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3 Bass Limit

I have three basses currently: Squire Classic Vibe Jaguar, Ibanez SR300, and SR506 in zebrawood.

If I could have any three basses, I would absolutely keep my Squire over any other bass as #1. It’s a PJ and it’s a 32’, so it does everything and is irreplaceable. I’ll probably throw some SPB-3’s in it eventually to make it absolutely perfect. #2 would be a Wal in medium scale. Obviously a pipe dream, but a dream it is. I’d also settle for an L2K or a stingray HH in 32’.
#3 would have to be my SR506. I’d rather have some high quality nordstrands in it, and it would be nice to magically shrink it down to 32’ scale.

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Yamaha BBP34 (MIJ) with either Pyramid Pure Nickel or GHS Balanced Nickel roundwounds.
Fender AVRI 57 P-bass (or some other similarly voiced ash/maple passive P-bass) with LaBella 760FL flats.
Höfner Club or Violin (German, not Asian) with Pyramid Golds.

That should cover most of my needs, although I would ideally want a bass with TI Jazz Flats too for THAT tone, maybe a long scale Dano. Long scale Danos can sound amazing with TI flats. The mid-focused tone of TI flats is a perfect match for boomy/scooped Danos.

I mention the strings for each bass because in many cases I think the choice of strings matter more than the bass itself. If I could only have 3 basses the strings would have to be very carefully chosen to cover all my needs.
 
If for some reason you were only allowed 3 basses, what would your 3 be and why?

I have two basses today, and I'm not really missing anything. An Ibanez EHB1505MS (multiscale, active, headless 5-string) that is my primary live bass, and a Lakland Vintage J (35" 5-string J-bass) for recording and other noodling.

If I were to add a third, I wouldn't mind a fretless Stingray.
 
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For sure my Maruszczyk Frog 6, which has been my absolute no.1 bass for over a decade. To be honest, I could just keep that bass and be happy.

Second I'll probably keep my Warwick RB alien 6, nothing sounds quite like it (though if i'm just keeping 3, I might just upgrade it to a true Warwick of a Svoboda 6-string).
The third bass would be either my fretless Maruszczyk Frog 6, of some 4-string, but I'd probably be fine with the first 2.

The sentimental basses, the custom bass built for my son's birth (2018) and the one being built for my daughter's birth (2022) could probably stay in a case untill the kids are old enough to give them. Or if that's bending the rules, I'd obviously keep those 2 and my personal Maruszczyk frog :D

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Since I only have 2 now, that means I get one more! I'd keep my '82 Jazz with the maple neck of course, but I would replace my 5-string with a Dingwall Leland Sklar signature model in Blue. And then I think I'd add a Hofner 500/1 violin bass...just because ... I think it would be a kick to pull out to play for the Beatles songs, especially some of the old ones. The other two should hold down the fort just fine, but would be fun to pull this guy out for some songs. Of course that short scale may mess me up but I'd give it a go.

So bass #1:
View attachment 4615369
bass #2:
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Bass #3:
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That Jazz is stunning!
 
Careful about that Indian Chief; don't let the Harley fanbois know you have it. I know it is a scooter and not a bike, but do you remember those old Cushman scooters that seemed to be finished only in metallic blue and had a shift "stick" (or lever) on the right, mounted adjacent the gas tank? A couple of my schoolmates had them. Those things were long compared to other scooters, but when you are a kid they looked as long as a Cadillac hearse.
I'm not worried. The '18 Harley Freewheeler in my garage is my 4th Harley, but I'm not exactly a fanboi. I've owned as many BMW Motorrads as Harleys; and even more Hondas. About the only popular/reasonably well known brand I've never owned, is Kawasaki - but I did road race one. I've test ridden modern Indians; nice, but compared to a Harley dresser? The equivalent Indian goes thru gas like :poop: through a goose. Kinda scary, watching the fuel gauge's needle drop, on a short test ride that never exceeded 60mph. I could get away with that here in Indiana, but out in Nevada? Not so much... Yes, I remember the Cushman scooters. Didn't see very many of them when I was a kid and old enough to be interested; then we moved to the UK, and I didn't see them at all. There were much more... interesting scooters there; big Lambrettas and Vespas that were as fast as most motorcycles. Interesting, but... Mods rode them. Rockers rode motorcycles, so... I was a Rocker.:cool:
 
I'm not worried. The '18 Harley Freewheeler in my garage is my 4th Harley, but I'm not exactly a fanboi. I've owned as many BMW Motorrads as Harleys; and even more Hondas. About the only popular/reasonably well known brand I've never owned, is Kawasaki - but I did road race one. I've test ridden modern Indians; nice, but compared to a Harley dresser? The equivalent Indian goes thru gas like :poop: through a goose. Kinda scary, watching the fuel gauge's needle drop, on a short test ride that never exceeded 60mph. I could get away with that here in Indiana, but out in Nevada? Not so much... Yes, I remember the Cushman scooters. Didn't see very many of them when I was a kid and old enough to be interested; then we moved to the UK, and I didn't see them at all. There were much more... interesting scooters there; big Lambrettas and Vespas that were as fast as most motorcycles. Interesting, but... Mods rode them. Rockers rode motorcycles, so... I was a Rocker.:cool:

"The [Dave Clark] Five was more the Mods." (From a member)

Weren't the Rockers also the Teddy Boys?
 
I'm not worried. The '18 Harley Freewheeler in my garage is my 4th Harley, but I'm not exactly a fanboi. I've owned as many BMW Motorrads as Harleys; and even more Hondas. About the only popular/reasonably well known brand I've never owned, is Kawasaki - but I did road race one. I've test ridden modern Indians; nice, but compared to a Harley dresser? The equivalent Indian goes thru gas like :poop: through a goose. Kinda scary, watching the fuel gauge's needle drop, on a short test ride that never exceeded 60mph. I could get away with that here in Indiana, but out in Nevada? Not so much... Yes, I remember the Cushman scooters. Didn't see very many of them when I was a kid and old enough to be interested; then we moved to the UK, and I didn't see them at all. There were much more... interesting scooters there; big Lambrettas and Vespas that were as fast as most motorcycles. Interesting, but... Mods rode them. Rockers rode motorcycles, so... I was a Rocker.:cool:

"The [Dave Clark] Five was more the Mods." (From a member)

Weren't the Rockers also the Teddy Boys?
 
That Jazz is stunning!
Thanks! I bought it because it had the same shape neck as my 1965 Jazz did. I bought the '65 in 1966 played it through High school, some college, toured with it for 3-years with a nightclub group playing 5-nights a week, 50-weeks a year, and then gigged weekends after that. It was stolen in 1976 and by then the 60's slim C-shape neck were nowhere to be found. All the Jazz necks felt uncomfortably thicker to me. Was working PT at a music store when I went back to college and some guy traded this in. It was in absolutely mint condition. When I picked it up 4-days later to try it out, it felt like coming home. So I bought it.

It also has the 70's era pickup spacing and has a little brighter sound all around than my '65 did. I can make it growl until the cow's come home by just digging into the strings over the bridge pickup and it has far more sustain than my '65 did. I'm guessing the all maple neck has a lot to do with that. Anyhow, I've been playing it since 1985 although it wasn't until 1997 that I finally got another amp and started gigging it. I absolutely love this bass and her great sound and good looks were just added on. Her neck feels the same as my '65 and that's what attracted me to her. The rest is all bonus!

It absolutely is my #1 and always will be. My "White Lady" as I call her has matured nicely over the last 37-years I've been playing her. Thanks for noticing.:thumbsup: