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If you have only one bass : why?

Why do you have only one bass? (multiple choice allowed)

  • No money to buy another bass, or space to keep it

    Votes: 73 45.1%

  • I have to move house a lot / I am a hobo

    Votes: 3 1.9%

  • I can't play two basses at a time; why have more than one?

    Votes: 22 13.6%

  • Bass is not my only/main instrument

    Votes: 16 9.9%

  • I don't gig at all / much, so can't justify having more than one

    Votes: 26 16.0%

  • My bass is (technically) the best one in the world for me

    Votes: 46 28.4%

  • I am emotionally attached to my bass for some reason

    Votes: 24 14.8%

  • My other ones got lost/ stolen

    Votes: 2 1.2%

  • I don't want to waste my time thinking about different basses ATM - I just want to play

    Votes: 28 17.3%

  • My wife/husband/partner won't let me have too many toys

    Votes: 9 5.6%

  • It has been made specially in the shape of my band logo... or something

    Votes: 3 1.9%

  • I'm sure there's another one somewhere in this bag of carrots

    Votes: 13 8.0%

  • other (please comment)

    Votes: 20 12.3%
  • Total voters
    162
#44
Kuroth said:
I have a Bongo.. Why would I want anything else... :bassist:
Click to expand...

Well, if it's a four string, you might need a fiver at some point, and if it's fretted then you might need a fretless occasionaly, and most importantly if your string breaks in the middle of the set the second bass comes in quite handy.
So for me these are the only reasons why I have 6 basses. They're all different. A 4 string passive maple neck, a 4 string active rosewood neck, a 5 string, a fretless and a hollowbody. I would never have two basses of same characteristics and sound.
 
#47
Labi said:
Well, if it's a four string, you might need a fiver at some point, and if it's fretted then you might need a fretless occasionaly, and most importantly if your string breaks in the middle of the set the second bass comes in quite handy.
So for me these are the only reasons why I have 6 basses. They're all different. A 4 string passive maple neck, a 4 string active rosewood neck, a 5 string, a fretless and a hollowbody. I would never have two basses of same characteristics and sound.
Click to expand...

Good points.. I am just a beginner but If I ever do Gig, then will have to get more then one for sure.

Hey.. I can tell my wife that.. So I can get another in about a year... :D
 
#48
My 1992 Wal 5 string does everything I could possibly want, except sound fretless. Someday, when I have a lot more extra dough, a Wal fretless 5 might be in order, but I'm happy as a clam with this one. They will bury me with this bass.:cool:
 
#52
...After I learn to play this one, I might be able to find some small justification for another one. Otherwise, unless it's free, or perhaps nearly free (on a scale of "I don't consider my $125 bass nearly free") I'm sticking to one.
 
#53
Right now, i own more than one.

But there were times that I got by with only 1 bass. Once, it was due to my financial status.

The other time, I think I just got tired of them, sold everything but my Ibanez Blazer, used it exclusively for a year, i think.
 
#55
I'm on my way down to esentially one BG. It's a mexican pbass, I have a squire that's not worth anything as resale as a backup and a DB. I'm going to sell my road worn Jbass sometime soon. I just don't play it.
 
#57
fourstringbliss said:
I've owned/tried a bunch of basses over the years and have discovered that an active, 4-string, light weight, J-pup bass with nice hardware suits me best.
Click to expand...

I currently own eight basses, but I am in the process of a serious consolidation. I know I will not get down to one, but I am considering selling at least four othem to fund the purchase of a high-end Jazz-type bass (Sadowsky, Lakland, etc.). After pricing them out, I am also considering having a local pro luthier build one from after-market parts. For much less than the cost of one of the high-end brands, I can build a Warmoth with all the bells and whistles (high-end pickups, preamp, bound and blocked neck, exotic woods, etc.), with case for a little more than half the cost. It is my intention to make this new bass my main bass. Three of the the remaining four will be "museum pieces" and kept for sentimental reasons, and the other will be a "knock-around".
 
#59
I answered this as thought I only own one, since I'm trying to sell my other unused bass. For me, I think it's best summed up by

I've gotten much more done musically just cause I wasn't dickin' around comparing and tweaking other basses.
Click to expand...

And TBH, I always feel like the more I play, the less interested I am in options -- I just want something that works. I have a couple of things going right now and I like only having to think/worry/maintain one instrument. It lets me focus on the reason I got into it -- to play music.

Then again, I'm sort of a weird one where having extra stuff around that I don't use weighs on me and makes me feel anxious. I'm in a constant purge mode when it comes to stuff around the house.
 

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