How many basses is too many????

[bassbenj]

I wind up buying basses I think I'll like, and then selling them when I don't care for them that much. Hence, I only have 5, and one is on the way out soon (have to replace a pot). I need some more. Going to the guitar show next week looking for a couple of things... ;D

Just buy what you want and can afford. Buy it right so you can sell it without losing money. If you feel like you have too many, sell some. If you feel like you don't have enough, buy some.

As far as investing your money, there are worse investments than a nice bass. If you have credit cards with balances and high interest, better to pay those off first, and you'll have more money for basses!

I totally agree. There is an "educational" aspect of GAS. I've discovered that if you want to learn about something, the fastest and easiest way to do that is to get one, find someone who already knows what you want to learn, and have them show you. After you live with whatever it is for a while you will have a great deal of detail knowledge of it.

At that point you can ask yourself: "Am I going to do this in the future?" If the answer is "yes" or even "probably" you keep the bass. If the answer is "No, never!" you sell the bass and hopefully you were smart enough when you bought it that your "lessons" will be somewhere between cheap and free! Even if you sell the bass you get to keep what you've learned!

 

[Rexalot]

my girlfriend says 2

The secret is to join as many tribute bands as possible. Then you need a Hofner for Beatles tribute, and don't forget the Ric 4001s, A P bass for Pink Floyd with a Musicman StingRay for the tunes Tony Levin played on, etc, etc. Worked for me!!(sort of.....)

 

[fhm555]

When I was coming up I could barely afford someone else's castoff junk so I never had more than one at a time.

When I got older and could afford to spend more I was always dragging basses home. Not because I wanted more basses so much as I was looking for that magic "one" that was going to transform my playing.

I found "that" bass about 21 years ago and sold a stack of 6 others as fast as I could get them out of the house without taking it in the shorts.

Except for a couple bought to cover playing in weather (outdoors, open shed) conditions I don't like exposing my goodest bass to, I haven't needed/wanted to look at any other basses in the last 21 years.

Before I found the "one", I was constantly borrowing, demo-ing, and taking any other opportunity presented to try something different. Once I found one that truly satisfied me, the desire to keep this up simply vanished.

It's just a good thing the question was not how many firearms are too many....

 

[D Bopp]

I have a few basses that I never play, but will never get rid of. Who cares? The question is rhetorical. I guess the answer would be however many you can have that you want, and also that you aren't in debt for.
I wish I was a one bass kind of guy like Herbie Flowers. But I go through a lot of basses and have come to realize that I will never be contempt with just one or two basses.

 

[kulit17]

I Love this pic, i see you LOVE rosewood.

Me i love MAPLE although my new SAD being built will have Rosewwod.

When your couch is full your done!
I can easily squeeze a few more on there i think!

Nice!!! Not enough to occupy a couch, but here are my gals....

Great responses guys, guess there's no way of shaking this....hope GAS doesn't strike again anytime soon!!

 

[groooooove]

"more than you need."

 

[yellofury]

... plus another dozen, just in case.

If I had the space and disposable income
heck yeah!!!

Oh and if i was single and not about to have our first kid too
DOH!!!!!

anyways
I got 4 basses right now which is one too many

 

[carlthegroover]

The answer is...how many you can justify before your spouse/significant other complains that you have too many!

Unless you're single... how many can you justify to yourself and your wallet? He he.

As for the OP's question... maybe it is a good addiction. Instead of wasting money on cigarrettes/booze/gambling/women (more than one, I mean... some are too expensive), you invest it on instruments. Instruments do not harm you (when used properly) and they can be productive and give you a living. I'd choose G.A.S. over any other addiction any day.

I'd say there are too many when there is one or more of your basses you rarely or never touch. If they're pretty enough for decoration... well, there is cheaper ways to decorate.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Or is that "are too many"? Hmm...

Anyway, back the question at hand. The answer is "more than enough".

Simple as that. When you have more than enough, you have too many.

Next question.

 

[KalTM]

Or is that "are too many"? Hmm..

It's definitely "is"

 

[dannster]

How many is too many?

When you've been gassing over a new bass and have been diligently shopping for your new addition to the family only to realize you already own it.

 

[bassbenj]

It's just a good thing the question was not how many firearms are too many....

I always tell people: Hey, this is AMERICA! You can never own too many basses, firearms, motorcycles, vintage anything... etc.

 

[kulit17]

GAS strikes again!!! Picking up an 06 Warwick Katana NT4 tonight!!!

 

[Reaper Man]

I'm in the "depends on the sounds" crew.

I have:

1 precision style with flats (SB-1)
1 Jazz style with flats (squier that I've modified)
1 Jazz style with rounds (tribute l2k)
1 musicman style (ATK)

I had/have another precision style (RBX260) with flats that I was going to string with rounds, then I realized I'll still probably not play it as often, so it's become the "band slut"- anyone that wants to take it home and play with it- can

 

[Tupac]

One practice, one nice gig one.

 

[georgestrings]

This is easy. The answer is exactly how many you have earned. No more. no less.

I also sort of look at it this way - I tend to spend gig money on gear...

For me, the magic number seems to be 12 - every time I get there, I end up selling off one or two... I'm currently at 12, but am selling one to fund another purchase...


- georgestrings

 

[Aspidites]

Learned this too.
If they don't get played out at all, they get sold.

Too many = having some you never touch or play out.
Those are the "too many" ones.

I have 12 basses but only one that never gets played, the problem is that it was also my first bass so I don't see how I could ever get rid of it.

 

[stingraysvt]

1000 gets to be kinda hairy... You'd wind up forgetting what you had!

 

[VWbug]

yellofury math:

1 main bass
1 backup
1 fretless/ or something different from the above 2 basses

Kind of feeling like Yellow Fury.

MIA Fender Jazz. - Main bass, Maple/ash, good all around sound.
MIM Fender Jazz. - back up,Dimarzio model Js for emulating a P bass
Lightweight.

MIA Fender Jazz. - Warmoth fretless neck.
MIJ. Fender Jazz. - Back up fretless, great one man Luthier shop,but
any work on MIA means it's gone for a good long
while. Otherwise I would only have one fretless.

MIA Fender P - Maple/ash Too heavy, don't use it any more, nice
bass, can't hear it as well as Jazz basses at gigs.
I should sell it. But, aren't you always supposed
To have a P bass?

And here I can't wait to check out a Black Top Jazz .....:scowl:

 

[jmattbassplaya]

I learned awhile ago that it's not about the number, it's about how many you play. If they're stacked untouched in a corner or in a closet it's time to let someone else enjoy them.

+100

This happened to me. I ended up with over 14 basses and one day realized how ridiculous owning all those basses at once was. I now own 5 and am hoping to get down to 3 or 4. Anymore that and I feel like I focus less on playing and more on gear.