Do we really need more than 1 bass (why the GAS)?

[amimbari]

Unless of course you have real crap gear like a Hondo, Squire, Crate, etc.

hey now...watch what brands you say under your "crap gear" catagory unless you put IMO or something that shows that is YOUR opinion only....

some of the finest cheaper basses made in all of history are some of those brands, where people use them as their main and only bass...

 

[Mr_Sore_Fingerz]

It just depends on what you want to do with them and such

Right now I only have 3, an Ibanez SR500, a Fender Hi-way 1 Jazz, and my Squier P-bass. The obvious differences in tone are why I got all of these basses, but I could still use a fretless and maybe a 5'er...so I really wouldn't see a problem as long as all the basses had somethign very different about them. I might get a classic vibe p-bass and put some flats on it as well, making 6 basses....but IMHO, if they are all tonally different and unique, I wouldn't worry too much about how many you have =/

 

[Eilif]

Why? It's all about the flavors.

The real question is how do we justify it? Some don't bother to justify, but most of us do. There's no guaranteed progression, but it goes something like this. (note, most places that I use the term "need" you can more realistically read as "want")

1) First you need something "different".

2) Then you need something with another string
2a) then you need another string

3) then you need something active

4) then you need to have a dedicated bass for flatwound strings

5) then you need to have different wood combination examples of your favorite instrument(s)
5a) then you need to have different vintages of the same instrument(s).

6) then you need a boutique custom made instrument to match your specific style

7) then you need a gigging version of the custom so you can keep the custom safe at home

8) then you need an upright

9) Then you need....

It get's pretty rediculous after a while and most of us will readily admit this. I've got ten different instruments, and I haven't even used options 4,5, 6, 7 or 9. Yet....

No matter what your income level is, there are so different playable instruments available at every price point, that if you get to like variety in your instruments, then there is very little holding you back from starting a collection. Once you start it's hard to stop.

 

[kraigo]

I agree that you can get a very wide variety of tones by using you hands only, BUT I don't think anyone can make a J type bass sound like a P type bass and vice versa no matter how much they use their finger-skills and/or amps, EQ's, effects, etc... IMHO, the very core of the tone is just too different.

Most of the time no one other than the bassist cares if the song was done on a J but the bassist is covering it on a P. It's not to say that there isn't a difference, but very few people (aside from possibly other bassists) care.

I think part of the question is "could you get by with one or two basses?" and I think the answer is yes. The second part of the question is "could you be happy with one or two basses?" In my case yes, but apparently for many of us, no.

As to why should some one limit one's self to fewer tools? Sometimes, at least for me, the gear becomes more important than the playing. When I'm at my best I am not even thinking of adding more gear. It's a distraction.

"Play more, buy less". That's my goal. Unfortunately I've got six basses at the moment.

KO

 

[tbonesullivan]

G.A.S is a horribly addictive condition related primarily to the internet. It affects Bassists, Guitarists, and drummers alike. It also affects motorcyclists to some degree, though they tend to suffer from "insufficient displacement syndrome", and instead of having many motorcycles, they simply get bigger and bigger ones.

Now, there are many good arguments for having multiple basses:
-ALWAYS have a backup
-nothing really sounds quite like brand-x except brand-x
-having a good "used" bass that you won't cry about if it gets dented is a good thing for crappy gigs
-variety of basses gets you more different sounds.

All of these are valid arguments, though in reality there is no real way to justify owning 10+ electric basses, other than to admit you have GAS and need to start attending GAS anonymous, or a better alternative is to stay away from the computer and practice more.

Unfortunately for myself... i can't get away from the computer. Oh well. I've got two bass amps, a bass preamp, two basses in the stable, one on the way, and 3 on a wish list.

 

[Boombass76]

Most of the time no one other than the bassist cares if the song was done on a J but the bassist is covering it on a P. It's not to say that there isn't a difference, but very few people (aside from possibly other bassists) care.

That is probably true... However, I recently tried my "new old" Precision with a Gospel group. We mosty play in small, Danish village churches which are almost 1000 years old - there is almost nothing but stone and other hard surfaces inside. And high ceilings. In other words, one of the worst scenarios imaginable acoustically.

I have always struggled with taming the bass sound in such environments, but actually the P sound (which I have been accusing of being too "hollow" in the past) was perfect for the job. The weak spot in the frequency spectrum was apparently what usually made the bass (J-type) to boomy.

After the concert, the drummer mentioned how punchy the bass had sounded without rumbling to much. So, I don't think he (or anybody else in the band or the audience) cared wheter I played a P, a J, a custom boutique J, or whatever.... But they was grateful that the bass was less boomy

 

[Boombass76]

(...) in reality there is no real way to justify owning 10+ electric basses, other than to admit you have GAS and need to start attending GAS anonymous (...)

Right on!

 

[lineboss58]

I have 8 basses and even more guitars they are all individual and evoke me to play in a certain way, if i feel like playing a jazz or a TB or a custom i can. I dont have a problem with it, why someone would limit themselves to just one guitar i cant imagine. You wouldnt eat or drink just one thing for thr rest of your life would you?

