Bass Collection by Type/Role

[OnlyFlats]

Role, details

1. Rock pig pick playing - round wounds regular scale frankenbass, 2 pickups neck is a Lace. Everyone but me hates this bass as it's strange looking.

2. Thwumpin - short scale with flats and neck humbucker. I play this in a band. Sustains for eons or stops on a dime with my muting. Everyone loves this bass look and tone ('vintage').

3. Ergonomic nirvana at home - when I want to play my best, feel grateful and be most comfortable. Short scale headless with flats, custom build. Lace neck pickup really opens up the tone options, not thwumpy but pristine. Doesn't leave the house, a special friend made it for me.

4. Low and versatile - regular scale PJ with flats tuned BEAD. I can play nice or play sludge with this. Plain looks but great tone. Role is to support distorted guitars by staying low

5. Small nimble quick light fun and great for little beginners - short scale PJ with TI flats that I can easily gig or lend to my kids to learn on. Can remain out of circulation for ages (or get nicked) and not matter. Cheap Ibanez model but punches way above it's price point. The salesman laughed at me when I bought this for myself, he'd only sold it to kids.


Of the 4 that leave the house, I can and have gigged with any of them as my only player. They all can be versatile.

All have been modded or customised.

I'm content and grateful for my quiver

 

[denchiq]

It was when I started to analyze the way this thread suggests that I finally came down to just one. My ultimate all-round gigging - rehearsing - recording bass is a Lakland 55-94. As soon as I realized it got over 95% of all my playing conditions and made sound men happy, and the rest of my basses had become pricey wall decorations gathering dust, I sold everything I had and forced myself to rethink 'what is it that I can't cope without' rather than 'what is it that I want'.

I stopped playing bass for several years and only played the guitar so I downsized to the Lakland 55-02 and eventuall sold my only bass.
But then last year my old friend presented me with a cheesy vintage Bulgarian short-scale Orfeus precision bass just for fun. The bass had lost its proprietory pickup (a la '51 but with a blade pole piece and a very large coil), so I installed a MIM Fender P ceramic pup in a more G&L-esque position bc it's a most obvious way to get more highs from a passive P, and it has been my go-to bass since (BUT with a Kemper amplifier head I have plenty of tonal possibilities).
Then I was invited to a band to play the bass so I used it as an all-round bass (and Kemper)
Then the frontman started to say their former bassist was using lots of fretless, so I finally bought a nice little (but damn heavy) Vintage V940B active PJ with Wilkerson pups and electronics. It cost me dirt cheap (like $72-ish) and was going to be conveted to be the fretless for the band, but it seems everyone liked the way it sounds so I may keep it as it is.

...but the bass I need is a Lakland 55-94 or 55-02 or a clone. I just bought my old custom built Lakland MME/MME set that I had ordered like 14 yrs ago and installed into one of my Laklands. I seem to be getting back a Lakland bridge from my other 55-94, so a Laklandstein of some sort may be coming my way

 

[denchiq]

• Active j-style 4-string, main bass for gigging and recording in most situations (Carvin LB70 with Aero pickups)
• Active j-style 4-string, backup or alternate bass for gigging and recording in most situations, also lightest weight option (Zon VB4)
• Active j-style 4-string fretless bass, covers fretless sounds while not straying too far from my "stock" tones (Carvin B4)
• Active 5-string with soapbars, tuned with a low B, for when I want a low B or a modern soapbar sound (Kiesel Osiris)
• Active 5-string PJ, tuned with high C, for when I want a high C or a PJ sound (Kiesel Osiris)
• Passive p-bass with flats, for that sound (parts p-bass with Fender body/electronics and Allparts jazz neck)

Interestingly, you chose a composite-neck bass for your recording bass in most situations while all the rest of your top list have wooden necks.
Also, interestingly it hasn't made it to your main gigging bass as the more stable neck wood suggest

 

[MCS4]

Interestingly, you chose a composite-neck bass for your recording bass in most situations while all the rest of your top list have wooden necks.
Also, interestingly it hasn't made it to your main gigging bass as the more stable neck wood suggest

The Carvin LB70 is my main bass for most gigging and recording, and the Zon is my backup for most gigging and recording. I guess the wording I used might be a little confusing if you read the part about the Zon by itself.

