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Any one else unable to pick a clear #1 bass?

Familiarity and absence of distraction can be beneficial, but change can be stimulating/ inspiring. Sometimes I wallow in the comfort of the pillow......and sometimes I seek to flip to the fresh side. It's all good. No need to overthink it.
 
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No. I have a definite numero uno.

E312A225-E186-472C-BE89-438ABA22376F.jpeg
 
My personal preference is a 6 string with flats. I got that one. A Le Fay Karlsson.
However, I feel like I need to have three basses. One to play, one for backup and one at home, so even If I drop my car from a cliff on the way home (and miraculously survive unscathed) and my #1 and the backup are gone, I can still show up to the gig tomorrow and have a bass (provided somebody lends me a car).
I don't see why either of those three could not be a #1 bass in some way.
 
I've gone through so many. Forced myself to downsize and only keep the insanely best. Down from 16. I really want that clear cut #1 forever bass. I keep rotating, as soon as I think ah yes, this one is #1 a month later I pick up another one and end up playing it for a month and the cycle continues..... I need a therapist!!!! Anyone else struggle to decide on their clear #1 bass?

Sandberg California VM4
Spector NS2
Fender Custom Shop with Aeros and Nordstrand
'88 2 band Stingray

View attachment 4180764
Who would think. Some guys sit and imagine what it would be like to afford only 1 bass at this level.
Other guys sit and imagine what it would be like if they didn't have to own so many nice basses and they could have just a number one. What a challenge to have nice things and like them all!
 
I keep rotating because my desires and needs keep changing. I have 2 #1s, a 4 and a 5, depending on if I need the B. My #1 4 is a Lakland 44-64 Custom, and #1 5 is an Ibanez SR2605. I couple years ago I didn't have either of those basses and something else was my number #1.
 
I've gone through so many. Forced myself to downsize and only keep the insanely best. Down from 16. I really want that clear cut #1 forever bass. I keep rotating, as soon as I think ah yes, this one is #1 a month later I pick up another one and end up playing it for a month and the cycle continues..... I need a therapist!!!! Anyone else struggle to decide on their clear #1 bass?

Sandberg California VM4
Spector NS2
Fender Custom Shop with Aeros and Nordstrand
'88 2 band Stingray

View attachment 4180764
C'mon. That 2 band Stingray has got to come real close to being able to do anything ;).
It's nice to have different colors to paint with, but my Stingray always feels like "home". Easiest to get a great tone out of it and I'm most comfortable on it because I've spent the most time on it.
 
C'mon. That 2 band Stingray has got to come real close to being able to do anything ;).
It's nice to have different colors to paint with, but my Stingray always feels like "home". Easiest to get a great tone out of it and I'm most comfortable on it because I've spent the most time on it.

It is pretty special and the play wear on it is proof. Even has a cigarette burn on the headstock from the late 80's and 90's when you could smoke in bars. It has seriously great tone pretty much no matter how you set the EQ. It also plays great and has a forearm contour unlike the classic model. It's just great all the way around. Which is why it made the cut and is still in my herd. I still also have a 3 band Stingray also but if I had to choose one I would keep this 2 band
 
I have 5 electric basses and an upright. Two of my electrics are these:

View attachment 4181699

You can make a solid argument that a P-bass and a 5-string J-bass will get you through 99.5% of electric bass gigs that exist. Anything beyond these two basses is want versus need.

I tell myself this whenever I find myself in the classifieds. I think it's true.

I have to agree on this one. These two will handle anything anyone throws at you. The rest is just preference. For utility you can't beat a good P bass and a J5 of some sort. I could only add "perhaps" a fretless to this list but no one has ever asked me to play fretless professionally - it has only been a preference of mine at times.
 
I've gone through so many. Forced myself to downsize and only keep the insanely best. Down from 16. I really want that clear cut #1 forever bass. I keep rotating, as soon as I think ah yes, this one is #1 a month later I pick up another one and end up playing it for a month and the cycle continues..... I need a therapist!!!! Anyone else struggle to decide on their clear #1 bass?

Sandberg California VM4
Spector NS2
Fender Custom Shop with Aeros and Nordstrand
'88 2 band Stingray

View attachment 4180764
It would be hard not to love each and every one. I go through the same thing. I think man this is my number one till I get out another bass lol. The bass is our therapist!
 
I've gone through so many. Forced myself to downsize and only keep the insanely best. Down from 16. I really want that clear cut #1 forever bass. I keep rotating, as soon as I think ah yes, this one is #1 a month later I pick up another one and end up playing it for a month and the cycle continues..... I need a therapist!!!! Anyone else struggle to decide on their clear #1 bass?

Sandberg California VM4
Spector NS2
Fender Custom Shop with Aeros and Nordstrand
'88 2 band Stingray

View attachment 4180764

I've got a small pile of incredible, incredible basses. I could get by forever with a simple Precision, and it's definitely got it's place, but the nicer instruments (Alembic Series bass, Peavey Cirrus, Lakland fretless, Ibanez BTB846SC) each do things quite well that maybe the others do not. Depending upon the gig, I'll bring either a couple of options or all of them, and play whichever one is most comfortable and/or appropriate in that particular setting (so far the Precision is the only bass I take camping). The notion of needing one single bass to do it all is nice, but having options is, to me, nicer. It looks like you've got your options covered for the most part (need a fretless, my friend).

John
 
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