Needs vs Wants

[soulman]

I believe I may finally reaching a point where I'll redefine this for myself. But I don't seem quite ready for it yet. My biggest problem is there are a few more pieces I'd like to own but I have very limited space for them. I may have room for one more guitar on that rack but my bass rack has runneth over. I don't need five basses and yet I have five basses having just added a short scale Sire U5. In this case I'm gonna classify it as a need as opposed to a want.

When playing seated as I would while giving lessons or playing a low volume unplugged type gig a 34"-35" scale bass is a little unwieldy whereas a 30"-32" short or medium scale bass works perfectly. So I bought one. A Sire U5 30" short scale bass. My first Sire and first short scale bass in over 40 years. Interesting Korean company and product line. Very good quality and features for their price and the help of Marcus Miller and Larry Carlton as consultants for their bass and guitar lines.

Here's what one looks like;

You don't usually find a flamed maple top and rolled fret board edges on a bass selling for around $500. I'll eventually post an better pic. This one was a quickie taken with my phone. It's a passive bass with a fairly simple P/J pickup configuration and Volume/Volume/Tone controls. It's a nice setup. Because of it's output and position the split coil PBass pickup tends to dominate and it's very sensitive to a tone control with a very broad sweep. More useful than many. That leave the single coil noiseless JBass to function somewhat like a second tone control increasing volume to taste to add a little more high end and edge to the overall tonality. I like simple and effective electronics and this bass has that so I assume other Sire's with a similar setup and electronics will as well. So far I'm impressed with Sire product.

 

[3bolt79]

What strings do you use on it?

 

[soulman]

What strings do you use on it?

Stock strings are D'Addario rounds .45-.100. I just ordered a set of GHS Bass Boomers from Fret Nation .50-.107 to get a stiffer tighter feel from the shorter scale. I'll see how I like those once I've installed them.

 

[Robb]

I really only need 5 guitars but always prowl for more !

 

[3bolt79]

Stock strings are D'Addario rounds .45-.100. I just ordered a set of GHS Bass Boomers from Fret Nation .50-.107 to get a stiffer tighter feel from the shorter scale. I'll see how I like those once I've installed them.

I like flats. I use the Labella Deep Talkin Bass flats 45-105 on my Stingray. They are smooth as glass. They last for years as well.

 

[BGood]

I like flats. I use the Labella Deep Talkin Bass flats 45-105 on my Stingray. They are smooth as glass. They last for years as well.

How much is a set of bass strings nowadays ? Probably much more than when I played bass in the 70's.

 

[Robb]

How much is a set of bass strings nowadays ? Probably much more than when I played bass in the 70's.

View attachment 193

Is that a Traynor YBA-3 behind you ?

 

[3bolt79]

How much is a set of bass strings nowadays ? Probably much more than when I played bass in the 70's.

View attachment 193

The ones I use are about 50 bucks.

 

[soulman]

I like flats. I use the Labella Deep Talkin Bass flats 45-105 on my Stingray. They are smooth as glass. They last for years as well.

I have those on my PBass already so it covers the Motown/Memphis Stax type stuff I play. With the others I've tended to like GHS Pressurewounds but thought I might do a little more experimenting with the short scale.

 

[soulman]

How much is a set of bass strings nowadays ? Probably much more than when I played bass in the 70's.

View attachment 193

It depends on the type. Flat wounds are more costly. Typically around $40-$45 a set. Thomastik-Inflelds are around $70. Roundwounds and their various sub-genre range from $15-$20 on up but need to be replaced more often whereas a set of flats will last until that asteroid that has Earth's number takes us all out. Looks like you had a thing for that SG body even then huh? LOL

 

[BGood]

Is that a Traynor YBA-3 behind you ?

Super Custom Special YBA-3A
It came with a 8X10" cab and I blew some of its speakers.


Replaced them with two chrome dust covers 15" Altec-Lansing, in two huge home made cabs. Those withstood anything I threw at them.

 

[BGood]

Looks like you had a thing for that SG body even then huh? LOL

Yeah, Gibson Melody Maker to which I added a Fender Precision pickup (pots and rotary switch) to liven up the mudbucker. The guitar player had an SG, I figured why not. I mainly liked its short scale and lightness.

1974

 

[3bolt79]

Let's face it, at this point in the game for me, it's not really about needs. I sold five guitars today, leaving me with 23. There are still a few that I want. It's fun to try new things though.

 

[GrandmaShreds]

I want one more guitar with a Floyd Rose so I can keep the one I have now tuned to standard and the other one tuned to D standard. I was looking at a Jackson King V JS32. Great price and they seem to have good reviews. Way too easy to do upgrades as well. One day soon I will get one!

 

[3bolt79]

I want one more guitar with a Floyd Rose so I can keep the one I have now tuned to standard and the other one tuned to D standard. I was looking at a Jackson King V JS32. Great price and they seem to have good reviews. Way too easy to do upgrades as well. One day soon I will get one!View attachment 231

Best Jackson I've ever had was an RR1. I might get one again someday.

 

[GrandmaShreds]

Best Jackson I've ever had was an RR1. I might get one again someday.

I really want to try a V shaped guitar! They look badass and sitting with one doesn't look too bad. Of course, only I can be the judge of that.

 

[soulman]

I've reached the conclusion that "wants" never seem to stop wanting and go away. There's really nothing more I absolutely need having covered various body styles and pickups. But somehow I still can't rest so I'm often in the process of thinking about selling something and replacing it with something else.

My latest move was on the low end side where I bought a short scale bass. Having again ruled out any real desire for a 5 string I decided instead to list my G&L Kiloton and replace it with the fretless version. It's been years since I've played a fretless and it would be fun to have one again. Bass playing at home can be boring unless you have something new to play.

 

[3bolt79]

The only bass I really need is a Ric 4003. But then I play some Geddy, Yes, and Wings stuff and nothing else sounds right but a Ric for those, to me anyway. My sterling Stingray sounds as convincing as the MIA MusicMan I had, but I like the Ric neck and scale length better.

 

[soulman]

The only bass I really need is a Ric 4003. But then I play some Geddy, Yes, and Wings stuff and nothing else sounds right but a Ric for those, to me anyway. My sterling Stingray sounds as convincing as the MIA MusicMan I had, but I like the Ric neck and scale length better.

That's ok by me. You can have my share of all the Rics out there. I've never liked them and Geddy played and recorded with his Jazz Bass a lot as well.

 

[3bolt79]

That's ok by me. You can have my share of all the Rics out there. I've never liked them and Geddy played and recorded with his Jazz Bass a lot as well.

Yeah, but like stuff like from Moving Pictures and Signals it’s the Ric on a lot of it. If I was playing bass seriously I’d have a P, a J, a Ric, and a Stingray. Those to me are the essentials. Kinda like Tele, Strat and Les Paul for guitars.