I actually significantly prefer the sound of the Carvin to the Zon for recording purposes, but they are a lot closer when it comes to live situations. They both work well when it comes to my stock bass tone at gigs, but the Carvin tends to work better with the pedals I use on average, and I frankly just feel a little more comfortable with it overall, so the Carvin wins out more often. I gigged mostly the Zon when I first got it but after maybe several months or so the Carvin more or less took over the No. 1 status again.

It is true that the Zon is my most stable bass in terms of tuning, but that isn't a factor in choosing a live bass because all of my basses hold tune well enough to be rock solid during gigging; I wouldn't keep any bass that couldn't.

 

[Aaron David]

Lakland USA 44-64 with Labella Deep Talkin Flats (red silks) - smooth, great dynamics, incredible neck feel.

EBMM USA Cutlass: My only bass since 2016 until very recently. Inherently brighter and punchier than the Lakland. Almost sounds like a mix between a Precision and a Stingray. Will probably go back to roundwounds, and might even go BEAD.

I see a passive jazz in my future.

 

[iqi616]

Mine...
J-bass: Funk, disco, bass-driven songs, anything where the guitar/keyboards stay up high out of the way of the bass.
P-bass: Supporting guitar/keyboard driven songs. Channeling Phil Spalding!
Aria: Slap bass and 80s songs.
Acoustic: Accompanying acoustic instruments.
Fretless: Covers of songs using fretless bass and anything I can get away with using it on.

 

[elgranluis]

My basses dont fill roles - they fill looks and preferences:
- I only play 4 strings
- I prefer fender
- I always have to own at least one SG style bass and one Ric
- If I like it and I can afford it , I will buy it

Therefore , mi current stable has one ric , two Gibsons, one musicman , and 12 other passive fenders in different colors.

The only role they fulfill is making me enjoy playing, as I rotate them constantly so that they all get equal play time.

 

[kesslari]

5 string Fretless Zon bass: For everything.
5 string cheap headless fretless Hohner B-2V: for travel and jam nights when I'm not the house band.

 

[MrAB4003]

I own 4 passive 4 string basses, so I can’t view my collection in terms of type.

But each bass in my collection has its own role:
1. 2012 Rickenbacker 4003
This is my main bass with rounds. It's also the one currently seen in my avatar. It splits duties with my other 4003 for recording my original songs and practicing.

2. 2022 Rickenbacker 4003
This is my main bass with flats. It splits duties with my other 4003 for recording my original songs and practicing.

3. 2021 7ender MIA P Bass
This is my backup bass, which is a pretty loosely defined role. I don't usually record with it because I don't sound like myself on it. But I do practice with it, especially for covering songs. It's currently strung with rounds.

4. 2008 Squier Jazz Bass
This is my first ever bass guitar. I made it my piccolo bass a few years ago because I wasn't playing it like I used to. I use it to play rhythms, chords, leads, and solos in lieu of a guitar.

It's time for an update:
1. 2012 Rickenbacker 4003
This is my main bass with rounds. It's also the one currently seen in my avatar. It splits duties with my other 4003 for recording my original songs and practicing.

2. 2022 Rickenbacker 4003
This is my main bass with flats. It splits duties with my other 4003 for recording my original songs and practicing.

3. 2026 Sire P5 Fretless
This is my fretless bass and my backup bass. I use it for fretless, upright, and other specialty tones. It's so much fun to play!

Notes:
1. I have since donated my Squier and sold the Fender. My Squier has since been replaced with my Schecter guitar. I'm not including it in this thread as it's not a bass.

2. I'm also not including my Colley Mistress 533 bass because it's back with the builder. To make a long story short, I might be receiving a refund on it because it has faulty electronics. The builder has to inspect it to see he can figure out what's going. This bass is a 5 string with active electronics... last time the electronics worked over a month ago.

 

[JIO]

I'm in two bands, and mostly use one specific (passive) bass for each, but not the same bass. For jam sessions I have many to choose from. (all across the board)

Bond Girl bass - '66 J ------------------------------------------------ The Sean Conneries bass - Teiscobird