Is GAS an amateur thing ?

Dazed said:
Stu Hamm?! There aren't many companies that guy hasn't had a 'signature' model with. Smart fella!
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Actually, he never "mixed" his endorsments. Only played Kubicki, then only Fender, then only - for a brief period - Washburn, and now only Warwick. One model, maybe 5 or 6 of them, but always the same.

I don't know, Some players only have one model they play on, and as you said Entwistle had such a collection there is a book about it. (Which I happen to own. The book, not the collection). Same thing for Dusty Hill. ALthough Hill mainly plays the same NoCaster Bass, with or without fur. Dave Ellefson has about 30 basses on the road, pretty much all the same. Billy Sheehan has two models of basses. ANd AFAIK, only uses those two, but in so many exemplaries...

I know that I am a Collector. And god knows I LOVE to look at my basses on the wall. To be honest, I even considered redecorationg my Living Romm in the style of the Warwick MusikHalle, same as the Showroom in Nashville. Da Wife wasn't too thrilled about having basses and AMps (and maybe a pinball machine and a Rock-O La Jukebox) in the living room.

Anyway, I keep on thinking that there is a *need* that is filled with a minimum of instrument, that *need* being tonal or physical.
But the musician's character might be something else entirely.
I guess that when you speak about a journey for musical instrument, you have different travellers. You have people that are explorers, (I'm thinking Phil Lesh, here), and other more conservative ( and maybe that's why they still sell P-Basses, otherwise we would all be playing on 7-Strings BassLab with 6 p'ups.

As for defining "your sound", isn't there a ontradiction between one sound and multiple instruments ?
Just chatting.
 
Henrythe8 said:
As for defining "your sound", isn't there a ontradiction between one sound and multiple instruments ?
Just chatting.
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Nah I don't think so. I am always gonna dial up something that sounds similar on all my basses, but they all have different electronics so they won't be exactly the same. And it is really coming from my hands and style of playing. You wouldn't sound like me on my bass, as I wouldn't sound like you on yours, even with the exact same settings, right? But if my sound comes from my hands and style why do I need multiple basses? Well, why not haha. But to me the beauty of different instruments is when I need something other than "my sound", it's there, whether for different situations, or just to change it up and inspire myself. What I love about the $$ and the Ltd is the amount of different tones I can get, even if I don't utilize them all in my band setting.
 
You point out to something that I find really funny : having multiple basses that are all very versatile. :-)
I mean, why not. There are people collecting P-Basses...
 
Ive played professionally as many of us here have, and I want more/different bass gear all the time. I have my few pieces that I'll keep forever, but I love trying new things.
 
I think all my basses sound the same.. I swap them around for gigs all the time. I think the sounds people hear in their head are a placebo. I'll never say that's my "sound" for this song or that song. Not like the crowd im playing to would ever know anyway and none of them would possibly sound bad.

But back on track, I think rich professional musicians do have a bass room with a million basses in them. We just don't know it :)

I suffer from gas. Big time. Browsing for basses has consumed my life and I love doing it. And I consider buying anything special I find. Do I need them? Hell no! But life is too short and I could be hit by a car tomorrow. Plus they can always be sold if things go south, so it's not a problem :)

they aren't like a tattoo that's costs thousands and you never get your money back, which I continue telling my partner haha
 
I like to collect tattoos and Warwicks haha. For no reason other than enjoyment :) I think, who cares what people want/buy/play/collect and why, anything that gives you enjoyment, buy it! I work full time and in my spare time I like to buy myself toys, life is too short to sit around with all your money in the bank instead of entertaining you in my opinion. I have a varying reasons for buying or getting GAS with everything I like, sometimes even just cause it looks cool, it's comfy to play, it was cheap and a good bargain or I wanted to try a new thing etc.
 
Thanks for your insight.
Cheap is one of the reason to GAS, too. Just bought a 50€ bass (a mighty Steve Moore, some unknown underbrand of an underbranded factory...)
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I removed everything, enlarged the neck pocket to fit a Tobias Neck I had laying around, will paint it and have a nice Piccolo bass with it.
I already have a MEC MM pickup, I just need to add a switch. Do I need it ? No. But it was cheap and I wanted to toy around. I mean toy around, not play.

I guess a recording artist must have a shitload of basses to match the different requirements for each band or artist he/she plays with.
But, looking at bass plyers in band, I find that moist of them only use one type of bass.
Or maybe I haven't been to a sufficient number of live performance, but a guitar plyer often changes guitars during the set, bass player... not that much. if ever.
 
I find it funny when a bass player changes a jazzbass for a precision an then another jazz. Fretted to fretless or double bass, yes. Or a P bass to a Warwick Thumb. Otherwise it's just showing off to me. Or being really happy and lucky like Robert Trujillo.
 
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Henrythe8 said:
I mean, look at the professional, proficent bass players. There are dozens of them playing a single, or maybeless than handcount instruments.
From those I know, Vic Wooten is forver seen with his Fodera, Stu Hamm "only" plays with his Warwick signature basses (and I dont think he has more than 5 of those), ...
What's the deal with owning a dozen of different basses ?
Is GAS acuter when you own 10 different basses or 15 of the same brand and model ?
Is the excuse of a collection a good excuse if you're not John Entwistle ?

The reason I'm asking is a read an article about becoming professional bass player stating an interesting theory that you should not need more than 4 basses in all, for example A P-bass, a J bass, a fretless and an acoustic.

Thoughts ?
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I've thought about this too. I've noticed many times there are those two extreme types of people: those who aim to perfect their skills, and those who aim to perfect their tone (read: instrument collection). Those with the skill become professional and those with the massive collection of basses stay amateur :lol:

That's pretty black and white. There are shades of grey as well ;)

I mean, if you play eight hours a day, with some talent , you become a good player. Instead of using that time in online web stores looking for new stuff.
 
Cider Ox said:
I mean, if you play eight hours a day, with some talent , you become a good player. Instead of using that time in online web stores looking for new stuff.
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You win. :-)
 
I've always kept this photo. It's that pnut blokes collection. I see some beauties in that rack

image.jpg
 
Hey, another 10-strings streamer ! But nowhere near as pretty as Hardy's.
 
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