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Owning mutiple basses drives me nuts.
- Thread starter neo 7
- Start date
BTW I just brought back my 80's Steinberger back into rotation. I forgot how good it sounded. Multiple basses give you more sonic opportunities.
i have two Ps and one jack cassady. i play the roadworn p 99%of the time. Yes i get frustrated with gear i dont use. Sometimes i sell it and normally a regret after a while..
i use rounds on the roadworn and flats on the JC making them very different.
i use rounds on the roadworn and flats on the JC making them very different.
I keep four bases around: one tuned in E, one in Eb, one in drop D, and one in C for No One Knows/my singer trying to hit his vocal range sweet spot. Less tuning and retuning, correct intonation and setup for each bass, and they all just look so damn pretty.
I have run through a tremendous number of basses this year. Had about 4 in regular rotation but I would take others from time to time. I did all this buying, selling, and trading because I have had been out of this for a while I and really wanted to indentify my needs and likes.
Then I received my Dingwall Super J last week. It took me hearing exactly one song in the mix at rehearsal to decide to cut the entire stable down to 4 basses.
Dingwall Super J5, Dingwall Super P5 (ordering this morning 6 month build time), a 63 Fender NAV P, and a 51 P custom build.
I actually feel like I am free from always chasing. I havent sworn off gear, it's just that I now feel like I have what I need and dont need to turn over rocks. I grew really tired of always combling the classifieds, CL, and Ebay. I can focus on technique and timing.
When you find your bass or basses and your tone, you''ll know.
Then I received my Dingwall Super J last week. It took me hearing exactly one song in the mix at rehearsal to decide to cut the entire stable down to 4 basses.
Dingwall Super J5, Dingwall Super P5 (ordering this morning 6 month build time), a 63 Fender NAV P, and a 51 P custom build.
I actually feel like I am free from always chasing. I havent sworn off gear, it's just that I now feel like I have what I need and dont need to turn over rocks. I grew really tired of always combling the classifieds, CL, and Ebay. I can focus on technique and timing.
When you find your bass or basses and your tone, you''ll know.
At one point I had probably 7 basses and 6 guitars in my possession at one time (not counting amps, etc.). It was driving my wife nuts, since the equipment was taking up a lot of room in our small house. She didn't understand why I wanted so many instruments. Did you catch the key word? (Wanted vs Needed)
Unfortunately, it drove me up the wall too but for different reasons. Just trying to decide which to play was driving me insane at times. I hated seeing good basses just sitting around in their cases. Here's the most extreme example, I had bought a new American Standard Jazz for a great price that literally sat in its case for a few years. It was a fine bass but I was too busy with other basses. I ended up letting it go with the stick still on the pickguard.
At that point, I had decided to quit trying to be a guitard and sold all of my guitars. Then I decided to sell most of my basses and get it down to 2 or 3. Next, I decided to try 5-strings again and low and behold I really liked it. So I decided to sell all of 4's and get down to one 5-string bass. I told myself one bass at a time, unless I'm in a transition phase (bought a new bass, now I have two until I sell the old one). I've been at this point for a year and a half.
One exception, I did acquire a Squire P from my younger sister who isn't playing bass currently. I don't really count that one since it could go back to her. I've thought about customizing it, etc. but I doubt I will.
Unfortunately, GAS is getting to me again. I have an Ibanez SR 5-string bass that's my primary bass but I've been thinking about getting a Fender 5-string bass to cover modern & vintage tones. If I buy another Fender 5-string that's it! 2 basses max is my limit.
Unfortunately, it drove me up the wall too but for different reasons. Just trying to decide which to play was driving me insane at times. I hated seeing good basses just sitting around in their cases. Here's the most extreme example, I had bought a new American Standard Jazz for a great price that literally sat in its case for a few years. It was a fine bass but I was too busy with other basses. I ended up letting it go with the stick still on the pickguard.
