Are two basses REALLY needed to bring to gigs?

[michael_atw]

I guess you are just one hell of a bass player! This post is the biggest load of rubbish I've ever read!

Lessee if I got your "professional" attitude down.

1. Anyone attempting to be prepared for trouble ahead of time by having spares of any kind within 250 miles of the current gig is some kind of scared wussy wimp who is so anal that all that shivering and fear makes their playing so stilted that they don't need to worry about a bass getting stolen or crapping out because they should just throw it in the trash and put an ad on the internet for website design.

2. A true "professional" knows that he is "God" and audiences are a bunch of dumb oafs who simply don't appreciate how great he is and whose opinion means nothing no matter WHO happens to be listening at the time. The "professional" attitude is to simply swear at the snooty uptights and show your contempt for them all!

3. A professional never worries about gear failures because when you are "god" gear simply wouldn't DARE fail in your presence. Only people who aren't "professionals" who are forced to play Mustang Sally or ACDC covers need worry about putting on a smooth professional performance. Anyone with "real" talent (such as yourself, natch) knows his super-human abilities will quickly cover for any gear that might fail.

Have I got it yet?

Actually I've known quite a few "musicians" with attitudes like yours and some were even genuinely talented. Eventually none of them could even get the low level gigs I play. Obviously you have never even MET real professionals. You need to get around more. Confess. You are really a guitar player who is trying to play bass, right?

Don't call us, we'll call you.

I guess you don't read much...do you?

You can't play two basses at the same time, so worrying about a smooth performance isn't threatened by not bringing two. It's only threatened if one actually breaks down. That's what I was talking about with the probabilities.

Or...maybe you do read much....because you vastly over-read what I was saying.

 

[savit260]

Why? It could've been in far enough to hold for a while. That's what typically happens with what I described... it doesn't immediately just fall out.

The guy isn't exactly a statue on stage. If it were not in correctly, it would have come out fairly quickly during the show. If it was a simple usere error, he wouldn't have discarded them



And everyone is just like you.
(sarcasm+1)


LOL thankfully no.


A good design wouldn't require Loctite IMO. If it did require it it ought to come with it. Feel free to think otherwise. After all, somebody has to use Schallers. With Loctite.
I guess you could say that about Strap Locks in general too? They are , in many cases, added after the original purchase of the bass. Guess using that logic, basses that didn't come with strap locks are not good too. ... or is it a mod you do to make the bass function better? ??

 

[savit260]

Everyone is looking at this through a prism of their own experience.

O.k. I have time to respond to the whole thing now.

Yes, everyone looks at it through the prism of their own experience, but a wise person would know that THEIR OWN experiences don't cover all situations. Making a blanket statements such as "changing a string on a show isnt' a big deal" or "easily fixed" would be just one example of this. Maybe in your situation it isn't. In mine , and probalby a good amount of other players here , it IS indeed a big deal.

Like I said many times, check the probability of a bass failure put up against a vehicle failure, car crash, your kid getting sick that night, bass getting stolen, etc. Objectively, many will soon find equipment failure probabilities to be much smaller than one thinks.

or NOT. Speaking only for myself, I've had over the years, numurous things happen that at a minimum, made the bass or guitar useless on stage at least temporarily. (I'm sure others have had similar issues) Checking the probablility of those issues (numerous of the course of many hears and countless shows) vs. the number of times I've had a vehicle failure , car crash, sick kids etc... It just plain makes good sense for ME to bring a backup bass. It's a simple insurance plan. If the car gets wrecked, it's insured. If I got a flat.. I have Triple A. (also a form of insurance) AGAIN each INDIVIDUAL should assess their own situation , and decide from there.

If we eliminate string breaks (which are easily fixed), that will probably drop the probability even further.

True enough, but I've either experienced or seen first hand plenty of other things put an insturment "down for the count" on shows. I prefer to be the one NOT having to ask to borrow someone elses instrument , if that's even an option.

Besides, I'M the one who's making it personal?
Dude, you just took a whole post that was going to ANOTHER PERSON and started talking about what you've done.

This is an open discussion board. We discuss things. There's a PM funcition if you want to keep certain conversations private where no one else can respond to them.

C'mon dude...who just made it a prism of their own personal situation?

You're missing the point. I'm not saying what works for me should work for everyone unlike what you seem to be implying. You made a blanket statment based what appears to be soley on your own gig, without taking into account others play under very different circumstances. I simply replied to that ALSO stating that others situations may be entierly different. Guess you missed that part.