 

[wazzel]

IMO a most bassist really do not need more than two if they are playing out. If you are a session bassist they you proabably need a few more to be able to handle the request of the peson you are recording for.

 

[Lady Kayri]

If you don't play out much, one would probably do you fine. If you play out in public much, a second for a backup would probably be very useful. If you play more than one type of music, several (at least a p and a j type bass) would be best; especially if you have one down-tuned to B or even F (whether a 4- or 5-string is another matter). I'd think if you do a lot of down-tuned pieces, that 5-string would be very nice for that low string. Fretless vs fretted - depends on if you like / enjoy / feel comfortable with the fretless.

As for me, I suspect 4 is what I'm going to end up with for the most part. 4-string Ibby SR400 with round wounds - my 'starter bass' - decent sound, good tone for almost any type of music; that's eventually going to be my 'beater bass'. I've also recently acquired a used MIM Fender p-bass which I strung with flats. I've got a 70's replica Fender Jazz bass on layaway, probably keep round wounds on them. All those three with 4 strings. I want to eventually get a 5-string Dingwall when the Combustion "budget line" comes out, which will let me play around with a 5-stringer for a while and see how much I like it. At this point I don't think I'll ever do much with fretless basses; if I ever do that total of 4 would probably become 5, with a 5-string fretless with flatwounds (assuming I learn to handle the first five string without too much problem, of course!)

So - I suspect how many basses a player 'needs' depends mostly on how much you play and what type of music you play...

Pat

 

[tbonesullivan]

I have 8 basses and even more guitars they are all individual and evoke me to play in a certain way, if i feel like playing a jazz or a TB or a custom i can. I dont have a problem with it, why someone would limit themselves to just one guitar i cant imagine. You wouldnt eat or drink just one thing for thr rest of your life would you?

on the other hand, the more time you spend with a bass, the more it becomes a part of you, and you know exactly how to get it to sound the way you want. I guess you end up focusing more on your own technique and controls than on the bass. I don't see how people can have 10 basses and claim to know exactly how each one sounds in comparison to each other.

 

[Eilif]

I don't see how people can have 10 basses and claim to know exactly how each one sounds in comparison to each other.

It's pretty easy actually. With controls set flat, I can tell the sonic difference between almost all my basses without even trying.

5 string active bass
5 string active frettless
pbass
j-bass
t-40
Dual Darkstarred bass
hollowbody viola bass
semi-hollow bass
upright bass

I'm not the sonic expert who can always aurally tell the difference between 4 different eras of MIA jazz basses (those who can, kudos to you), but each of my basses has a very unique voice, such that if the a bass player were presented with a list of the basses I have, they would likely be able to easily tell me which instrument I was playing.

Now the audience might not be able to tell the difference, but I know the tone I want that will fit each given musical situation, and if the tone is right and sits well in the mix, then the audience will be enjoying the music more, even if they don't know why.

Could I get by with one? No doubt.
Would I still enjoy myself. Yes.
Am I going to sell the other 8? No.

 

[cassanova]

hey now...watch what brands you say under your "crap gear" catagory unless you put IMO or something that shows that is YOUR opinion only....

some of the finest cheaper basses made in all of history are some of those brands, where people use them as their main and only bass...

A general consensus is that the brands I listed are crap. I will not apologize for saying it, nor do I need to add IMO/IME because it is implied that it is my opinion. I have said since day one here at my tenure at TB that Squire, Cort, Crate, etc were crap. zSo I don't forsee me changing the way I post just because you got your panties in a wad over it.

Unless they put out a product that blows the doors off of other companies, I do not plan on changing that opinion. There is a reason this stuff is no inexpensive and that is because it is not that good, hence making it crap. They are tonally inferior, lesser quality woods, pickups, electronics, they don't usually hold intonation or tune that well either. Sounds like crap to me. If that offends you or anyone else then well you'll just have to get over it. BTW, if its not crap, then how come you don't see pro's using it live or in the studio?? Yes there may be some but there are very few examples of this, on the norm you don't see it. So again, I still say it is crap gear and should be avoided at all costs.

 

[envika]

May I point out that you have a sweet collection?

 

[vin*tone]

I have not been aware of the GAS phenomenon until recently. For many years, I had just 3 basses - a Fender Jazz 4-string, a Celinder J-Update 5, and a fretless (ok, and a double bass)...

The Fender was my first bass that I couldn't really bring myself to sell even though I considered it from time to time.

The J-Update 5 was my main bass for many years (still is, though I got a second one w/Greengrove).

The fretless has hardly been used.

Then I discovered TB and started checking out all kinds of great basses... I got struck by serious GAS! Now I own approx. 12 basses - "approx." because the come and go much more rapidly than in the past.

...and there are still plenty of nice basses that I would like to try out.

Why? I am perfectly happy with my Celinders and Fenders - do I really need the Atelier? The MTD (apparently, not cause I sold it)? Why do I still want a Fodera? An Alleva Coppolo? A Rob Allen, A.... and the list goes on!

WHY???

Here is the stable (a few has gone and a few is missing...):

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What? No Ric?