Bass Player Forums - a gripe

[ack1961]

I don't post very often, but I need to vent.
It's probably me...Since I picked up the bass at the ripe young age of 45, I've tried several different forums in order to get some different insight & perspective, some answers to some (usually general) questions and basically broaden my knowledge about bass guitar.  Like most folks, I've been listening to music all my life, and I've had an affinity for the bass since I heard Roundabout for the first time. In my lifetime, I have tried to play piano, guitar, drums, etc. and have failed pretty miserably at all of them. It has been quite a struggle for the past 3 years to get where I'm at with the bass guitar: loving it...struggling, but not failing.

Baasists: My own preconceived generalizations
I've always pictured bassists as the kind of people who can piece together their instrument with tape and wire, turn it up real loud and thunder away, holding the band together.  I know, there's much more to it than that, that's just always been the image I've had:  barefoot, jeans, t-shirt, thunder, a wry smile, in their own little corner of space.  The kind of folks who were easily approachable and eager to help out - it's what they do.

I'm utterly disappointed everywhere I turn in bass forums. For the most part, the forums are filled with egomaniacal types who constantly need to demonstrate just how great/smart they are, and how people with differing opinions are just not informed/skilled enough to have any worthwhile insights.  It's really frustrating, but I had a completely different view of bass players before I joined my first forum.  I don't really like posting, but I'm constantly reading threads, and the majority of those threads have topics that really interest me...until I read them. The Internet has provided us all with a tool that allows us to unleash whatever venom reaches our fingertips.  I'd guess that 99% of the venom that's spewed out on these forums would never be uttered face-to-face.  I always like to check the profiles of some of the folks who can't help but trashing each others.  Surprisingly (if you believe their own profiles), some of the biggest offenders appear to be the most accomplished musicians (OK, folks with an array of expensive equipment who earn money playing bass). I know things are not what they seem when I read some trashers signature and it lists "Christian Bassist Club member #456"...yeah, Ok.

People will say that it's just the way society is today, and unfortunately, that appears to be somewhat truthful. I guess that I was hoping that bassists and cockroaches would be the lone survivors of an Earth that was eventually ruined by greed, ego and selfishness. I guess I'm disappointed because I've always felt like a good judge of character, and in the case of bassiss, I was making that assumption based on my own ethereal notions of what I thought bassists would be like.

Having said all that, there have ben quite a few unassuming, very helpful folks on these forums.  I wish they outnumbered (or typed faster than) the egomaniacs.

Sorry about the rant (and any spelling errors).  I needed to get it out and start over.

Steve

[Barklessdog]

Generally the people here are older and more tolerant & helpful (unless you post something about fusion LOL).

With age comes humility. You will find a lot of old folks here. Pull up your rocking chair, but your teeth in a glass and enjoy.

Welcome.

[Pilgrim]

I find this to be a very thoughtful and helpful forum. There is, of course, a certain wise-ass factor, but it wouldn't be any fun if that were lacking!

Stick around - I think you'll feel comfy here.

[ack1961]

I like it here already...and I like wise-asses (...just happen to be one myself).
My rockin' chair has been recently serviced, and I'm ready to roll...
Let the fun begin.

Steve

[Dave W]

Let's please keep this discussion away from what goes on at any other forum (see welcome message sticky). Thanks.

[rahock]

Too tired to brag, too old to be intimidated.......that's us
Rick

[TBird1958]

Stick around and have some fun with us, there's so much knowledge, respect and friendship here...........

[leftybass]

Oh T***bass, you poor, stupid, snot-nosed bastard!   

*=sorry Dave.

[Rocker949]

Ack1961, in case you want to check out some of the threads, even some of the old ones, some of the technical discussions are outstanding.  It just doesn't get any better.  A lot of them are way over my head, but I still enjoy reading them anyway.

[gearHed289]

I hear ya Ack, but this place is cool. I think you'll find that forums on ANY subject always have their share of know-it-alls, "king of the message board" types who feel compelled to chime in on EVERY SINGLE POST, fan boys, etc. etc. Don't let em get to ya. They're just cowards hiding behind a monitor somewhere.

[luve2fli]

My observation? Alot of bass forums are populated by "old-guard" who can't be bothered answering questions they've seen come up time and time again. Sad but true ..... and I suppose in some cases, understandable. Then there's the newbies who post just for the sake of it and clutter up otherwise good discussions. Hey, I'm all for knowledge sharing - that's what I'm here for - but I do feel your pain. Anyway, no names like Dave said but you've definitely found one of the better boards out there. Says something for maturity.

Just remember - post-count means NOTHING! It's the content of the discussion that counts.

[gweimer]

I'm on 2 other music forums regularly, and another one I visit occasionally.  Each site has its own personality, and its own rules.  I like this place because it's pretty loose and informal, along with all the great technical info.  People have tried tellling me that I know my stuff in the real world, but I tell them I'm light years behind so many people.
You take each site for what they present.  The massively large sites I frequent can be hard to sift through.  Still, new people have to learn from somewhere, and there's always someone willing to help, even if a new person recycles the same questions every 3 months or so.  You get used to it.  I stopped posting on sites where I had very little to offer.

I look for what interests me, what amuses me, what I can learn, and what I can pass on to others.

...and the occasional anal sex banter...   

[Lightyear]

I don't have time to follow multiple boards and I like this one the best - it is missing all of the assorted BS, flotsam and jetsam that other sites have.  True we have to deal with "fusion"  from time to time but I can deal with that if it means that I don't have to read some newbie bitchslapped* for asking a simple question.



*Any bitchslapping that occurs here seems to come from the "teautonic tribe" and for the most part all involved seemed to like it

[Freuds_Cat]

Welcome ack!   These guys are great. Like most ppl of my age I know lots about a few things and a few things about lots. I've found that you can ask what appears to you to be a dumb question here and the ppl with the knowledge will engage with you in a helpful way rather than a condescending one.  And to keep most of us in line Dave does have that bloody great stick 
Usually though his witicsisms are enough to pull us all into line. 

Enjoy

Bret

[Chris P.]

On another forum (the only other general bass forum I visit) every once in a while someone asks what the best cheap basses are.

And the answers are always:

- Buy a Squier
- Squier is shit, buy an Ibanez/Yamaha/...
- I have a bass for sale, buy mine!

and that times 9.

I try to laugh about it.

This is a quite small forum, which is nice.

I also visit the Warwick forum, which has a lot of general topics too. From Ampeg to Zon and back. People there are nice and polite too, but it isn't as fun as here. Germans and humour...