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How many Basses Does Everbody bring to a gig?

#281
2 is all I need.
Fretted 5 active with passive bypass
Fretless 5 active soon to have passive bypass installed
If something goes wrong I can adapt songs to either of them. Yes, I do slap on fretless too. I always have extra strings and batteries too.
 
#282
Probably just a nitpicky thing on my part but if I see multiple basses on stage I expect to see them played. 3 or 4 basses on stage and only 1 played makes me wonder why the guy is so insecure he has to exhibit his whole arsenal.

Much better IMO to keep them racked offstage and out of harms way.
 
#283
jaywa said:
Probably just a nitpicky thing on my part but if I see multiple basses on stage I expect to see them played. 3 or 4 basses on stage and only 1 played makes me wonder why the guy is so insecure he has to exhibit his whole arsenal.
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i've done that before...brought 3 or 4 basses only to stick with one. why did i do it? well it's usually from thinking it would be good to have different tones in some songs, only to find that switching wasn't working, or that one bass turned out to be all i needed, or some other similar reason. why did i leave them racked onstage? because i'm so insecure i have to show off my whole arsenal of sub-$500 basses, of course.

:bassist:
 
#284
jaywa said:
Probably just a nitpicky thing on my part but if I see multiple basses on stage I expect to see them played. 3 or 4 basses on stage and only 1 played makes me wonder why the guy is so insecure he has to exhibit his whole arsenal.

Much better IMO to keep them racked offstage and out of harms way.
Click to expand...

You'd be sorely disappointed by me, then. If nothing goes wrong, most of the time I stick with one bass for the evening. The second one's only there in case something happens.
 
#285
jaywa said:
Probably just a nitpicky thing on my part but if I see multiple basses on stage I expect to see them played. 3 or 4 basses on stage and only 1 played makes me wonder why the guy is so insecure he has to exhibit his whole arsenal.

Much better IMO to keep them racked offstage and out of harms way.
Click to expand...

You'd be sorely disappointed by me, then. If nothing goes wrong, most of the time I stick with one bass for the evening. The second one's only there in case something happens.

The problem is that there's not really anywhere "offstage" to put the second one. I'm lucky if there's an actual stage.
 
#290
jaywa said:
Probably just a nitpicky thing on my part but if I see multiple basses on stage I expect to see them played. 3 or 4 basses on stage and only 1 played makes me wonder why the guy is so insecure he has to exhibit his whole arsenal.

Much better IMO to keep them racked offstage and out of harms way.
Click to expand...

I always take at least 2 basses to a gig (my main and a backup). The backup is always on stage, plugged in. I prefer to be able to keep an eye on it and to use it when I need to right away, without wasting time (my tuner has 2 inputs and I use it to plug both basses in the same amp). Most (small) clubs I've played in didn't have an offstage area or a backstage that was secure enough to let all the gear in there under lock, and I'm too poor to replace anything that might get stolen.

I believe in doing whatever makes you feel good on stage: getting your whole arsenal of instruments, wearing a flashy outfit, maybe doing some "goofy" moves, etc. People's opinions shouldn't matter at all, it's all about getting in the groove.
 
#291
For me its a main bass and one back-up. I have ten to choose from, so it just depends on what look I'm going for. Always better to have

I think universally you will find, even on world tours, most bass guys only keep one or two extra around. We tend not to switch basses on stage a lot, and of course we weigh more.
 
#297
I've brought two basses to every gig. I've never once had a string break on me during a gig. I continue to bring an extra anyway.

I've sort of gained to reputation as the boy scout in my band. I've had to lend out straps, patch cables, fuses, batteries, etc. to my guitarists on several occasions because I always bring enough gear that if my clone showed up we could jam.
 
#298
bassmasta1209 said:
Now that I am playing out more and more, I really think about how many basses I should take with me. I have one 5 string and 2 4 strings. Also, have you ever broken a string at a gig? I've only broken a string twice before, and not at gigs.
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It's easy for me: all I play are fretted fives. Still, I always bring two basses to a gig -- one as a backup. In 30-odd years there have only been a handful of times that something has gone wrong at a gig**, but IMO it would be highly unprofessional to stop the entire show just because of a problem on my end.

**I've broken a few strings, I've had a wire come loose from the jack, I've had a nut break on the end so that a string went flopping off the side of the neck.
 

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