How many of you gigging bassists own only one bass?

[hotbass57]

There can not be only ONE!

[gjbassist]

At the moment I only have one bass. Been down to one for a few months now. I prefer to have a backup for gigs though. As a result of 20+ years as a wedding/portrait photographer I was trained to always bring backup equipment. So not having a backup for gigs makes me a bit uncomfortable. Hopefully that will change soon since I asked my wife for another bass for Christmas!

[bikeplate]

Hi

I have many basses but usually take just one to a gig.

Rob

[adivin]

No, life is too short to own only one bass. I'm much too curious and neurotic. I also own more than one pair of shoes too.

[ejmy]

Originally Posted by Lichtaffen

I gig twice a month with my present band and see no need to own more than one bass. I have a Lakland Joe Osborn and I love it to death. The band leader/producer loves my sound and has asked me to not change a thing (including string type). I sold all my other basses and I'm married to this one now. After years of buying/selling/trading I have my perfect sound (and look) and plan to be identified by it.

I know the argument for having backups, but he has a 51 P reissue that I could always grab if needed.

Anyone else fall into this category? You must own only one bass and be gigging.

I only use my 55-02 live but would never think of going on a gig without my back up. I've busted strings live a few times and that convinced me to always bring a back up.

[daveobieone]

It's funny, when I was gigging a lot (several times a week), I had one, and only one...a 64 Fender P-Bass. That was the 60's and 70's.

In the 80's, I was doing a fair amount of session work. Still, only had the one 64 P-Bass.

Now, I gig very little, and have over a dozen basses (still have that 64 P-Bass however, and will till the day I die!) But shoot, I'm 60 now, and really enjoy having different sounds to mess with.

Now days, I usually bring my P-Bass Lyte most of the time, and bring a cheap Epi Thunderbird along just in case. I've never needed to use the back-up, but I feel better knowing it's there. The 64 P-Bass is now to valuable to take out, and risk getting stolen...but I still love it.

[WokenDeer]

My ric is my main player. I have an epi thunderbird pro iv that I actually don't like. Went from using it a few times for different tunings, to bringing it for back up, now it just stays in the jam room. I change my strings pretty regularly so they don't break. I'm not worried about it lately. I suppose I should. But I just don't like how that epi feels or sounds. Thin necks hurt my hands and its just not the sound I'm after.

[Lichtaffen]

You all have given me hope. I was worried about not having a backup for a minute, but as a lot of the "experienced" (didn't want to say old) players stated, they gigged with one bass for decades without a problem. I think the real problem is the attitude on TB that you need to own several basses for whatever reason. That works for some, but it puts false ideas into many people's heads. I think it's all an emptiness in people's lives that needs to be filled up with material posessions. Obviously not the answer.

[eban3]

not a good thing but Basses are like pairs of shoes to me , depending on the gig /music and my mood determines which bass i'm using

[chaosMK]

One bass (a USA Cirrus 5) and 3 amps/3 cabs (all Mesa), a Sansamp, and 3 bands (hip hop, acoustic-oriented, prog metal).

I've been playing bass since the mid-late 90's... always owned just one bass at a time.

[gard0300]

One bass and a backup that stays in the car. We play 3 or 4 different tunings, but one seems to manage fine.

[mr.mow]

3 bands..
3 basses!!

[dfinnegan71]

I'll chime in, I had two sometimes 3 basses for the last few years. But recently, I mean like real recently I sold two to buy a '77 American P-bass.
That is my only bass right now and I gig 4-6 times a month between the two cover bands I play with.
In 20+ years of giging I only broke a string once, but I have had the jack lose it's connection on me probably 3 times over that time.
So far so good, I hope this ol' girl is up to the task. I also now travel with a soldering iron and multi-tool thingy.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Lichtaffen

You all have given me hope. I was worried about not having a backup for a minute, but as a lot of the "experienced" (didn't want to say old) players stated, they gigged with one bass for decades without a problem. I think the real problem is the attitude on TB that you need to own several basses for whatever reason. That works for some, but it puts false ideas into many people's heads. I think it's all an emptiness in people's lives that needs to be filled up with material posessions. Obviously not the answer.

Especially when you consider that most people with multiple basses make them all try to sound the same anyway. I know I do. I don't want radically different sounds on a gig, that's for sure.

But I'd be lying if I said I didn't like having a variety of basses to choose from, even if I only bring one at a time.

[MCS4]

Would never, ever gig without a backup, at least a cheapo that can hold a tune. I once broke an E string at a gig, which is extra bad news in a hard rock/metal band. Luckily it was one the last note of the last song (talk about a finale), but I learned my lesson fast.

I also have a vivid memory of watching the singer/guitarist from Kylesa do an extended soundcheck with one guitar -- much tuning, fiddling of knobs, finding sweet spots etc. -- only to have the electronics crap out right before the show started. He put it down and strapped up his backup without a word, and played the whole gig without so much as looking down that guitar. The whole thing came off very pro.

[azzyrazzy]

Originally Posted by k31bassman

Now I don't gig regularly and have about 10-12, depending on how I count them. Hmmm......

If you count them and come to 10, you have 10.

[malthumb]

For many many years I made do with a 1979 Music Man Sabre and a Peavey TNT combo with a Black Widow speaker.

Then I started playing in churches and added a 5-string.

Now I have 6 basses. Sometimes I'll only take one to a gig. If so, usually a 5-string. But sometimes I'm feeling 4-string love and/or get the tone of my Sabres sounding in my head and decide I want to use one of them. If so, I also take a 5-string just in case I need the extra low range.

Whenever I take two basses, it's for variety, not backup.

[Baird6869]

Originally Posted by Lichtaffen

You all have given me hope. I was worried about not having a backup for a minute, but as a lot of the "experienced" (didn't want to say old) players stated, they gigged with one bass for decades without a problem.

If a bassist is getting paid to play, having a backup is just being a professional. I have had the following go wrong at gigs: broken string, dead preamp batteries, bridge saddle screw falling off and getting lost and input jack issues. The bridge and input jack issues would have ended my gigs.

Even a crappy $50 bass left in the trunk should be the minimum level of redundancy IMO.

Originally Posted by Lichtaffen

I think the real problem is the attitude on TB that you need to own several basses for whatever reason. That works for some, but it puts false ideas into many people's heads. I think it's all an emptiness in people's lives that needs to be filled up with material posessions. Obviously not the answer.

Having multiple basses IS the answer if you gig a lot and play lots of different styles. I play a Precision with flats with my blues band.... Can't really use that bass for modern funk with a lot of slap, etc.

I think "emptiness" is going a little far, but folks that own 50 basses or 5 of the exact same thing.... Thats definitely crazy.

Bottom line, if my "only" bass dies on a paid gig and I need to stop playing to drive home or to a friend's house to borrows a bass.... I won't be getting booked again at that bar.

Hey, if you gig for 20 years with one bass and never have a problem, cool. This is not the norm in any case.

[micgtr71]

I have only once brought more than one bass to a gig and that was to sell it. For most of the 90s I played a fretless Stingray and only brought that one bass to gigs. I have always thought having a backup was a great idea but ironically never brought one to the gig.

[exidor]

I gig twice a weak and only take one bass with me,and have done it for 4 years.so far no problems.