I have one bass.

[ThudThudThud]

Fretted and fretless. Only two are needed.

Well, if you play both fretted and fretless then just two are needed.
Of both.

 

[Herrick]

I almost always have multiple basses but I only play one of them. I'm too lazy to sell the ones I don't play. Does that count in order to join The One Bass To Rule Them All Club?

 

[ghostinthemach]

To the OP: Nothing wrong with you, it is just the way you roll. I owned only one bass for 20 years. But, one day I decided to try another and now I own 7. Each of them has its' own distinctive tone and feel. Will I buy any more? Maybe, depends.

My story is much like @Ampslut except I now own 16. Two were inherited from deceased friends. So I can’t part with them. Some I’m actually considering selling now that I have my most recent find, a very nice 90’s Fender Roscoe Beck.
I actually mused over the concept having only one bass again last night while playing it.
It represents a lot of fave specs all in one instrument. Most of the others are a ‘change of pace’ more than go to.
BTW the first one I considered selling is my Marcus Miller Jazz. It’s the one I’m least attached to.

 

[Kevin1960]

And that is all I want.

I bought a second bass a few months ago, and ended up sending it back. The new bass was okay, but I kept looking across the room at my old favorite bass, and it felt strangely like I was cheating on an old friend. Yes, I'm that weird.

So, I've decided I am a one bass kind of guy. Probably a bit of an anomaly on this site. Not that I don't have GAS desires when I see some of the beautiful basses that are posted hereabouts, but in the end, I'm happy with what I have, and if I fell in love with and bought another bass, I'd have to put my old favorite aside, and I find that unacceptable.

Is there something wrong with me?

I feel the same about women, not basses. I think more than 1 woman is more than I can possibly tolerate.

 

[tedious1]

I get your point Two Fingers. Maybe I've just been lucky so far, but I can definitely see how one bad experience would make you want to make sure it never happened again. Food for thought.

Pickup a Squier, your brain won't see it as competition for your MM, and you've got it if you need it.

Or if someone else does, I've never used the backup I bring to shows, but other players have. And beer bought out of someone else's pay packet always tastes better...

 

[Manticore]

No offense, but how often does a bass just "short out"? I just don't see it happening.

One never knows. Last time I needed a spare is when the drummer accidentally knocked my bass off its stand in very tight quarters; stuff happens. It landed on the D-string tuner and broke it. Not the end of the world, but it makes for a trying gig without a spare.

 

[GretschWretch]

I feel the same about women, not basses. I think more than 1 woman is more than I can possibly tolerate.

But when you were seeing more than one woman, were you seeing the flat ones? Or just the round ones? Or the copacetic ones that didn't have a fret?

 

[Drang22]

Yes, something is wrong with your rationalization of your only bass having feelings!

FWIW, your bass is not a human only child who is jealous because it doesn’t want a new sibling/bassling!

Interesting theory.... but then how come she sometimes is happy, or sad, or gives me the cold shoulder?

 

[Drang22]

I payed the same bass live, sometimes 7 gigs per week for about 40 years in everything from rock, to cocktail music to broadway type shows. Luckily it was a hybrid fretless/fretted.
The only time any other was used was when it was stolen (took over 2 yers to get it back) and now because the neck is finally us straightenable. I had a fender as backup in case a string broke, or battery died, but it was seldom used.View attachment 2877924

That is one amazing bass!

 

[neo 7]

I have nine. I don't buy basses, I adopt them.

 

[Drang22]

We (TBer's) have lot's of time and we'll be waiting (if you are honest).

Yes, this site definitely causes GAS....

 

[gjbassist]

OP, there is nothing wrong with having one bass that you love. But I will echo what some others have said. If you are a gigging musician you really should have a backup! Even if it is just an inexpensive SX Jazz bass that rarely sees the light of day. Unexpected things can happen at gigs. I was a professional wedding photographer for over 20 years. I always brought backup equipment because I was being paid to do a job and do it well. There were a few times when I actually needed the backup gear and it was a good thing I had it! Playing a gig may not be on the same level as capturing someone's wedding day, but you are still being paid to do a job to the best of your abilities. Imagine how empty your band would sound if your bass somehow died or was damaged and couldn't be used!

 

[Sixgunn]

I gig with 3 to 4. 1 fretless (no need to explain) and 2 to 3 fretted, depending on the gig, because I really love more than one of them.

 

[Malak the Mad]

…or gives me the cold shoulder?

Oh, that? That's just the strap cutting off the flow of blood in and out of your arm.
(Trust me, I'm a massage therapist. I know these things. )

 

[WardEarth]

I've always kinda been a one bass guy myself. Granted that bass has changed over the years. Now I'm pondering letting my warwick fortress one go, and I've swore I would never let it go, for my home built maple p-bass.
I probably shouldn't let the warwick go but it's been sitting for about a year or so. We shall see.

 

[Kevin1960]

But when you were seeing more than one woman, were you seeing the flat ones? Or just the round ones? Or the copacetic ones that didn't have a fret?

I was young and didn't discriminate back then. So long as they were breathing they were fair game, but that was long ago and far away.......

 

[telecopy]

I HAD one bass. Now I feel like Entwhistle or Tufnel.. I'm gonna have to hang 'em on a wall because they are taking up floor space. I'm almost like a cat-lady.. Basses in cases smell better than litter boxes. Gonna have to quit window shopping..

 

[ZenG]

And that is all I want.

I bought a second bass a few months ago, and ended up sending it back. The new bass was okay, but I kept looking across the room at my old favorite bass, and it felt strangely like I was cheating on an old friend. Yes, I'm that weird.

So, I've decided I am a one bass kind of guy. Probably a bit of an anomaly on this site. Not that I don't have GAS desires when I see some of the beautiful basses that are posted hereabouts, but in the end, I'm happy with what I have, and if I fell in love with and bought another bass, I'd have to put my old favorite aside, and I find that unacceptable.

Is there something wrong with me?

That's probably just from growing up in our Western culture.

Remember that Solomon had 700 wives.

 

[Pilgrim]

I think if you're a hobbyist you can get by with one bass. If you're gigging, you need a backup bass. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, and there are many good basses available inexpensively used.

 

[AngelCrusher]

Yes, I play out regularly. No offense, but how often does a bass just "short out"? I just don't see it happening. When I go out to see other bands, it seems as if at least 75% of the bassists only bring one bass (unless perhaps they keep the spare backstage or in their car...). I've never even broken a string on this bass. It would be more likely to have an amp malfunction, and I am sure not going to schlep a second amp either!

Dude it doesn't. A lot of people here will make a lot of reasons to buy basses. And it's cool if that's their thing, but you are 99% not going to have this issue. How do I know? I gigged with one bass for years. And I was hired to do these gigs by managers and record labels.

Only when I went on tour did I bring a backup bass. I used it once in 200 shows because my strap broke and I felt like doing a guitar toss to my tech. Besides that I used one bass the entire time. I know tons of guys who are full time pros doing the same thing and they only bring more if they are doing national tours.

If you get the OCD going, then just grab a Squier as a backup. But you will barely ever use it.