How much has a new bass ever helped your playing?

[Todd Hamby]

I’ve got WAY more basses than I need. My house is paid off and I drive a 10 year old car. However, remember when you were a kid and just started playing and couldn’t wait to go to the music store to try out new gear? That’s the way I feel every time I walk into my practice room/studio. 15 year old me would love knowing what he had in store at 59.

 

[Azari]

A bass that truly fits YOUR hands, YOUR technique, and YOUR style can improve your playing a lot in my experience. It also motivates you to practice more. Everyone is different. Some people love baseball neck vintage P basses. Some people feel best on massive wide necked six strings. Some people like shortscales. I’m kind of medium to small-ish sized so I go for a long scale but slimmer profile. Thats why my Aria SB-1000 fits me perfectly… my P bass, not so comfy. My short scale Epiphone? Too small. Sure I could adapt but why adapt when you can have something that feels natural to you?

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Changing string types and setups is way more influential on improving my playing than the Next Flashy Thing.
Although the Bongo 5 HH is the hands down best fretted neck I've ever owned.
I really have zero time for crappy necks anymore!

 

[pepj]

My last 2 basses in have been 18months to 2 years of progress. It takes a while to work them in and I'm playing a lot different within my style.
I'm not sure though whether I've grooved in to the basses or they have dictated to me.
I doubt my friends notice the difference but I definitely do..
Both these basses are exceptional builds so I'm thinking they facilitate where my bass playing currently is. However, I have put a lot of time into them..and I've not changed the initial setup apart from bridge saddle height.

 

[nonohmic]

I don't know much but I know what I like. My incoming custom is going to be medium scale with banjo frets. I expect to be able to move around on it easier than my current fretted (Squier Jaguar H) which has medium jumbo frets.

 

[6-3-2]

A bass with a nicer set-up made me realize my technique is the ultimate problem. So in a way it did make me work on my weaknesses.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Ask me next week. Acknowledging my age and desire to keep up with the breakneck tempos of a lot of surf music, I just took delivery of an Acinonyx bass. Will it do the trick? I'll say this: it weighs a lot less than my Lakland.

 

[Stranger Danger]

As Tom Petty said in a room full of his guitars

“You really only need one”

 

[40Hz]

Each new bass has been more of an inspiration rather than an actual help. Different sound, different feel, and different response gets me outside my usual boxes and encourages me to try playing things completely differently. A side benefit for me is it keeps me from getting too locked into a particular instrument. I try to be as versatile a player as I can be. Probably because I like too many different kinds of music to have ever been able to settle into playing just one style or genre.

 

[KenSmithFan]

Twice. When I moved from my Sears el cheapo to a Gibson EB0 and when I moved from the EB0 to a Rickenbacker 4001. The only time a new bass helps you playing is if your current bass is holding you back, which is almost never the case. Any bump you get from the excitement of a new bass is short lived and is unlikely to actually help you improve in the long run. As my brother used to say, "The thrill of a new car wears off long before the payments."

 

[KenSmithFan]

As Tom Petty said in a room full of his guitars

“You really only need one”

It's like Keith Richards telling you that you have a drinking problem.

 

[M-Mittlesteadt]

After 45 years of four and five string basses, I recently purchased an Ibanez SR206 6 string bass. I have it tuned to EADGBE (as I also play guitar). It's opened up a whole new world of exploration on bass. Single note runs, chordal structure, finger picking, playing style. It's like my world of bass playing has expanded exponentially.

 

[jd56hawk]

I keep everything in a case and keep my current favorite on a stand, and rght now my current favorite is a MIJ Bacchus Woodline...Handmade, one of twelve built.
I knew without knowing that it was going to be exactly what I'd expected and everything a Jazz bass was supposed to be.
No way in the world can you look at it without wanting to play it.

 

[pcake]

getting some new basses over the years, including my spector NS pulse, have improved my playing because the neck was more comfortable for my left hand, which not only allowed me to play longer and more cleanly, but also let me play with less overall effort. and a couple have given me more options. some basses, by making it easier for me to play, helped me figure out what necks and fingerboards and body shapes overall were easiest for me to play, and that was really important.

 

[40Hz]

As Tom Petty said in a room full of his guitars

“You really only need one”

Sure. If you only want one.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

A new bass makes me play more often for a short while, but other than that I am still and always will be mediocre.

 

[monsterthompson]

New basses inspire me to pick them up and play them more, which is really the whole point of this hobby for me.

I’m definitely right here right now. The latest acquisition has me plugging in and working on stuff more frequently. It’s a familiar neck shape so it’s not a wild change from other basses I own. I am exploring the pickup and preamp settings, which aren’t the same as other basses I own.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

M

A bass with a nicer set-up made me realize my technique is the ultimate problem. So in a way it did make me work on my weaknesses.

Being able to separate your weaknesses from a bass’ flaws is crucial to improvement.

 

[groooooove]

biggest thing about "new" or "Better" stuff is that it's more fun to use, and you use it more.

that excitement can wear off, but sometimes it does not.

 

[covermego]

Fretless is something you simply have to decide you're going to master, and commit to getting there. I must credit Michael Manring for encouraging me to keep at it -- it really can take six months just to get 'adequate' control ... but once you have it, there's nothing else like it.

Lol, I was going to tell @Dr. Cheese that I truly appreciate this poll....... it kinda makes me "go home and rethink my life". As one with ADHD, I am always building/modding/buying/selling basses and parts. A few folks here on TB can attest to that. So thank you, @Dr. Cheese, for the reminder that, for me, it doesn't really make a whole lot of difference. I know how to do proper set-ups and level frets, plus about every other maintenance-related job to get/keep my bass playing fine-n-dandy.......... THEN, right in this same thread, the GAS strikes again. I've built/owned a few fretless basses, but moved them on because it was frustrating. So, @Lefty Joe , I am a plethora of emotions right now (well, not really- but it sounded dramatic). Should I buy a fretless bass now? I'd absolutely LOVE being able to master the fretless. I play medium scales, so I may just get a fretless neck from AE guitars and have at it.