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How many Basses Does Everbody bring to a gig?

#262
I usually go to a gig with 2 basses. On rare occassions I have actually broken a string. And on another gig I had to work around a situation when I had some sound problems with the combination of my active 5 string, pedal board and a club's house amp. I switched over to the passive 5 string which I also brought worked and the gig went on.
 
#265
I actually broke my G string during a ONE song set with a band at camp. was playing Yurtle the Turtle, by the Chili Peppers. Playing the rest of that song was really difficult when there was no G string to pop :rolleyes:
 
#266
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:[/QUOTE]

LOL...You can tell a lot about a player by the number of basses he brings to the gig.
 
#268
KTFunkAlive said:
LOL...You can tell a lot about a player by the number of basses he brings to the gig.
Click to expand...

AFAIC you can bring as many basses on a gig as you want. But the most basses I've ever seen played on a gig by anyone I would consider "pro" (or close to it) is 2. An example that comes immediately to mind is the bassist for Keb Mo who I saw last summer at a festival and is outstanding.

And you have to be strategic about it. Again, JMO but really, if you're switching more than 2 or 3 times in a one hour set you really stand the chance of bogging down the flow of the set unnecessarily, and you probably need to consider if all those instrument changes are necessary, and/or restructure the setlist so you can play more of the tunes in a row on the same axe.
 
#271
KTFunkAlive said:
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:
Click to expand...

LOL...You can tell a lot about a player by the number of basses he brings to the gig.[/QUOTE]

I guess you don't get around many "real" bands then (and of course, neither do I). I'm talking about the bands where the band has roadies to carry as many instruments as anybody wants and each player including the bass and guitars each have their personal tech who hands them the exact bass needed all pre-dialed-in for each tune they are going to play.

I'm sure THOSE guys have no talent. It's obvious by too many instruments. ;)

On the other hand if the bass player takes longer switching basses than it takes the guitar player to "get his mind right" for the next tune, then Yes, you ARE a dork!
 
#272
I only ever bring one bass with an extra pack of strings.
Once or twice I've brought an extra bass, but only for a cover band where we did No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age. I'm a four string player, so I had the second bass strung up with heavy strings and down tuned.

I have broken many strings at shows with my main bass, but I took it to my tech and it was a problem with the bridge. He fixed it up and I haven't broken one since.
 
#275
I love threads like this because it exposes those who think everyone should think like them. hey, if you want to bring 100 basses and switch in the middle of every song, have fun. and if i want to bring one bass, well some of you call that "unprofessional," yet here i am, a professional.

;)
 
#276
JimmyM said:
I love threads like this because it exposes those who think everyone should think like them. hey, if you want to bring 100 basses and switch in the middle of every song, have fun. and if i want to bring one bass, well some of you call that "unprofessional," yet here i am, a professional.
;)
Click to expand...

No, we aren't calling it "unprofessional", Boomie, we are calling it "lucky"! It's not like I have never played a gig with just one bass. I'll bet we all have. Sometimes you just have to go with luck. Who is going to drag along multiple basses on some fly gig? But through the years I've sort of learned that thumbing your nose at the committee in the sky that controls "luck" isn't such a hot idea. They have oh so many ways to get your attention!

Even if I were the sort of guy who only needed one bass sound for all the music I played, I still don't think I'd take just one bass. I'd still have a back up, probably some cheap bar bass more or less the same as my "baby". Don't even have to drag it in. It can just be sitting there in the truck constantly making a statement to the "committee": Go ahead. Make my day!
 
#279
JimmyM said:
I love threads like this because it exposes those who think everyone should think like them. hey, if you want to bring 100 basses and switch in the middle of every song, have fun. and if i want to bring one bass, well some of you call that "unprofessional," yet here i am, a professional.

;)
Click to expand...

Very true. Maybe it's the basses forum equivalent of "how many watts do you need onstage?" threads.

There have been times I've only brought one bass and felt fine about it. I played in a band for my older sister's wedding, for example, and didn't bring a backup. I didn't feel it was necessary, as the risk of something happening was much lower than, say, my last gig, which was in a crowded dive bar.

So much depends on the situation that it's silly to try to make a one-size-fits-all rule about it.
 

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