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Do you bring a backup bass to gigs?

Do you use and bring backup basses?

  • Yes - I have a matching pair

  • Yes - I have a complementary pair (fretted/fretless, rounds/flats, 4/5, J/P)

  • Yes - I bring three or more basses

  • I do on certain gigs, and don't on others

  • No - I risk it

  • No - and I don't see it as a risk at all

Results are only viewable after voting.
#341
unfortunately every time i get a decent backup bass going with the proper bridge, pickups, tuners, strings, and setup i usually end up selling it to pay some bills, my three main basses are for specific purposes with different sounds, and since the prices of basses has kinda gone up the last 6 months or so i'm really just considering bringing a kala u bass along as a backup just to save space and for the visual wow factor of a very tall man in boots playing a tiny bass through a big tube head and 215
 
#342
Humbled said:
You have my admiration and respect. :)
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Just recorded that bass song with this 60 year old fully carved double bass.

IMG_20160521_172123.jpg


Here's the link:
Playing Teen Town by Flaked Beans - picosong

Meh I can play it much better but it's a very nice song anyway.
 
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#343
Last edited:
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#344
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#345
No - and I don't see it as a risk at all... cause mainly I play gentle / not an instrument abusive player.

I still do, although now I have Mono M80 Dual Electric Bass Case. I bought it only for the reason that I might bring 2 complement (5 string and 6 string) basses in a gig.
 
#346
I almost always bring two basses but they are not really complimentary although I did check that on the poll. I usually bring my Rick 4001 and a Fender, either a P/J or my Jazz. I will also sometimes bring my Rick fretless although with the band I'm in now there's not much call for fretless bass (60's mostly British invasion). With this band the Rick usually sounds the best. I'll sometimes play one for one set and another for the next set. Other times I'll just start out with one and I'll stick with it for the night. I just bought an old EB-3 and I'll start bringing that and see how it fits in the band. I'll also bring the Rick with the EB-3 because the Ricck almost always sounds good..
 
#347
Humbled said:
I changed my mind.

You're better than good.

That's awesome.

I've listened to it about a dozen times now.

Dang. Just dang. Super Wow.

Kudos Sir. Or ma'am.. whatever you are.

Foogin' great stuff.

Thanks for posting it.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I didn't play that song for a very long time but it's definitely much harder to play it on the upright bass (that's my main istrument). However, I'm pretty good on an electric bass too!

;)
 
#348
I solved part of this problem with my new bass. It's active but will work just fine with a dead battery. That's been my biggest issues with actives. And I used to keep a spare bass out in the car but temperatures are so crazy here in mid-TN that I'd probably roast it or freeze it, so I don't do that anymore. I have SS electronics which are very reliable. If needed I can go DI into the FOH with a dead battery so I guess I'm good to go. I do have the usual - strings, cords, straps, etc.
 
#351
I always bring two basses at any gig. Period. And I was happy to have a backup to this gig when my strap button screw has broken. Hopefully i caught the bass, avoided the crash on the floor, and finished the song. I switched bass beetween two songs and i was ready to play in no time.
 
#355
There's no choice for just "Yes". I don't have matching or complementary pairs though.

I've been bringing a backup for years. The last gig I didn't bring one was last summer. For whatever reason, I just brought one instrument. Literally the first time in years I've only brought one bass to a gig. Of course, disaster struck. I got to the gig in time to setup and sound check to find that a last minute opening act was added. I had time to set up my rig and run my cables. Five minutes before we start, I do a line check and my bass fails. Took a few minutes to figure out it was the bass. If I had a backup it would have been no problem. Instead, I'm making frantic phone calls looking like a total amateur with a large audience waiting for the band to start. I ended up playing the first half of the set with the guitar player's backup guitar through my octave pedal. Ugh.

Never, ever again.

I don't do this for a living, but I take it seriously and I do get paid for it, sometimes quite well. I consider myself a professional and that means being prepared. That means a backup instrument.
 
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#358
If I am playing a show or am doing any studio work, I will bring a minimum of 2 basses. If I am playing at church for worship music, I generally just bring one bass. We might play 20 to 30 minutes of worship at the beginning of church and then a song or two at the end. It's not that I care less for the worship music. In fact, I probably care more. But I don't want the focus in church to be me and people checking out how many basses I have. I've never had an issue playing at church or really anywhere now that I think about it but if something did happen while playing worship, probably the worst that could happen is a battery issue but I check those and swap them out frequently.
 
#359
Depends on the gig and how big a problem I'll have without one.

1.) Weekly open mic night (house band) - two basses, but not as "backup" - it's "the one I want to play" and "the one I ought to play."
2.) Gig less than 20 minutes from home - probably not.
3.) Volunteering to run music for a week at a youth group camp in the mountains, 4-5 hours from home - yeah, THERE it's a backup.
 
#360
marmadaddy said:
There's no choice for just "Yes". I don't have matching or complementary pairs though.

I've been bringing a backup for years. The last gig I didn't bring one was last summer. For whatever reason, I just brought one instrument. Literally the first time in years I've only brought one bass to a gig. Of course, disaster struck. I got to the gig in time to setup and sound check to find that a last minute opening act was added. I had time to set up my rig and run my cables. Five minutes before we start, I do a line check and my bass fails. Took a few minutes to figure out it was the bass. If I had a backup it would have been no problem. Instead, I'm making frantic phone calls looking like a total amateur with a large audience waiting for the band to start. I ended up playing the first half of the set with the guitar player's backup guitar through my octave pedal. Ugh.

Never, ever again.

I don't do this for a living, but I take it seriously and I do get paid for it, sometimes quite well. I consider myself a professional and that means being prepared. That means a backup instrument.
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This is the kind of thing that keeps me bringing two basses to every gig. I've never had a bass completely die on a gig, but I have had a battery get weak or had it get wacked and go so far out of tune that it wasn't worth my time to stop and retune. One bass off, one bass on, hit stomp my AB box and I'm off to the races in ten seconds or so.

pappabass said:
A amp would have a much greater chance of failure
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I have my doubts about that, but even if it's true, then it's alot easier to plug into the board than to find a replacement bass if you didn't bring one.

Bassist Jay said:
If I am playing a show or am doing any studio work, I will bring a minimum of 2 basses. If I am playing at church for worship music, I generally just bring one bass. We might play 20 to 30 minutes of worship at the beginning of church and then a song or two at the end. It's not that I care less for the worship music. In fact, I probably care more. But I don't want the focus in church to be me and people checking out how many basses I have. I've never had an issue playing at church or really anywhere now that I think about it but if something did happen while playing worship, probably the worst that could happen is a battery issue but I check those and swap them out frequently.
Click to expand...

Despite my previously stated 2-bass-to-every-gig policy, I do admit that when I did church music I only brought one bass and I'll probably do the same if I do it again in the future. Sometimes I know the church had a spare in back, but mostly because if the bass drops out of a worship tune the worship pretty much carries on as before. On the other hand if a bass drops out of a country or rock quartet the song dies. Also my church is largely composed of mid and low income folks and it would feel a bit insensitive and inappropriately flashy to set up with two basses for 15-20 minutes of music.
 
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