I always bring a back up. I'm a little nuts though. If I'm using a J bass I bring a J bass back up. If I'm using a P bass I bring a P bass back up.
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Do you take a back up bass to gigs?
- Thread starter Biggbass
- Start date
Mostly, if there's room. There's one place we play that's too small of a stage.
I like to have that security. I've broken many strings and hate screwing up the sets to change one. As someone else said it's not fair to the audience. I've also had more than one input jack failure. Plus, I think it looks kinda cool to have a second bass and pull it out for a song or two.
I like to have that security. I've broken many strings and hate screwing up the sets to change one. As someone else said it's not fair to the audience. I've also had more than one input jack failure. Plus, I think it looks kinda cool to have a second bass and pull it out for a song or two.
I bring a backup bass, but don't keep it on a stand. In 41 years I've never needed to switch basses so I keep it safe in the case. I do tune it and get it ready to go, but if I need it then I can have it plugged in and ready to go in about a minute.
- Aug 5, 2005
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- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
I don't bring a backup bass, but I do bring two or three - two in different tunings and somethings a fretless. Worst case scenario, one of them goes out and I have to retune the other.
Nope...
if i was going to go on a world tour i probably would, but unless it is an extremely important gig i don't.
All my basses are passive, and i check them all regularly!
I know some people will now go on and tell horrible stories of failing pickups, broken truss rods, basses spontaneously combusting, etc but in 10 years it has never happened to me!
I have never even broken a string!
if i was going to go on a world tour i probably would, but unless it is an extremely important gig i don't.
All my basses are passive, and i check them all regularly!
I know some people will now go on and tell horrible stories of failing pickups, broken truss rods, basses spontaneously combusting, etc but in 10 years it has never happened to me!
I have never even broken a string!
So, some of your gigs (and audiences) are "unimportant" or "less important"?
That speaks volumes.
I learned a very long time ago to never play a gig without a backup. And if there's room in the van, I bring a third.
Not because of breaking strings (I've only ever done that once in over 30 years), I just can never decide which bass to play. So I bring extra choices.
Not because of breaking strings (I've only ever done that once in over 30 years), I just can never decide which bass to play. So I bring extra choices.
for me it depends on the venue...
if it is a place that has a rep of gear getting stolen, then no; if it is a big enough club that I can store the extra in eye sight of the stage or exit door, then yes
I have never had anything other than the fuse at the club blowing happen. I have never broken a string in 26 years of playing either in practice or at a show; I did have my strap lock rip out of my strap waaayyy back in high school...
if it is a place that has a rep of gear getting stolen, then no; if it is a big enough club that I can store the extra in eye sight of the stage or exit door, then yes
I have never had anything other than the fuse at the club blowing happen. I have never broken a string in 26 years of playing either in practice or at a show; I did have my strap lock rip out of my strap waaayyy back in high school...
There's no need for that, man. I'm exaggerating here, but a gig in front of 10 people is less important than a gig in front of 1,000. Obviously, neither are 'unimportant' per se, but I don't think he was saying that.
OP, no I don't, but I only play small gigs small venues, where 2 basses would just be impractical. In summer, we're probably playing a music festival infront of a large audience. I'll damn well have a spare then!
No need to be a tool!
99% of my gigs, whether they are weddings, clubs, functions, i don't take a backup. ( I do have a spare set of strings just in case, and my guitar player has a toolbox with any tool you could dream of )
If i got a call tomorrow asking me to play wembley stadium, or headline reading festival, chances are i would take two basses.
I bring two, but it's not as much of a backup as the fact that I play them both in our set (Fender Jazz and Carvin (Cobalt) hollow body). I do not bring an extra rig and this thread is having me wonder about that.
Always bring a 4-string back-up but I have the issue that I'm usually playing a 5-string live and only have the one. Haven't broken a string live yet but I'd rather be prepared even if just to get me to the end of the set.
yes...saw a national act last month that the bass player ripped his strap lock out of his bass in the first chorus of the first song of their set. Fortunately for his dumba$$ that didn't have a second bass with him, the opener was gracious enough to let him use their bass while their road manager tried to fix the other bass. Quite honestly, I would have let the ding-a-ling play on a stool for the rest of the night. The way he was beating the crap out of the bass doesn't really fly with me. Would have been pretty amusing considering the screamo genre.
so, yes I always bring a second bass with me. Always.
so, yes I always bring a second bass with me. Always.
In nearly 30 years of playing, I've never broken a string or had bass malfunctions. I try to do some PM on my basses and gear after every show. Clean it up, check connections, yada. Having said that, I always keep extra cables handy (even though I go wireless) a good DI in case my amp craps out, extra batteries ( even enough for the guitards), a flashlight and, of course, duct tape. I even have spare strings for when the guitards break em and somehow don't have THAT particular string.
