Two Double Basses
 

Now I'm a fairly new player, but why do people own more than one DB? I can see one normal and one with an extension, but why have more than those two?

A typical reason someone would own two is that they'd have one basses dedicated to orchestral playing (bigger/heavier sound, extension, etc) and another for solo playing or chamber music (smaller/sloped shoulders to allow easier higher position access, etc)

Same thing goes for bows, as well.

There are a few scenerios where one might own multiple instruments.
One for classical, one for jazz, or
One for orchestral work, one for chamber music, or
One for concert halls, one for hole in the wall bars, or
One for home, one for the road, or
One for orchestral tuning, one for solo tuning, or
One for classical, one for baroque, or, my favorite:
One for fun, one for more fun ;)

My original need for two was:

One for orchestral playing (carved top)and one for bluegrass festivals (old ply) :D

But its all changed since then and now I have 3:o I don't play any orchestral music these days.

Now its:

One is best for bluegrass and other related styles.

The other, formerly for orchestral, I use for jazz, sometimes bluegrass, and anything that requires bowing.

And my third bass, an Eminence, is for traveling or gigs with tight space.

In most cases its more about which bass I am in love with at the moment. And having 3 is just more fun!! :hyper:

A variation on this is what I commonly hear; many players have a higher-dollar carved bass that they use for more critical performances, whether it be a high-end jazz gig or an orchestra, etc. They then also have a less costly (pardon the expression) "Beater" (usually plywood) bass that they can feel more comfortable taking to outdoor festivals, seedier gigs, etc. - a bass that, if it has to be left in the band van for a couple of hours, you're not worried about coming back to a bunch of loose pieces in the gig bag.

I own two, for two reasons:

- I play out of two locations 100 miles apart, and I don't want to haul one back and forth.

- they have very different tones. One is an Upton standard ply, excellent for bluegrass, Americana, rockabilly. The other is an Upton hybrid, better for jazz.

In my case, I got a carved bass for orchestral music and musical theater. But I also play blues in small venues and lucked into an inexpensive Epiphone ply for that purpose. The Epi looks the part and is strung with synthetic core strings vs the Helicores on the orchestral bass.

If it wasn't such a large instrument, owning multiple DB's probably wouldn't seem strange. I have more EB's than uprights, but they are easily stored in my closet, in their cases, and out of sight.

How about neck profile/size? Each one of my basses have a different neck and each requires it's own "Kung Fu" style...moving between the necks has made a HUGE positive difference in the health of my left arm/wrist.It's also great to have different strings and string heights on the different basses.I got along for years with one really cool beat up old kay but I always wanted one set up for slap -one for arco and -one for jazz and it's GREAT!

Currently playing my backup ply (which I only bought 'cause it was a steal of a deal and I thought it might be good to have as backup, and thank Godot for it) 'cause my carved sustained expensive damage that I can ill afford at the moment.

For a while I was using both: the carved at home and at gigs while the ply resided at the guitarist's pad for rehearsing there.

I have many on my wish list for different reasons – The more the merrier!

Don't forget Viennese tuning!

Variety - the spice of life :-)

Because I can('t sell the other one).

i own two basses. a "nice" bass, and a plywood shen. their respective uses are fairly obvious, the plywood bass is easy to replace (though not inexpensive, but you get my point) and can take a hell of a beating. my "nice" bass is the one there are currently two threads about, it could not be replaced both for financial and sentimental reasons, and i use it for jazz, solo playing, as well as orchestral playing. does all jobs pretty well.

also the plywood bass i often leave at the store i teach at, since many students dont own a bass (and some do and cant transport it)

but having one for jazz and one for classical makes perfect sense as well. even one for solo playing and one for orchestra.. or tunings.. ext. all the above reasons. particularly for the performing professionals, you will need many basses to cover everything you might encounter.. though if there are any performers here with only one bass, i respect that too!

There was a guy here selling a Engelhardt C1 in fine shape on CL for $300 . I missed it by minutes. A good reason to own two basses in my book ... but my missus might disagree. ;)

I like it! Brilliant!:bassist:

I've been considering getting a laminate as a backup to my carved bass and also to serve as a jazz bass (if I ever get around to mastering that style).

2 as I can carry one out in case the house catches fire & my missus can carry the other.
:).

I'm currently contemplating/ figuring out the feasibility of a second bass. I'm thinking an Upton Hybrid.

While I'm technically still paying for my current bass (which I love)... the thing has two downfalls... It's massive. A factor I failed to consider until I wanted to actually travel some distance with it. It's heavy.. and most important; I deem it fragile. It's been well loved by past owners and it shows. It's stable, but that doesn't stop me from wincing through every bump on the highway.

To that end.. I want a bass I don't need to worry about traveling with as well as one that won't break my back in the process

I have two basses. One is a fully carved higher-end Eastman that is set up more for classical. Its a beauty to bow. Planning to get back to orchestra soon.

The other is a carved 5/8 set up for jazz, even down to a flatter neck. Its the one I take most everywhere. It is carved,and is the one for jazz. In a way, it would be better if it was a less expensive bass, but not going to change it now.

Guess I should add the NXT electric upright. That's the one I take to questionable places and places where people might get careless and walk into a DB, or whatever. Surprisingly, everyone seems to like this one ,looks and sound, and it has had its picture taken numerous times! Its just that I never seem to be able to play this one as well as the full DB.

Originally got the idea of having more than one bass, as there was a lack of luthiers in my area who were able to complete repairs quickly, due to their being so busy.