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One great bass or multiple good basses???

One great bass or multiple good basses??

  • One great bass

    Votes: 120 32.4%
  • Multiple good basses

    Votes: 209 56.5%
  • carrots

    Votes: 41 11.1%

  • Total voters
    370
Always been Precision guy, but lately had ben craving another bass just to have something different. I used to have a Road Worn Fender Jazz, and although it was a great bass I could never bond with it. Earlier today picked up a G&L Tribute JB-2. Loving it. The Precision is still my go to, but there's something about a Jazz-style pickup layout that just sounds great with both pickups turned up. Sort of like a hollow, growl with a low end punch that the Precision just can't do. Ans what the Precision can do, the Jazz set-up can't, even if you just use the neck pickup on a Jazz, it still isn't the same. I for sure use the Precision more, but for when I have that hankering for that punchy growl I'm happy I have the JB-2 and a Precision instead of having two precisions.
 
My skills are too limited to need more than a jazz bass so i rarely have anything else these days.. I do tend to keep more than one but mostly it's to support my tinkeritus. That said, I did pick up an old Ibanez Jet King a while back.
 
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In all honesty I think the answer is more dependent on if you're getting a versatile "great bass". In my opinion, you already have the basses which cover all of your bases.....;) The music man seems to me to be really good at the one tone, but not as useful with others. You may long for a tone it can't produce. So, maybe upgrade the bass you don't care as much for. Reassess, and repeat the process :thumbsup:
 
While a poor bass can be a detriment, remember: it’s not about the instrument, it’s about the music. Much of the great music through the decades was made on fairly pedestrian instruments.
I saw a quote in a guitar magazine one time, many years ago, that said, "Some of the greatest music in the world was recorded with equipment that's not as good as what you own RIGHT NOW."
 
Everyone thanks for the input, I've taken it all into consideration.

Up to this point I never had to sell a bass to get another one.
Unfortunately, even a used MM SR is out of my preferred price range.
That's why I considered selling the G&L and Lakland.
After playing the heck out of both basses yesterday I decided to keep them both and just save up for a MM SR or Ray34.

This is my collection so far, I keep the MTD at work (sorry for the terrible pic)
Gp9prRS.jpg
 
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I have multiple good basses, and one I would consider a great bass. What generally happens for me is I will find one that seems to be the one I most want to play for a while, but at some point I'll need something to stir my interest and I'll switch it up and find a different one that fires me up.

Ultimately I could make any of them work, but why should I have to limit myself. Most of us do this for the fun of it, and for me the ability to have and play a varied collection is part of the fun.
 
I'd rather one great bass - but this is different to different people. To me, my squier series jazz bass is a great bass. Cost me 300 bucks CAD used with a gig bag and strap, and in all honesty plays as good as my American deluxe jazz V that would be like 2500 after taxes new. Some would consider that a great bass too, but some on here would also say it's trash and to get a Sadowski or something.

There are some times that what you pay for really is what you get - I got a cheap hatchet for field exercises, and it's pretty bad. But with guitars and basses, IMO, it starts off at "workable, especially with a good setup" with most new offerings and goes up from there, I can't find a bass that I can't play and enjoy, to be honest.
 
Everyone thanks for the input, I've taken it all into consideration.

Up to this point I never had to sell a bass to get another one.
Unfortunately, even a used MM SR is out of my preferred price range.
That's why I considered selling the G&L and Lakland.
After playing the heck out of both basses yesterday I decided to keep them both and just save up for a MM SR or Ray34.

This is my collection so far, I keep the MTD at work (sorry for the terrible pic)
View attachment 2820663


Don’t forget about a used USA made MusicMan SUB. They have 4 and 5 string models . These are great 2 band Rays. $500 give or take should get you there. Plenty in the classifieds here on TB and on GC used website.
 
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I guess it depends on the definition of great vs good. Personally I prefer to have a couple good basses. Playing one helps identify the strengths and weaknesses of the others - just kind of puts things in perspective. I have a couple I should sell and probably will when I stop being so lazy? Anyone want a mij mustang?
 
For me in the past it was always a multitude of decent basses but never that one great bass. Final decided to get one really good bass as a backup and one great bass as my main. I finally realized that all the money I spent trying to get that sound and feel I was searching for I could have brought a couple of really great bases for the same money! Live and learn