Mescalino
05-17-2002, 04:07 AM
Part 1:
A young bass player walks into a music store, his hard-earned money clenched tightly in his fist. He's ready to buy a bass and is thinking only of the joy it will give him to make musical sounds on a new instrument. As he walks along the bass display, trying to decide which instrument will suit his needs, the disease hits. His eyes get glassy, his legs turn to rubber, and his palms start to sweat. He has just become another unsuspecting victim of gotta-have-it-osis. Why? Because he just spotted the very same bass guitar his favorite bass player uses.
It's identical in every way: the same nuclear-meltdown paint job, the same stegosaurus-skull-shaped body ... even the same hole next to the pickup where his hero parks his upper dental plate while he shoots strained beets out of his mouth during the ballad. The kid is elated. He grabs the bass, gives the E string a cursory pluck--"feels great to me"--runs to the counter, hands over his money, and dashes out the door.
Two months later, the victim's disease clears up. He's figured out that the cables supporting the Golden Gate Bridge are easier to pluck than the strings on his bass, that the fumes from the paint job give him a headache, and that he's jammed his thumb twice in that damned dental hole. Besides, his fave bass god doesn't play anymore because he's dedicated his life to saving the crabs in Madagascar. What a scenario!
Okay, this is a bit of an exaggeration. But there are still legions of musicians who don't know what separates a good instrument from a bad one. You may be one of them, so let me help you. The bottom line is this: The only good bass is a bass that lets you play what you hear.
Any experienced player knows this. Weird body designs, garish rock & roll colors, and flashy decals have nothing to do with the quality and playability of a new bass. If you choose a bass that plays good first and looks good second, then you're a smart buyer who's way ahead of the pack. Quality is everything. Never forget this unless you don't care about quality--I'm serious--and you're only into playing for show. Some people are, you know.
This should be the end of the article. There isn't anything more to say about this subject, except that every guitar company on earth wants you to think its instruments are superior to those made by other companies. There's nothing unusual about this, and these days there are many great instruments available. You, the purchaser, are in an enviable position; you can pick and choose from dozens of different styles and features: 4-string, 5-string, 6-string, two-octave necks, graphite necks, copies of "vintage" models, passive vs. active electronics, exotic woods, different pickups, high-tech hardware, etc. So, first, you must decide what you need. How do you know?
Welcome to a symposium on bass-buying. Where does this symposium take place? Ideally, it should happen in the music store where you go to purchase your instrument. I'm going to give you some tips concerning your requirements as a purchaser and the store's requirements as a seller. It's really not too complicated, and I hope you will come out of this article as a more aware consumer.
The Retail World
First, some background. The purpose of retail is to make a profit; this is the American way and there's nothing wrong with it. When you enter a music store to check out instruments for a possible purchase, the staff of the store is prepared to sell you something from their inventory. But the salespeople should be willing to aid you in the task of selecting the best bass to fit your needs, not theirs. They should want to extend themselves to make sure you're a satisfied consumer and that the instrument you buy will serve you well for a long time. The salespeople should be knowledgeable, patient, and willing to go that extra mile for you. They should know how to explain things to a buyer who may not know the ropes. Sadly, this is often not the case.
When you enter a store either to window-shop or to make a purchase, you may run into a salesperson who does not help you in the way you need. Look for another salesperson. It's your money, and the last thing you need is a clerk with a star complex. I ask players about this in my clinics, and I can't tell you how many times I've heard about disrespectful salespeople copping that "I sold a guitar to Axl Rose and you're just a local putz" attitude. If you don't find somebody who can speak your language, ask to talk to the manager. If that doesn't work, then walk. There has to be another store within 50 miles of where you live that can accommodate you. Believe me, the trip is worth it if it will help you to find that special bass.
There's another side to this. You, the consumer, shouldn't push salespeople around. Often the store is jammed with people with some time on their hands who want to check out a few guitars. The salespeople may not have time to be with you right away because of the other customers. Patience! They'll get to you. If you're in the window-shopping mood, then go to the store about an hour or so before it closes. That way, you can take all the time you want to look around and see what basses are on display without bumping elbows with a lot of people. This is also a good way to get the "lay of the land" and see what the store has to offer in the price range you can afford.
Now, to the product itself. Here's a short story about how a bass is built, shipped to a store, and put on display. (I know this part really well, because I designed the Palaedium bass for Peavey, and I'm always in contact with their guitar-development people.) After an instrument is manufactured, the company ships the finished product to the dealer via airplane and/or truck. The instrument is bounced around in a packing crate, and certain parts can shift--for example, the truss rod (more on that later). Also, when an instrument is shipped, it's often subjected to different climates; it might go from a hot, humid area to one where the air is cold and dry. This, too, can cause some parts of the instrument to move or shift. When the bass arrives at the store, someone takes it out of its box and puts it on display. Sometimes, the store has a repair shop where the instrument is set up a little before being displayed.
Even after an instrument is set up by a store tech, it's still difficult to pick it off the wall and expect it to play the way you need it to play--even if it's a great bass. Why? Because no dealer can adjust the neck, pickups, and bridge exactly the way you need them to be set. They can't know your specific needs--it's impossible. This is normal in music retail. When a company says it makes the best bass on earth, what it's really saying is: when the bass is set up the way you need it to be set up, the company believes there is no other instrument that will do the job as well.
