This is as far as I go. Just got the Mustang. No need or want for anything else. Ask me again in 10 years.
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One Bass Bassist?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
does this mean you're selling the geddy?
I had not planned on it, but do you want to buy it?
I think - barring certain cases, like identical backup instruments for a gigging player or different variants like fretted versus fretless - that the one-bass methodology is the ideal.
One of my basses, the SR506, definitely gets most of the playtime. I recently bought a new six-string SR756 (which I only purchased because of a work benefit that covered the cost of the bass) that's gotten a little bit of playtime, but not enough yet to really become the main bass.
Unfortunately, my ownership reality right now means that in addition to the two six-strings that I do use, I own two basses - a four and a six - that I don't use at all. (The six was my first six-string bass, and it's a custom thing that I found in a shop that I could never replace. Don't know what it is, don't know its value. The four is an excellent bass in many respects, but I just don't play it and I probably won't.) This means that I basically own two basses that I don't use - two more than I need to. I'm inclined to sell the four and find a reason to use the six.
If I start to play the SR756 more, it'll become my main and I might let the SR506 go, even though it really only has worth to me. This would be the ideal.
One of my basses, the SR506, definitely gets most of the playtime. I recently bought a new six-string SR756 (which I only purchased because of a work benefit that covered the cost of the bass) that's gotten a little bit of playtime, but not enough yet to really become the main bass.
Unfortunately, my ownership reality right now means that in addition to the two six-strings that I do use, I own two basses - a four and a six - that I don't use at all. (The six was my first six-string bass, and it's a custom thing that I found in a shop that I could never replace. Don't know what it is, don't know its value. The four is an excellent bass in many respects, but I just don't play it and I probably won't.) This means that I basically own two basses that I don't use - two more than I need to. I'm inclined to sell the four and find a reason to use the six.
If I start to play the SR756 more, it'll become my main and I might let the SR506 go, even though it really only has worth to me. This would be the ideal.
Well....I guess it is in the air! I have started this process as well. I have been selling off a lot of my gear and just focusing on the playing/grind part. I am going to have just two is the ultimate goal. My main and a backup. I have favored one anyway for the past year or so. It just makes sense to me. Currently I am down to the 7 and shrinking. BTW...love that Super 5! Been eyeing one and may go to MTD from Lakland as my main duo.
The one truism I’ve found across gear is that I always kinda sound like me, regardless of the equipment I’m using.
So, logically, with that in mind, it makes sense that the only way to sound better is to become better.
So, logically, with that in mind, it makes sense that the only way to sound better is to become better.
For nearly 20 years I used to own only one bass. I was a fool.
I only had one bass for like 15 years, middle-school through post-college, because that's all I could afford. I have some serious mileage on my USA Peavey Dyna Bass, as it was my only bass for the end of high school, through 4 years of playing constantly in college (jazz bands at school, country bands for $), and the first few years of post-college. Then I splurged in my mid-20s and bought a Modulus Q5. And while technically that meant I owned two basses, I played the Q5 probably 98% of the time - practice, gigs, everything. The only time I played the Peavey at a gig over a 4-5 year run with one band was when a string broke on the Q5 mid-set. After a while I added a fretless as a 3rd option (first a MIM then a MIJ Jazz), so had 3 for a while.
But then I as could, I've grown the collection to 5; added a G&L M-2000 and then a G&L JB to the stable, and in between flipped the MIJ fretless for a G&L L-2500 fretless and put flats on my Peavey so it could have it's own sonic niche to fill.
I do usually take 2 basses to a gig and play both of them for different sets, because I like rotating them in. For monthly jam sessions I only take one, and I choose which one based on what material I'm playing - do I need the Q5 for a tune that requires a 5er, do I want the Jazz because I get to slap, do I take the fretless because I get to play early Pearl Jam, etc.
So in short - I certainly COULD get by with one bass - and I essentially did for a long time. But I am immensely grateful for the fact that I can have the stable of 5 that I have, because they all have a different voice, they are all true 'players', and they all bring me joy when I play them. So no reason to downsize for me
But then I as could, I've grown the collection to 5; added a G&L M-2000 and then a G&L JB to the stable, and in between flipped the MIJ fretless for a G&L L-2500 fretless and put flats on my Peavey so it could have it's own sonic niche to fill.
