Not completely true for me... When I had 1 or 2 basses (most of my life) I didn't even know how to set them up. Mostly, I didn't really have the experience. Now that I have a rotation in, out and seasonality of some (vintage, modern, harvest fall, holidays...), I've gotten very efficient at setup and "making them better" when they are on the active list. My active set is 5 to 7 and each rotation decides if it is still a keeper or should be turned over for other value. I have had my #1 since it has been with me since high school (and I'm approaching 60, ahhhh). I retired it from anything but special gigs. All others are a hobby and feed my interest in playing. I play a lot more when I'm trying to dial in a set of basses. At the end of the day, I find there is an "endless search for tone". It will never end and I don't think I will ever find the holy grail of basses. So, in the mean time, having a lot of basses (bought right they are assets) enables me to spend more time playing and enjoying different expressions of the bass guitar.
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Owning 5+ basses is like owning a dog
- Thread starter GodPlayedBass
- Start date
Not completely true for me... When I had 1 or 2 basses (most of my life) I didn't even know how to set them up. Mostly, I didn't really have the experience. Now that I have a rotation in, out and seasonality of some (vintage, modern, harvest fall, holidays...), I've gotten very efficient at setup and "making them better" when they are on the active list. My active set is 5 to 7 and each rotation decides if it is still a keeper or should be turned over for other value. I have had my #1 since it has been with me since high school (and I'm approaching 60, ahhhh). I retired it from anything but special gigs. All others are a hobby and feed my interest in playing. I play a lot more when I'm trying to dial in a set of basses. At the end of the day, I find there is an "endless search for tone". It will never end and I don't think I will ever find the holy grail of basses. So, in the mean time, having a lot of basses (bought right they are assets) enables me to spend more time playing and enjoying different expressions of the bass guitar.
Well now, that is the million dollar question idnit?
A recipe of my own always.
combine the unusual.
I'll build P's and Js cause it's expected and popular.
The usual fair with unusual wood choices, (reclaimed, found wood, sinker ) recycled materials wherever possible, ECO friendly finishes in familiar body shapes, and configs (p j stingray)
Electronics likely mostly passive, with a built in provisioning for pre-amps and batteries, hidden under the guards.
I'll appoint some with more modern hardware, but ALL will be under 10 lbs (shooting for a median weight of 8)
Next will be revivalist/ revisionist styles that have mid-century flair in the body shapes, and appointments.
Flake paint, pastels, 2 tones, pinstripes, Rusted Rat-Rod--- ETC
Billy Bo, Explorer, Modurne, Japanese weirdness, Dano Pro, Mosrite, WEM, Burns.
Abandoned styles from the major builders (Interceptor, Albert Lee)
Gold Foil pickups
Lipsticks
*pickups that live BELOW the visible skin of the guitar*
trapeze tailpieces.
the kind of stuff that makes you take notice
5 string versions of instruments that were never offered as a 5. Like a Guild X702, An X302 , A 4003 ETC.
The new Nordstrand "Acionyx" is kind of the idea.
Lipstick looking pickups that are humbucking.
Rail magnets
35" scale conversion necks------ ALL at a slow manageable pace.
so as to not fall into the trap that so many others have....
Short scale basses derived from guitar sized bodies --- just a taste of the less adventurous projects (getting feel wet)
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I'll elevate my membership to commercial once it steps beyond hobby building stage (soon I hope)
It's custom order, or you can send your bass, guitar etc to Marty, or Cinn City, or Wilkins and get it done.