At that point, I had decided to quit trying to be a guitard and sold all of my guitars. Then I decided to sell most of my basses and get it down to 2 or 3. Next, I decided to try 5-strings again and low and behold I really liked it. So I decided to sell all of 4's and get down to one 5-string bass. I told myself one bass at a time, unless I'm in a transition phase (bought a new bass, now I have two until I sell the old one). I've been at this point for a year and a half.
One exception, I did acquire a Squire P from my younger sister who isn't playing bass currently. I don't really count that one since it could go back to her. I've thought about customizing it, etc. but I doubt I will.
Unfortunately, GAS is getting to me again. I have an Ibanez SR 5-string bass that's my primary bass but I've been thinking about getting a Fender 5-string bass to cover modern & vintage tones. If I buy another Fender 5-string that's it! 2 basses max is my limit.
I keep 5 out on a multiple-stand at home. Playing at home, I simply take turns playing a different one each day so none of them get jealous. 
If I play out, I usually find myself using one of my P's.
If I play out, I usually find myself using one of my P's.
I think if you want to figure out which one or ones are keepers this is how you should do it. Play only one bass in a given practice session and keep rotating until you know. It could take a long time but so what, you already have the basses, you should take as long as it takes. If you end up liking them all, fine, you will at least know that. I have four, one that I play and practice on exclusively during the run up to my once a month church gig. Two I practice on alternately when I don't have church music to prepare. And one is basically a backup that I use if I think I need rounds rather than flats. I could probably get rid of that which would leave me with three distinct basses: a four, a five, and a fretless four. I am not really trying to decide between basses as much as trying to learn to play the five and the fretless.
Ken
Gotta be careful! There's actually a Bongo=Toilet seat Addendum in the rules section.
I fear agreement with you may lead to Turner ripping my arm off like that scene in Cat People.
I have had up to 4 basses at once, and am currently down to 1 American P-Bass.
My issues was I hated having to maintain the setup on multiple basses, and I like a VERY consistent feel. Whenever I owuld play my jaguar instead of the P-Bass, the neck just felt too narrow at the top and my chops went downhill.
I would love to have just my P and a Jazz but the narrow Jazz neck at the top just doesn't do it for me. (Don't mind having a different tone)
My main USA P-Bass is very nice , so I may to just buy a MIM one for gigs, as I hate the F***ing smokey smell on it after a gig. (aside --smokers you suck. serious.)
So, whenever I have two basses though one of them invariably jsut sits there on its stand...
My issues was I hated having to maintain the setup on multiple basses, and I like a VERY consistent feel. Whenever I owuld play my jaguar instead of the P-Bass, the neck just felt too narrow at the top and my chops went downhill.
I would love to have just my P and a Jazz but the narrow Jazz neck at the top just doesn't do it for me. (Don't mind having a different tone)
My main USA P-Bass is very nice , so I may to just buy a MIM one for gigs, as I hate the F***ing smokey smell on it after a gig. (aside --smokers you suck. serious.)
So, whenever I have two basses though one of them invariably jsut sits there on its stand...
That was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw one!
I played it great neck & playability but the whole toilet seat lookin thing just turns me off!!
I've got one bass. It's a green Mexican Jazz bass with flatwounds.
The neck pisses me off a little because I seem to have to adjust the truss rod every week or so (it's been like that since I got it), and now that I'm playing a lot more I've noticed how different the open strings sound vs. fretted notes (a nut issue, I suppose), but otherwise I love it.
I put in a noiseless, slightly overwound Lindy Fralin in the neck. The bridge pup isn't even wired anymore. I spray-painted the pickguard black (looks MUCH better with the green body than the white did), the bridge was replaced with a Badass II a long time ago.
I'll never get rid of this thing. I might replace the neck some day when I have money, which means there won't be much left that's original, but so long as it's still got that green body, I'll be happy. My dad bought it for me about 12 years ago, specifically because it was green (he got the last one at the store, and the color was discontinued). I made the mistake of selling the very first guitar I ever bought, which my dad helped me pick out when I was 14 (a sunburst American Standard strat), and I won't make that mistake with this bass.