I do usually take 2 basses to a gig and play both of them for different sets, because I like rotating them in. For monthly jam sessions I only take one, and I choose which one based on what material I'm playing - do I need the Q5 for a tune that requires a 5er, do I want the Jazz because I get to slap, do I take the fretless because I get to play early Pearl Jam, etc.
So in short - I certainly COULD get by with one bass - and I essentially did for a long time. But I am immensely grateful for the fact that I can have the stable of 5 that I have, because they all have a different voice, they are all true 'players', and they all bring me joy when I play them. So no reason to downsize for me
I had one bass for everything....then I had another bass for everything and kept the first one, then I got a beater for dicey gigs.....then I made a bass during covid which has become my new main bass....then hmmm how about making another....then hey fretless is fun....then how about an identical fretted version cause you know muscle memory....O yeah and there is that Uke bass......what I really want now is to just play that one bass I made during covid, but there are all of these other basses stashed here and there.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
I always take one bass to the gig. Not worth the stress, doing 1-setters usually with like 5 mins setup time, incl. pedals. Complex setups can really take the fun out of performing music.
Also, finding parking is stressfull enough as it is.
Also, finding parking is stressfull enough as it is.
I think my ideal would be to be a one-flute flautist. Put it in your backpack and go.
I like the idea of a single instrument for any gig. I often have two though.
I like the idea of a single instrument for any gig. I often have two though.
Some are gearheads interested in the gear, some are musicians interested in playing and improving.
Of course, they're not always mutually exclusive, and neither is right or wrong!
Of course, they're not always mutually exclusive, and neither is right or wrong!
This was me for a long time, my only bass but that one bass changed over time...
As my abilities improved and I was hearing new sounds. My mods reflected those changes. First the Guild pu then the Jazz, string through the body, then fretless.
My first "second" bass was a Japanese made Jazz by Pan, it had shielding paint and pick ups supposedly having something to do with Alembic.
Anyway, I got that bass because it had frets and the Dead songs and a few things I slapped on didn't sound right on fretless
When I got a day job and family years later, I started buying more basses but never anything I "needed"
Still have have that nasty P bass though.
As my abilities improved and I was hearing new sounds. My mods reflected those changes. First the Guild pu then the Jazz, string through the body, then fretless.
My first "second" bass was a Japanese made Jazz by Pan, it had shielding paint and pick ups supposedly having something to do with Alembic.
Anyway, I got that bass because it had frets and the Dead songs and a few things I slapped on didn't sound right on fretless
When I got a day job and family years later, I started buying more basses but never anything I "needed"
Still have have that nasty P bass though.
Sorry for the colonialism's
"I haven't been checking on my Dr. lately."
I was saying, I haven't been keeping up on your cavalcade of basses you seem to have and any new addition.
"is this you now?"
I was asking, is this a new bass you currently have in you stable of basses?
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Sorry for the colonialism's
"I haven't been checking on my Dr. lately."
I was saying, I haven't been keeping up on your cavalcade of basses you seem to have and any new
addition.
"is this you now?"
I was asking, is this a new bass you currently have in you stable of basses?
I wasn’t offended, but I took the Super 5 home at the end of January this year.
I have always been a one bass player myself! I've finally invested in gear worthy of my experience and commitment, and decided to have a Skjold 4/33 as my main player and then will have a Serek Midwestern 2 4 string 30.5" short scale as my travel/vintage/fun-size bass. That, along with a Bergantino Forte D and NXT112 is all I plan on needing for life!
I never, in my life, cared about having a backup bass with me, no matter where I've played... whether the event was huge, or I was a standin for a song or two...
I was doing a youth retreat gig about 3 hours away last December and thought to myself, 'This is a long way away and I don't know where I could go to get parts if something goes wrong... so... just this time, I'm gonna take a backup bass.'
Sure enough, in fifteen years of playing out, the first and only time I've take a backup was the first and only time I *needed* a backup. So, now I'm doubly convinced that I need to avoid taking backups, because that just guarantees something will go wrong
For what it's worth, the bass didn't suffer a catastrophic failure or anything, but there was just something weird going on with the bass and that specific sound system, and it was easier to swap for my trusty passive P than troubleshoot my Stingray further.
Maybe that's the magic number. I had 3 on my rack for a couple of months, then the other day I brought one out of the closet for a particular song. It's still there and it seems like it's getting in the way. The rack holds 5.
