GRS - Gear Regret Syndrome

(Psst! It’s working.)

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As much as I love my Ibanez 5 String, it was an “Ooooh pretty” buy. It was my first bass and I didn’t even know if I would enjoy the switch to bass from guitar. Fortunately I did, but decided very quickly a four string was better to learn on.

I play it now and again, but mostly it sits in its gig bag. Have considered selling it, but I feel that may lead to even more regret down the road.

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Very smart advice but in this age of instant gratification a lot of people just don’t get it. :+1: :+1: :+1:

This right here. My first bass was a Rogue Beatle bass. Love the look, love the sound, hate the neck dive. Horrible to try and learn on because I was spending all my time trying to figure out to hold it. Bought a G&L L-2000 a few weeks later, and learning has become…well, not a breeze, but at least unblocked.

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I used to research a bass online and then decide on the purchase, being somewhat far from a decent music store to actually try it. Being a senior cit’, with carpal tunnel, arthritis and dupytrens contraction fingers, I can hardly play much anymore. So, I decided to try to build a bass, that would perhaps be easier on my mangled fingers to play. After a few attempts I seemed to get the hang of creating one, with low action, light tension, and light, nylon strings, all of which made playing easier, and I did get the bass I wanted. I am now 74, have 15 basses, 7 of which I did make, and, although I really don’t have any major regrets for buying a bass without actually testing it in person, I get it. From a less than average talent player, neck radius, action, weight, feel (that’s a rough one to categorize), resonation and just comforting playability…for myself, was and still is difficult to find in a bass. For those of you that are good players, with still good fingers, I both envy you and salute you. I find the bass a magical instrument. Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” is a song that causes me to love all of my basses, even those I may have wished I gave more thought to, before I bought ‘em. I finished Josh’s course some time ago, follow all of you here (10-7 on the side, though), and enjoy the discourse. I included two of my favorite builds. I call them “The Black Knight and The White Witch”. Both (to me) sound fine (the neighbors would have issue if I didn’t play a lot of Motown). To me, there can’t be a wrong bass, just not the right bass. Hats off to all and keep bringin’ in “The Bottom”


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Congratulations on your dedication and achievements. Your basses are beautiful!

Every single one of us does what we can to play, and you are an inspiration. Keep on thumpin’. :saluting_face:

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Much appreciated. Thumpin would exactly describe it!

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Very nice basses!
Of the two, visually, Black Knight is my favorite!

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Beautiful walnut top there on the Black Knight :smile: Like it a lot…

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Gorgeous basses. Thanks for sharing them

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This is cool.
You rarely (never?) see a bass with the seams going in the other direction like this, love it.

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There is a story behind The White Witch. My son provided me two beautiful maple boards, each a 1x4 and one at 8’ and the other at 10’. He indicated I should build something with them. I chose to cut them up, bond them together and make the bass entirely of maple. The wood is so tough to cut, sand and form; yet the end result was good resonation and tone (the quarter-pounders do help) and I chose to build a replica of an early 50’s P-Bass style. The black walnut is a best. Nice tone but weighs more than my first blind date did. The maple bass isn’t a lightweight, but has no neck dive at all. I seem to be cursed with that. Glad you enjoy them and happy to share. I did find that I can build a bass closer to what I am able to handle now than attempt to buy one (although the Fender American series still becons me).
If anyone suffers from hand problems, such as I described above, and has luck with certain “softer” strings or action, I would be so delighted and greatful to hear. Thanks much!

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This is the back of the maple bass. The graining composition came out fairly well, and you can see the different board variations. Not standard, but its what I had to work with. :grinning:

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I have arthritis, and I find for flats Thomastik Infeld Jazz and D’Addario ECB81 Chrome flats easy on the tension, and for rounds DR Pure Blues

Here’s my custom 54 P bass with Quarter Pound pickup. Like your style

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Love your "54. It has a “soft” look, very appealing. Much appreciate the info on the strings. I will give them a look. Thanks again.

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LaBella LTF (Low Tension Flats) might be another good string to try out.

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DR Pure Blues, LaBella Lower Tension Flats, and Thomastik Infeld are all round core (as opposed to hex core). In general, round core will be lower tension than hex for a like gauge

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Thomastik Infield Jazz rounds will ruin your fingers and hands. They are so low tension and easy to play. I have the flats and rounds on different basses. Along with DR, you can get really low tension strings that will sound great.

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I haven’t tried the TI Jazz yet, but I played my DQ bass yesterday with roto flats, and the roto felt like high tension wires. Put Pure blues on and fine now.

I may be down to TI Flats and DR PBs now

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Good lord that is an amazing looking bass.
I wonder what it would look like with all black hardware and inlays, cool or too much

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