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more basses = less skill?

will only 1 bass make you a better player?

  • Your playing will be the same no matter how many basses you own.

    Votes: 582 94.5%

  • Playing more than one type of bass will hinder your abilities.

    Votes: 27 4.4%

  • if you have more than one bass they should be the same brand so they feel the same.

    Votes: 7 1.1%
  • Total voters
    616
funk generator

funk generator

Supporting Member
Nov 3, 2009
1,948
684
Johnson City, TN
#1
So I was talking to a few very skilled bassists the other day (one of them records for esperanza spalding!) and they both said you Shouldn't have more than one bass. The exception being if you play a fretless and a fretted.

The logic behind it is if you play more than one bass you'll never be amazing at playing one of them. You should get to be "best friends" per say with your main bass and the better you know it the better you'll play.

I countered this with "But victor wooten playes like a billion different fodera's including 6 strings and fretless" (I know his fretless isn't fodera) the reply was "Yes, but he only does the vic thing on his 4 string"
Another point brought up is people like Justin Raines. He has 2 basses, but there both MTD's and probably setup identically.

So my question is this. Does having more than one bass hinder your playing. If you have 2 basses should they be of the same builder or brand?

I know there are alot of one bass threads, but I couldn't find one like this
 
#2
I've got a 4 string and a 5er. I can definitely see having different basses for different things. I'd love to have a 6string and a fretless too to play with. Not sure about having multiple of the same style bass, like 2 5 strings or multiple fretless basses, but then again I'm more of a hobby player and by no means a professional.
 
#4
I would rather have more basses because each one is different if anything i believe it would help you out being able to be used to so many different necks/basses. its not going to make you better, but it will give you an edge if you have to play someone elses bass. Just my 2cents
 
#6
When I had my last band going I brought 3 basses out to the gigs. I never felt that my playing was better on one over the others. I had a 4 string which I loved the tone of the most, and then 2 6 string basses. One of the 6's was my main bass because I needed the extra range for most of our songs, and the other 6 was used on a couple songs that I wanted a different tone on. Sadly we didn't have many songs I got to use my 4 on or it would have been my main bass for the tone I could get out of it.
 
#9
I had one bass for 22 years, mostly because when I wanted more I couldnt afford it and when I could afford it, I didnt care (up until about 4 years ago when I got back into playing with bands again) I found I had a hard time playing other basses as easily as I did with MY bass. I got so used to the neck and everything that when I went to a music shop, I had a hard time. Now I have 4 and I want more.
 
#10
Both sides of this discussion appear to have merit. There is an old and very true saying: "Beware the man with one gun, he likely knows how to use it." That said I have multiple basses simply because I like to collect them and to play them and also because I like to use a bass similar to the original when doing classic rock covers. Some might even argue that playing different basses might actually help one to be a better bassist. Switching from a short-scale EB-3 to long-scale Fenders, Ricks and Thunderbirds can and is a challenge (for me). Boring? NEVER!
 
#11
topic....>
drugs-are-bad.jpg
 
#14
A 4-string plays different from a 5-string (and provides different capabilities).
A fretted plays different from a fretless (and provides different capabilities).
Some basses have vastly different tones on tap (eg Rob Allen vs Fodera).

If I have the need to serve a variety of music situations and feel that different tools are best suited for that, then one bass isn't going to cut it. If I am only doing "my thing", or supporting someone else's "thing", then one bass could.

You can use cameras as an analogy. There were famous guys who essentially did their seminal work with a Leica and a 35mm lens. There are other guys who shoot sports who will live often with a 500mm tele. And others who do portrait and will favor an 84/1.4. But most will have a couple of different tools should they need to use them. Can I take *any* picture with a 35mm lens? Sure. Will it be the best picture that captures the moment? Maybe not.
 
#16
My thoughts come more from affordability than anything else. I don't think it would affect your skill one way or the other. If I had more money I would absolutely have more basses, but since I don't I make do with my 5 string main bass and my 4 string that I've kept because it was my first.
 
#17
If you limit yourself to just one type of bass it definitely hinders your learning. Why would you not want to open up all the possibilities available to you?

The more basses you have, the better....as long as each one offers something different.

Get some active basses, some passive, some fretless, one with flats, an acoustic bass...the list goes on.
 

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