Only One Bass?

[wraub]

I've been playing bass more and making more music, and I've only been playing one bass, for the most part. The others are in cased stasis, and, besides briefly dragging one out for a bit of the different, I'm still playing just the one bass...

...and, loving it. imo It's amazing all the sounds and techniques you can find just by fully exploring one instrument. It's pretty inspirational, too.

It has been 8 months since this thread was original posted. It was also pre COVID . Is your answer still the same?

 

[nonohmic]

It has been 8 months since this thread was original posted. It was also pre COVID . Is your answer still the same?

I don't think I answered in the OG thread, but since I built my fretless my fretted bass has been tucked away in storage.

I'll be sticking with 'the one' for a long while I think.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I bought a bass and so had one bass, and then I took it to the guitar tech and found myself back to having no bass, and that taught me a lesson I won't be forgetting in a hurry.

 

[delta7fred]

I was a one bass player for about 35 years (62P) then the kids left home and I discovered TB. I still have the P and another 9 or 10 to go with it.

If I had to pick just one it would be a G&L L-2000 or L-2500, but I won't sell my P and that makes 2 so I might as well keep them all.

 

[wvbass]

For me, this is a certainty.

I am a responsible adult in most aspects of my life. I permit myself one luxury. I own a crap-ton of basses. I've always said that if I had to have one, it would be one of my Fender P basses. Today, though, I'm not sure that is still true. I have a Dingwall Super P that is absolutely perfect for me. On the other hand, I have a D-Roc that is built for 100% pure fun and sounds like what I imagine the bass version of Mjolnir would be. On the other hand, I have an L-1000 that gives me all the P-bass vibe I thought I could only get out of a P bass. On the other hand, I have at least five Fender P's that are all great in their own way. On the other hand, my Spector has the best rock, pick tone imaginable. On the other hand, my G&L ASAT is almost as fun as the D-Roc and sounds almost as good as the Spector. On the other hand, when I want a five string, my Warwick Thumb is pretty hard to beat, but on the other hand my Afterburner I sure gives it a run for its money.

I guess it is good to have a lot of hands.

I will update this post by saying that I added a CLF L-2500 to my collection. I gigged with just one bass over the weekend, but I missed having my L-2500 with me. The bass that got the call was the D-Roc - it is Mjolnir, for sure.

Still looking for Stormbreaker.

 

[chris_b]

I spent 25 years with one bass so I know it's doable, but these days 2 is the lower limit I've set for myself, to cover emergencies and different playing situations. I gig a P bass and a Jazz. They are more than enough for anything I've been asked to play in the last 5 decades, and that includes 20 of those years being a pro player.

 

[Nebadon2000]

I have been a 1 Bass at a time player since 1975 never even entered my mind having 2+ but I only did minimal studio recording 95% live gigging. But I did consider becoming Mormon

I now have a Takamine AEB for couch noodling does that count?

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I’ve added a Fender Geddy Lee US model since this thread began. it has quickly taken my #1 spot . Such a great versatile bass. Just feels right in my hands.
If I had to let my Elite V and my Pbass go I could could get by with just this Jazz bass. I’d need a really good octave pedal just in case I was need of those extra low notes from time to time .Come to think of it, I should probably look into getting a hipshot dtner.

 

[ShawnG]

I’ve added a Fender Geddy Lee US model since this thread began. it has quickly taken my #1 spot . Such a great versatile bass. Just feels right in my hands.

Not a lot of experience from which to speak yet, but my GL is pretty special, too. Could see this being an easy one to keep if I had to go down to one. Tone for days, killer neck.

 

[CallMeAl]

I’ve got 3- Precision, Jazz-style and Acoustic. The Acoustic rarely gets played. It’s nice to have, but I probably wouldn’t miss it. The Jazz is new, and it’s been fun to have more tones to play with (it replaces a PJ.) my P is my workhorse, and if it really came down to it, I could make that my “one” bass.

But since I have 2 electrics, I’ll enjoy them. It’s smart to have a backup, and nice to have the two to try out strings. I wouldn’t mind getting a DB again someday. So I’d say 2-3 Basses for me.

 

[Krakmann]

Salud!

Easy for me, because I usually use just one bass for everything, although it changes from time to time (and usually leave the old ones as spares). My actual MBT is a Yamaha 734a, love it to death. The only other bass I play (and seldom) is my fretless Jazz.