"I want to get an handful of spare basses to use first of all if mine breaks, and second, to learn some things about aspects of basses that I like, so Paul can build those aspects into it"
About this Quote
The first motive is pure working-player pragmatism. Instruments break, tours are long, and a snapped neck or dead electronics can wreck a night that thousands of people paid to feel. “An handful of spare basses” frames redundancy as responsibility, not indulgence. It’s the adult version of “pack an extra charger,” just with higher stakes and higher volume.
The second motive is where the subtext gets interesting: Gordon wants spares not merely as backups, but as research material. He’s treating basses like prototypes, testing how different neck profiles, pickup configurations, woods, and setups change the way the instrument responds under his hands. This is musician-as-tinkerer, chasing not “the best bass” but the exact set of sensations that unlock his playing.
Then comes the quiet power move: “so Paul can build those aspects into it.” The “it” is a personalized ideal, and Paul (almost certainly a trusted luthier) is positioned as collaborator, not vendor. Gordon isn’t shopping; he’s commissioning, translating taste into design. The line signals a broader cultural moment in music where craft and customization matter again: artists asserting authorship over their tools, not just their songs. Underneath the casual phrasing is an insistence on continuity - if the instrument is part of your voice, you don’t leave that voice to chance.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Gordon, Mike. (2026, January 17). I want to get an handful of spare basses to use first of all if mine breaks, and second, to learn some things about aspects of basses that I like, so Paul can build those aspects into it. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-want-to-get-an-handful-of-spare-basses-to-use-64804/
Chicago Style
Gordon, Mike. "I want to get an handful of spare basses to use first of all if mine breaks, and second, to learn some things about aspects of basses that I like, so Paul can build those aspects into it." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-want-to-get-an-handful-of-spare-basses-to-use-64804/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I want to get an handful of spare basses to use first of all if mine breaks, and second, to learn some things about aspects of basses that I like, so Paul can build those aspects into it." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-want-to-get-an-handful-of-spare-basses-to-use-64804/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
