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How many Basses Does Everbody bring to a gig?
- Thread starter Harpo
- Start date
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- Dec 28, 2009
- 2,053
- 1,380
- Disclosures
- Endorsed by K.B. Guitars, Nordstrand Audio Pickups, Von York Strings and Gallien-Krueger Amps.
I always bring 2 and sometimes an acoustic bass as a third if I feel I'm going to need it for a particular song or songs.
I always take 2......except one night about 2 years ago....took one, Fender Sting Model........pick up died in first set! Lucky for me I knew the band at the club next door and borrowed the bass players backup....never been too lazy to drag 2 out on a rainy cold night at the local dive bar again!!!
Sadowsky NYC 4 and Spector 80's re-issue.
Sadowsky NYC 4 and Spector 80's re-issue.
- Dec 12, 2007
- 2,268
- 43
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- Endorsing Artist: Zon Guitars, Tsunami Cables, DR Strings, GK
I bring 2 in a double gig bag ( both 5 string and one fretted, one fretless) If it's a 4 string gig, I'll bring two 4's.
Never had a string break on a gig, but other things have happened over the years. I never think of one as a back up, rather a different sound for a certain tune or two. I say it's more important to bring an extra cable or batteries or strings. If I think a bass can't handle a full gig on it's own, I don't keep it long. Really, I've spent more time waiting for guitar players to change strings than anything else.
Never had a string break on a gig, but other things have happened over the years. I never think of one as a back up, rather a different sound for a certain tune or two. I say it's more important to bring an extra cable or batteries or strings. If I think a bass can't handle a full gig on it's own, I don't keep it long. Really, I've spent more time waiting for guitar players to change strings than anything else.
In nine years of gigs I have yet to break a bass string. Knock on wood!
I bring two basses anyway. Sometimes I like to change up the sound a little over the course of the night. I generally don't change basses during a set.
In addition to my amp head and cabs, I also bring a Sansamp DI. I've played gigs at some older small town bars with crappy electrical systems. At one gig, we had to run extension cords to different parts of the bar, because we kept tripping a breaker on the circuits available on stage.
I haven't had a bass totally crap out on me at gig, but I have had minor issues like a bass not staying in tune.
Never hurts to be prepared!
I bring two basses anyway. Sometimes I like to change up the sound a little over the course of the night. I generally don't change basses during a set.
In addition to my amp head and cabs, I also bring a Sansamp DI. I've played gigs at some older small town bars with crappy electrical systems. At one gig, we had to run extension cords to different parts of the bar, because we kept tripping a breaker on the circuits available on stage.
I haven't had a bass totally crap out on me at gig, but I have had minor issues like a bass not staying in tune.
Never hurts to be prepared!
For years I only brought 1 bass and a pack of extra srtings with me. I did however have a bass that malfunctioned during a gig last summer. A problem with somthing that hadn't been soldered correctly. Now I have and Ibanez Mikro that's in my trunk at all times. I've never broken a string but I did use my exrta E string to hold up my muffler one time on the way home from a gig.
I've only broken one string in my life - an A string, midsong, at a gig. At that time, my backup was a spare set of strings. Now I take two basses to paying gigs, one (plus spare strings) otherwise. I have a backup amp for paying gigs and a DI and/or small combo otherwise.
I respect Murphy's Law.
I respect Murphy's Law.
1 bass(usually a 4 these days, you play whatcha want, w/my sincere blessing)unless there's a tune or two that border on requiring a different ax(low B/etc). I used to feel all *save the gig* when I schlepped 2 or 3 EVERY time, but wotta PITA.
I don't really regard it as a big deal to grab two basses. Definitely easier than hauling my amp and cab and such. The basses are actually the easy part.
i think it's very important that you bring at least one bass.
if you're hard on your basses, bring more than one for sure. but even though i like showing off my different basses, the reality of changing basses is that it's kind of a pain in the ass unless they all sound the same. so i tend more these days to stick to one bass only. and i almost always only bring one because i'm not so hard on them. and on my fly gigs, i can only bring one anyway. flying with a bass sucks enough without having to bring two. i do bring extra strings, though.
if you're hard on your basses, bring more than one for sure. but even though i like showing off my different basses, the reality of changing basses is that it's kind of a pain in the ass unless they all sound the same. so i tend more these days to stick to one bass only. and i almost always only bring one because i'm not so hard on them. and on my fly gigs, i can only bring one anyway. flying with a bass sucks enough without having to bring two. i do bring extra strings, though.
It also may depend where you're playing, too. Places with well behaved crowds and enough room on stage, in general nice places, I wouldn't feel a second bass was as necessary.
But I generally play not so nice places, where something going wrong is a pretty likely event.
But I generally play not so nice places, where something going wrong is a pretty likely event.
Normally 2 fours, fretted, one main, one as back-up. Somtimes I take a fretless as well depending on the set. Spare head as well, along with small tool kit and spare leads/battries. Never broken a string, that I remember. The reason I carry all this cr*p around is because I have needed it in the past.
last Fri night middle of second set the srings on my main bass went dull, like REALLY dull, over the course of two songs, Very weird, a first for me in 30 odd years. I put it down to sweat it was 35deg C & 90% humidity that night, must have lost a couple of Kg's in liquids that night. I just picked up the spare and played on.
last Fri night middle of second set the srings on my main bass went dull, like REALLY dull, over the course of two songs, Very weird, a first for me in 30 odd years. I put it down to sweat it was 35deg C & 90% humidity that night, must have lost a couple of Kg's in liquids that night. I just picked up the spare and played on.
I have broken a handful of strings at gigs over the years, had a "New" battery that died, and an input jack went bad during a show, some internal wire just gave up. Always nice to have another tuned and ready.
I've had more amps go screwy on a gig than basses.
That said, I think it's a good idea to bring a backup bass. And a DI.
That said, I think it's a good idea to bring a backup bass. And a DI.
I always bring 3... two 4 string Precisions and my 5 string Warwick. Only broke a string at rehearsal. I do change my strings often. I also bring a backup head.
Usually only one, sometimes 2, but never as a backup, if i bring 2 its to fit the songs or cause i feel fancy!
All my basses are passive and checked on a regular basis and i never broke a string.
I know, **** always happens when you last expect it but i feel the risk is pretty low!
The only thing i ever had was a flat battery when i used an active bass years ago.
Mind you i drive without a spare wheel to so who am i to talk...
All my basses are passive and checked on a regular basis and i never broke a string.
I know, **** always happens when you last expect it but i feel the risk is pretty low!
The only thing i ever had was a flat battery when i used an active bass years ago.
Mind you i drive without a spare wheel to so who am i to talk...
For me it depends on how reliable I think the bass is - long time ago my NECK broke at a gig, luckily it was the last song anyway; the strings did hold the bass together, so to speak.
Of course at that time I had no "backup" bass, I had to borrow a bass to play the next gigs, so I went from a kind of passive Jazz bass to an active Steinberger - quite a change in sound, feel and look - but that neck wouldn't brake for sure ;-)
Of course at that time I had no "backup" bass, I had to borrow a bass to play the next gigs, so I went from a kind of passive Jazz bass to an active Steinberger - quite a change in sound, feel and look - but that neck wouldn't brake for sure ;-)
