Moral Dilema?

[Nilbog]

Okay, let me pose a hypothetical situation here.

Let's say you are going to live in a far away land for a while. Let's say in this far away land, there's not much in the way of modern things.

So you have a choice. You can take an acoustic guitar, or an acoustic bass (I am of course not talking about an upright bass). So for this time while you are away you can get better at either one.

I personally started out playing bass, and would like to get better, but guitar is a lot funner - and you can do more in the way of entertainment, but bass is better to know as it is in higher demand.

So what do you guys think?

-Nilbog

[Track Rat]

Personally I'd take the guitar. If you can only take one, and you're going to be there a while, the guitar will become like therepy and keep you from going insane. Ya know what I mean?

[Gear_Junky]

Yeah, and you can write and sing songs.

Anyway, whatever you take, if you're going on a plane, insure, insure, insure! Don't be afraid to make arrangements in advance. Some companies will force you to give it as luggage, others will take it as carry-in baggage, whatever. I took my acoustic guitar to Moscow with me and it was dropped! It actually happened to me twice. The first company (British Airways) told me to get an estimate of the repair cost and Sam Ash gave me a printout that says that it's non-reparable and the full list price (replacement cost) and the company paid it. But the second time it was a smaller local company and they said: "there's no damage to the case, so we're not responsible for what's inside". So if your guitars are expensive Martins or something rare, don't take them at all! Buy yourself a travel guitar or something.

[Slackmaster2K]

Dude, take a harmonica! The native chicks will LOVE the harmonica and the men will think you're some kind of tough pirate guy. Trust me on this one.

Slackmaster 2000

[Tom Hicks]

Although I have heard Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius play some cool doublestops on bass.I remember when I was in music school and we would argue about the relative merits of various instruments.The acoustic guitar was almost always favored on range,weight,size,initial cost and most of the other areas we could think to compare.I'd take a nice classical like my '71 Yamaha G-60A w/Brazillian rosewood sides and back and a cedar top.
Tom

[JC Lives]

If your destination is as you described, there is probably not much to do. While the guitar is much more versitile than the bass, you need to look at the whole picture. What is in your heart. Do you want to be known as a bass or guitar player. With nothing much to do, you would be able to spend a lot of time with your instrument of choice. This time could be used to become proficient at what you like best. Pose this question to your heart.

[regebro]

Will there be chicks?
Will they be easy to get in bed?
Do they like musicians more than other guys?
Do they like guitarist or harmonicists better? (Note that bass is right out. No native chick gets turned on more by an acoustic bass than a guitar. Aint no such thing).

[Daddy-O]

OK, this is what you do: Take a double neck acoustic that is a bass and guitar combo. OR get a beat to hell Fender and a Pignose amp with lots of spare "D" size batteries.....
( sory, Crossroads staring the karate kid is on TV -LOL)

[dragonworks]

You can always practice bass runs on a guitar but you cant practice guitar on a bass.

[gibs]

Nilbog, guit-outta here.....bass is or primarily used as a percussion complement to...drum roll.....chords and melody lines.....take an ax and you can always find an old jug or something to make a low bumpa sound...plus a guitar has that cool fat string at the top of all the other strings that can go bumpa/oompa....gibs

[Nilbog]

went looking around today at some acoustic basses - and I'll be damned but nobody has them. If anyplace does have them, they have one of them, and it's either way to expensive or it sucks.
I just wanted to try a few out.

although it would be fun to have a bass...I'm leaning towords the guitar.

-Nilbog

[Tweedville]

Take an accordian.......no one will know the difference.
By the way......anyone know the pefect range of an accordian?
answer: 25 yards if you have a good arm.