Do You Bring A Backup Bass To Gigs?

[jwilson67]

I didn't used to but one night one of the battery contacts in my Carvin came loose and I didn't have a backup bass with me. Thankfully the gig was only about 3 miles from my house so my wife ran and got my other bass for me but if it had been farther away I would have been screwed.

Needless to say the likelihood of that ever happening again is slim at best but I will never be caught with my proverbial pants down like that again.

I always have a backup now. I also carry my old GK 400rb for a spare amp.

 

[Mediocrity Man]

Sometimes, but there's usually hardly any room for myself.

 

[Kmonk]

Not really a back up bass. I switch basses during the set so I always have at least 2 basses at every gig. I have been gigging for almost 40 years and have never had a bass stop working at a gig or anywhere else.

 

[Bob_Ross]

This thread topic shows up here at least twice a year. And yet, it never shows up over in the double bass forum. Hmm...

 

[Nev375]

Just the one for me. I like to live on the edge.

 

[Mike N]

Yes. I bring a cheap Squier or SX as a backup.

 

[Stevorebob]

My band plays in standard and 1/2-step down tuning, so I play both basses and my backup is the other. The basses are usually the same models.

 

[two fingers]

Yes. Always.

I have needed one several times. Mine is on stage on a double hanging stand. Takes a couple seconds to take it out of the case. No big deal.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Yup, cause I break strings.

 

[gumbynotpokey]

Never UNTIL after I had a tuning peg on the E just shear off while tuning up before a gig. Now, ALWAYS.

 

[Frank77]

Nope, never. I never broke a string, I take good care of my gear and do load in / load out myself, so there's no need to bring a second bass - I have enough stuff to schlep already. I carry a DI just in the off chance that the amp craps out, but that's about it.

 

[rodv66]

Had an audition for the best band I ever had one for the other day. Made sure I brought two with me. You are better having a backup than having your cheese hanging in the wind

 

[baileyboy]

Nope, have never needed a backup bass to date. I do bring an extra pack of strings to gigs, though I've never broken a string either.

 

[HolmeBass]

I bring a backup. I've had to use it a few times, mostly for broken strings, but once the jack on my Warwick gave out and I was glad I had the Spector.

 

[mech]

For gigs 2 hours or longer I always take two to play. Had one failure in the last 44 years. The core broke on a B string at the tuner. Wasn't a gig ender, but.....

 

[petrus61]

No. I bring extra used strings and a used string can be very quickly changed between songs. I also do my own electronics work so I'm more than confident that short of my pickups spontaneously exploding, I won't be experiencing any malfunctions there and really, electronics is all that could possibly go wrong. It's a small reason why I like passive setups. While I might personally like to play something different for a certain song, for the gigs I do it's more of a PITA and the audience won't notice or care anyway. I play a bass tabt I feel covers 90% of the sonic territory I'll ever need and for the other 10%, I'll just move my fingers closer to the bridge or closer to the neck. There's some basses with lots of bells and whistles that would require a fair bit of knob twiddling should I dare change finger positions and that's the last thing I want or need. So, one bass.

 

[Nickweissmusic]

Never once. Never needed one either.

 

[El Thumpo]

I have a Steinberger Spirit that lives in the trunk of my car. It's so small and unobtrusive in its black carry bag it's easy to forget it's there. I can't imagine that car thieves would think it was anything more than a set of jack handles or somesuch.

It's there as a backup for both electric and upright gigs (Yes, upright players do bring backups. No, it doesn't sound anything like an upright but the people I'm playing with don't care much about that: in the midst of a performance, they just want the bottom end held up.)

That's just one of the reasons it's there. It's also nice to have on hand in case an impromptu jam opportunity arises (I have one of those amazingly tiny Fly Bass combos in there as well). And if I'm traveling or just find myself with some downtime? There it is. Since it's a Steinberger--albeit a cheap one--I don't worry about temperatures or even about going very far out of tune. It's not my go-to instrument and I don't expect it to ever be, but I'm exceedingly glad I have it.

 

[ezstep]

When I use an active bass I will. When I use a passive, I generally do not.

 

[Turock]

I always bring two.