Do you ever actually NEED more than one bass?

[MattB88]

I currently have 17... so I’m not one that should comment on this haha... they all get dragged to sessions over time though. So they all make me money and this is how I justify it with my wife lol.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Fretted and fretless.

 

[blacktocomm]

Do you ever really need to drink anything other than water?

 

[MD]

The preamp on my B10 fried last week - I was glad to have a backup if needed.

How often has that happened? Genuinely curious - not a wind up.

This was the first issue in the 10+ years or so that I've been playing it. Apparently, from my reading, over time the capacitors leak and need to be replaced. I lucked out and found an OEM replacement online for a lot less than buying the Cool Tube replacement. I'll get the original fixed too.

 

[lz4005]

Yes.
For different gigs (live and studio) need fretted and fretless. One each with rounds and flats. And an electric upright. Plus backups in case one breaks.

And a bunch more because I like them.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

Well, you don’t necessarily NEED more than one bass, but I also don’t NEED more than one kidney. Hell, some people don’t NEED more than one wife, but these people do exist in this world.

 

[saabfender]

Do you need a lawn mower?

How many lawn mowers do you have?

I currently own 4 basses. My P-Bass, a fretless Jazz, a 5-string and a P-Bass I just put together for the current band. If I had to carry on with only one, I’d be fine with that.

 

[saltydude]

Yes. 3 minimum.

 

[BaltBass5]

Different tunings!

 

[SteveC]

I play at church and in a cover band. I also play occasional jazz gigs and musicals. I’ve done all these gigs with one bass, my Roscoe fretted active 5 string.

Remeber, talk bass is not a “normal” sampling of people. We are a small
percentage of the the bass playing public. I’m guessing for many that aren’t on TB that one bass is enough.
And yeah, people can justify more Jan one, but I tho knunless you have an unusual/exceptional situation, you can make one bass work.

I am now putting on my bullseye shirt.

 

[James Collins]

How many lawn mowers do you have?

I currently own 4 basses. My P-Bass, a fretless Jazz, a 5-string and a P-Bass I just put together for the current band. If I had to carry on with only one, I’d be fine with that.

2 mowers and 2 edgers. Sometimes I have one of something and get a better one later. But really if I had zero lawn mowers, my life would be okay. If you had to carry on with zero basses, I think you would survive. The answer is you need zero basses.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

The answer is you need zero basses.

-1

Blasphemy! What kind of negativity do y’all preach here!?

 

[groooooove]

yeah... I do.

 

[pica]

I really only need one but I have a back up just in case.

 

[Nunovsky]

Yes.

 

[jaco944]

As my gear obsessive drummer likes to say...”It’s not about what you need.....it’s about what you want” lol. My current bass tally is at 9...today.

 

[kobass]

You're new here aren't you...

 

[BAG]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that you dont even need one bass. Nobody needs a bass because to survive you don't need to be a musician. And before somebody says "but I'm a musician for a living so i need a bass"..... well you don't need to be a musician to make a living.

Now that I've stirred the pot, i have;

A 4 string P
A fretless J
An 8 string (double course)
A travel bass
And a backup 4 string (shorty)

Currently that's what want. (actually theres afew more I'd like but can't warrant spending the money just yet)

 

[corndog]

For what I am doing right now, my 4hh stingray covers everything for me.

I am looking for a nice p or j though.

 

[saabfender]

If you had to carry on with zero basses, I think you would survive. The answer is you need zero basses.

And you’d call that living? Sorry, I need at least one myself.