Moving - how many basses do you really need?

[Crusher47]

Holding steady at 18 but still want 1 or 2 more.... GAS goes away for a little while but always comes back

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Probably 2. A four string and a five string Dingwall.

 

[ics1974]

down to one. My Stingray Special 4H.

 

[SteveC]

I think I really NEED two basses. My passive P 4 string with flats and my Active 5 string. Most of my playing is on the P. I use the 5 for a handful of songs. Either could be my only bass. The 5 being a bit more versitile because of the added string.

I also have a fretless 5 but it is rarely used. I hesitate to sell it because its really my best bass.

 

[Anjohl]

If your gigging bare minimum is two. Also, never, be embarrassed by what you own. You can have as many Basses, or anything, that you want.

The only thing you can have as much of as you want is freedom.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

Need - 1

But I have 4.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Out of my pile of odd and budget instruments if I had to cut it down to what I think I “need”, it would be two P basses one with flats, a fretless, a five-string could be Jazz-based, and my upright. Would like a hollow body to add to the need pile, don't have one, well the upright

 

[sonic boogaloo]

i have 3, but realistically only need 2.

a solid and semi-acoustic give me the PALETTE i need.

no desire to go fretless or more than 4 strings,

 

[shirojiro]

Update for me:

I put most of them away.

Three basses for now:

-SBMM Ray34

-Pbass

-Fretless Jazz

 

[BEADG63]

I really only NEED 2; I really only have 21, but there will be a huge thinning of the herd beginning after the new year. Probably.

 

[ggvicviper]

I think the most I ever had at once was 11, and this was 10 years ago. I probably started getting angry with myself after that, but eh, I didn't have kids back then.



Now I have 5, but looking to unload a Hofner Shorty Violin bass to make it 4. It's not the end by any means (I'd like to pick up a Ibanez ABG5er, Soundgear 5er, Sadowsky ME Vintage M 5er and Spector Icon NS5), but certainly it's less than peak bass fever for me.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

My wife and I weren’t expecting to buy a new house this year, but sometimes life takes you by surprise, and we are now in the process of moving.

At the moment, I’m down to only one instrument on my stand (my AVRI II Stratocaster), and I have honestly been quite satisfied. The multiple pickup configurations gives me enough flexibility to satisfy the tinkerer in me, while the overall feel and sound satisfies me enough from feeling like I’m missing out by not having something else.

I’m not ready to cull the rest of the herd any time soon, but it has been a bit eye opening just how much I can get by with one instrument. I figure when we finish the move I might unpack one bass (likely my EBMM Special SR5H) and my acoustic guitar. Between those three instruments, I really can cover all my music needs. Everything else are just different flavors of ice cream - not necessary but still nice to have. Who knows, maybe I will end up selling off a bunch of stuff.

 

[Major Seven]

I think the real answer to the question in the Subject line is one.

But I think many of us have way more than that.

I'm in the middle of moving, and I had one bass with me for a month - a recently acquired Sterling Ray 34 with an ash body in a natural finish with Cobalt flats and roast maple neck and fretboard. It's a great bass. It sounds and plays great, but I have to admit that I missed having a few other sounds.

I went and grabbed a few other basses. Interestingly, they're all 4 strings.
I grabbed:
Fender Geddy Jazz MIJ
Ibanez RKB900 with Cobalt flats MIJ PJ bass
Harmony ash and maple P bass with Hi-A pickups.

Even this feels like a embarrassment of riches with 4 basses.

The variety of tones is great, but I miss the simpler days when I had only one and I played the same bass for years on end.

That said, I still can't just get rid of the rest of the herd /platoon.

I guess the silver lining is that a really do like all of my basses and each one sounds great to

I think the real answer to the question in the Subject line is
How many more tomorrows do you have coming?

 

[Major Seven]

I never forget, back when I had just one bass, taking it to my tech for some work, and finding myself momentarily with no bass, and thinking that this was not to be let happen again.

Couldn't even let that happen. I got my second before I even went to the tech.

 

[Jugghaid]

Need? 2. Fretted and fretless 5 strings.

But why would I want to do that?

 

[ravelax]

I could probably get by with any one of my six basses. I play all of them somewhat regularly, although some of them get more play time. I suppose I could squeeze in at least one more... If I really had to downsize I'd want to keep at least two of them, one of those being my first self-bought bass (mainly for sentimental reasons), the other being my main player of the last few years.

 

[ElectricBass72]

Actually.... a Steinberger Spirit would be nice to go with my Spector Euro Classic 4 and Duff McKagan signature Deluxe P. 80's inspired basses.

 

[SoonerBill]

I've never had more than one at a time. But that's my normal. When I raced bicycles I had 1. Lot's of guys had many different bikes for different types of races. I played pool on a minor league pro circuit. I had 1 cue. Lot's of guys had cases that held up to 6 cues.
I get comfortable with one thing and don't want to have another one.
Only exception was cars when I was building hot-rods, street-rods. I might have had 4 or 5 at a time.

 

[Core Creek]

Two - one in standard tuning and one dropped a half step for the band I regularly play with. Could I just tune back and forth? Sure, but once the bass is dialed in for one tuning it’s best to keep it that way.

 

[Deleted member 268085]

Probably 2. A four string and a five string Dingwall.

That's what I did. When Dingwall released the medium scale SP1, I bought two, a black 4-string and a white 5-string. Excellent basses at a third of the price (or less) of the Canadian Super P and Super J.