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How soon is too soon to add another bass?

Jainarayan

Jainarayan

Jan 28, 2021
22
32
#1
I'm a relative newbie. I'm a more-than-novice rhythm guitar player, but definitely not band material, open mic or busking. My goal is to find a spot, set up shop, whip out my busking permit and have fun. I'm a ways away from that.

I had an inexpensive bass a good ten years ago and had fun with it. I don't think I was learning properly, other than R 3 5 (I took from the chord triads) and playing w/ tabs. So I knew something. For reasons I myself don't understand I stupidly got rid of the bass and my two guitars, a Seagull and Jackson Dinky and traded for one I didn't like. Ok, mistake I still regret 8-10 years later.

June 2020... new Yamaha FG800; Oct. 2020 Epiphone DR212; Jan. 2021 Yamaha FGTA; Mar. 2021 Epiphone PR150 and Ibanez PCBE12MH. I play them all and I love them all because they sound, handle, play differently. I'm getting back into learning bass and looking forward to learning and doing more. I'm going to own this... playing guitar and bass. People are going to say, "Wow, I didn't know you play that good".

So, question 1: why an electric bass? Probably for the same reason as all my acoustics... variety of sound and handling. And question 2, the more important one: since I'm really just learning bass is it too early to add another option to the mix?

My best friend saw a photo of an acoustic bass I wanted years ago in my work cube. He says "you can't even play guitar and you want a bass". I told him he came very close to making his wife married to a girl. :laugh:

I'm taking his question to the next level... I can barely (yet) play the bass I have and I want to get another? That is, an additional, not replacement. Too much too soon, mistake?
 
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#2
My question is why. You would be better off with one good one. I owned and played the same one bass for 20+ years for rock, jazz, bluegrass, pit band, and church. No one ever complained about my tone. Another 15 years later it's still my number one, and if it wasn't 11+ pounds, it would be my only.
 
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#3
buldog5151bass said:
My question is why. You would be better off with one good one. I owned and played the same one bass for 20+ years for rock, jazz, bluegrass, pit band, and church. No one ever complained about my tone. Another 15 years later it's still my number one, and if it wasn't 11+ pounds, it would be my only.
Click to expand...

Right, I'm wondering that too. I've always been drawn to acoustic guitars but having played an electric bass I liked that also. Part of it is I am a collector. I like variety but I'm not sure I'm at a point I can justify it, or should feed it.
 
#4
My advice is get a new bass if and when playing it feels like it is pulling you forward into being a better player.

My story about this is about banjo. I heard Roy Clark (and then Earl Scruggs, later) as a kid and I was hooked so I built a Stewart Macdonald banjo kit and learned to play it Scruggs style from records and a book. That was fine, and I played it a lot until a few years later when I saved enough money to go up to Elderly Music in Lansing, MI and play a whole wall full of banjos, all of which were better than mine. They looked way better. They played better. They sounded better. They stayed in tune better (well, as much as a banjo is ever in tune). I spent my life savings of about $800 that day on a Gold Star that I loved. I still have it. I've recorded with it. And most importantly: it made me a better player. I think that's the ideal -- get yourself an instrument that's better than you are as a player, so that if you hear something or can imagine something, you can do it on the instrument you have. And when you can't any more -- it's time for a new one :). Good luck! Have fun! Busk your heart out!
 
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#5
So if I understand correctly, you have an acoustic bass, and want to add an electric bass?

If so, then I vote yes. I play both acoustic and electric , both guitar and bass- and the acoustic bass is the odd man out. They're not very loud and they're kinda awkward to hold and play. You could easily develop bad habits if that's your only bass. You'll probably make progress (and have a ton of fun) with an electric bass. Get a battery amp for busking (a few threads on that floating around here)

speaking of busking
 
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#6
CallMeAl said:
So if I understand correctly, you have an acoustic bass, and want to add an electric bass?

If so, then I vote yes. I play both acoustic and electric , both guitar and bass- and the acoustic bass is the odd man out. They're not very loud and they're kinda awkward to hold and play. You could easily develop bad habits if that's your only bass. You'll probably make progress (and have a ton of fun) with an electric bass. Get a battery amp for busking (a few threads on that floating around here)

speaking of busking
Click to expand...


Yes, that's exactly it. I remember the feel of the electric bass. It is to the acoustic bass what the electric guitar is to the acoustic. So yes, I've had all four, and they are different. I'm very serious about playing bass as well and as varied as possible for me. I don't want to limit myself.
 
#7
Jainarayan said:
Yes, that's exactly it. I remember the feel of the electric bass. It is to the acoustic bass what the electric guitar is to the acoustic. So yes, I've had all four, and they are different. I'm very serious about playing bass as well and as varied as possible for me. I don't want to limit myself.
Click to expand...
No limits = owning an electric bass. You'll probably want a 4 and an active 5. Heck, get a double bass while you're at it ;)
 
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#12
Personally, to protect myself from needless and unhealthy greed and collector-itis (no judgment), I limit myself to three at a time. So if a fourth comes in, one goes out. Right now I have two that I love and inspire me to play more and better, so I'm looking for a third but not in a huge hurry.
Buy what you like, but do your best to make sure you actually do like it. Play it first, or at least only buy something you can easily return or turn around, as opposed to buying just for its own sake cause it's pretty or trendy or you're bored. My $.02.
 
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#13
Jainarayan said:
... I can barely (yet) play the bass I have and I want to get another? That is, an additional, not replacement. Too much too soon, mistake?
Click to expand...
Get as many basses as you want.
bass coll 1.jpg bass coll 2.jpg bass coll Ps in a pod 1.jpg​
 
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#16
Are you married?

Just kidding, course not!

Ha, just kidding again...

I agree with the quality not quantity message. You have a bunch of meh instruments. Like going on bunch of bad first dates. I am a quality not quantity person. Get what you want, but I'd recommend one good quality instrument to multiple mediocre ones. An American P or J, a nice older Yammie BB, American GL, Lakland, German Warwick etc. find one you want to play constantly that you'll never outgrow. Nothing wrong with having a couple of musical interests and endeavors.
 
#19
OK, time to hear from a different point of view: you can never have too many basses. I'm surprised those of us who are afflicted with unquenchible GAS have not chimed in. Personally I have about 20 basses (as of today), and have often vowed not to buy another one. Of course that is an empty promise since I am constantly on the look out for the next purchase. I do make it a practice not to duplicate what I buy. Every bass I have is different in some musical way. My GAS has slowed down only because I am running out of storage space. I also play guitar, but the GAS is strongest in the bass area.

I went through a period where I wanted an acoustic/electric bass because I was trying to get that upright sound. After buying one I finally realized that I was not going to be able to get that sound without going to an upright. An acoustic bass guitar is very hard to hear if you are playing with other musicians, so if you have to amplify it why not just use an electric bass to begin with. It's much easier to transport and actually play, and the variety of sounds available is far more. My advice is that as long as you are not spending money that should be used for food, shelter, and the other necessities of life, buy what you want.

I have some expensive basses and some cheap ones, and each one has it's own personality. I firmly believe that each bass, or guitar is an individual and you can find good cheap instruments and bad expensive instruments. I almost always buy used and only after I have played the actual instrument I am considering. So welcome to the world of GAS, and enjoy.

Thump on,

One_Dude
 
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