I hate switching basses...who's with me?

[HolmeBass]

I agree. I bring two basses, but one is a backup I case the main one for the gig has some kind of failure.

The plan is always to use one flexible bass to cover the whole gig.

And bringing in the backup is time-consuming, need about 5 mins to get it out, double- check the tuning, tweak more gain structure, comp settings, and maybe some EQ on the amp.

The only thing busting out the backup is faster than is changing a string or a battery. Or total silence if, for example the main bass’s output jack fails.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Nobody likes showing off my basses more than me. They're not super special or anything, but I used to be in love with the idea of switching basses just to show off the collection a little, plus it's cool to have different basses for different sounds and tunings. I've tried to enjoy it, especially since I spent a good many years doubling on upright on most of my gigs. Sounded like a good idea at the time.

Here's why I ended up hating it...

---It either slows the show down or it leaves you hanging and looking like amateur night because you're not ready when they start the next song. And many bandleaders don't care if you're switching and they'll count the song off anyway. So I just want to play one bass that can do it all.

---It's easy to switch basses that all have similar sound and output, but switching between a Stingray with new rounds and a Hofner with old flats is going to take some EQ to keep levels consistent and tones not so different that it throws the mix into a meltdown. And the more different basses, the more EQ's you need. Some folks will use programmable EQ's or pres and that's what I did most of the time, but it can take some effort to get it right. And I just don't want to spend time screwing with it. Once saw Heart's sound tech have to rebuild the bass mix from scratch for every other song because Steve Fossen switched every other song and never used the same bass twice.

---Two basses are manageable, but any more than that gets on my nerves during setups and teardowns. Have I done it? Sure I have! How do you think I know???

Anyway, thx for listening to me yak while I try to get over health problems. Been a while I had this much free time since going corporate. And feel free to comment either pro or con.

Amen. Totally with you, for the reasons you mentioned.

I have a modest collection of 10 basses. I consider each one a "primary" (if not, I wouldn't own it). For gigs, I bring two and only two basses: primary, and.... "backup primary". 97% of the time I only play the "primary primary"!

#1 exception: I played a few sub gigs with a band that played half their songs in standard tuning, the rest of 'em detuned a half step. So, I brought one in each tuning. I play five string and can transpose, but they were sub gigs, so why make 'em more difficult than necessary? I switched basses when they switched guitars.

#2 exceptions: in the decades I've been gigging, I've had a half-dozen-or-so mid-song failures. Usually a broken string, but I also had an onboard preamp go wonky, and then there was the time that the nut broke on a brand new bass, and the E string went flopping off the side of the neck. So: backup time.

The rest of the time: once in a blue moon I'll play the second bass gratuitously -- switching is always done on break. Then there are the times I'm gigging a nearly-minty-fresh bass, and a friend sits in on bass, so I'll hand him the black Sadowsky in my avatar -- that one's already got a lot of road rash!

 

[SJan3]

Nobody likes showing off my basses more than me. They're not super special or anything, but I used to be in love with the idea of switching basses just to show off the collection a little, plus it's cool to have different basses for different sounds and tunings. I've tried to enjoy it, especially since I spent a good many years doubling on upright on most of my gigs. Sounded like a good idea at the time.

Here's why I ended up hating it...

---It either slows the show down or it leaves you hanging and looking like amateur night because you're not ready when they start the next song. And many bandleaders don't care if you're switching and they'll count the song off anyway. So I just want to play one bass that can do it all.

---It's easy to switch basses that all have similar sound and output, but switching between a Stingray with new rounds and a Hofner with old flats is going to take some EQ to keep levels consistent and tones not so different that it throws the mix into a meltdown. And the more different basses, the more EQ's you need. Some folks will use programmable EQ's or pres and that's what I did most of the time, but it can take some effort to get it right. And I just don't want to spend time screwing with it. Once saw Heart's sound tech have to rebuild the bass mix from scratch for every other song because Steve Fossen switched every other song and never used the same bass twice.

---Two basses are manageable, but any more than that gets on my nerves during setups and teardowns. Have I done it? Sure I have! How do you think I know???

Anyway, thx for listening to me yak while I try to get over health problems. Been a while I had this much free time since going corporate. And feel free to comment either pro or con.

Totally agree. I bring a P and a J bass, sometimes. If only one bass, it's usually a P and I never switch in the middle of a set. If I switch in between sets, I'm committed to that bass for the entire set.
If doing a single set show, it's one bass on stage. If it high profile, I'll have a 2nd for backup in case of catastrophic failure which has never happened to me.
Sorry you're having health issues. I feel your pain. Facing my own challenges.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Forgot to mention:

I often play P-bass with flats with my R&B "big band" (5 piece horn section). I dislike switching so much that I'll even do slap funk on it. Note: the slap tunes are not difficult: Brick House, Bustin' Loose, Uptown Funk, Walk the Dinosaur. Which is good, because my slap chops are weak.

And last but not least: best of luck with your health issues!

