Do you bring a backup bass to gigs?

[Timmy-Watts]

I'm a jazz guy at heart. I don't like doing the same thing twice. Most of my non-church gigs are on the upright. I sometimes bring a P-bass in case the sound post or bridge Falls over or something. Or just in case...

For electric gigs, I'll bring 2 pretty different basses. A p-bass and an active 5. My only bass-related problems I have ever had were related to the active circuits, or sometimes one bass just did NOT work for that band or that room. I usually start with the "new" or "shiny" one of the stable, then switch to the P-bass and stay there the rest of the night. The times I have brought a P-bass only, we're the times I was most satisfied with my tone.

Right now my go-to pair is a Warmoth P I built strung with flats and a Dingwall Combustion. My goal is to make a Dingwall Super PJ my number 1 and an Afterburner V my active 5er.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I only have two basses and i would worry about the 2nd one getting stolen.

 

[Wesley R]

Back in about 1975+ 1976 I would generally bring my back up bass (Ibanez Artist (I think)). Gigged heavily in the 1980's and did not even own a back up bass, Now i do and I probably would bring it.

Best of Luck,
Wesley R.

 

[Big Hoss]

Haven't had a need for it yet, but I typically play the P, but my Jazz Bass stands at the ready when I need it.

 

[bikeplate]

I dont

 

[Rib 13]

because i play in function band(s) where the client $ is usually higher than a typical bar, I alweays bring two basses...they arent matching, though, as I have no duplicate instruments. They usually do have comparable pickup/selectability options

 

[The Bass Clef]

I always bring backups of everything because I've had just about everything fail at one time or another over the years...

Basses - usually a P and a J.
Amps - I use an Ampeg V4B reissue 100W tube head, and I have a 3 lb. $250 micro amp (200W - which is just enough to get me thru a gig if need be) that lives in the back of my car at all times.
Cabs - I play live thru dual Ampeg SVT210AVs, so if one goes out at least I still have the other (which could always be mic'd with the D112 that also lives in my car next to my backup amp).
Doubles of all my cables and 2 vocal mics.
The only things I don't have doubles of are my pedals because if one of those fails it's not going to stop the show.

 

[lavmonga]

I had a set up done on my bass when I changed to new a gauge strings. Right towards the end of the last set, a set screw on the saddle of my G fell out. It had vibrated loose and just fell out. Saddle dropped, string was useless.

2 string failures over hundreds of performances.

Not often but if you are a gigging musician, best to be prepared. So yeah, unexpected crap happens.

Ok, enough about backups, where I can see some larger pics of that sweet G-3 in your avatar?

 

[Billybladez66]

God forbid you have any interruption with your main axe in the middle of a slamming set with killer crowd and you DON'T have a backup....even a washtub ready to go if need be...
Even a quick string change may be enough to see some folks decide the party's over and leave...

 

[micahwc]

I got used to bringing not only a backup bass, but my amp, electric guitar, and foot pedals at a church I used to play at. I would routinely get asked to play bass, show up and there isn't a guitar player but there is someone else who can play bass. Or, the opposite would happen, I'd get asked to play guitar and show up to find two other guitarists and no bass player.

Now it depends on what I'm playing and where. I have a few basses that I like that are in really rough condition; when I gig them I bring a backup. I have others that are like new and I don't usually bring a backup for them as long as I have extra 9 volts with me. Also, the church I play at now has a Fender P bass for their house bass; so if mine stops working for whatever reason I can fall back on that.

 

[arbiterusa]

Been playing in front of people for more than 30 years and never bought a backup for anything save for a guitar cable. Never had a failure. I guess I could.

 

[phillybass101]

True story. I had a flood in my place and after a week of fans blowing, de-humidifiers running and the ever present feeling that I was at the beach or near water I grabbed my trusty A game bass without checking and went to the gig. Five minutes before the first countoff I go to tune the bass and all of the strings are lying dead against the fretboard. Yup, due to the moisture/humidity in the air of my place the neck had shifted. It was unplayable. I took out my trusty string height adjustment wrench and jacked the height of the strings until the bass became playable. It was ugly. I made the first countoff but worried about my neck the whole gig. The next day I took the bass to my tech and cried help. After a nice setup my bass was back My tech laughed his azz off when he saw what I had done. After that I always take a spare. Ya never know.

 

[higain617]

If the bass has been working fine in the period prior to the gig, I think it's probable that it will keep working for a half hour. I do carry extra strings.

 

[onosson]

There are only two situations where I bring multiple basses.

The first is when I used to tour full-time, and we had a trailer for gear. Even now, when I do the odd small tour which involves everyone + gear in a single vehicle, there's just too little room for any excess equipment. It's never, ever been an issue in terms of downtime on stage.

The second situation would be where I just want a different bass - one of my fretlesses, usually - at a particular gig for variety. But that's not a backup, and is really no different than when I bring my keyboards along for some gigs.

 

[sawzalot]

I always take two. I've never actually needed them, but it makes me feel better. And sometimes I just like to switch during the night.

 

[tfer]

On stage, I have my 6 string fretted and a 5 string fretless, along with my EUB. In our band trailer, is my 4 string fretted.

I believe in the axiom "Two is one, and one is none".

I also have all the tools and strings to repair most anything that could happen in a tote that is stored with all the hardcases backstage.

 

[DaveDeVille]

I always take two.
I've never actually needed them, but it makes me feel better.
And sometimes I just like to switch during the night.

i usually take two basses , and for pretty much the same reasons ...

 

[sawzalot]

A couple years ago I went to see Billy Joel and Elton John together--Billy Joel's bassist switched basses almost every song. It must have made him feel better, because out in the audience I could hear absolutely no difference, and I was listening for it. But I totally get why--sometimes you have to give each member of the flock some individual attention.

Tom

 

[pcake]

i always brought a backup bass (or guitar), but not a matched pair or a complementary pair, so i didn't vote.

 

[bobdabilder]

Yes. Always