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Multiples of the same bass

#21
Soberglitch said:
How do I reason with keeping multiples of the same bass? Especially when there are other basses I want but it would require me to sell.

I only own 2 basses, a Stingray and Stingray Special. I bought both of these for a great deal assuming I’d keep one and sell the other. Unfortunately I fell in love with both but have been wrestling with the idea of selling one and buying a MIJ Jazz or Jazz Bass Special.

I have other hobbies and activities that take priority in terms of funds and space so I’ve really been trying to keep my collection to a couple of amps and a couple of basses.

Thought this might be an interesting topic and help my decision making process.

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I always like having a backup as I feel it’s just the professional thing to do but I rarely actually need a backup so I’m actually not super picky about what it is. For example right now my main bass is a Dingwall ng2 and my backup is a Mexican jazz 5 strandard. Paid $1800 for the Dingwall and like $400 for the jazz. I plan to eventually replace the neck on the jazz with a fretless neck and if I have to I’ll just play Fretless. I don’t care that it’s not the same type of bass, the purpose of a backup to me is more so just to get through the gig. So in your case I personally would sell one and buy whatever you’ve had your eye on, even if it’s a bit different
 
#22
I've done that before. Had 2 Fernandes Gravity Deluxe 5ers and 2 Yamaha BB 615s at certain points. After 10 years with a Stingray5 (my main instrument even for serious work today) that saw a lot of work, I finally got a second one for a backup. It also saw its fair share of action too for a few years. Now, those working times are over and I've been trying to justify keeping both for the last 5 years, until I recently found THE solution: one with rounds, one with flats :thumbsup:
 
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#23
This isn't even all of them. Something's wrong with me.

IMG_20200529_100656.jpg
 
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#30
Soberglitch said:
How do I reason with keeping multiples of the same bass? Especially when there are other basses I want but it would require me to sell.

I only own 2 basses, a Stingray and Stingray Special. I bought both of these for a great deal assuming I’d keep one and sell the other. Unfortunately I fell in love with both but have been wrestling with the idea of selling one and buying a MIJ Jazz or Jazz Bass Special.

I have other hobbies and activities that take priority in terms of funds and space so I’ve really been trying to keep my collection to a couple of amps and a couple of basses.

Thought this might be an interesting topic and help my decision making process.

View attachment 4235715
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I have a 2004 3 band Stingray that I love, and an 1988 2 band Stingray that I love. I decided to keep them both with the justification that either one would be somewhat hard to replace (88 2 bands are getting hard to find and the 2004 is in a color they don't make anymore).

I also have other hobbies and understand the competition for space in your funds.

I'd keep them both, or at least delay the decision as long as you can.

BTW - I always loved that Charcoal Sparkle with the ebony fingerboard. Nice choice!!
 
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#31
shastaband said:
View attachment 4235752 I have multiple Precision basses. All have different strings: flats, low-tension flats, round-core nickel-plated rounds, hex-core cobalt rounds. (The ol’ ‘66 in my avatar doesn’t go out on gigs anymore. But it’s wearing flats as a tribute to its heritage.) There have been a number of recent threads discussing flats versus rounds, with many bemoaning what they’re missing with one type or the other, putting flats on, taking them off, putting on rounds, taking them off, trying to decide what sounds best on their bass and for the different types of material they play.

Multiple basses solves that dilemma. I can have flats AND rounds, not flats or rounds.
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Shastaband - I love that tealish/blue looking one with the silver pickguard...gorgeous! All of them!
 
#32
I love Jazz basses, and have had at least two since 2008. But they haven't been duplicates. They're close enough to each other that I can use them interchangeably (unless the project requires a five), and yet different enough that they can have some distinct purposes/uses.

For example, I now have: (1) 2003 MIA Fender with Fralin Split-Jazz pickups and maple fretboard; (2) 2010 G&L USA JB with Lace Man o' War pickups and rosewood; and (3) G&L USA JB-5 with empress body and rosewood fretboard. Due to the different pickups and fretboards, the fours don't sound the same, with the Fender sounding like a classic J-bass and the G&L sounding darker and a bit like a P-bass. The JB-5 has that extra string, and serves largely as a backup to my M-2500. It's also very light, and might be my first choice for a long set.

So, if you love both Rays, I say keep them. It's good to have different versions of your favorite type of bass. Maybe down the road you'll become thoroughly convinced you only need one, as I did with P-basses, but for now just enjoy them!
 
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#34
Soberglitch said:
I only own 2 basses, a Stingray and Stingray Special. I bought both of these for a great deal assuming I’d keep one and sell the other. Unfortunately I fell in love with both but have been wrestling with the idea of selling one and buying a MIJ Jazz or Jazz Bass Special.
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I don't see those as multiples because they are not the same...definitely different fingerboard woods...and you probably notice the differences yourself. I've had as many as four Precisions at one time, but no two were from the same era, one was a 5, one was active. They didn't play or sound the same and I used eachone for different types of gigs. I had two Steinberger L2's at one poiunt but one was fretted, one fretless. Etc.

My decision whether to sell or not boils down to:

-- How often do I use it today?

Example: I was using a Steinberger L2 in a band with a bagpiper (seriously!!!) who used pipes in two different keys, D and G. They were never in tune with each other and never in tune to A440. I got tired of trying to retune mid-set, so I bought a Steinberger XM2. I would check the tuning of his pipes at the beginning of each set and tune one bass to the D pipes and one to the G pipes. After that band broke up, I sold the XM2.

-- If I decide I need another one in the future how much more expensive will it be than the price I can get for selling it now?

Example: I still have that L2 even though it hasn't been out on a gig for years. The prices keep going up, so if I sold it I would not be able to afford another one.
 
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#36
You can always keep one bass as a spare in case of a broken string, hardware failure, electronics mishaps, etc.

I play in two totally different tunings but love my Ibanez Soundgear so much (both the tone and the feel, or else I’d just swap out the electronics on another bass) that I’ve got two copies - one for Drop D, another for C Standard.

There’s a few good reasons to hold on to two of the same bass, it depends on your needs. But as another poster said: if you love it, NEVER sell it!
 
#37
I have multiple similar but mostly not identical basses...

Some are strung differently, some are set up for different tunings, others may look the same but sound very different due to electronic or wood variations. Even though not identical, some can backup others during live shows.

In the past, I've had a few identical pairs in different colors for different situations. For example, I had 2 P's, one was customized to be visually very flashy for a rock band I was in, the other was traditional burst / tort for theater pits and side work. Mirror pick guards and reflective paint don't get you invited back to the pit. :laugh:
 
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#38
I can see multiples of the same bass if the electronics are different or one has rounds and one has flats. Beyond that, I've personally never seen the value of having multiples of the same bass with the same electronics and the same strings, unless the owner is a collector.
 
#39
shastaband said:
View attachment 4235752 I have multiple Precision basses. All have different strings: flats, low-tension flats, round-core nickel-plated rounds, hex-core cobalt rounds. (The ol’ ‘66 in my avatar doesn’t go out on gigs anymore. But it’s wearing flats as a tribute to its heritage.) There have been a number of recent threads discussing flats versus rounds, with many bemoaning what they’re missing with one type or the other, putting flats on, taking them off, putting on rounds, taking them off, trying to decide what sounds best on their bass and for the different types of material they play.

Multiple basses solve that dilemma. I can have flats AND rounds, not flats or rounds.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm on board with that. 3Ps and a J for good measure.
IMG_20210214_160400846.jpg
 
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