How many basses are too many?

[Bassa Nova]

No judging by me or anyone else, and this is subjective, but how do you know when you have enough?

I own two -a MIM Fender FSR Jazz and a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Precision. Both have upgraded pickups and strings but are otherwise stock. They cover as much sonic ground as I need to or want to cover. I play each of them equally -trading off just about every other week.

I enjoy following TB and have GAS as much as anyone, but every time I see something I want to buy (and that is often), I question whether it would get enough attention.

I think I have enough room in my stable for maybe one more bass, but it really has to be special - either a 1973 Precision, a nice American Standard, or even something custom (and by custom, it could be a frankenbass).

What is your cutoff?

Thanks for the rant

 

[two fingers]

I don't have a cut off.

Some people gig and record a lot. They may need or want quite a few. Some people just collect.

It's a triangle for me. The three sides are...

1) Money - Can you afford another one without going into debt? Going into debt to buy a bass is dumb.... unless you are broke and some famous artist calls and says " If you buy XYZ bass and meet me in New York tomorrow at noon I will pay you $800 per show plus expenses for guaranteed 1,000 shows. Then you can pay it off next Tuesday. Everybody else should save up.

2) Enthusiasm - Life is about choices. If you collect basses, skateboards, spatulas, and pinecones you will have to choose every time you add to your collection which is next on the priority list.

3) Practicality - Can you afford, store, play, maintain, etc. 347 basses? If so, go for it.

 

[Skokiaan]

I don't have a cut off.

Some people gig and record a lot. They may need or want quite a few. Some people just collect.

It's a triangle for me. The three sides are...

1) Money - Can you afford another one without going into debt? Going into debt to buy a bass is dumb.... unless you are broke and some famous artist calls and says " If you buy XYZ bass and meet me in New York tomorrow at noon I will pay you $800 per show plus expenses for guaranteed 1,000 shows. Then you can pay it off next Tuesday. Everybody else should save up.

2) Enthusiasm - Life is about choices. If you collect basses, skateboards, spatulas, and pinecones you will have to choose every time you add to your collection which is next on the priority list.

3) Practicality - Can you afford, store, play, maintain, etc. 347 basses? If so, go for it.

I go by a different variation of practicality.

A) I have to be able to gig with it. I don't buy anything just to have at home.

B) Each bass I own has to be a different type than the others. Therefore, I own:

1. Fretless (I have done 95+% of my gigs since 2001 with this one)
2. Fretted
3. Electric upright
4. Electric/acoustic
5. Ukulele bass
   

I would consider adding a fretless acoustic, a bass lute, banjo bass or other oddity.

 

[Jaco Taco]

No judging by me or anyone else, and this is subjective, but how do you know when you have enough?

I own two -a MIM Fender FSR Jazz and a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Precision. Both have upgraded pickups and strings but are otherwise stock. They cover as much sonic ground as I need to or want to cover. I play each of them equally -trading off just about every other week.

I enjoy following TB and have GAS as much as anyone, but every time I see something I want to buy (and that is often), I question whether it would get enough attention.

I think I have enough room in my stable for maybe one more bass, but it really has to be special - either a 1973 Precision, a nice American Standard, or even something custom (and by custom, it could be a frankenbass).

What is your cutoff?

Thanks for the rant

I suppose if I had twenty basses I would go "that's enough". I don't have twenty, only four.

 

[ONYX]

If you own more than this guy did, you probably have too many......

 

[bholder]

I have too many basses. Not sure where the "too much" point is, only that I'm well beyond it by any sane measure.

 

[garp]

Who knows.

Personally, I believe that every gigging musician should own at least two basses. Beyond that, it becomes a matter of preference. If three basses is your comfort zone, that's perfect. If it's thirty-three basses, that's perfect, too.

 

[Watchootognbout]

When some don't get played.
When you forget that you bought a certain bass.
When you have a bass missing(some where in the house) and you don't know it.
When you forget why you bought a certain bass.

 

[Dradder]

If you own more than this guy did, you probably have too many

Allen Woody supposedly had more than 400 basses, or so I've heard.

 

[tfer]

All my basses fill a niche.

4 string fretted
5 string fretless
6 string fretted
4 string EUB
4 string fretless acoustic

I gig with the 5 string fretless, the 6 string fretted and the EUB. The ABG is used occasionally for writing and campfires (plug into my Ampeg 108 practice amp).

I teach with the 4 string, because my students invariably have 4 strings.

I don't have GAS, because there are no holes left to fill.

For me a bass is a tool, no different than what a mechanic owns. And once that mechanic's toolbox is filled with everything he needs, he rarely buys another tool, except to replace what has broken.

 

[Dradder]

I suppose it's like that line reformed alcoholics say, about how many drinks were sufficient back in their boozing days: "One was too many, and a hundred wasn't enough."

 

[arbiterusa]

I ran out of room in the music room closet. That was at about ten basses and eight guitars. Down to six basses and six guitars. One of the basses is True Vintage and doesn't leave the house, four are identical, one main, one backup, one at work (in case of last minute call/all my others get stolen) and one for parts. One Squier Jazz bass for boredom.

Here's my dilemma - have a fantastic gigging bass rig. Also have my SWR 220/Goliath that I've owned since 1990. Don't play it much. Worth virtually nothing on the used market. And it's taking up too much room. If space weren't an option I'd keep it forever, but it is. Keep or ditch (kinda leaning towards ditch but know I will have overwhelming regret if I do).

Writing this out was helpful. Some of the guitars gotta go as well.

 

[ThePresident777]

You know you have enough when you have one for each tuning you play in.

 

[bholder]

When some don't get played.
When you forget that you bought a certain bass.
When you have a bass missing(some where in the house) and you don't know it.
When you forget why you bought a certain bass.

You talkin' 'bout me?

 

[1stnamebassist]

I don't know what my cutoff is, but I own the most I've ever owned at one time right now and that is 5. They are pretty much all very different from one another.
Rick 4003s
Squier CV 60's Pbass
Epi Jack Casady
Fender Tbucket Acoustic
Kala U bass

I have one more bass I would love to get at some point and that would be a nonreverse Thunderbird.

 

[leesbrushes]

I don't understand the question

 

[Hues]

Allen Woody supposedly had more than 400 basses, or so I've heard.

...and a hundred ain't enough.

 

[irjason]

I have a formula:

TM = B+2

Where TM is too many and B is the number of basses I have when asked.

 

[lfmn16]

It's too many basses when you have more than me.

 

[Watchootognbout]

You talkin' 'bout me?

In a envious way!But only ONE category!

The first is me!
The others are hypothetical.