One Bass Bassist?

[tb-player]

Spoiler alert, I am not reducing my collection to one bass, but I no longer want a large (5+) collection anymore. The reason is that looking back over five or so years, I usually favored one bass. I remember taking as many as three basses to church, and wasting time switching between basses. It was just easier to play one and be done. When I was mainly using Pedulla, it didn’t sound good being slapped, so I did not slap so much, and nobody cared. I mainly play my Super 5 now, and I still don’t slap so much. I still think it is good to have a few basses around to change up sometimes or if one has issues. I still like option of fretless, but unless it is a program in which the it is decided I need a different bass for a given song, I am taking just one, and if it is active, a few batteries.

I agree with you. I don’t like having more than 4 or 5 at a time. Right now I have 3 basses: an active 4, an active 5 and a passive fretless 5 (and they’re all Elricks… funny how that happened). When I play, I only take one bass (with spare strings & battery). When I play at a church, I almost always bring the active 5. It covers everything.

I’m excited for a cool, BMV passive 4 that will be finished later this month. And I’ll be replacing the active 5 with a custom MTD 535 later this year. Barring any other unforeseen GAS attacks, that will keep me at a useful 4 basses.

My church bass (and ‘amp’) from yesterday.

 

[SleepyShark]

While I generally think you can use any bass to write an appropriate bass line for most songs (heavily niche genres aside), not every bass can play every type of line.

Maybe a modern coffee table bass with double humbuckers, 6 knobs, 3 switches, and coil tapping can get you 95% of the way to every tone, but those basses call a very particular type of player. Props to the people who can command that sort of set up, especially on stage.

To me an ideal stable with no extra “just for fun” pieces:

• Something for smooth, round tones that sits in a mix like a P Bass or similar.
• Something for booming, cut-through the mix tones, like an active Jazz or H/HH style.
• Something for a more modern, clear sound for those who need it, like a double soap bar thin neck Ibanez style bass, maybe extended rage if the other two are 4 strings.

I think that would cover most bases (basses?)

 

[RyanSaranich]

I’ve adopted the ways of, “I don’t need a lot of basses- just the right basses”.
I’m currently making my way down to having one bass that’s dual coil/single coil, a P Bass, and a fretless. Those accomplish all my needs for me.

 

[el murdoque]

Same as Dr. Cheese, I don't get calls for session work. I get calls when somebody needs a bass player.
I have flats on my 6 string and a sound without zing. Playing on the darker sound spectrum with a good amount of bass and not too much treble content has been my sound for a long time now. It comes from my gear as much as from my fingers. People know how I play and when they ask me to play, they know what to expect.
I'll provide the bass lines and try and lock in with the drummer. Under normal circumstances that is what is expected of me and the means of how I get there are mine to choose. If I don't know what to expect, I pick the bass I'm most comfortable on, which is my 6 string with flats. If I know what to expect, I pick the bass I think works best in the given environment, which is my 6 string with flats.

I have a P bass mainly because it looks gorgeous and because you gotta have a P bass when you're a bassist.
I've no plans to part with it and I play it occasionally. I also have a U-Bass for fun. That's an inexpensive thing that does not take up much space, So it can stay around.
Everything else has been looked at hard, and I've sold most of it, with the rest sitting in cases, waiting for me to get the nerve to sell a bass.
As a gigging bassist, I feel like I need a backup, if something breaks. I can bring the 6 string to a gig where I play the P bass, but I'm not good enough to transpose 6 string lines to 4 string ones on the fly.
I've toyed around with the thought of selling all the other basses to get another Le Fay 6 string and maybe string that with rounds for a bit of variety.

 

[dfreeland83]

I've shared this in other threads... I split my time between bass and guitar pretty evenly. I had a *ton* of instruments going into 2021 and did some soul searching.

I downsized a lot. I'm considering downsizing further, but I ended up with:
1 MIM Jazz
1 MIM Precision
1 G&L L2500 (fits the 5-string need)
1x Squire HSS Strat
1x Nashville Tele
1x PRS SE 245 (Gibson-style sound).

But, in reducing to this, I've discovered that I still have a lot of redundancy:

• The Jazz is an instrument I have a hard time letting go of because it was my first 'decent' bass.
• The Precision is my go-to instrument 90% of the time now.
• The L-2500 is a great sounding instrument, but an 11.2lb bass wears on you over the course of a night.
• The HSS strat was my first electric guitar, but now I'm at the point where the PRS does the aggressive dual humbucker thing better than the HSS strat, and the Nashville Tele does the single-coil strat thing better than the HSS... but it's a $300 Squier with $500 worth of parts, so I have trouble selling it.
• The Nashville Tele is a keeper. It's perfect for me, especially after adding a push/pull switch so I can get the Neck / Bridge tele pickup option.
• The PRS is probably my favorite guitar out of everything I've ever owned. It plays great, it looks great, and covers the aggressive stuff very nicely.

