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2 basses for one gig?

#61
I am always in the habit of bringing two, but mostly because of tuning. The second bass could be retuned faster than I can restring a broken string, so it's also a backup. If I'm playing in one tuning all night I usually bring a "backup" anyway as best practice. I've only needed a backup once ever.
 
#62
I bring one bass to gigs, the less stuff I gotta shlep the better,
although I bring my tiny GK MB 200 in case my main amp breaks, it fits in my bass gigbag and I forget its there most of the time..My logic is an amp will fail more than a bass will unless your careless about your bass...
 
#63
I haven't done any really high-profile gigs, although I have played a wedding and some private parties (not the super-high-class ones, but paying events in decent venues indoors or outdoors). I've also done the standard bar and club gigs. I own two six-strings, but I only take one out all the time as the other isn't replaceable. I now own a four-string Ibanez, but it wouldn't serve as a backup for the six in the ways that I use it.

If I were to end up with more basses down the line, I probably would bring backups (Mono makes a great double bag, and I already own both the M80 Classic and the M80 Vertigo) to gigs just for the peace of mind, as I like to be prepared. I usually have strings, a battery, and spare cables in my gig bags, but I don't own a spare amp/cab or a spare Helix. (I probably should carry a spare strap, but I don't think that my leather ones will fail.) Of note, I don't drive at the moment, so my loadout has to be something I can carry all at once. It makes the logistics more difficult.
 
#65
I almost always take a backup, and try to pick out my primary and backup instruments to suit the gig (usually my Sadowsky PJ5 and Sadowsky JJ5). It's relatively unlikely that I'll ever need it but 'ol Murphy is always just around the corner and I'd rather haul an extra bass than be caught in a bad situation without one. I guess I'm lucky that I have enough real estate onstage that I can have both basses next to me without issue.

I actually have a backup DI built into my board (Noble DI) and have brought a backup head to shows, but have never needed them.
 
#69
Not really, unless the music calls for fretted and fretless. When the regular bassist had car issues, I ended playing the low end. The guitarist lent me his electro-acoustic classical guitar and I just bumped the sub octaver on an Ashdown amp and I did not play my horn on but 2 songs.
 
#70
In thirty-five-plus years of playing, I think I only had one time when I actually needed a backup. It was in my teen years and I somehow broke a bass string (don't ask me how). I didn't have a backup bass so I simply called for the band to take a break after the song was over and I replaced the string. That's pretty much it. I may have had a battery die mid-gig on one occasion but I had a spare nine-volt in my case.

So, according to my scientific study of one person (yours truly) spanning several decades, I have come to the conclusion that I will simply decide on four-string or five-string prior to the gig and arrive with just one bass. With my amp, stands, etc. I have enough gear to schelp without adding to my overall payload.
 
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#73
If I'm doing a gig (knowingly) I'll practice redundancy with the bass, a head, cables, etc. If I'm just attending an open jam, I bring a head and cabinet just in case, but only 1 bass. It's saved friends and compatriots more than once.
 
#74
daveyo said:
Just getting back in the bass after about 30 years believe it or not I used to get with just one bass and my amp ,nowadays I hear people are taking back up basis is that always a good idea?
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Hmmm....I typically bring just the one bass unless we are playing a song that I need my 5-string for. Then I'll bring both my 4 and 5-string. "If you're bringing just one bass, why not just bring my 5-string", you ask. Simple answer is because my '82 maple-necked Jazz sounds soooooo good. My 5-string sounds fine, but it was an inexpensive 5-string (~$200) and my 4-string sounds better.

2basses1amp_2.jpg


And now you guys are getting me paranoid even though I only brought one bass with me to a gig from 1966 up until 2009 when I bought my 5-string. I do carry a spare set of strings with me.
 
#75
I have never used a backup bass.

I have had three gigs (out of...probably almost 1,000 in my life, though not all on bass) in which it would have been nice...but they were "no-big-deal" gigs.

One of those gigs was recently, right before all the COVID shutdowns last March. '58 reissue P Bass kept cutting in and out. Opened it up the next day. Loose pot nut was causing intermittent loss of grounding through the aluminum guard. Sounded just like a crappy cable or input jack, so that's what I had been fiddling with during the gig.

The other two were busted E strings. Both were very old sets of strings: one set from 1975 (busted in 2009), and the other at least 10 years old, and a lighter gauge of flats than I was used to (had just inherited a bass from my dad).
 
#77
If it's not in the budget, then don't worry about it. Some have likened it to cables and picks that cost a few dollars or pennies compared to hundreds of dollars for a bass that doesn't get used. Must be nice. We don't all have this luxury. I have NEVER had a bass fail. There isn't much that go wrong.

Now, if you have multiple basses, then knock yourself out. Take two. If not, at least one will do. Don't worry about the second.
 
#78
Done a ton of gigs and only ever taken one. Never been an issue. Have never broken a string in 40+ years of playing. Always carry spare stings in my gig box. I sound like me, on whatever bass I have in my hand, so the "different tones" thing is kinda moot for me. It's a pain to schlep more than 1 bass, anyway. But YMMV, etc. Do whatever you feel comfortable with. :bassist:
 
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#79
If I'm driving or it's local I'll often bring more than one just for variety. On fly gigs and touring - which I've done a lot - only a single bass (unless a fretless was needed). Always have extra strings and basic tools and keep the basses in good shape in general. 1,000s of gigs and never had a real problem. Only thing I can think of is noticed jack was getting loose on a '64 T-bird but just tightened it down...

However, if playing double bass then I always take an electric as backup. Way more can go wrong with DB.

With the new micro amp heads I usually bring one of those as a backup as they take so little space/weight.
 
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#80
daveyo said:
Just getting back in the bass after about 30 years believe it or not I used to get with just one bass and my amp ,nowadays I hear people are taking back up basis is that always a good idea?
Click to expand...

It's always a good idea. Now, whether it's necessary or even practical, it depends.

Personally, I've only had backup basses on gigs that were important, in the sense that I could not afford some down time (which, let's face it, if you maintain your instruments and check them regularly, it shouldn't really be an issue... in many years of gigging I only had an issue once, when I broke a G string... and even that it meant a couple of minutes while the band improvised a funky jam and the singer sang about "oh, he broke his G string" making light fun of the situation :D ).

When we travel out of town for a few days, if I have room I'll take two basses, but I'm not too concerned. Same with amplifiers. I used to take a MarkBass LM3 as backup sometimes, but now I have a tiny TC Electronic BAM200. It's not very powerful, but it's so tiny I can take it everywhere and it'll save the day if something happens with my main one.
 

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