 

[drumvsbass]

I went through a phase that may or may not have coincided with my employment at a music retail store, where my collection bloomed a little, and I do mean just a little. Max in the stable was 9 basses, most of which I have sold. I almost bought a Ric. That's when I knew I had to stop. I came to realize that my own voice on an instrument was more important than 'having a Pbass with flats and tort' or every flavour of ice cream for my non existent studio career. If some studio is ever that particular about the instrument, they'll probably have one there.

 

[boombloom]

No matter what bass I play, I sound like me. Of course, I sound a bit different on a precision than I do on a jazz, but not really enough to bother making a switch. I bring the bass that's best for the whole gig. For me that's almost always an upright, and I certainly only bring one of those.

 

[2112]

I hate changing during the gig, too. I only bring 2 basses to every gig. They're identical as possible, I simply pick one to use when I get to the venue and the other is the backup. A Digitech Drop and Hipshot Detuners get me all the tunings I need. Feels goodman.

 

[juancaminos]

I can't remember ever doing this mid show. I usually bring one and stick with it. May not be the same one every time.

 

[Pilgrim]

I don't normally switch basses, but there is an exception.

If "Sunshine of Your Love" is in the set, I'll bring my 1964 EB-0 with the mudbucker, and it's the only bass I will use for that tune.

I can actually play it for other stuff too, as it ended up with two pickups - the DiMarzio Model One was in it as a bridge pickup when I got it, and there were two routs, so I found an original mudbucker and filled the empty hole in the neck position.

And BTW - there is no tone knob now. I figured that only an idiot would want to try and roll the treble OFF when using either of these pickups, so I changed them both to volume, one for each pickup, so I can use either one or blend them.

 

[Manticore]

Best wishes recovering from health issues.

I dislike switching basses, in an intense way. The reasons you provide are spot on. I solved the problem with a six string bass with an unusually diverse tonal palette. Life became even better once the flexibility of a Kemper replaced a dedicated bass amp. I bring a spare, but it doesn't get played unless there's an emergency.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I’ve done shows where I had so little time for switching between electric and upright I had to sling the electric behind my back and play the upright while still in its stand.

Yeah, Evita has some of those moments.

There's also a spot in Wicked in which you have to put the upright in the stand, play a last note as the pit goes black, then fumble to put the electric on and turn the page for the Bows/Exit Music that starts 8 seconds later.

 

[RandalPinkFloyd]

Thanks for that post! I was about to try using 2 instruments for our next gigs, but after reading the huge majority of testimonies against bass-switching, I've changed my mind: I thrust the TB community wisdom. Thanks!

Don't let that dissuade you from trying. I swap basses in the middle of the gig and have for some time now due to the way our set list is broken up in to 2 different tunings. I don't see it as a hassle. As for sound, I have one channel setup for one bass, the other channel set for the other. Easy peezy swap.

 

[Acoustic356]

I try to take the one bass that fits the situation. If a lot variety is needed, I'll just take my Duesenberg Triton that can cover almost anything!

 

[biobass]

Yeah, Evita has some of those moments.

There's also a spot in Wicked in which you have to put the upright in the stand, play a last note as the pit goes black, then fumble to put the electric on and turn the page for the Bows/Exit Music that starts 8 seconds later.

Evita was one of the shows I was thinking of. Also, Big Fish, Secret Garden, Addams Family come to mind. I haven’t had a chance to play Wicked yet. I live within the 50 mile radius of NYC, so it isn’t available for regional, school or community theaters here.

 

[frankie5string]

Yeah, Evita has some of those moments.

There's also a spot in Wicked in which you have to put the upright in the stand, play a last note as the pit goes black, then fumble to put the electric on and turn the page for the Bows/Exit Music that starts 8 seconds later.

Reminds me when I saw RENT on Broadway after I had done it in community theatre, and was all ears for "Santa Fe" and the keyboard player played the bass figure at the beginning of because the bass player (who that night was the original guy!) couldn't handle it. Apparently on the soundtrack it's Anthony Jackson playing that figure. There was a surprising amount of bodged bass notes that night, too.

 

[JES]

I don’t love changing instruments, but I make an exception for my Kala U bass as a change up. Always gets compliments and questions, especially from non musicians, and it makes me a large man playing a small instrument, so it’s part of the show.

 

[jerry]

One bass. I wouldn't want to change basses just when I getting warmed up on the one, plus for a long time I've mostly been working for other people who aren't going to pause a set so the bassist can change up.

 

[WillyW]

I have a few instruments. Treble and bass.

I have one of each by the bedside for practice, they rotate every week or so.

IF I join a band whatever is hanging on the wall that week is going to the gig, whether it be fretted or fretless or long or short scale, or regardless if the song calls for it or not.

 

[Jackcrow]

I used to switch once or twice between sets. Now I find myself mainly just using one and having the other one in a case as a backup.

 

[john_g]

I used to switch basses just cuz...now, I do have two basses at gigs for different tunings, but I make sure they are similar in output/tones to make it easier. I used to switch between my Ric, Stingray and Steinberger in one gig. All over the map there!