always, unless it's like 5-10 minutes from my house. Even then usually I do. Never had to use it, but it's always good to have it.
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Do you bring a back up bass to gigs?
- Thread starter FBS1996
- Start date
I have back ups for everything at every show...cords..basses..ways to get a signal to the board (amp, di's, etc...)...and a back up wireless system...
I always carry an extra set of strings, but always play standard 4-hour shows with breaks. In your case where you are playing only 30 minutes- you don't have the time to spare to change out a broken string, so maybe a backup bass is not a bad idea. Also, you might want to think about a back-up amp. I always carry one of those- at least an extra head. But, mine are very lightweight.
- Dec 28, 2009
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- Endorsed by K.B. Guitars, Nordstrand Audio Pickups, Von York Strings and Gallien-Krueger Amps.
Very rarely do I ever not bring a back up bass. Even when I play at church on the worship team, I have a back up hanging out somewhere. I've never needed a backup and none of my basses have ever failed but I like to live by the old saying that says, "I would rather have something and not need it and need something and not have it."
loend68
Supporting Member
- Jan 14, 2008
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I was at a show and saw a friends bass literally fall apart. At some point someone had stripped the neck screws and the neck came off during the second set. He was standing there with a neck in one hand and a body in the other. Perfectly good reason to have a back up.
+1. If i am flying, I will only bring one bass. That is the only exception for me.
i bought a Levy's gig bag that holds 2 basses recently so there is no excuse for me not to bring 2 basses.
Many musicians would call it unprofessional to bring a single guitar to a paid job.....
If you have the room to bring another, do it. The only times I don't bring an extra is if we're band-friends with other people playing(in an emergency, could just borrow a bass). That said, I've never had an issue with a bass at a show, but I've had some things go crazy in rehearsals.
Bottom line is you'll feel better and more comfortable if you bring a backup.
Bottom line is you'll feel better and more comfortable if you bring a backup.
What if you're the only band on the bill, or the others play with a completely different tuning or even instrumentation?
Only band on the bill I'd bring a backup if its a long gig...if the other band use different instrumentation, I'd either panic or just grab a guitar and strum or use an octave pedal and do my usual thing (unless there was a double-bass knocking around, in which case I'd be able to blag something musical and roughly-in-tune out of it...not got much experience with stand-up bass but its pretty similar if you think about it really - if you've ever messed around for an hour or so on a double bass you could probably blag SOMETHING (root-note/blues/oom-pah marchy stuff) unless your fingers are already cut to ribbons...I'd take the guitar and octave pedal first though
)
To be nitpicky, tobacco products are full of toxins and carcinogens, and the adverse effects are not limited to just lung cancer. They can cause many kinds of cancer, and many other diseases such as emphysema.
That was my entire point.
I certainly wasn't bashing TLC and maintenance... to the contrary, I highly recommend it. I was just saying that you can get lung cancer (or any other kind of ailment) even if you exercise, eat right, see your doctor regularly, and completely abstain from bad habits such as smoking.Perhaps the automobile analogy was better: no matter how expensive your car, and how well it's maintained, it can get a flat tire or worse. Stuff happens.
Your regular rig includes an octave pedal? If not, where would you be getting it from?Only band on the bill I'd bring a backup if its a long gig...if the other band use different instrumentation, I'd either panic or just grab a guitar and strum or use an octave pedal and do my usual thing (unless there was a double-bass knocking around, in which case I'd be able to blag something musical and roughly-in-tune out of it...not got much experience with stand-up bass but its pretty similar if you think about it really - if you've ever messed around for an hour or so on a double bass you could probably blag SOMETHING (root-note/blues/oom-pah marchy stuff) unless your fingers are already cut to ribbons...I'd take the guitar and octave pedal first though
Playing around on upright is not that hard if you have electric experience... but playing it in tune and well enough to perform? Not so easy at all.
Amazingly enough, I do not yet own a good spare bass. Fortunately my drummer, who is also the band leader, has a cheaper Peavey 5 string. He always brings it, just in case. I have never needed it, yet. (Crosses fingers)
I am on the lookout for a Fender P 5 string, to compliment my Fender J 5 string. I am also on the look out for a string of big paying gigs, and/or a winning lottery ticket.
Gas is a terrible thing.
I am on the lookout for a Fender P 5 string, to compliment my Fender J 5 string. I am also on the look out for a string of big paying gigs, and/or a winning lottery ticket.
Gas is a terrible thing.
This brings up another point:
[Rant]
Don't limit your backup equipment to just a spare bass. I have a large gym bag full of cables, extension chords, power strips, picks, tuners, capos, towels, a repair kit, extra strings (guitar and bass), and a whole host of other miscellaneous stuff. I bring a Sadowsky DI/pre amp and a spare LMIII to every gig. That gym bag has saved me and my bands' asses many times.
Part of my agitation with the "bring the bare minimum and hope for the best" crowd is, it encourages the kind of unprofessional screw ups that give local bands a bad reputation with venue managers and club patrons. Bands don't get paid half of what they're worth, in part because they just don't take their jobs seriously enough. Too many times, I'm out watching a band and there's some goofy neophyte screw up that kills the show. I notice it, and so do the club owners and the poor people sitting there hoping for some good entertainment.
I don't care if you're a weekend warrior and do it for free beer, when you take a stage in front of a room full of strangers, you are a professional.
Act the part. Do your best to be prepared for emergencies. You have to be your own roadie and tech. Keep live music a viable option for club owners and patrons, and maybe they won't be so tempted to seek out a DJ or karaoke, and we'll get a little more respect and paid a little closer to what we're worth some day.
[/Rant]
On the gig where my strap broke, I did have a spare so all ended well. I finished the song with my bass propped on my leg atop a monitor and then made a quick switch in between songs.
I carry spare patch cords and other miscellaneous stuff too.
I carry spare patch cords and other miscellaneous stuff too.
I have recently begun bringing two basses to a gig. I view it more as "I own multiple basses, so why not use two of them during a gig" rather than as a "backup". More often than not, I stick with one per gig.