Part of me wants to just have a fire sale and get a nice, high end 5-string PJ style, a higher end PRS style guitar pre-wired with an option to split the coils, and call it good.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I've never had an interest in more than one bass until I tried fretless. So now I have one fretted and one fretless. No need for anything else.

 

[Mike Marshall]

Spoiler alert, I am not reducing my collection to one bass, but I no longer want a large (5+) collection anymore. The reason is that looking back over five or so years, I usually favored one bass. I remember taking as many as three basses to church, and wasting time switching between basses. It was just easier to play one and be done. When I was mainly using Pedulla, it didn’t sound good being slapped, so I did not slap so much, and nobody cared. I mainly play my Super 5 now, and I still don’t slap so much. I still think it is good to have a few basses around to change up sometimes or if one has issues. I still like option of fretless, but unless it is a program in which the it is decided I need a different bass for a given song, I am taking just one, and if it is active, a few batteries.

I need 2 as a minimum If I'm playing a large show just in case anything goes wrong I can grab a backup.

 

[Mike Marshall]

I know the other thing that is making me more content playing one bass is that after a few years, I am really seeing where bass lessons are paying dividends. I am not just learning songs and licks, I am actually improving my knowledge in a meaningful way. It’s happening late in life, but I am glad it’s happening.

I hear you I was taking lessons for upright and I didnt see anything in playing scales but I learned more about theory, listening and studying other players and it ended up transferring to my Electric playing. Often I cant immediately see the benefit, it's like I'm impatient I need to remember it all pays off.

 

[Davebass77]

Don't believe I could get it all done with just one bass. I currently own 5 basses; each one has it's own sound/feel, used for different genres, bands and songs.
Rotate between 3, all FSO - a Fender Jazz Highway One 4 with flats, a Frankenfender P 4 with rounds (all Fender/Soundcraft parts, so yeah, kinda real Fender) and an aggressive sounding G&L L-1500, modded (80s, anyone?) The remaining 2 are a Fender MIJ Jazz Bass Special (P/J) and a 90's Fender Jazz 5 (for quick key change ability when backing up singers who can't/won't sing in original key.)
Saw an earlier post where @SpazzTheBassist referred to the basses as "Swiss Army knives." Different tools for different jobs. I like that. And yes, I bring a backup to a gig, but don't change basses during the set.

 

[red_bassist]

I lean toward one bass, but that is because when I have more than one there is one I end up playing more than the others, and I enjoy learning how to really connect with what one instrument can do. Currently that’s been a 6 string Washburn with a P pickup installed.

 

[Shindig73]

For me, the reason to own more than two basses (yes, a fretted and a fretless) is CONVENIENCE:

• Tone: Yes, you can dial in tones close enough to approximate the Leo Trinity or other modern sounds. But that takes time and effort. Wanna P bass sound? Grab the P. Wanna Stingray tone? Grab the Stingray.
• Backups: Had a fretless electronics die on me days before a big event and had to play fretted. I now have two fretless basses (one a P, one a J). I also had things happen on stage. Now I have a backup on stage as well. Could I learn how to solder and have backup parts ready to go? Sure. But I'd rather drop it off with the luthier and rock on with another bass.
• Strings: Sure, you can change out strings or get close to what you want with EQ and tone. Or you can have two P basses, one strung with flats and the other rounds.

So I have 6 5-string basses - the two fretlesses (P and J), a fretted J with rounds, two Ps (one with flats, the other with rounds), and a Stingray.

For convenience, and because they all look, feel and play different. And they just look awesome. I actually have no favorite - just horses for courses.

 

[Eric Swaim]

We all could get by with one bass. The only person who cares about basses are basses and sometime other musicians. But a bass does not make you or break you. You can either play or you cant. People will recognize that in a heart beat. I personally think of basses as investments that I get to play. I am a professional Music Educator and Bassist. I own many basses, however if I had to narrow it down to one,.....if would be Fender Precision with a added Jazz pickup. I still favour the 1999-2001 Fender Hot Rod Precisions basses. But for now I will kerp playing my 1990 Ken Smith B T. 4 string as my main axe.

