The idea that good tone originates in the fingers—and that gear is at best secondary to technique and at worst, a misguided and lazy distraction—is, at least around the Bass Player offices, cliché territory. Nary a day goes by when I don’t find it exceptionally hilarious to proudly display my fingers in response to a positive comment about the sound of a piece of gear, as if to say, “I don’t care if it’s a wet noodle paper-clipped to plywood, these moneymakers are gonna make it sound good.” It’s one of those jokes—and other staffers will likely argue this—that hasn’t completely lost its chuckle-potential, despite my using it, well, nearly every day. [Ed. Note: Yes it has.]

Obviously, there’s truth in the joke. Good tone does, of course, start with the hands, and since notes often begin with a finger stroke, the plucking hand is particularly essential. Think of our technical evolution: When we first pick up the bass, we know nothing. As time ticks by and our playing evolves, we explore the instrument, developing new techniques to develop more sounds. We learn that plucking near the bridge enhances a bass’s midrange response, while near-neck plucks bring out the instrument’s bottom end. As we practice slapping, we each develop a unique sonic identity, mostly because each of us has a favored thump-slap position and angle and verve to our pops. Pick playing and palm-muting add even more colors to our bass’s palette.

Considering how important technique is for tone, try formalizing your plucking-hand practice. I suggest picking a scale, arpeggio, or short bass line and performing it with every plucking-hand technique you know. Allocate a set amount of time to each technique, and, most important, record it. Go back and listen for inadequacies in time or tone, and highlight these techniques for further development. Once you’ve systematically incorporated this into your practice routine, it might make dropping major bucks on new gear a little more guilt-free: You’ll have already addressed the hard part.