Dedicating yourself to only 1 Bass

[diverse379]

Though I have owned and played dozens over the years which I do not have anymore, I currently have close to 2 dozen . Funny thing is over half of them are the same model, and half the rest are very similar in body shape/size/feel.

Back in 1984, my drummer bought an Ibanez RB850 Deluxe, in Candy red. I was the vocalist then and had just started playing Bass behind closed doors, but my Japanese Mustang shorty copy SUKKED (I still have it, with the same LaBella nylon tape-wounds on it), so when the Bass player took off, I bought his Marshall Bass amp & was "loaned" the RB and I became familiar with it quick; my drummer actually never did get the RB back. Yeah, I bought it from him for almost nothing and a promise to do right by it.

I played the crap out of the RB for the next 10+ years, gigs, studio, parties, you name it. I slept with that RB for a couple of years, fell asleep with it, woke up to it in my hands. Eventually I found a twin to it, and set it up identical, and that was my setup on stage for years, a pair of Red RB850s.

I had a few others along the way, most notably stage-wise a B.C.Rich Mockingbird, but though I played other Basses for a song or two, always it was back to the Red RB. It was a few years later that a guitarist of mine brought me a gift of a very unexpected nature: a perfect 20 year old 1984 RB850 Deluxe Bass in WHITE! SCHWING!!

I am not sure how long after this event it was that the G.A.S. kicked in, but over the next 10 years + I would accrue a few more of these in various colors, 4 Red, 3 Purple, 3 Black, a rare Pearl White w/Gunmetal Burst, a 5 string version RB885, and so on. No matter what other basses I have in my harem, I always reach for the familiarity of the RB850s when it's time to get serious, and the ORIGINAL '850 is the only Bass I have ever used in the studio.

Though I may not be dedicated to just ONE Bass, I am damn-near dedicated to one MODEL of Bass. Thanks to similar set-ups on them, I get a bunch of variety without having to sacrifice my "comfort zone" as far as the feeling in my hands and fingers and the familiarity developed with my RB850.

These days I am more collector than performer, but just as big a player as ever. With a collection that is about to gain a third digit, I always have an eye out for those mid-80's RB850s, among others.

After all, when it comes to Axes as a whole, I only need just ONE more!!
(Edited to make paragraphs & add pic of a few of the girls.View attachment 3350426 View attachment 3350427 )

Wow that looks like the back of an old RB warehouse

That’s crazy not crazy like your crazy
But like that’s wild that’s a real love
Affair

I applaud the fact that you found your voice in that model

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I played 5 of my basses today.

 

[alembicbones]

Currently I own 8 basses and I really enjoy playing them all. However, when I am preparing for a gig, I'll play one bass exclusively at rehearsal for said gig and the gig itself. For tonight it is my Dingwall NG-3 5 string.

Bones

 

[clickclack]

I don't keep track of any particular spoon in the house.

I have a few must-haves and must-not-haves now, like big-ass fret markers which shouldn't be dots. I won't marry to an object though. Being that sentimental to anything has more disadvantages IMO.

 

[pcake]

i love variety - i played 2 different basses last night, a 30" scale and a 34" scale with different tones, and in the last week also played a mikro more than once and my SRH500 for that semi-hollow smooth sound.

 

[Will_White]

For about a year I used one bass that had only one pickup, a series/ parallel switch and a kill switch and I learned a lot about dynamics and manipulating tone with my hands and technique vs controls and EQ. It's something that's worth doing for sure but I wouldn't sell all my basses and only play with that bass for the rest of my life.

A good way to think of it, and how I explain GAS to my wife that paints, is basses are like paintbrushes they each have a different purpose, and while it might be interesting to try and do an entire painting with a single paint brush, and in doing so you learn to manipulate that brush to achieve different things, it's easier to paint a base coat with a broad brush and put in details with a liner.

 

[Sid the Kid]

It would have to a spectacular bass. I could see myself doing this with a 6 string Warwick Thumb NT, which would work cause I’d have to sell all of my other basses to afford one.

 

[DLVlad]

I basically play one model (Warwick Vampyre LTD) but I have three of them. Two four strings and one five. Although you can say it about a lot of models, the 26 frets are fairly easy access so I probably am a little more creative at the upper end of the frets as a result.

 

[PrairieDogma]

Interesting how there are a few different takes on this. I have a ‘69 telecaster bass, an upright acoustic and a 5 string fretless F Bass. The first I’ve had for over 45 years. I’ve been playing upright for almost as long but moved up to a better one. I was surprised at how steep the learning curve was for the 5 string fretless 20 years ago. A great sounding bass and an accurate amp make it hard to hide poor intonation. And the 5th string threw me at first. I had to retire the 4 string and play the 5 string exclusively to progress to where I wanted to be. I now prefer the 5 string because of its tone, range and playability. And with gold finish, it is a looker. But the Fender still feels like an old friend that I can always be comfortable with. I enjoy picking it up when the time is right.

 

[JimmyM]

Interesting how there are a few different takes on this. I have a ‘69 telecaster bass, an upright acoustic and a 5 string fretless F Bass. The first I’ve had for over 45 years. I’ve been playing upright for almost as long but moved up to a better one. I was surprised at how steep the learning curve was for the 5 string fretless 20 years ago. A great sounding bass and an accurate amp make it hard to hide poor intonation. And the 5th string threw me at first. I had to retire the 4 string and play the 5 string exclusively to progress to where I wanted to be. I now prefer the 5 string because of its tone, range and playability. And with gold finish, it is a looker. But the Fender still feels like an old friend that I can always be comfortable with. I enjoy picking it up when the time is right.

Sounds like you're set then. Fretless is a real commitment, and then adding a 5th string at the same time...no wonder you stuck with the same basses!

 

[phillipkregg]

Sounds like you're set then. Fretless is a real commitment, and then adding a 5th string at the same time...no wonder you stuck with the same basses!

Gary Willis would be proud

 

[nun lover]

In my previous band, I did have the "one" special bass. A black Gibson RD Artist. The Moog preamp had this thunderous low end that nothing else I tried replicated, it's comfortable, big and just plain looks badass. People would always step up to the stage and ask questions about it. Even got some "oohs and ahhs" when I'd pull it out of the case. Any time I look at it I think of all the shows I played with it.

I'm not quite there yet with my current band. We're eclectic and don't have one solid style. Plus, our set list is often comprised of songs from past albums by different bassists, so I'm sort of emulating their sound as well. In this band I have been using a Spector Rebop and a Peavey Cirrus. They don't really have the same band association that my RD did.

 

[fretno]

There is no rule that says you cannot dedicate yourself to many instruments . Like knowing several languages the self has greater range of communication . Some may be more intimate than others .

 

[Bassist30]

I understand the desire to stay with one bass. Very few players do like Marcus Miller, Jaco (until stolen) and a few others. They do have a style or bring out a style that is different or rather original.