When I was regularly playing 2-4 nights a week, I used to bring two similar basses. Never once broke a string, nor did i ever have to take the backup out of the case. These days I'm barely doing 3 gigs a month. .... I bring one bass..
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How many Basses Does Everbody bring to a gig?
- Thread starter Harpo
- Start date
If you double on fretted and fretless/DB... two.
If you don't, and you also don't suck, one.
If you don't, and you do kind of suck, you might feel the need for 3 or 4
I once played a Friday afternoon gig in a dive up in the mountians outside of Albuquerque. We were a folk/rock/classic country band and had an amazing cajun/funk fiddler (Tom Rigney) sitting in with us. As we finished up, a metal band came in to play after us and started getting their gear out. They must've had about 6 guitars between 2 guitarists, most of which were cheap "metal-looking" guitars.
I stuck around a few minutes to hear them get started, but not long. What they brought in gear, they lacked in talent.
I bring two - my main, and my backup that stays in the case. I've never needed to use it, but it was handy one time when the bassist from another band was like, Uhhh, we left my bass at the rehearsal space, can I play yours? 
FWIW, I think it's hokey when a guitarist has more than 2 guitars onstage, let alone a bassist! One time I saw this older bassist up there fartin around, doin his thing with his boring cover band, dude had like 5 basses onstage. 4-fretted, 5-fretted, 4 fretless, 5 fretless, some 6 string that he played for a slow song (not even sure he used the low B or high C) just...C'mon! Switching around back and forth, back and forth, everyones waiting. So dorky! Just hurry up and play Mustang Sally already and get off the stage!
And yes, I agree with the above, what had in gear, he lacked in talent...:scowl:
FWIW, I think it's hokey when a guitarist has more than 2 guitars onstage, let alone a bassist! One time I saw this older bassist up there fartin around, doin his thing with his boring cover band, dude had like 5 basses onstage. 4-fretted, 5-fretted, 4 fretless, 5 fretless, some 6 string that he played for a slow song (not even sure he used the low B or high C) just...C'mon! Switching around back and forth, back and forth, everyones waiting. So dorky! Just hurry up and play Mustang Sally already and get off the stage!
And yes, I agree with the above, what had in gear, he lacked in talent...:scowl:
RaginRog
Last guy you want to see is Employee Relations guy
I bring one bass....but I'm in an original band that only plays 30-40 minute sets with at least 2 or 3 other bands on the bill. I'd likely get to use another band's bass....I actually ran my bass up to a bass player who had a malfunction with his a couple of shows ago...he bled all over the damned thing too....cut his finger on the bridge. I just asked him if he had the "HIV" he said no...put it away in my case and cleaned it up when i got home.
I do bring a set of pre-cut strings (used ones usually) for the bass I'm bringing, this way it'll only take me a minute to restring it.
Oh....and I've only broke one string, and it was defective (at band practice like 4 years ago)
I do bring a set of pre-cut strings (used ones usually) for the bass I'm bringing, this way it'll only take me a minute to restring it.
Oh....and I've only broke one string, and it was defective (at band practice like 4 years ago)
RaginRog
Last guy you want to see is Employee Relations guy
I bring two - my main, and my backup that stays in the case. I've never needed to use it, but it was handy one time when the bassist from another band was like, Uhhh, we left my bass at the rehearsal space, can I play yours?
FWIW, I think it's hokey when a guitarist has more than 2 guitars onstage, let alone a bassist! One time I saw this older bassist up there fartin around, doin his thing with his boring cover band, dude had like 5 basses onstage. 4-fretted, 5-fretted, 4 fretless, 5 fretless, some 6 string that he played for a slow song (not even sure he used the low B or high C) just...C'mon! Switching around back and forth, back and forth, everyones waiting. So dorky! Just hurry up and play Mustang Sally already and get off the stage!
And yes, I agree with the above, what had in gear, he lacked in talent...:scowl:
LOL....so true 5 basses....I've seen that before as well.
I use to bring 2 but one was string BEAD, the other Standard w/ a drop D tuner.
I used to bring a fretted and a fretless bass to my rock gigs and change back and forth as the muse led me. Then I discovered that nobody really cared, it was adding time to my load in and load out, and the second bass was occupying stage space I could have had for myself. So now, unless I need to double on my EUB, I take one bass.
I've also never broken a string on a gig, but if I did I could have another one on in a minute or two - probably only about twice the time it would take me to switch to another bass.
I've also never broken a string on a gig, but if I did I could have another one on in a minute or two - probably only about twice the time it would take me to switch to another bass.
If you double on fretted and fretless/DB... two.
If you don't, and you also don't suck, one.
If you don't, and you do kind of suck, you might feel the need for 3 or 4
Truth. Until my recent EUB purchase, I brought one active fretted 5 string for any gig. Worked fine.