 

[DaleTitus]

I would never think of doing a gig or session withouth bringing at least one back up bass. Not only does it protect you from a freak gear gremlin, on more then one ocassion another bassist has shown up to one of my gigs and wanted to jam with me. Those are some of my favorite memories!

 

[Dark Horse]

There's an awful lot of "projecting" going on in this thread.

People have different situations and different opinions on the best way to handle them.

Me personally....I don't think it's a big deal to bring an extra bass. In my mind, it isn't like you're really making any extra effort, especially if you have a double gig bag. So I typically "do" bring an extra. I also typically bring along something like a VT Classic pedal just in case there is a problem with my amp. It fits right in my bag, so again, no real extra effort.

However, I can't assume that what is "right for me" will be the "right thing for everyone". I know lots of people who bring one bass to a gig and it works for them.

Does it make them "less professional" ? Probably not....unless they have a problem that cannot be fixed "on stage".

Does bringing two basses make me "more professional" ? Probably not...Well, only if I end up NEEDING to use both basses on the gig due to a failure or string break.

 

[hankazoid]

Never have I brought more than one bass to a gig. I did break my E-string one time, but immediately after the drummer from one of the bands that we shared the bill with brought me his bass player's bass. Very cool.

A lot of gigs I've played have been with bands we all know and/or are friends with and oftentimes we share drums or amps anyway. I wouldn't hesitate to loan anyone my bass as well if needed be.

The only time I might bring a backup is if it was a one band bill. Or if none of the other bands had a bass player.

 

[metron]

All this conjecture, opinion, and speculation is ruining everything. This thread needs a quantification of the need for a backup bass. Lets define the hundreds of variables then run some statistical analysis. We could break it down to a smaller number of probabilities for the most common events such as: the odds of breaking one or more strings, strap locks failing, neck failure, pickup failure, body failure, wires coming unsoldered, drink getting spilled on control cavity, battery acid melting control cavity, getting hit by a bottle, car, meteor or other destructive projectile while on stage, and spontaneous combustion. Then it should then be obvious if a backup is needed or not.

 

[JMBassist]

I always take with me 2 or 3 basses. Actually I only need one!

So why should I take more than 1 bass?
Because I feel good showing to the people at least a part of my collection. Because I'm proud of having them and share the sight. Because...Because....Because I want!

 

[michael_atw]

Making a blanket statements such as "changing a string on a show isnt' a big deal" or "easily fixed" would be just one example of this.

That can easily be made a blanket statement because there is only one way to string a bass. There are easier methods to complete the one way...but there's only one way. In electronic cases, there are many ways to fix certain things like jacks, pickups, etc. But in the case of strings...making a blanket statement should not be a problem. It all depends on how good someone is at changing a string.

or NOT. Speaking only for myself, I've had over the years, numurous things happen that at a minimum, made the bass or guitar useless on stage at least temporarily. (I'm sure others have had similar issues) Checking the probablility of those issues (numerous of the course of many hears and countless shows) vs. the number of times I've had a vehicle failure , car crash, sick kids etc... It just plain makes good sense for ME to bring a backup bass. It's a simple insurance plan. If the car gets wrecked, it's insured. If I got a flat.. I have Triple A. (also a form of insurance) AGAIN each INDIVIDUAL should assess their own situation , and decide from there.

The probabilities was in reference to what I've said before about "Murphy's Law". If I'm supposed to let Murphy's Law guide the way I do things, then I should most definitely understand the concept of probabilities. If my justification for bringing a backup is because I'm convinced if I don't something will happen...then I might need to understand that there are things that will happen far before my bass breaking that I ignore daily.

This is an open discussion board. We discuss things. There's a PM funcition if you want to keep certain conversations private where no one else can respond to them.

I didn't say it was a private conversation. I said it was directed toward him...and you made it personally yours while simultaneously criticizing me for using personal pronouns of my own. That's...weird.

You're missing the point. I'm not saying what works for me should work for everyone unlike what you seem to be implying. You made a blanket statment based what appears to be soley on your own gig, without taking into account others play under very different circumstances. I simply replied to that ALSO stating that others situations may be entierly different. Guess you missed that part.

Oh...I'm sure situations are different. If you read my previous posts my argument is narrow and isn't meant to encompass everything you think it does. It's in regards to Murphy's Law, for the most part. That's why you don't understand what I'm saying is because you aren't viewing it in the correct context.

I believe I've stated before that it really...and I mean really doesn't matter to me at all. I just don't like silly or strange justifications for doing things. Bring a backup. Don't bring a backup.