A young bass player walks into a music store, his hard-earned money clenched tightly in his fist. He's ready to buy a bass and is thinking only of the joy it will give him to make musical sounds on a new instrument. As he walks along the bass display, trying to decide which instrument will suit his needs, the disease hits. His eyes get glassy, his legs turn to rubber, and his palms start to sweat. He has just become another unsuspecting victim of gotta-have-it-osis. Why? Because he just spotted the very same bass guitar his favorite bass player uses.
It's identical in every way: the same nuclear-meltdown paint job, the same stegosaurus-skull-shaped body ... even the same hole next to the pickup where his hero parks his upper dental plate while he shoots strained beets out of his mouth during the ballad. The kid is elated. He grabs the bass, gives the E string a cursory pluck--"feels great to me"--runs to the counter, hands over his money, and dashes out the door.
Two months later, the victim's disease clears up. He's figured out that the cables supporting the Golden Gate Bridge are easier to pluck than the strings on his bass, that the fumes from the paint job give him a headache, and that he's jammed his thumb twice in that damned dental hole. Besides, his fave bass god doesn't play anymore because he's dedicated his life to saving the crabs in Madagascar. What a scenario!
Okay, this is a bit of an exaggeration. But there are still legions of musicians who don't know what separates a good instrument from a bad one. You may be one of them, so let me help you. The bottom line is this: The only good bass is a bass that lets you play what you hear.
Any experienced player knows this. Weird body designs, garish rock & roll colors, and flashy decals have nothing to do with the quality and playability of a new bass. If you choose a bass that plays good first and looks good second, then you're a smart buyer who's way ahead of the pack. Quality is everything. Never forget this unless you don't care about quality--I'm serious--and you're only into playing for show. Some people are, you know.
This should be the end of the article. There isn't anything more to say about this subject, except that every guitar company on earth wants you to think its instruments are superior to those made by other companies. There's nothing unusual about this, and these days there are many great instruments available. You, the purchaser, are in an enviable position; you can pick and choose from dozens of different styles and features: 4-string, 5-string, 6-string, two-octave necks, graphite necks, copies of "vintage" models, passive vs. active electronics, exotic woods, different pickups, high-tech hardware, etc. So, first, you must decide what you need. How do you know?
Welcome to a symposium on bass-buying. Where does this symposium take place? Ideally, it should happen in the music store where you go to purchase your instrument. I'm going to give you some tips concerning your requirements as a purchaser and the store's requirements as a seller. It's really not too complicated, and I hope you will come out of this article as a more aware consumer.
The Retail World
First, some background. The purpose of retail is to make a profit; this is the American way and there's nothing wrong with it. When you enter a music store to check out instruments for a possible purchase, the staff of the store is prepared to sell you something from their inventory. But the salespeople should be willing to aid you in the task of selecting the best bass to fit your needs, not theirs. They should want to extend themselves to make sure you're a satisfied consumer and that the instrument you buy will serve you well for a long time. The salespeople should be knowledgeable, patient, and willing to go that extra mile for you. They should know how to explain things to a buyer who may not know the ropes. Sadly, this is often not the case.
When you enter a store either to window-shop or to make a purchase, you may run into a salesperson who does not help you in the way you need. Look for another salesperson. It's your money, and the last thing you need is a clerk with a star complex. I ask players about this in my clinics, and I can't tell you how many times I've heard about disrespectful salespeople copping that "I sold a guitar to Axl Rose and you're just a local putz" attitude. If you don't find somebody who can speak your language, ask to talk to the manager. If that doesn't work, then walk. There has to be another store within 50 miles of where you live that can accommodate you. Believe me, the trip is worth it if it will help you to find that special bass.
There's another side to this. You, the consumer, shouldn't push salespeople around. Often the store is jammed with people with some time on their hands who want to check out a few guitars. The salespeople may not have time to be with you right away because of the other customers. Patience! They'll get to you. If you're in the window-shopping mood, then go to the store about an hour or so before it closes. That way, you can take all the time you want to look around and see what basses are on display without bumping elbows with a lot of people. This is also a good way to get the "lay of the land" and see what the store has to offer in the price range you can afford.
Now, to the product itself. Here's a short story about how a bass is built, shipped to a store, and put on display. (I know this part really well, because I designed the Palaedium bass for Peavey, and I'm always in contact with their guitar-development people.) After an instrument is manufactured, the company ships the finished product to the dealer via airplane and/or truck. The instrument is bounced around in a packing crate, and certain parts can shift--for example, the truss rod (more on that later). Also, when an instrument is shipped, it's often subjected to different climates; it might go from a hot, humid area to one where the air is cold and dry. This, too, can cause some parts of the instrument to move or shift. When the bass arrives at the store, someone takes it out of its box and puts it on display. Sometimes, the store has a repair shop where the instrument is set up a little before being displayed.
Even after an instrument is set up by a store tech, it's still difficult to pick it off the wall and expect it to play the way you need it to play--even if it's a great bass. Why? Because no dealer can adjust the neck, pickups, and bridge exactly the way you need them to be set. They can't know your specific needs--it's impossible. This is normal in music retail. When a company says it makes the best bass on earth, what it's really saying is: when the bass is set up the way you need it to be set up, the company believes there is no other instrument that will do the job as well.