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How many bass guitars do you need?

#161
JimmyM said:
Jeff Berlin says he only owns one bass, although Dean exchanges his out every few years. Herbie Flowers owns one electric. There's two. OK, now I've addressed the most meaningless part of your post.

If I sold all my basses but one, I would work just as much as I always have. As would you. As would pretty much everyone. Different basses make us feel good about ourselves and we puff ourselves up about it, but it's all just us trying to talk ourselves into needing them because we like having them. And I'll save you some time and effort here...I'm never going to think otherwise. I'm not against having multiple basses...I like having a handful of basses. But the basses don't make me...I make the bass. The rest of the time they just sit in the stand waiting for me to do something with them.
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Man, you are stubbornly reaching - and striking out... I doubt Berlin OWNS only 1 bass - which IS the thread topic, btw - and Herbie Flowers obviously owns atleast 1 electric and 1 DB, so I don't know what you could possibly be thinking with that example???

You also totally dodged the issue of many working players being in several different situations, and needing the right tools to get each job done properly... Whatever, Jimmy - I see you're totally invested in a foolish statement, and won't back off from it, regardless of anything offered to the contrary - good luck with that...

I really wouldn't even bother with this, except I'm bored because I don't have a gig tonight due to the holiday weekend...


- georgestrings
 
#164
Two. An acoustic bass that i'm turning fretless to use for acoustic jazz while i save for an actual upright (uprights being thousands of dollars vs. 130 for a defret job + tapes) and a 6 string for everything else. Amps on the other hand are a different story...:D
 
#166
georgestrings said:
Man, you are stubbornly reaching - and striking out... I doubt Berlin OWNS only 1 bass - which IS the thread topic, btw - and Herbie Flowers obviously owns atleast 1 electric and 1 DB, so I don't know what you could possibly be thinking with that example???

You also totally dodged the issue of many working players being in several different situations, and needing the right tools to get each job done properly... Whatever, Jimmy - I see you're totally invested in a foolish statement, and won't back off from it, regardless of anything offered to the contrary - good luck with that...

I really wouldn't even bother with this, except I'm bored because I don't have a gig tonight due to the holiday weekend...


- georgestrings
Click to expand...
Upright is a whole different instrument. And I'm bored with this, too. So you go ahead and think it matters.

:hiding:
 
#167
I feel like a lot of the time ... player who need a P,J,EBMM, or other config for a fretted bass are just placebo effect. Vast majority of the time, the tone of the bass doesn't matter that much once you got every else or they put so many effets that the bass doesn't sound the same anymore. Especially true in pop music where the band that backup the star could be changed night after night and it just won't matter.
 
#168
michael_atw said:
I like to have a few - I think it's good for the ears and for variations.

I suppose the perfect circle would be a J, P, humbucker-style, Ric, semi-hollow, acoustic, fretless, 5'er, 6'er, active, passive, and 8-string.
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I have a Gibson '66 EB2D, Alembic essence 5, Squire Jazz 5, Fender ABG, MIM P/J with Duncan's and a BA2 and a MIA P with Chromes to be different.

I still miss the Warwick Thumb bass I sold when unemployed, a Gibson EB3 that was stolen and have a decade long yearn for a 4 string 'burst MIA Jazz bass.
 
#173
I'm lefty so I definitely NEED two: if one goes bad or missing I can't just borrow one or buy another at a local store.

I thought I was done buying when I had a P copy and an SB5000. Then I saw this lefty Bunny Brunel 5 for a steal and figured it would be easier if my spare was a 5 like my main squeeze. Plus a couple of project basses (fretless, EUB, beater). Only one amp/head so far.

But let's not talk about all of the guitars or the synths........ ;)

Mark
 
#176
Not ALWAYS.... Not EVER.... Not PERMANENTLY.... but for the most part one bass is all a player really needs. If you do SUPER high energy rock where the bass gets the crap beat out of it every night then a back up would seem to be in order but a weekend cover band, country band, jazz group I think you would be just fine. I gigged for YEARS with just my Modulus Quantum 5. Carry extra strings, some electronics cleaner/spray, proper screwdrivers and you'll be covered. You usually have ample warning that your bass needs a luthier's attention. VERY rarely does a bass work one night and not the next without a looong period of intermittent failure.

This is truly a first world problem!
 
#178
jeffbonny said:
Not even close. You might want to take moment to consider that while there are enough successful bass players that only played one bass (or at least only one at a time) to make the point completely clear there aren't any golfers who've won with just a putter.
Click to expand...

I play golf with only 3 clubs: 9 iron, 3 wood and a putter, (although i tend to putt with the 3 wood).
However i dont care enough about golfing to NEED more than 3 clubs :-)

BTW, I've never played a P and I haven't ever felt the need to pick one up in the store. To me they're just ugly and heavy. :hiding:
 
#179
Just one....

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