Do you bring a backup bass to gigs?

[MobileHolmes]

When I gig, one of the basses is a five and the other a four. I learned on the five, so I can sometimes be challenged by the four on some songs. It happens less now because I do most of my practicing on the four, on purpose. There are very few songs that pretty much require a fiver. I suppose if I was trying to play Summer of 69 on my four I could always just use the normal D instead of the D on the B string. Most people wouldn't notice it. I don't do "drop D", for obvious reasons.

That was my thinking. I just had gigs here and there where the 6 wasn't working, but there's not much you can't transpose an octave in a pinch.

 

[Biggbass]

I used to bring a back up to every gig but not anymore.
but in 40+ years of playing bass I've never broken a string. I have, though,
had an on board battery as well as an amp tube die.
So I make a habit of changing my pre amp batteries every 6 months and carry a spare
set of amp tubes in my gear bag.

 

[Logic_11]

Haha, "I bring three or more basses."

 

[Corevalay]

Always. You never know what could happen so I'd like to be prepared. Also, there's times where I just feel like playing something else halfway through the night.

 

[eb3mike]

Have several so I bring an extra. Stays in the case cause you never know. Broke an A string once and had the back up out of the case and tuned in a minute. Play on.

 

[Dave W]

I do on certain gigs and not on others. If we have a really tight spot or a low key type of gig I'll usually just bring one but most of the time I bring two. I have matching pairs and complimentary basses so I'll take whatever strikes me that day.

Tonight shall be a Stingray 5 wearing flats and probably a J but maybe a P. Not sure yet...

 

[tbplayer59]

Ask any other musician if they bring a "backup" to a gig.

 

[Robroy]

That was my thinking. I just had gigs here and there where the 6 wasn't working, but there's not much you can't transpose an octave in a pinch.

When I got my first four, I'd only been playing a couple of years, and all of it on the five. I HATED using a four. I used Summer of 69 as an example for a reason. Back around 2004 I was jamming that song with the Piano players at "Howl at the Moon at Universal Studios "City walk" with a four string (I'd only played it on a five). We got to the bridge and my string was missing. I had no idea what to do.

But I practice so much on a four now that I've actually found the fifth string sometimes gets in the way, especially with classic rock stuff.

 

[Robroy]

Ask any other musician if they bring a "backup" to a gig.

Most Guitar players I work with do. Not Keyboardists.

I think of it this way: The reason a car has a spare tire and not a spare engine is that the latter would really not do much good, and it would be a REAL hassle when looking for grocery space.

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

Nope. All my basses are maintained by me. I do bring extra strings though just in case.

 

[spade2you]

Not in a band at the moment. I typically bring a fretless and a fretted bass.

 

[mongo2]

Nope.

 

[Robroy]

Nope.

Raw self confidence. I like that in a bass player.

 

[LowNloud1]

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

Thanks. I'll PM you some pics.

 

[Johnny Crab]

Always at least 2 basses, sometimes more. Guitarist get strange when the 5 bass rack shows up full but hey, sometimes they get tired of staying at home and want to come out and play.

Exception: space-limited travel gigs via private jet. For those a Greco LP clone has gone and the most recent ones had a Peavey Foundation go. The Greco(thin neck) suffered a bit and needed trussrod and adjustments in my hotel room after sound check on one trip so the Peavey got brought for events after that one. Local high school's Peavey Foundation has proved to me how much abuse they can endure and still play/sound great. The next plane ride gig is on "public" airlines so either a Steinberger or a short scale SX jazz(white finally came in, thanks Kurt!!!) will go into the overhead bin.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Yes - always a backup, except for upright-only gigs.

All my basses are in pairs, a fretted & fretless five-string of each.

 

[lakefx]

I generally double, so my URB is my backup. Or maybe my slab is my backup. I guess it just depends on what day it is

 

[hover]

Two identical 5's in a MONO Double. Not too heavy (about 9-10 extra pounds / 24 or so lbs total), I wear it on my back, good to go. It's not a matter, to me, whether it's a necessity or not, it's just for piece of mind and that alone makes the long 3 set gigs more enjoyable for it. And sometimes, for vanity's sake, I switch because they're two different colors.

 

[socialleper]

For local gigs; no.
When I go on a road trip I take one extra bass and some extra strings.

 

[heynorm]

I'll often bring along my Ubass as a backup, often not even opening the case. It's small and light. But, it's there, just in case. I'll leave it at a gig-venue overnight for a two-or-three nighter. And, sometimes out of guilt I'll give her a set or two of playing time.