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How many basses are too many?

#81
I've formulated a personal list, which adds up to... 9.

Essential Basses:
-Precision
-Jazz
-Rickenbacker
-Humbucker
-Mudbucker
-P/J
-Custom
-Short Scale
-Upright

However, I personally believe that I could go throughout the rest of my life with a Jazz, a Ric and a Double Bass. That's just me though. Maybe a P or a Humbucker, but I prefer Rics and Jazzes or Precisions, Jazzes are more versatile than Precisions and Jazzes can become humbuckers with proper pickup settings and I'm not too sure, but I'll be surprised if Rics can't too.
 
#85
Jah Wobble Fan said:
I seem to recall @JimmyM suggesting five as a reasonable number of basses to own while still maintaining a hope of cycling through them with some regularity.
Click to expand...
Actually, that was a list of the types of basses that could get you through any possible situation as a studio or working bassist looking to hire yourself out while keeping the collection at a minimum. Precision, Jazz, active 5 string, fretless, hollowbody. And quite honestly, these days you could usually stop at the P or J, although some gigs still require a 5 or at least a downtuned 4.
 
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#86
Seems like the four basses I have cover nearly all the ground I need to cover...

(All 5-strings)
Stingray SR5 (because it's my favorite and it's my go to, unless I'm requested to play one of the others...)
AM STD Jazz (my next favorite bass. It gets played a good bit and goes on gigs as a spare, but it usually gets picked up once a night)
AM STD Precision (this is the "other" bass that I am requested to play by a couple of directors. Which is fine. And always leaves me saying "why don't I play this bass more often?")
MIM fretless Jazz (for the obvious reasons)

A 5th bass would be cool, but wouldn't cover any new ground. Something like an Alembic Series One 5-string that would be so very awesome, but would cost more than my 2005 Nissan Armada and would hardly be played.
 
#87
Geri O said:
Seems like the four basses I have cover nearly all the ground I need to cover...

(All 5-strings)
Stingray SR5 (because it's my favorite and it's my go to, unless I'm requested to play one of the others...)
AM STD Jazz (my next favorite bass. It gets played a good bit and goes on gigs as a spare, but it usually gets picked up once a night)
AM STD Precision (this is the "other" bass that I am requested to play by a couple of directors. Which is fine. And always leaves me saying "why don't I play this bass more often?")
MIM fretless Jazz (for the obvious reasons)

A 5th bass would be cool, but wouldn't cover any new ground. Something like an Alembic Series One 5-string that would be so very awesome, but would cost more than my 2005 Nissan Armada and would hardly be played.
Click to expand...
You don't have a hollowbody. The list I came up with is 5, not 4 :D
 
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#89
Can one live too many days?
Can one smile too many smiles?

"Too many" is a theoretical state whose existence has yet to be proven under laboratory conditions.

Do what you enjoy, enjoy what you do. You only get one go of the ride and it doesn't last long.
 
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#91
I didn't read all the replies. I will tomorrow. Maybe.
I have 7:
1) A nice All-American Fender PJ Precision parts bass
2) A cheap Squier body/Fender MIM neck clone of the same bass (there's this bar...)
3) My favorite, but not my #1 (it's complicated) Fender parts precision
4) A Highway One Jazz 4 string, modded, in my mind, to perfection
5) Fender AmStd Jazz V, modded...that perfect thing
6) A Fender LYTE Deluxe Precision. 7.0 lbs. I never play it, but I'm getting old fast
7) A G&L L2000. Decked out. The most expensive bass I've ever owned. Trying to bond.

The point of this story is they all serve a different purpose. All but 2 are either parts basses, or so modded they may as well be. The LYTE and the L2000 are factory. I'm pretty much GASless...

Except, I really would like a nice MIJ Mustang bass:D
 
#92
For me, too much is when a bass isn't getting used enough. I currently own 2 and use them for everything I need, and both get enough attention, both have their specific use. I doubt I'd ever need more than 2, my OCD won't even allow me to keep pedals that aren't being used, so I'm really not prone on collecting stuff that will just collect dust.
 
#95
P
Jazz
Stingray
Ric
Gibson
Warwick

Those are the must haves for me.

Bongo
Big Al
Jaguar
Jaebird (or any type of T-bird bass for them flashy kinda gigs)
Acoustic
Acoustic fretless
Acoustic 5
Ubass
Upright bass
Electric upright
Custom 5 with MM and P pickups
5 string Musicman Sterling
Semi acoustic Ibanez

Those are the basses I'm probably going to need for one reason or another, or to break tradition of the first 6 must haves.

What's left after that is a Dan Electro and a few various throw away basses... cheapos that looked or sounded cool. Those I don't need.

Only thing I'm missing is a decent fretless. I've had them and let them go. Think I'm going to sell some of the throwaways, pick one up (probably a MIM jazz), and be done with this bass buying thing.




Yeah right :).
 
#96
I'm working towards one of each type...

I have an Ibanez with soapbars, a Fender Precision... next is a Jaguar (very interested in the Troy Sanders Squier in silverburst!), so that solves three things in one go - PJ pickups, active, and shortscale.

Then all I need is a Jazz bass, and I think I'll be happy.

Oh but by then my band will be gigging, so I'll need at least one cheap backup that I won't become attached to, probably a Squier P in Candy Apple Red to match my Fender.

So five. That's my "enough" number. Which is exactly how many treble guitars I own.
 

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