 

[TinyE]

Spoiler alert, I am not reducing my collection to one bass, but I no longer want a large (5+) collection anymore. The reason is that looking back over five or so years, I usually favored one bass. I remember taking as many as three basses to church, and wasting time switching between basses. It was just easier to play one and be done. When I was mainly using Pedulla, it didn’t sound good being slapped, so I did not slap so much, and nobody cared. I mainly play my Super 5 now, and I still don’t slap so much. I still think it is good to have a few basses around to change up sometimes or if one has issues. I still like option of fretless, but unless it is a program in which the it is decided I need a different bass for a given song, I am taking just one, and if it is active, a few batteries.

does this mean you're selling the geddy?

 

[klejst]

Never hurts to have at least one other bass as a backup just in case, however I honestly believe one is really all you need. I currently only have one bass.

 

[Winslow]

...I no longer want a large (5+) collection anymore.

5+ is "large?"

Me:

 

[eJake]

Spoiler alert, I am not reducing my collection to one bass, but I no longer want a large (5+) collection anymore. The reason is that looking back over five or so years, I usually favored one bass. I remember taking as many as three basses to church, and wasting time switching between basses. It was just easier to play one and be done. When I was mainly using Pedulla, it didn’t sound good being slapped, so I did not slap so much, and nobody cared. I mainly play my Super 5 now, and I still don’t slap so much. I still think it is good to have a few basses around to change up sometimes or if one has issues. I still like option of fretless, but unless it is a program in which the it is decided I need a different bass for a given song, I am taking just one, and if it is active, a few batteries.

ok doc, you tell me if I’m crazy.

I have 7 basses, 2 of which are played heavily.

Fender 34” Jazz 5 (home rehearsal)
Sx 30” Jazz 5 (gig bass)
Sx 30” Jazz 5 (backup that lives at home)
SX 32” PJ 4 (pink and purple color scheme, will never sell)
Fender 34” Jazz 4 (first bass will never sell)
Harley Benton Tele Bass (want to sell)
Peavy T40 (really on the fence with this one. It’s a cool bass, I’m having a hard time thinking about letting it go)

only 2 of these see daylight…

I am a serious minimalist on gigs, have been for years..bass, tuner, cables, rig.

 

[woodyng2]

I was a single-bass player for decades, from the 70s-to around 2004.
I still traded whatever bass I had regularly, although I did manage to stick with one bass for 11 years during that time. (Rick 4002) I think Ive always been that way about material things. (Lots of moving,cars,etc.)
I’ve only become an accumulator since then, at a time in my life when I finally had more disposable income. I buy and try, and if I don’t bond, i sell. My brood has gone from 2-3, up to 12, back down to 3,
and has gradually once again creeped up to 12.
Most of them are fretted 4’s, strung with all manner of different string types. (Another thing that changes a lot on any given bass I have.)
I do own a fretless 4 and a fretted 8 string, neither of which sees a lot of use outside my bedroom,
but I adore both of them.
I don’t have children, pets, or debts (finally!), so, basses are just my favorite indulgence.
I wouldn’t mind trimming the 10 fretted 4s down to 3 or 4, though.
I don’t think I could get it down to just one….if I did, it would be my Cheyenne.

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

Since last September, I'm at 2. One P and one J. This works for me for many different reasons.

Basically, I'm posting to say -- good on ya!

I know that I will desire other/more basses, but that's just what it is; a desire.

 

[Wisebass]

hi Anthony

I still like option of fretless, but unless it is a program in which the it is decided I need a different bass for a given song, I am taking just one, and if it is active, a few batteries.

Usually I am booked to play 5ers (one fretted, one fretless = two)

But in the past I also played a lot of classic metal covers (usually 4 string)

It always depends on the gig what I will play.

I downsized to one 4 string (my 73 Jazz) and two 5ers (my Sandbergs)

I always can take a fretted 5er to a 4 string gig! (as a backup but not vice versa)

but: Should I ever play a big heavy metal crowd again (like the one in the video )

I will certainly make my blonde Jazz the backup and get another 4 string bass!

You just need the right colour for metal!!!!

Sunburst with a maple neck is a must!

greetings

Wise

 

[Dr. Cheese]

ok doc, you tell me if I’m crazy.

I have 7 basses, 2 of which are played heavily.

Fender 34” Jazz 5 (home rehearsal)
Sx 30” Jazz 5 (gig bass)
Sx 30” Jazz 5 (backup that lives at home)
SX 32” PJ 4 (pink and purple color scheme, will never sell)
Fender 34” Jazz 4 (first bass will never sell)
Harley Benton Tele Bass (want to sell)
Peavy T40 (really on the fence with this one. It’s a cool bass, I’m having a hard time thinking about letting it go)

only 2 of these see daylight…

I am a serious minimalist on gigs, have been for years..bass, tuner, cables, rig.

You sound fine to me.