How many bass guitars do you need?

[BassFace55]

Get the new p bass!Fender is making them better than they have in years right now.You wont regret it.NEED? yes,NEED!

[50hz]

I feel no less then 2. two is good because you have your main bass and a backup. main = versatile, backup = fun. if I had my way it would be a jazz OR steinberger and an upright/ double. try convincing the wife/ girlfriend to let you put a double bass the size of a canoe in a one bedroom apartment.

[MyMusic]

One player might only need 1, while a player/collector may need every one he can get his hands on. Does it really matter to anyone besides the one who is footing the bill?

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by jeffbonny

Screw anyone preaching about the "morality" of more than one bass. Your burden of material crap isn't their business. Why even spend the energy to get annoyed?

Merely making an observation that I felt needed to be aired out...and justified. You can put that vein back in your head now...



MM

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by 50hz

try convincing the wife/ girlfriend to let you put a double bass the size of a canoe in a one bedroom apartment.

If she loves you, she'll willingly tolerate it - for your sake...

MM

[50hz]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

If she loves you, she'll willingly tolerate it - for your sake...

MM

unless you tell her she has to sleep on the couch because the only place to keep the bass in in her spot on the bed...

[Peter S]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

If she loves you, she'll willingly tolerate it - for your sake...
MM

Again the old fart OP. Key Points:-
1 - Yes, she does love me but God alone knows why
2 - Of course you only NEED one bass but some are just so different.
3 - It is of course the player not the bass which matters most and this brings me to my next point. When I stand up there with my Messa Boogie and Fender Precision I dread someone asking for a try out and blowing me away with his Victor Wooten moves. I guess I am just self conscious in not being able to match up to the gear since I am not as good (yet, lol) as Victor. Initially when I mentioned the 25 year break I did not say it was to do serious Karate. After a serious injury and a 6 month lay off when I returned to class I wore a white belt until the boss said I could wear the coloured one again. So maybe it's a bit like standing up there with a black belt and not being able to fight your way out of a paper bag.

Still, new basses and amplifiers look and smell great and I just hope I am finished buying. At least the pros who post on this can argue value for money since they get a return on their investment, I just get a h**d on!

[Russell L]

I only need two, one to play, one for back-up. Beyond that it's all about desire. But, it's the spice of life, and you only live ONCE! This ain't the dress rehearsal.

It may already be later than you think, so if you can get something more than just the necessities, do it!!!

[Dr. Cheese]

Provided you can afford them, acquire basses as long as it's fun.

[fingerfunker]

I don't know how available they are in Ireland, but G & L makes a fine "swiss army knife" bass called the L2000. It can cop a wonderful P bass tone, as well as a nice stingray- esque tone, and some more modern sounds as well. The company was founded by Leo Fender, and was run by the man until his death. Some say these designs are his full realization of the bass guitar.

Personally I play a L2500 (5 string version) and it is a great every gig bass that allows me to sit in with a folk group one night, and then rip it with a metal band the next.

The best part is they make an Indonesian version of these (called the Tribute line) that sell for around 5-600 bucks online.

Just something to think about if you are looking for a good working bass with the thump (which it sounds like you are)

Good luck!

[dalkowski]

Need?

4-string P (got)
5-String J (gettin' there)

[nukes_da_bass]

Need?

A fretted 5 and a fretless 5. So, 2.

Want?

137.

[A-Step-Towards]

If you gigging, getting paid to play and stuff like that you need 2 basses. If one breaks you need to be able to perform not wait a week to get it fixed.

Doesnt mean one cant be a $100 SX, you just need 2 if you are the above, if you sit at home and only play with buddies then 1 bass.

[Dan Knowlton]

My feeling is that you should have one for each of the voices in your head and one extra. In my case that would be 13.72 basses!

Dan K.
(Who has two - Sadowsky NYC JJ-5 and Lakland 55-94)

[Hilton Marsh]

According to the book; Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is....42". So I'm going with 42. As for how many basses are needed, that would depend on how much of a bass slut you want to be. I play explorers, thunderbirds and flying V's in my 80's glam rock show. I play Fender P's with flat wound strings in my blues band. I play Fender J's in my Indie Rock band and for the tribute shows I play basses similar to those played by the original artist. So my need for many basses might be greater than others. If you are trying to find that 'one-bass' that covers most genre's and styles then a Fender P would be my choice.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by Dan Knowlton

My feeling is that you should have one for each of the voices in your head and one extra. In my case that would be 13.72 basses!

Dan K.
(Who has two - Sadowsky NYC JJ-5 and Lakland 55-94)

No idea why but I always had the idea in my head that you had a fleet of basses.

[hrodbert696]

Well, if we're zombifying the thread - how many do you NEED? One, of course. But I would say the real question is how many basses would you actually USE? It's easy to get into collector mode and to buy more basses just because they're cool and you like them and each one is a little different ... but how much of a stable really gets used to make music on any kind of a regular basis?

For me personally, I think that number is four (which is how many I have now, oddly enough). A main 5-string I gig with, a second 5er for a backup, a 4-string because... well, because everyone should have a basic 4-string, right?... and a fretless acoustic bass because I use it for acoustic jamming and stuff and it's cool.

Doesn't totally kill GAS - the 4-string is just an SX and I'd like to upgrade to a Carvin or a Lakland at some point. but that's a long way off and when I can afford the upgrade I'd sell the SX and keep the stable at 4.

[drTSTingray]

How many basses do you need.....

Well for me, probably one, my Musicman Stingray Classic 2 band.

How many do I want - definitely as many as possible - I could probably list hmmm at least 10 I currently fancy buying!

How many should I have - well as many as I can afford and find space to store (anyone else have trouble finding space to stash these things! After all they're not itsy bitsy six string thin stringed jobs 2/3 the length )

[boristhespider9]

Many

[vgbob]

More than one, obviously. I go back and play my older basses to remind me why I bought the latest one. I have yet to find one bass that can give me all the sounds I want. And I don't think you can make one bass sound like another, really.