LOL and absolutely true.
Exactly why I bring one bass - unless it's a jazz gig and I use my EUB.
Always two.. Always.. Sucks to lose momentum on a gig while restringing or solving some other issue. Doesn't take any extra time to throw a 2nd bass over the ol' shoulder on the way out.
I also double on either EUB or UB on most gigs with Los Sugar Kings so we can do our acoustic to electric jumps mid-set. Other gigs.. Ya just never know.. I've seen perfectly working basses just mess up for any host of bad gremlin issues mid-gig.. Happened as recently as last month. 2nd bass means no worries, no scrambling to restring anything.. Just change basses and keep rockin'
I also double on either EUB or UB on most gigs with Los Sugar Kings so we can do our acoustic to electric jumps mid-set. Other gigs.. Ya just never know.. I've seen perfectly working basses just mess up for any host of bad gremlin issues mid-gig.. Happened as recently as last month. 2nd bass means no worries, no scrambling to restring anything.. Just change basses and keep rockin'
Agreed. I'm totally down with the tuning thing, I can understand that completely, especially if you're doing jazz or original tunes. But how many tunings do you need to play "Sweet Home Alabama" and "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" up in front of drunken bar patrons in you Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts LOL
you would think that, wouldn't you? but i know so many working pros that work as much or more than i do that only bring one of each. famous ones, too. jeff berlin, for example, only owns one bass. so does herbie flowers. i could name more, too.
- Nov 8, 2010
- 1,391
- 9
- Disclosures
- Unofficial Endorser: Ibanez, D'Addario, Zoom
I usually only bring one bass, and could borrow from somebody else there if absolutely necessary, but I'm more on the lines of a quick repair type of preparedness. Last gig(I played trumpet/did backup vox) the bass player swapped out new batteries and suddenly the bass was dead. He had ripped one of the wires leading up to the 9v without noticing. Luckily I lived a few minutes away and had a soldering iron; if you know how to use one, this can be very helpful for quick fixes.
I usually bring two to my 4 hour gigs, and 1 on gigs that are 2 hrs or less. When I bring 2 it is not so much as a backup, but more for variety for myself. My P-J goes to all 2/3 bass gigs, and then I rotate through the others.
That bass player set himself up for that. When you arrive at the gig venue your instrument(s) have to be good to go. Fresh batteries, strings changed, etc. can and should be done at home and tested before you leave for the gig.
Reminds me of the guitarist in one of my bands who would always wait till we were on-site and setting up P.A. and only THEN would pull out his guitar and change the strings. #1, it conveniently got him out of humping P.A. and #2 his strings didn't have time to stretch and "set" so he was always out of tune for the first two sets. Drove the rest of us more experienced guys nucking futs.
^ that's one of the reasons my gig bass is passive. No battery, no pre-amp = less points of failure.
LOL I remember one gig I played using my fretless, which is passive, no volume or tone controls--the single pickup is wired directly to the jack. I plugged into the venue's DI box using the venue-provided cord and there was no sound. The sound guy kept yelling at me "turn your volume up! try switching to a different pickup! maybe your battery is dead!" but of course it was their own faulty DI box. 
- Nov 8, 2010
- 1,391
- 9
- Disclosures
- Unofficial Endorser: Ibanez, D'Addario, Zoom
^I do agree with the passive=less points of failure view, but to me it's like the perks of driving a motorcycle, it's worth it with the extra precaution. You better be ready to handle the differences(ie soldering iron)
And to Jaywa, he had changed the batteries earlier that day, and only had his practice amp at home and the one bass so he could only troubleshoot so far, he initially thought it was the combo. We were both very fortunate that soundcheck was way in advance though.
And to Jaywa, he had changed the batteries earlier that day, and only had his practice amp at home and the one bass so he could only troubleshoot so far, he initially thought it was the combo. We were both very fortunate that soundcheck was way in advance though.
One. Used to bring two, but never needed the second one.
Don't bother with an amp either anymore. Or a fancy bass. Just something relatively indestructible that stays in tune. The audience wouldn't notice the difference between squier and sadowsky.
I did break a string once, that was over ten years ago. Always have a new set with me though.
Don't bother with an amp either anymore. Or a fancy bass. Just something relatively indestructible that stays in tune. The audience wouldn't notice the difference between squier and sadowsky.
I did break a string once, that was over ten years ago. Always have a new set with me though.
Same with me. Drunken people run into stuff. Drunken people sometimes think it's a good idea to clamber up onto the stage with the band, etc.
All sorts of things can happen. I don't worry about breaking strings, it's all the other stuff that can happen that I worry about. Except that I don't, really, because I know if something happens to my main bass, I can switch basses and only miss a few seconds.
