How many Basses Does Everbody bring to a gig?

[Britbonic]

I ALWAYS bring 2 basses to a paid gig. I think it is the professional thing to do as things can go wrong, but that is only IMO. If you only bring one bass, good on ya.

I bought a Levy's double bass gig bag and it is basically the same as carrying a single guitar case weight wise. I may never play the 2nd bass but it is there if I break a string (super rare), battery dies, a solder breaks, a bridge screw comes loose, a nut breaks, etc.

Best $200 and change I have spent on a case/gig bag and it goes everywhere with me.

Well you raise a very good point here if it's a paid gig, especially a sub or hired gun situation. Only problem I found with double bags is that they can get heavy. Plus I'm already invested x2 in Undecover Bags. I can put everything I need for a gig except my cab in mine!

I am also using practicing with whatever bass I bring to a gig just before I head off for the gig so can usually spot any problems then. Realize this isn't possible for everyone in all cases.

 

[captdusty]

For me that'd be 2 (and a half, sort of). There are the two pictured -- which serve obviously different purposes -- through the B800 head driving the bottom pair of BRX210s. Then, when I switch to keys (through the KB1000 head driving the top 210), I use splits and layers to route lefthand sampled and synth bass sounds to the aforementioned bass amp.

I don't get to sit out too many measures.

 

[Turtle71]

I could get by with 2, but I bring 3...

One set to E standard tuning. Jazz w/ Rounds
One Set to Eb Tuning. P w/ Flats
One set to Eb (drop D). P w/Flats

I could probably accomplish my entire set on one bass, but there would be substantial tuning breaks...

I have been seriously considering getting a Hipshot, and just bringing 2 basses.

 

[slipitin]

3, an E, D and C bass...settled in those tunings so I don't have to mess about. Plus is you have backups if things go wrong. Minus is there's more kit to worry about/load/prevent from getting damaged and/or stolen.

I think two would be the minimum, I mean some guys travel with two of every piece of kit they have, sounds expensive to me, but if things can go wrong....etc.

 

[danny-79]

Double gig bag ..... Only take one, with a spare Everything in gig bag but love the idea of double gig bag, but.... also double easy to knick/break/lose two of your basses at the same time. I got eyes up my mule at gigs but even so ....
Just the one bass taken here

 

[Aahzz]

Well, the question is in the title - how many?

I have joined a band, but we're not yet gigging, and my past experience has been on guitar. Normally for me on guitar I take at least 2, sometimes 3, to a gig. Mostly to have one for backup in case a string breaks - I'm very much a one instrument, this is my tone kinda guy. On bass, even more so - I dial in my sweet spot and sound like me, and depend on technique to make required tonal changes and fit the song. Also, my band is pretty straight ahead hard rock, so I don't need a wide palette so much as a good solid tone.

Having said that, I have finally found the bass that gives me everything I want. I'm trying to figure out if I need to justify going out and finding another that will serve no real purpose other than being a backup instrument at gigs in case of catastrophic failure. Or, if it's just for backup, do I just bring along my previous number one, a very solid MIM standard P, for backup? If I sell the P I can get more goodies for my rig....

So, do you gig without a backup? Your thoughts on the matter?

 

[catcauphonic]

I brought a back up to a few when we're the only band playing, but we mostly play shows with at least one or two other bands who are in attendance that I'm sure would let me use theirs if my Spector took a dump.

TB is the only place I've ever come across people saying 'No way I'm letting somebody touch my bass.' Hope i don't get on a bill and need one with one of these guys bands

 

[ultra60]

Always 2. in 35+ years of gigging I've needed a backup 2 times. Had a Spector that would break strings. Probably a saddle issue, but I could not figure it out.

 

[jbybj]

I'm most comfortable playing a four string. My second bass is a five string, for the few songs that benefit from it, and as a backup.

 

[BurnOut]

Whatever flavor I pick for the gig, and usually a backup, but sometimes I'll roll the dice and go with one, just like back in the days when I only had one bass

 

[silvertone]

I always bring a 5 string fretted and 4 string fretless to electric gigs.
For acoustic - just the old Kay upright.

 

[tfer]

I bring a 6 string fretted, and 5 string fretless and a 4 string EUB.

 

[Matthew Fisher]

I only own one, so that's what I gig with. But I'm not pro, and not gigging much.

Hmm. Even when I was gigging once a week, I only brought one bass. That had more to do with money problems, and taking public transit. Those were jazz gigs, with an Acoustic Image Contra combo for amplification, so I could get away with going on the bus. But sometimes I brought my upright instead of the plank. You should have seen the looks some of those bus drivers gave me as I came up the stairs. Probably couldn't do that in a post 9/11 world.

If I had a good MIM Precision for a backup bass, I'd probably keep it. It depends how badly you want the other goodies for your rig!

 

[5StringBlues]

Ususally just my 5'er with a pack of precut strings in case I break one.


But at times the 5, a 4 string jazz, and a fretless 4 string jazz...................................I get tired of watching them collect dust.

 

[bass32]

I've been playing live gigs for over 37 years and I played most of those years with only one bass. I never had a problem or the need for a second. Paranoid thoughts of something going wrong while away from home and my other basses started giving me nightmares. So the past several years I have been taking two, a p-bass and a jazz. I've still never had a problem where a second bass was needed.

Normally the p-bass is my main bass, but I do use the jazz for a few select songs. Rather than try to clone my p-bass's sound I decided I might as well have one that's different. I bought the jazz to use mainly for back up, but I actually could use either all night, and have.

I bought an extra body pack for my wireless to help make changing from one to the other fast and easy.

With all that being said....last weekend we played a gig that was about ten minutes from the house, so I only took one bass. A jazz that I hadn't played at a gig in about 2 years or better. So what the hell do I know?

 

[TomB]

2

 

[Sid the Kid]

I always bring a backup something so Murphy's Law doesn't render my main player useless.

In 18 years of gigging I've only broken one string on stage and it was the G string. I was playing metal and honestly had no business playing up there anyways! Had no backup that time.

 

[2saddleslab]

Usually 2 since we play most songs, but not all, a half step down. When playing standard tuning throughout the gig one bass typically.

 

[quickfix]

I bring two to paying events, and also to non paying benefits. Both are 4 string Fender Precisions strung with flats.
Each has a slightly different voice, but either will work for all genres my different bands and trios play. I also bring a small bag with minor tools, spare cables, parts, and strings.
Open mics and jams? Nope.

 

[Nev375]

1