost exactly, I also only owned one ebass at a time from about 1964-1996, but have since definitely overcompensated. Getting the kids out of the nest and through college helps a great deal! 1000 Upright Bass Links, Luthier Directory, Teacher Directory - http://www.gollihurmusic.com/links.cfm [highlight] - Life is too short for bad tone - [/highlight] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flemtone Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi. My name is Tim and I'm a bassaholic. (Hi, Tim) I have what many might consider a problem - I think of instruments as art as well as functionable instruments. Because of this abnormality, I find myself collecting instruments for their aesthetic value more than their worth on the open market. To that end, I have a wide variety of relatively inexpensive instuments as well as the 'players' that have seen me thru various stages of my musical journey thru life. Currently I have 11 basses of various designs, 7 acoustic guitars, 2 electric guitars, a ukulele and a bowed psaltery that I play at various Ren faires. Included in the basses are the old Ric, a '48 Kay upright, a '64 P-bass that I'm putting back together (the original owner stripped it down to bare wood), an old Gretsch 'Country Gentleman' fretless and a Michael Kelly acoustic fretless 5 Dragonfly. My Sweetie tells me that, if I come home with any more instruments, there'll be plenty of room where she and all her belongings used to be. After 34 years, I wonder if she's joking? There's a peculiar glint in her eyes, though... Play. Just play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfxj Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 ... I have what many might consider a problem - I think of instruments as art as well as functionable instruments. Because of this abnormality, I find myself collecting instruments for their aesthetic value more than their worth on the open market. ... When I'm in my local guitar center I sometimes find myself just admiring the physical beauty of some of the more expensive PRS guitars as well as the vintage Fenders. Push the button Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeronyne Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I've really reduced my toolkit. When I realized that my bass playing priorities changed, I wouldn't be needing the "edge case" basses. So out went the Michael Kelly acoustic, the Warwick Thumb 5, the KSD fretless, and even the MIM Jazz. The only ones I have left are either too personal (my Nordstrand, my DIY P Bass) to sell or not worth selling (Squier None More Black 5 string and a horrible Ibanez EDA) because of devaluation. Wow, that's still 4 basses... "For instance" is not proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I use all of them except for the Matt Freeman bass which I will never sell. Why don't you use it? The bass sounds like Matt and that's not what I want to sound like. But it wouldn't be right for me to sell a gift like that. It was a VERY nice gesture from a student -- you should be proud. Hey, maybe you should find a side gig where you NEED to sound like Matt -- that might be fun. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 like so many other pursuits, the n+1 rule is almost always in effect (even for the parsimonious among us). i'm always one bass away from a complete collection. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottom End Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 As much As I'd love to own every bass that catches my eye, or ear, I am slowly backing away from more purchases. I have a Hohner Fretless given to me by my wife, the only fretless I own, which I also used exclusively for a year of steady playing and way too much sentimental value to part with. The neck is sweet, but the body and elctronics are beat, so I'm considering taking the body off my MIM J Bass, which I had played with some good friends in Iraq, way to sentimental to part with it, and it's sage green, which is uncommon, and adding the Hohner neck resulting in a a fretless FrankenJ. I have a Dean ABG that I like alot, but it's nowhere near loud enough without an amp, so I restrung it righty for my kids to mess with, maybe it'll gain their interest. I can't sell it for anything because it got severely damaged during a move and though it was repaired and plays like new, cosmetically no one would give me enough to make it worth selling. I saw a beautiful MIA Pbass on clearance, and would buy it in a heartbeat if I had the cash, but today I pulled my G&L out of the case and plugged it in to learn some new tunes, and I realized it was damn good at giving me the Pbass growl as well as just about every other tone I would like to have. Maybe, just maybe, I can resist the call of the orphaned P bass a bit longer. "Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfxj Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 like so many other pursuits, the n+1 rule is almost always in effect (even for the parsimonious among us). i'm always one bass away from a complete collection. Couldn't be more true. I say I'm quite content right now but locked in the attic of my brain is the Kenny we don't talk ablut, the one who really would like another Ric. Push the button Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 Let's have fun with summary statistics... After 47 responses to Q1 and 46 responses to Q2, we come to the following stats: Number of basses... - median = 4 - mode = 5+ - mean = 4.1 (if calculate 5+ category as 6) - mean = 3.7 (if calculate 5+ category as 5) Cost of most expensive bass currently owned (in US $; unadjusted for changes in value over time - either value of the dollar or value of the bass)... - median = $1000-$1499 range - mode = $500-$999 range - mean = $1326 (calculating the various options in order as $250, $750, $1250, $1750, $2500, and $3500) Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I use all of them except for the Matt Freeman bass which I will never sell. Why don't you use it? The bass sounds like Matt and that's not what I want to sound like. But it wouldn't be right for me to sell a gift like that. It was a VERY nice gesture from a student -- you should be proud. Hey, maybe you should find a side gig where you NEED to sound like Matt -- that might be fun. Jeremy I would have thought you would have used it for that Hedwig gig you did a while back. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Responses have slowed greatly. Let's have more fun with summary statistics... After 51 responses to Q1 and 50 responses to Q2, we come to the following stats: Number of basses... - median = 4 - mode = 5+ - mean = 4.1 (if calculate 5+ category as 6) - mean = 3.6 (if calculate 5+ category as 5) Cost of most expensive bass currently owned (in US $; unadjusted for changes in value over time - either value of the dollar or value of the bass)... - median = $1000-$1499 range - mode (tie)= $500-$999 range and $1000-$1499 range - mean = $1325 (calculating the various options in order as $250, $750, $1250, $1750, $2500, and $3500) The last four responses had very little effect on the prior set of summary statistics. I've bolded measures that changed, no matter how slightly, compared to the prior summary. I remain surprised that the modal number of electric basses currently owned is 5+ and that the average number owned is about 4. I really would've guessed both numbers to be at or near 3, even for our group of bass afficionados/addicts. I also remain unsurprised that the most expensive bass owned, on average, is about $1300, with the mode being both the $500-$999 and $1000-$1499 ranges. As I wrote earlier, there is a rich variety of quality options for electric basses in the $500-$1499 price range that are suitable for professional duty. (We are very fortunate among instrumentalists that this is the case, when many of them can pay more than twice as much for professional-grade axes.) Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottom End Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 What about # active vs passive vs hybrid? 1-2-1 "Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFLA Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Well, the original poll had some limitations in my case. I have 11 basses, the most expensive being my custom Roscoe fretless - which was $3500 (over $4000 list). The average of my 4 Roscoes was over $2000. I'll leave out the 2 Lulls and... I don't know if others might have data that would skew (THERE"S a good band name!) the results - I'm sure my data (by itself) would probably not. Jim Confirmed RoscoeHead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Yeah, you and 57pbass are probably both potential culprits for skewing results were the survey questions set up differently. I'd probably drop the "outliers" from the analysis anyway if this were a more serious bit of research. :-} Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I have 14 Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff beer Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I answered 3 basses but was wrong. I currently have 4, but forgot about one I never use and should sell, lol. I also have 3 guitars, including a good acoustic (Taylor 414), and have been looking for a new electric guitar and also a combo guitar amp. So, I guess I have 7 instruments in total. I also have 3 bass amps. One of them is never used and should be sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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