Burwabit
Likes guitars that tune good and firm feelin women
I have 12 currently because I love bass. I love playing them and learning about them. It's a process of discovery for me. I've bought and sold another 30 over the past 5 years (all used).
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For those of you with more than two bass guitars, why?
- Thread starter Mantis Tobaggan
- Start date
Can't say for sure, of course, but I bet Dave Pomeroy, still the first guy you call in Nashville when you want some bass, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
Some of us are players. Some of us are collectors. Most of us are a combination of both. I've found my magic number to be 4. I have two p-basses (my number one American standard and my American design experience) that travel with me to almost every gig. My number one hasn't missed a show (for the most part) in seven years. The ADE is a backup and occasionally comes out for a change of pace or because something about the slightly different pickups is right for the room. I have an American Geddy Jazz as my Jazz bass (always have one for the times I decide to play a Jazz bass - it's an odd cycle. 
) Then I get the shakes if I don't have a fourth. As of now it's a Jaco Fretless. Love it but it'll probably be resold at some time when I GAS for something. But even though I really only gig with 2, I feel like I need 4 in my home studio.
) Then I get the shakes if I don't have a fourth. As of now it's a Jaco Fretless. Love it but it'll probably be resold at some time when I GAS for something. But even though I really only gig with 2, I feel like I need 4 in my home studio.
Some of us are players. Some of us are collectors. Most of us are a combination of both. I've found my magic number to be 4. I have two p-basses (my number one American standard and my American design experience) that travel with me to almost every gig. My number one hasn't missed a show (for the most part) in seven years. The ADE is a backup and occasionally comes out for a change of pace or because something about the slightly different pickups is right for the room. I have an American Geddy Jazz as my Jazz bass (always have one for the times I decide to play a Jazz bass - it's an odd cycle.
The Jaco fretless is a a beauty. I can understand why it is your most expendable, but don't you agree that a fretless is a somewhat essential tool to have on hand for (home) studio work?
We have a kitchen cabinet full of coffee mugs. There must be 30 or 40 of them. Only two people in the house drink coffee, three when daughter #2 is home from college. Surely all we really need would be four mugs, or maybe six - one to drink from and a spare to use when the #1 is getting washed. But we have dozens anyway, because at various times we saw one in a store and liked it or gave them to each other as gifts or whatnot. I appreciate simple living and agree that it's good to resist the consumerist urge to constantly accumulate more and more things. Nevertheless, if somebody likes something and can afford it, I don't think they require any special justification to buy it.
For myself, I have five basses, not counting a bass VI. They do back each other up, but each also has a different sound and role. My Yamaha BB415 (ironically the cheapest of the set) has emerged as the all-purpose workhorse, 5-string P/J with some real grind to it. Fender P (actually a frankenP with a J neck) with flats for when I want the P-with-flats sound. Carvin SB4000 with rounds for a really zingy, Chris Squire tone. The P and the Carvin are backups to each other on gigs where I'm playing four-string. Then there's a custom bass by John Toon with a MM humbucker, whole other feel and sound. The Toon and the Yamaha back each other up on 5-string gigs. Finally, a Godin fretless acoustic bass that I mostly play in church, which is a whole thing of its own because it's, well, fretless and acoustic. Could I make do without one or the other of them? Sure, but they're all pretty unique and I have no reason to get rid of them. Will I be getting more? Maybe someday, I don't know. I'm pretty happy with the stable as is. I think about getting a Ric or a Stambaugh sometime, but at my budget either of those would have to be pretty far in the future.
For myself, I have five basses, not counting a bass VI. They do back each other up, but each also has a different sound and role. My Yamaha BB415 (ironically the cheapest of the set) has emerged as the all-purpose workhorse, 5-string P/J with some real grind to it. Fender P (actually a frankenP with a J neck) with flats for when I want the P-with-flats sound. Carvin SB4000 with rounds for a really zingy, Chris Squire tone. The P and the Carvin are backups to each other on gigs where I'm playing four-string. Then there's a custom bass by John Toon with a MM humbucker, whole other feel and sound. The Toon and the Yamaha back each other up on 5-string gigs. Finally, a Godin fretless acoustic bass that I mostly play in church, which is a whole thing of its own because it's, well, fretless and acoustic. Could I make do without one or the other of them? Sure, but they're all pretty unique and I have no reason to get rid of them. Will I be getting more? Maybe someday, I don't know. I'm pretty happy with the stable as is. I think about getting a Ric or a Stambaugh sometime, but at my budget either of those would have to be pretty far in the future.
