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For those of you with more than two bass guitars, why?

#187
Hi Mantis, hope all these thoughts help... if I seemed curt, durrogatory or disparaging in any way with any of my replys, I sincerely apologize. It seems easy to get carried away in here and start talking smack and your post seems benign in nature so again sorry man.
 
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#189
Somehow having a bass or two just happened as I went along with playing in bands.
The first bass was handed over and after that a few more followed.

After a my first purchased bass I kind of promised myself to stick to that, but didn't always succeed,
because people were leaving their basses or borrowing them to me.
But in those days I never had more than 2 around (fretless & fretted).

Things changed after my first fretless (and a few more instruments) got stolen by burglars.
At first I concentrated on my synthesizer that wasn't stolen.
But it didn't take long before a guitarist from our band came over to deliver his Jolana D-bass to me.
Then I bought a new hollowbody bass (gave the Jolana to a new bandmate of the guitarist).
After that I got a fretless, because I missed it and the new one I got had the right price.

I got above my limit of 2, when I started restoring the leftovers of my first bass.
My limit is 5 now.
 
#190
I started in the mid-'80s with just one.

The collection expanded to the point where I had 10-12 at a time. I was experimenting with different things: 4 to 6 strings; fretted vs fretless; headstock vs headless; active vs passive; vintage vs modern; different scale lengths; etc. etc.

Now I'm down to just three:
  • Super P-Bass strung with Rotos (Yamaha Attitude Limited I)
  • Vintage Jazz Bass currently strung with GHS Bass Boomers ('66 Fender)
  • Fretless Jazz Bass (Pedulla Buzz Bass)
They all do something a little different. One great example of each type.
 
#191
Because the Ric doesn't sound like the StingRay, which doesn't sound like the Thumb, which doesn't sound like the P bass w/flats, which doesn't sound like the Jazz, which doesn't have as much range as the StingRay 5.

All different crayons in my box. And they all get played regularly, although the Ric is getting a bit old to gig at 37yrs.
 
#193
Even though both of my four-string basses are made by the same company, of the same woods and with the same electronics and identical-gauge strings, I hear very subtle tone differences between the two. My five-string has a "darker" tone that is completely different yet again from the four-stringers (again, same woods, electronics and strings). I'm sure if I got a fretless I would have all new kinds of tonal possibilities - but finances dictate against it at the moment.

Fortunately, I also have a supportive wife who does NOT fall into the "a bass is a bass is a bass" category.
 
#194
I have 4 different Rickenbacker 4001's although one is part of the 4080/12 doubleneck...but they all sound different. Not one is like the other.

Three Jazz basses...all different... one is fretless.

Ibanez SR 705...completely different beast from all of the rest of those....

and nothing sounds like the Wal.


Wouldn't mind having an old P-Bass (71-73) that has that warm, punchy yet barking tone I like from them. The $$$ are the only obstacle.:D
 

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