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Always bring a backup bass!

#121
I had a gig last week and I was really happy I brought a backup bass. We got a gig at one of the larger venues in town (lots of lights, dimmer packs etc).

My MIM Jazz has sometimes given off a slight hum at other venues but it is usually only discernible on stage in between songs. However, at this venue it was unbearable. After a few minutes it became clear we weren't going to solve it before show time. If I hadn't brought my back up i would have been SOL.

I am also now looking into doing a proper shielding job to try and make sure this isn't an issue with my Jazz bass in the future. However, where possible I will likely continue to bring 2 basses.
 
#124
, but I can honestly say I have never need to use a backup]
Click to expand...


You'll say that non-stop until the day something beyond your control takes one of your basses out of play.

I had my one big scare in 1988. I was playing with a **** cover band called Anthem. They were horrible. The guitarist and lead singer were living in some romance story and had no grasp of reality. The singer was so lazy and incompetent she had to have her lyrics on a stand in front of her for a 2-hour set of Top 40 hits.

The only nice thing about the band was that we were stupid and ballsy enough to also do things like YYZ. So big show, lots of people, one bass. We're playing a Boston song which is in G (it may have been transposed, don't remember). Next up is YYZ.

And my D string snaps. I have no other bass, no other strings. The drummer takes a solo, and I tie my D string back together at the 7th fret, and play YYZ that night with a knot in my string.

Never again.
 
#125
dan1952 said:
I see zombies...
Click to expand...

If I understand the lingo correctly, this means this thread probably was dead?

It is my fault, I guess. I was baffled that there were no "Big backup bass"-thread (which I thought it would be at this forum). During the search, I started to pick up on some of the threads that came up, and started answering, not noting the date.

Sorry if this violates forum rules. In that case I wasn't aware of them.
 
#129
ok, i have been gigging for a long time & i have never taken a back up. i have never broken a string or any parts of my bass at a gig or at home or a rehearsal. on a few gigs i did take my 4 banger but that was because some songs called for it. not a what if thing.

i really want to know what the heck you guys are doing to break strings? it sounds crazy.
 
#130
I have never brought a backup bass in my 20 years of playing/gigging...only had one bass until recently though. I sure have broken my share of strings at gigs but I got really good at replacing a broken string on the fly, sure would have been easier to grab a backup though......LOL.

BTW...I happen to like Zombies!!!!
 
#131
jnuts1......Back in my early gigging years I was in several punk bands, using heavy picks and playing very aggressively with allot of testosterone flowing though yer veins can lead to a broken string! LOL. Nowadays when I gig I am more prepared with backup gear!
 
#132
Shardik said:
{I see Zombies}

If I understand the lingo correctly, this means this thread probably was dead?

It is my fault, I guess. I was baffled that there were no "Big backup bass"-thread (which I thought it would be at this forum). During the search, I started to pick up on some of the threads that came up, and started answering, not noting the date.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I thought this thread was settled ages ago too! I mean, I think the consensus was that there are so many bass players who have played 50 or more years without a backup bass and never needed one, it's just paranoid to be like me and always bring a back up bass. The secret if I recall correctly was to have a bass that would never let you down under any circumstances. And that of course means a nice MIA Fender Jazz or Fender P-bass and nothing else. Other brands are just posers anyway.

Case closed! :hiding:
 
#133
Fresh Eddie said:
If you break a string, it can be faster to grab a backup bass than it is to put a new one on.
Click to expand...

Depends on the bridge. My Spector is a quick change bridge and I keep spare strings in my case. I can do a string change in 30-40 seconds.
I also keep a couple allen keys for action/truss adjustment on the fly.

That being said, I wouldn't be caught dead without a backup.
 
#134
I have never broken a bass string ever, but I did have a jack fail on me with an active bass one time, and had a sealed Gotoh type tuner on a Spector strip out at another gig... Both times I would've been screwed if I didn't have a backup with me... I won't judge those who deem it unnecessary, but if at all possible, I'll always have some sort of backup plan in place, just like I always have a DI with me in case of an amp failure...


- georgestrings
 
#137
In 1969, at very crowded bar gig in Pawtucket, RI, I broke a G string on my P-bass (Jazz bass neck). No problem says, I, there is a fresh set of Fender Medium Flatwounds in my bass case. I quickly installed the string on stage—and as I brought it up to pitch, PER-TONG, the nut cracked and a small shard of it danced off into the darkness....

We took a break. I whipped out my jack knife and my pocket comb. I carved a crude nut in about 15 minutes from the spine of the plastic pocket comb, popped out the broken nut, installed my creation, and tuned up. I played with that home-made nut for almost 5 years!

I bring a spare to every gig.
 
#138
Once I could afford a backup, I got a backup and used to carry it. 10 years ago I stopped because it had been a very long time since I had a problem on a gig. In the last few months I've had a couple close calls but I fixed them before the gig. Have considered bringing a backup again because of it. Still very undecided, though, because I hate switching basses during a gig and I hate dealing with everything involved in having two basses onstage...the extra stand, the extra weight of a double gig bag on my back, bringing an upright and more than one electric bass, too...

But despite taking the time to type this, I don't really care what any of you think of my professionalism since I do it for a living ;)
 
#140
I didn't for a couple of years, but I was playing original punk music. There were always other bassists who could loan me a bass in a pinch or vice versa. I loaned my bass out during an emergency.

Now I play in a cover band, so I'm the only act. I always bring a back up now.
 

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