If you buy quality basses for the unique qualities, sounds, playing ergonomics and personalities each possesses, you can never have enough basses. Unless of course you're buying facsimiles of the same bass over and over again. Then why bother? But if each bass has something unique to offer that the other basses can't quite match... go for it! We've had instances where we tried a dozen or more basses to find that "perfect sound and/or feel" for a song or even a part of a song. Or sometimes I search for a new bass to match the needs of a new employer so that I can give them "just the right sound and feel" for that group. The important thing to remember is that there are many, many offerings now other than just Fender, Gibson and Rickenbacker. There are many luthiers and companies now doing some rad designs, features and sounds that were unheard of just a few years ago! Many are quite unique and have much to offer that can take you to some very different creative places in the land of bass. Be an Explorer! Explore the possibilities of what is available to us bass players in the world today. It is incredible fun and mind stretching! dlb
The Squier Mini Precision is much too big for me, all of mine are under 25" scale. Did you see the sea foam green SmallGuitars P-bass in my list, a real good one. I play the bass ukes amped and they're plenty loud, but sometimes I'll do a little practicing without an amp, but not any other time.
I have 11 electric Basses and an acoustic.
3 JBs, MM-5, 4 Warwicks, Steinbeger, 2 Ltds, 1 old Aria. I'm an addict.
They're a mixture of fretted and fretless 4s & 5s (and one 8!) and all do a different job in my view. And anyway I'm just playing at it compared to Geddy....
3 JBs, MM-5, 4 Warwicks, Steinbeger, 2 Ltds, 1 old Aria. I'm an addict.
They're a mixture of fretted and fretless 4s & 5s (and one 8!) and all do a different job in my view. And anyway I'm just playing at it compared to Geddy....
ATM I have 7 basses and 7 guitars and a variety of amps. I wish I had more space. I try to play them all, so there is obviously a limit in time. They all are different and different sounding.
Strings wise: I have fat wounds on a fretless jazz copy and rounds on a fretless acoustic. The flat wounds stay good “forever” On a fretted jazz i have fender steel that keep sounding great (!)
With the Covid-19 and no meeting with bands for a while, I tried some of the really cheap brands. Don’t believe they will be consistent in quality, but so far the HB sets were way better as expected, certainly not 6 or7 times worse as big brand prices.
I regret selling a good 50’s style p bass, not wanting to play old music anymore. Probably will get a new one or a semi like guild, JC epi or Hagstrom. But space and money
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Strings wise: I have fat wounds on a fretless jazz copy and rounds on a fretless acoustic. The flat wounds stay good “forever”
On a fretted jazz i have fender steel that keep sounding great (!) With the Covid-19 and no meeting with bands for a while, I tried some of the really cheap brands. Don’t believe they will be consistent in quality, but so far the HB sets were way better as expected, certainly not 6 or7 times worse as big brand prices.
I regret selling a good 50’s style p bass, not wanting to play old music anymore. Probably will get a new one or a semi like guild, JC epi or Hagstrom. But space and money
.
I think you are getting older my friend. I think something similar happened to me (and I presume many others). I started out as an audio engineer and was hugely into gear. I had to have a studer 2 track and a little mixer and know about the latest Neve and SSL, and Studer 24/48 track and compressors, gates, EMT plates, Lexicon 224 and so on. The bigger and more complex the better. The more I felt like the commander of the Spaceship Enterprise in my control room the better.
Now though, give me a couple of old Sure SM57's and a cheap audio interface and we can create magic with that. Its experinece + the knowledge that the magic, the quality is in the fingers and heads of the PEOPLE you interact with or in yourself if you are working alone.
Not your gear
Just my 2cents worth.
I think you are getting older my friend. I think something similar happened to me (and I presume many others). I started out as an audio engineer and was hugely into gear. I had to have a studer 2 track and a little mixer and know about the latest Neve and SSL, and Studer 24/48 track and compressors, gates, EMT plates, Lexicon 224 and so on. The bigger and more complex the better. The more I felt like the commander of the Spaceship Enterprise in my control room the better.
Now though, give me a couple of old Sure SM57's and a cheap audio interface and we can create magic with that. Its experinece + the knowledge that the magic, the quality is in the fingers and heads of the PEOPLE you interact with or in yourself if you are working alone.
Not your gear
Just my 2cents worth.
