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how often do you switch basses?

M

meta

Mar 11, 2009
157
3
#1
converted guitarist / keyboardist... although not so serious nowadays, mainly spend my time programming and running a business.... but would love to do some recording / gigging on the side. anyways, here goes:

got myself a fender mustang and a mesa walkabout when I started out... so far so good. mustang is easy to play and sounds good (imho). am grooving fairly well, having fun. but am kind of thinking that a larger bass might be fun once in a while. is it common for anyone here to switch basses every now and then? just having the short scale mustang is fun, but I'd kind of like that change and get a P bass or J bass, and then go back to the mustang later.... I've played a friend's thunderbird and P bass, and they definitely are different.

the question: how often do you switch basses?? And to what?
 
#2
i just sold my p bass , it had 1 volume control , 1 pick up and 20 frets. Now i have a jazz with 24 frets , 4 controls a switch and active ,do i like it more? not really but its something different for a bit.
 
#7
I switch from shortscale to longscale fretless and back almost every time I do a little practice. Too much playing on one of these suplies me with a need for another character or a different kind of tension.

It depends on the sound I want to hear and what I'd like to feel in my hands which one is picked up first.
 
#10
I have 6 basses on hand and I just pick up whichever one I want at that particular moment. Unless I'm going to be playing something where I know I'll need one of my 5 stringers-then I make a conscious choice to grab one of those basses.

I have 2 stands next to my computer desk and I usually have a 4 and a 5 in them and I try to switch 'em around periodically.

Occasionally I'll bring 2 basses to rehearsal-as long as I dont have anything extra to bring with me. Then I can change basses during rehearsal if I want.
 
#13
Different basses have different tones, advantages, disadvantages, etc. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The key is to know what you're looking for (or else you'll never find it) and know how to get what you're looking for. Sound and feel are two different things that can be related or not correlate one bit.

Another important thing is to avoid getting an attitude that the grass is always greener. I've known lots of guys who constantly go through gear and realize that something was great 3-4 transactions later, then they get that model again, but it doesn't feel/sound the same........
 
#15
99.9 times, if I change basses, it's from one P bass to another.

Typicaly use one for practice and another one for show for the sake of string life.

Practice bass comes along to shows a backup, in case of a string breaks or something else unexpected happens.

I've tried more types of basses than I can remember, and P basses work best for me, so no need to be switching to something else.
 
#16
gjbassist said:
I switch too much! I've been playing bass for about 14 years and have had more than 14 basses. I seem to get bored with them and want to try something new. Every time I think I have the perfect bass I find something I like better.
Click to expand...

how about playing 6 years and buying 35 or 36 haha , i actually played my first bass 3 years before getting another , so really its been like 34 basses in 3 years.
 
#18
I did a LOT of switching my 1st few years of playing ... I was all over the place Pedulla Penta Buzz, Modulus 5s, USA Ibanez ATKs, Stingrays, Warwick, Spector, G&Ls, Rics, more than I can recall. :hmm:


As time went by I gravitated to a P bass and Ibanez ATKs as the Jazz never really appealed to me. THEN I started using a pedal board and the Jazz Bass became my number one choice. For the past two years it's been a Jazz IF I use the pedal board ... if I play without it (which has been more lately)then I will use a Jazz sometimes, but as of late back to a P bass or a Dark Star equipped LeCompte.

;) ... These days it's my 73 Jazz 80% of the time
 
#19
Kenny Allyn said:
...THEN I started using a pedal board and the Jazz Bass became my number one choice. For the past two years it's been a Jazz IF I use the pedal board ... if I play without it (which has been more lately)then I will use a Jazz sometimes, but as of late back to a P bass or a Dark Star equipped LeCompte.

;) ... These days it's my 73 Jazz 80% of the time
Click to expand...


Have you tried a Jazz wired series/parallel? Since I did that mod (now on 3 of my Jazzes) my SX P/J hasn't been getting much play. :cool:

But on the original question, I pick up what I think will give me what I think I want at the time. I think variety is the spice of life, and music too. I like having choices! Diversity is a good thing! :D

That said, I am playing with 2 groups at church (the only playing out that I do), and I have chosen a bass for each that I think fits what they are doing, I don't switch during a service.
 
#20
EagleMoon said:
Everybody needs a Precision, a Jazz and a Musicman. I therefore decree it. :D
Click to expand...

Ms. Moon: I "sorta agree".....that is why I have my -02 and -94 series basses....they can do all of "that" and then some.

....AND a BG and a JO.....for those "purist" moments :)

the ability of a P, J, and MM style will give you "just about" as much variety as you need....there are times when you want more, but you should be able to cover most styles with those 3...
 

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