 

[bassbenj]

All this conjecture, opinion, and speculation is ruining everything. This thread needs a quantification of the need for a backup bass. Lets define the hundreds of variables then run some statistical analysis. We could break it down to a smaller number of probabilities for the most common events such as: the odds of breaking one or more strings, strap locks failing, neck failure, pickup failure, body failure, wires coming unsoldered, drink getting spilled on control cavity, battery acid melting control cavity, getting hit by a bottle, car, meteor or other destructive projectile while on stage, and spontaneous combustion. Then it should then be obvious if a backup is needed or not.

How about first just defining the MUSIC you are playing and ask if a Fender P or Fender J bass can handle it. I"m sure that the usual answer is "yes" it can. But just in the remote chance that a fretless or an 8 string or maybe even a 6 string would serve certain music better, there are a few radical "pioneers" who actually don't try to cram the same sound into everything they play. And for that minority, a second bass is there for the SOUND and it's use as a "backup" in case of a meteor strike is just a freebie that comes along for the ride. Be happy. Don't worry! Hence no statistical analysis necessary...

 

[metron]

How about first just defining the MUSIC you are playing and ask if a Fender P or Fender J bass can handle it. I"m sure that the usual answer is "yes" it can. But just in the remote chance that a fretless or an 8 string or maybe even a 6 string would serve certain music better, there are a few radical "pioneers" who actually don't try to cram the same sound into everything they play. And for that minority, a second bass is there for the SOUND and it's use as a "backup" in case of a meteor strike is just a freebie that comes along for the ride. Be happy. Don't worry! Hence no statistical analysis necessary...

Yeah I already changed my mind from my original post and decided a backup is necessary. Anyone know of some high quality two-bass gig bags?

 

[Brad Johnson]

Yeah I already changed my mind from my original post and decided a backup is necessary. Anyone know of some high quality two-bass gig bags?

Sure. Protech makes a nice affordable one, well under $100. I took my Protech double gigbag on my gig Sunday where I got a flat tire. I put a bass stand, cables and some other stuff in one side since I was using a combo amp.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I'm trying to decide if that gig was really that rancid, or if that band really sucked that bad.

But hey...if it pays, it pays.

That was a perfect situation for bringing a spare band.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I can't say much of that made any sense in reference to what I said so I'll just let it stand.

 

[savit260]

I can't say much of that made any sense in reference to what I said so I'll just let it stand.

What's so hard to understand?


You stated

A good design wouldn't require Loctite IMO. If it did require it it ought to come with it. Feel free to think otherwise. After all, somebody has to use Schallers. With Loctite.

The Schallers don't "require" locktite... although it does make the design work better.

Same as adding strap locks to a bass makes the basic design of the bass work better.

Using your "if it required it, it ought to come with it" logic...

All basses should come with strap locks as well... or they must be no good ie. they must be poorly designed if they didn't come with them.

Not that hard to follow IMO.

I personally don't really care for the Dunlop or the Schaller design all that much. If I had to do it all over again, I'd just use those Grolsch beer top deals or a thick rubber washer.

 

[80'sRocker]

Always go with a backup. Several things could go haywire, making the backup bass your best friend. I personally have broken about 5 strings in a 10-12 year span, had a jack issue, battery issue...

 

[Brad Johnson]

What's so hard to understand?


You stated

The Schallers don't "require" locktite... although it does make the design work better.

Same as adding strap locks to a bass makes the basic design of the bass work better.

Using your "if it required it, it ought to come with it" logic...

All basses should come with strap locks as well... or they must be no good ie. they must be poorly designed if they didn't come with them.

Not that hard to follow IMO.

I personally don't really care for the Dunlop or the Schaller design all that much. If I had to do it all over again, I'd just use those Grolsch beer top deals or a thick rubber washer.

I'll let this stand too.

 

[KTFunkAlive]

So it's settled then.

Two basses really are needed to bring to some gigs!

 

[Fuzzbass]

The Schallers don't "require" locktite... although it does make the design work better.

A bass doesn't "require" four strings, although having four or more does make the design work better.

More seriously: IME Schallers are extremely unreliable... and that's not just my experience: bandmates of mine have experienced failures with them, too. So, as far as I'm concerned, they DO require Loctite.

Given that I've had zero problems with Dunlops in the 10 years I've been using them, I won't ever bother with the Schaller/Loctite solution.

 

[Brad Johnson]

A bass doesn't "require" four strings, although having four or more does make the design work better.

More seriously: IME Schallers are extremely unreliable... and that's not just my experience: bandmates of mine have experienced failures with them, too. So, as far as I'm concerned, they DO require Loctite.

Given that I've had zero problems with Dunlops in the 10 years I've been using them, I won't ever bother with the Schaller/Loctite solution.

Tag... you're it.