Yeah I'll be 50 next July. It took me TWO YEARS to get my women (wife, 9 year old daughter, 11 year old daughter) onboard with the Great Cleanout. Now they have finally seen the light. I own a 5'X8' utility trailer. I measure our success in trailer loads. Between donation centers and "the dump" we're up to 14 trailer loads of "stuff" that has left our house. My guess is that we have about 4 to go.
(My wife has a CD collection with over 500 of them. She hasn't listened to a CD in a decade. She uses my Spotify account. That's just one example of the next level of moving things out of our way.)
Amps are being sold off now. Basses are next. I'll likely get down to four... two main player 5s, a fretless L2000, and a P bass with flats. My only bass rig will be the TT800 and Subway 115. I'll likely pick up another 115 or a 112 at some point as a backup. I'm holding off to see what @agedhorse has up his sleeve next before deciding what my backup head will be.
haha, good one ya! I just turned 52, and strictly speaking should clear out most of my instruments as I am not getting much to play on them, but they are ... well, they are mostly childhood firends, and my Tama Imperial star drum kit from the 80ies is now a retro set, who would have thought it when I made my contracts with my dad for each drum, like get an A or B on the next math exam and we will 'talk' about you getting another one of these noise maker drums... I can't get rid of something like that ha!
I can't get rid of something like that ha!
I happen to have 8 basses, including my upright doghouse. I never planned to own that many, and it took me 50 years to accumulate them. They all serve different purposes. I bought half of them in the last 5 years. The last 3 are Fenders, that I bought within the last 2 years. I got a standard Precision, to set up James Jamerson style. I loved it so much, i bought an American Precision V. Now I have an American Elite Jazz V too.
Only a couple of my basses need the strings changed regularly. The ones on the doghouse are over 45 years old!
Only a couple of my basses need the strings changed regularly. The ones on the doghouse are over 45 years old!
I hate the idea of selling a bass but if it just sits around, what's the point ? Any thoughts ?
I now have five, love and play each one regularly. It took decades to settle on these but joy is daily with my crowd of rigs.
PLUS - I also have three magnificent amps and a great range of cabs to mix and match for endless fun and satisfaction.
THOT: value for buck means I have to love each guitar, and i do!
I now have five, love and play each one regularly. It took decades to settle on these but joy is daily with my crowd of rigs.
PLUS - I also have three magnificent amps and a great range of cabs to mix and match for endless fun and satisfaction.
THOT: value for buck means I have to love each guitar, and i do!
4 basses:
2 mains:
Ken Smith Burner 4 : jazz band
PJ jazzbass custom 4: afro-ska band
2 additionals:
Squier jazzbass 4: working horse for home when i play plugged during the day
Fender acoustic bass: working horse for home when i play at night or in the garden
The two mains are used for gigs, reharsals and recording, each or one being the backup of the other following context.
The additionals are used exclusively at home.
Perfect balance.
Each of the mains have string changing every 6 months, and the additionals once per year / two years. Small budget and no dog here.
2 mains:
Ken Smith Burner 4 : jazz band
PJ jazzbass custom 4: afro-ska band
2 additionals:
Squier jazzbass 4: working horse for home when i play plugged during the day
Fender acoustic bass: working horse for home when i play at night or in the garden
The two mains are used for gigs, reharsals and recording, each or one being the backup of the other following context.
The additionals are used exclusively at home.
Perfect balance.
Each of the mains have string changing every 6 months, and the additionals once per year / two years. Small budget and no dog here.
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I resently sold a Stingray as I never took to the chunky neck.
I sold a few Basses back in the day but I didnt have a lot of cash back then so they were mostly cheap Basses. The only one I regret selling is my very first Bass, a cherry red Jedson SG short scale with himbuckers that my dad got me for my 13th birthday. I'd buy one on ebay tomorrow but they never come up. Its all down to what you love.
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Greetings, and help me value my basses, please.- Latest: MochaFiend
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