Are you happier owning only one bass?

[Lovep]

I've owned up to 4 basses at a time. I can say without a doubt, now that I am down to one, I'm pretty happy. 5-string US Lakland Jazz. Although I could possibly use a 4-string Jazz for some songs, I can cover what I need with the one bass I own.

If money were no object, I would likely have three basses: MM Stingray V Classic, Fender Precision V, and Lakland Jazz 5.

 

[SpyderX]

I have 8 (all 4 strings) right now but really I could be happy with two. An active MM type and passive PJ type. Would be a tough decision to pick between those two if I had to.

 

[Tom Baker]

I like to have a fretted and a fretless...past that I'm just conspicuously consuming.

 

[Trayster2]

I have 3 basses, two are Ibanez sr700. One has an active/passive switch. I also have an Ibanez sr400 that I changed out the pickups to DiMarzios, and strung with Chromes. I wanted to trade that one out until I had bought a U.S. Fender Precision and liked the sound of the 400 more. I sold the Fender.

 

[Mediocrity Man]

I'm holding at five for now. I think I would collect if I had the resources but I also don't like stuff laying around that's not getting used.

If I could only keep two it would be my Fender Classic 70's CIJ P bass and my EBMM Stingray 4H.

 

[nilorius]

Doesn't matter how much and good basses you own, you will never replace all needed tones and sounds, that's why you have to choose the one, that is the best for you, the best for teq. and finally - from your heart.

 

[StatesideRambler]

I've never been a gear whore so I've never owned more than two basses at a time. I could easily get by with one 4-string passive bass, given the music I like to play now and my fearlessness in moving knobs on both the bass and the amp between tunes. <<< HE MOVED THE KNOBS!!! I'LL NEVER FIND MY SOUND AGAIN!!! I'LL HAVE TO DRIVE TRUCKS THE REST OF MY LIFE!!! >>>

 

[ghostinthemach]

Recently admitted to myself that this is my current desert isle bass:

...but I’m up to 17 now.
Am I a player (49 yrs) who collects, or a collector who plays?
For the vast majority of my 49 years as a bassist I owned 1-2 basses out of financial necessity. Now I can have what ever I REALLY want.
#17 is on the way to me now:

Bought it because it reminds me of a bass I had from 21 until about 30. An old friend.
I kid you not when I say all 17 get played, loved, and pampered.
Different basses for different ‘places’

*Open mic: I co-host and accompany (mood of the day bass-wise)

*Rockits: 6 pc 50’s-70 (P-bass or EB-3)

*Dizzy Biz: 3 pc acoustic/eclectic contemporary (typically fretless 4 to choose from)

*Congregation Church: netcast on Sunday morns. (Large auditorium/widely divergent song styles, think variety backup band like in a talk show as i sometimes play behind prominent guest musicians)(5 string mostly, but not exclusively)

*Private affairs various local-semi local bands. (Bass chosen to fit band focus)

I’d be hard-pressed to be happy with the same bass in all theses places, looks OR sound-wise.
My bass collection is like a very enjoyable tool box to me.

 

[LouBass]

One bass plus backup for gigs. I need simplicity and as few options as possible. Distractions to playing don't work well for me.

 

[arbiterusa]

There’s a lot to be said for owning only one bass; for more than 20 years the only bass I had was my Steinberger L2 fretless. Now I have ten. One is the Steinberger. I don’t take it out to gigs anymore because it’s not replaceable. I have one of my own builds, four Cort fretlesses (my gig basses) and four Squier jazzes which I have for practicing fret levels, just for fun. They were so cheap (as were the Corts) that losing/ruining/getting one stolen would be no big deal. Which was the point.

But the Steinberger is still the “only one”, fundamentally. You don’t play an instrument for thirty plus years and not form a special bond with it. I can do anything with that bass.

 

[ofajen]

Just as happy when I had one, I suppose, but I’ve learned a lot by getting to know several different basses.

Otto

 

[black.rose1402]

OK , seems like a lot of us only had one bass in the past, and that we were alright doing so!

Do you think Talkbass is one of the (main) reason for us purchasing all these basses???

 

[McFarlin]

I would be if I didn't have two.

 

[Charlzm]

I recently read a short article about the grocery store chain Aldis, and the article cited one reason for their success was actually their lack of options. They carry one brand of ketchup. The article said people given fewer choices were generally more satisfied with their product choice. I'd call it "What if effect." There's definitely something to it.

I owned only a EBMM Stingray for a long time and never longed for anything else until I joined this site. Up to 9 now.

That's why I don't shop at Aldi's. Tried it once and the lack of options bugged me. Back to Ralph's (aka Kroger in many parts of the USA).

 

[Charlzm]

I have too many basses right now. If I had my 'druthers, I'd take it down to three - My Dingwall Afterburner with Nordstrand Big Splits, my Dingwall Combustion with Nordstrand Big Singles and a custom fretless Frankenbass.

I don't play the others hardly at all and am making plans to sell some of them.

Except the Rick 4003. Love the sound and look of that bass. I want to keep it to record with, but I wouldn't take it to a gig.

 

[jackn1202]

I only have my Thunderbird, but only because a) my fretless RD build still isn't finished and b) I'm broke as hell. I'm happy with just the Thunderbird, and if I needed different sounds I would probably just give it a different pickup or something, but there are definitely things it can't do, like slap. I also love playing along to the Royal Blood albums, and while the pickup in it sounds alright for that, it can be terribly difficult on my hands, plus it has almost no reachable upper register past the 15th fret, so that kind of lead bass is very difficult. I can make do without that (octave pedal, other methods), but a Jazz or a Jaguar with a humbucker would be really nice. Anything else I would get would just be for the fun of having it.

Disclaimer: I'm 17. I don't have years and years of playing different basses under my belt. I've only played about 6 different types of basses, and only owned one. Someday I probably will only have one bass and be completely content, but in between now and then I bet I'll go through about 50.

 

[The Expendable Clay]

I was happy when I only had one. Then I started playing multiple different gigs/styles. I think everything depends on what you do with your instruments. And when you hit the point that many of them sit and collect dust, you have too many.
BTW I have 3 now and I do have GAS, but I just tell myself I really don't need anymore basses. But pedals are a different story......

 

[Bijoux]

I currently have 7 electric basses, and I'm pretty sure I could cover all my gigs with just one of them. If i kept 5 it would be great, because I would have the Jbas, Pbass, fretless, 5 string and 6 string.
I could sell the 2 other jbasses. I just haven't done it because they are MIM and they are heavily upgraded and i really don't think I would get my moneys worth by selling them.
But the other reason why i might sell them is because 3 of my basses are essentially jazz basses and each one has a specific 'Flavor" . And I don't like having to decide which one to take to which gig. If I only had one of those and would have to think about it!
yes, first world problems!

 

[Groove Doctor]

Because I like them, and Because I can. Work out what makes you happy.

 

[GretschWretch]

Not read all the posts; but life certainly would be simpler with a single bass, which by definition and default would be "the one." But with age comes gainful employment, which adds basses to the fold.

And THEN, what is hard is cutting back to one (or a few), because you discover that (nearly) all the basses have something you like, but no single one of them has everything you like and want. And even though your stable of basses expands, the time you have to play them does not.