Easy for me: number of strings! I really click with Ibanez basses, so I have 3 of them. A 4, 5, and 6 string. The 5 and 6 are the same model (a few years apart) and sound almost identical, the 4 sounds fairly P-bass-ish with its hefty lows and restrained highs. But really, I have them because I found I was wanting more fretting options, so I just kept getting more strings.
Personally, Ibanez is "the bass" for me. I know that's not the case for many. But so what? Play what (and however many) bass(es) you like! If I found a Fender, Schecter, Peavey, etc. that I liked, I don't care what the name is. I'll play it! Everyone else should do likewise.
Personally, Ibanez is "the bass" for me. I know that's not the case for many. But so what? Play what (and however many) bass(es) you like! If I found a Fender, Schecter, Peavey, etc. that I liked, I don't care what the name is. I'll play it! Everyone else should do likewise.
I didn't think I needed as many as some other players, then I tried B-E-A-D. Now I need to double the fleet. You can't argue with math.
I have a Tune TWB63WN fretless six.
Because I love the fretless sound.
I have a Dean Sledgehammer fretted five.
Because there are things I don't do on a fretless that I do on a fretted.
I have a Wolf WHB-7W fretted seven.
Because there are things that I "hear in my head" and want to do that I can't do on the other basses.
Because I love the fretless sound.I have a Dean Sledgehammer fretted five.
Because there are things I don't do on a fretless that I do on a fretted.I have a Wolf WHB-7W fretted seven.
Because there are things that I "hear in my head" and want to do that I can't do on the other basses.
As you can see in my signature, I only own two. Both are 6 strings, same dimensions (scale, etc) so that switchingbetween the two is easy. With that said, still want a Rickenbacker 4003.
Just 3...
I never have needed more and use all three for different applications. My Aerodyne is my bar gig bass. My CR4 Radius and Irwin are my go to for recording and performing festival or concerts.
I never have needed more and use all three for different applications. My Aerodyne is my bar gig bass. My CR4 Radius and Irwin are my go to for recording and performing festival or concerts.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I can't imagine having less than 10 bass guitars ... In fact I would have a real hard time getting down to 10, and then if I did I would just have to build 5 more to get back into my comfort zone. I suppose just owning 2 would be OK if I never played them and they just sat in a case. Or if I had no money, had a crappy job, lived in a small apartment and had a bitchy wife ... naaa ... even then I would still find a way to own more basses.
I tend to have my fourth as whatever I need for the moment. I do like to have a fretless on hand and there is a very good chance I keep this one and up my number to 5. Lol
For a while I owned just one 4-string fretted bass.
When I remove the need to decide which bass to pick up, I get right to practicing more often and for longer periods of time.
It's very liberating.
Another truth we (bassists) tend to avoid is that most basses regardless of configuration sound virtually identical in the mix. Even with "just" a P bass, we can get a wide range of tones just by adjusting the plucking hand position and the tone knob.
When I remove the need to decide which bass to pick up, I get right to practicing more often and for longer periods of time.
It's very liberating.
Another truth we (bassists) tend to avoid is that most basses regardless of configuration sound virtually identical in the mix. Even with "just" a P bass, we can get a wide range of tones just by adjusting the plucking hand position and the tone knob.
- Jun 6, 2012
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- I don't wait 30 minutes after eating, to go swimming.
Prolly a million threads but if we stopped talking about things that have already been discussed, TB would be a ghost town
- Jun 6, 2012
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- I don't wait 30 minutes after eating, to go swimming.
4 basses. One gigger and one backup , both pretty much identical P basses. Two in the computer room for learning stuff off of you tube. One tuned normal and one tuned to Eb. It's amazing how much stuff on you tube is in Eb.
- Jun 6, 2012
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- I don't wait 30 minutes after eating, to go swimming.
I have 10 (I think) but I gig with two, a fretted 5 and a fretless 5 and I don't think that that needs explaining. The MAIN reason that I bring two however, is BACKUP!! I haven't broken a string in years but being into the first song of the first set of a three set evening with a broken string would be horrifying to me :***: I can fumble through a whole evening on fretted or fretless if I had to.
A lot of y'all have mentioned tonality etc. but for me, one active 5 will pretty much suffice in a live setting (no one notices anyway) so I alternate my two fretless' (vadim and CB) and my favorite fretted 5s (Mayones Comodous, Warrior Signature and Modulus Q5)
Works for me AND it makes me happy
A lot of y'all have mentioned tonality etc. but for me, one active 5 will pretty much suffice in a live setting (no one notices anyway) so I alternate my two fretless' (vadim and CB) and my favorite fretted 5s (Mayones Comodous, Warrior Signature and Modulus Q5)
Works for me AND it makes me happy
- Jun 6, 2012
- 4,837
- 6,859
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- I don't wait 30 minutes after eating, to go swimming.
