Are you happier owning only one bass?

[Frodolicious]

I've had the same G&L white fretless bass for almost 4 years as my only bass, and have been as happy as can be with just one. Allows me to just play and not worry. Cheers

 

[pablohonig]

I believe each has the autonomy to decide what works for them. I just think it is nice to have these opinions to read through when someone is on the cusp of adding to the stable and uncertain. Likewise, perhaps someone just needs support in making the justification for their N+1 bass.

 

[r00r1]

I have 2
An FGN neo P which has a roasted vintera 50’s p neck
And a Yamaha BB1024x
Both strung with dr low riders, but i never change the string on my P, only on the Yamaha. So If a string breaks i always have 1 fresh set and 1 older set (from the BB). Somehow old strings either rounds or flats just works with P’s.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

That would require a flood, fire, theft, or alien invasion.

[Imagines his last Jazz bass sliding up the tractor beam into the hovering saucer] Nooooo!
...Excuse me, I need to go check the batteries in my smoke detectors and run a test on the Generac.

 

[B-Mac]

Not to start a flame war here.
It's just about getting some opinions and thoughts.

I am blessed to have owned some of the best instruments, and I owned 15 basses at the same time at some point in my life.

Now I'm the lucky owner of a Sadowsky NYC Will Lee 4, a Sadowsky metro MV5, and a Fender Precision bass CS Pino Palladino, so 3 amazing instruments.

Except for a band where I'm really asked to bring the 5 string, most of the time I find myself Asking myself which bass to take, knowing that owning the gear I own , whatever bass I take will be ok ( unless they don't want the flatwounds vibe...)

But I remember when I only owned one bass ( those days are pre TB) and doing everything with that bass , finding ways to get the tone I want from one bass...

I often ask myself if I wouldn't be happier just owning one bass and just do everything I need with one, ok it's cool to have loads of instruments to choose from, but at the same time it's great not to have to think about anything and just grab what you got when you only have one bass, and just play the role of the bass player.

I say to myself that owning a great 5 string is all a bass player would need ( of course it's not a 4 and somebody could tell me what about the flatwound tone etc...)

I'm a pro bass player, I earn my income playing bass, and of course a pro needs some tools, but sometime, just a great sounding bass is enough, for example, I always have compliments about my tone when I bring one of my Sadowsky basses, or people love the "velvet" tone of my pbass, so whatever bass I bring, I always have a good tone.

It's just that sometime, I miss those days where it was simpler, just owning a bass and doing everything with it.

If you guys only had to own one bass, would you get a passive bass, active bass? 4 or 5 string? Jbass or Pbass oriented ( or maybe something else like a Musicman or whatever?)

for the ones that went back to owning one bass, are you happier?

The mere thought of it makes me cry

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Having one bass as my MAIN player makes sense for me. However my appreciation for the instrument itself won’t let my desire to enjoy different tonal options be satisfied with just one bass.
Sometimes I want to hear that Pbass with flats vibe. Other times it’s a Jazz bass. My MusicMan Caprice does its own special thing that makes it my main player .

I enjoy different styles of music and that requires more options. Sometimes that low B string and added flexibility of an onboard preamp .
I tried the one bass routine for a while. Just couldn’t do everything I wanted with one or 2 basses. 3 basses seems to be the sweet spot for me.
Anything else is just icing on the cake .
I wouldn’t want to go through life using only 1 color in the crayon box.
I’d really like to have an upright and maybe a fretless and some type of key bass setup. But then I’m getting into do I need the 24 count or 64 count box of crayons territory.

I’ll probably continue to make due with my current lineup.
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Things have changed over the years. I now have a specific type.

Im certainly happy owning one type of bass.

 

[joel the bass player]

I'd be happier if I had one more bass.

Even if/when I get another, I'll still want one more. Can't help it!

 

[metron]

Not I. Others might be?

 

[Pearly Gator]

For years, a humble Peavey USA was my main bass. Then I added a Jaguar, a Jazz an EBMM. Went back in the recording studio and the Peavey performed best. I sold the others and kept the one Peavey that always speaks to me.

I do still have a Bass VI but that is used as an octave guitar and for Cure type stuff.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

Mmm, tough one. I have 3
All different designs.
Fender p bass 4 string.
Sterling Ray4
LTD B205 5 string.
Nothing expensive but functional. I played the p bass at my gig tonight, will play the ray4 at the outdoor gig/open mic next weekend. The 5 is my church bass. Been a few years since I have played at church.