Some day, I'll inherit my dad's '70s p-bass. That thing sounds and plays great, and it will make a fantastic second bass. I'm super excited to own that p-bass, but I'm also pretty darn happy with my current j-bass. In some ways, a soloed neck pickup played with fingers closer to the neck than the bridge has become "my sound". It's p-bassish, but not quite.
The neck pisses me off a little because I seem to have to adjust the truss rod every week or so (it's been like that since I got it), and now that I'm playing a lot more I've noticed how different the open strings sound vs. fretted notes (a nut issue, I suppose), but otherwise I love it.
I put in a noiseless, slightly overwound Lindy Fralin in the neck. The bridge pup isn't even wired anymore. I spray-painted the pickguard black (looks MUCH better with the green body than the white did), the bridge was replaced with a Badass II a long time ago.
I'll never get rid of this thing. I might replace the neck some day when I have money, which means there won't be much left that's original, but so long as it's still got that green body, I'll be happy. My dad bought it for me about 12 years ago, specifically because it was green (he got the last one at the store, and the color was discontinued). I made the mistake of selling the very first guitar I ever bought, which my dad helped me pick out when I was 14 (a sunburst American Standard strat), and I won't make that mistake with this bass.
Some day, I'll inherit my dad's '70s p-bass. That thing sounds and plays great, and it will make a fantastic second bass. I'm super excited to own that p-bass, but I'm also pretty darn happy with my current j-bass. In some ways, a soloed neck pickup played with fingers closer to the neck than the bridge has become "my sound". It's p-bassish, but not quite.
I've had periods when i owned only one bass,but i wasn't playing at all,other than occassionally practicing to records. I had about 10 at one point,which did drive me nuts,got down to 3,and have edged backup to 6 again. I think 3 might be a great number,but i do like rotating the use of them now,as i am in 2 bands,and doing recordings,it gives me a lot of options. I have 3 very different Ric basses,set up with different string types,a clone Jazz bass strung BEAD,a fretless Yamaha with tapewound strings,and a hollow body Italia Rimini. I would like to have an 8 string again someday,possibly the jazz bass could end up becoming one. I do agree that upkeep on multiple instruments can be a pain.
Yeah, for years my policy (at least after I had 4 or more basses) was that anytime I'd succumb to GAS and buy a new one, I'd sell off my least favorite to even things out. But now I'm at a point where I really like every bass I own, so I guess I'm gonna' have to just stand pat for awhile. But as we all know, that's easier said than done...
I've never seen the point in more than a couple.
Even if I had 20 basses I know I would never play them because all I ever want to play is the glorious precision bass. Nothing else does it for me the same, so I know I'd never play it. Even though I love rickenbackers and would love to have a jazz bass too, realistically I know I'd just never play them.
Even if I had 20 basses I know I would never play them because all I ever want to play is the glorious precision bass. Nothing else does it for me the same, so I know I'd never play it. Even though I love rickenbackers and would love to have a jazz bass too, realistically I know I'd just never play them.
For me, the beauty of owning multiple basses is "falling in love all over again" with a bass that you have put aside for a while. Oh, and they look great hanging on a wall while not being played - like owning a work of art that you can pull off the wall and play if the mood strikes.
But if owning multiple basses gives you option anxiety, take comfort in knowing that lots of great players made their mark with predominantly one bass.
I don't totally disagree. But where is it written down that one can't be a player AND a collector? You think John Entwhistle didn't have a few basses lying around the house?
I have too many basses right now, but I'm in a pretty active band and play out a lot. I admit, though, that I only play a few of my basses in public. I'm certainly no Ox, but I enjoy having, and playing, most of my basses.
I have several basses. Like seven or eight right now. I have owned a lot of good gear, a few high-end pieces and a couple genuine vintage items.
I also get stuck banking on one or two different basses, usually one for recording and one for gigging. But, because I love to mod and experiment with my basses, I'll frequently pull out a second or third choice bass and try to tweak it (experimenting with different strings, setup, and electronics) until it gets closer to being my main player.
That's exactly how my top-choice "gigging" bass, a Mexi-Mutt Jazz came into being, I just kept switching out parts and pieces, and different wiring setups (especially the series/parallel mod), until I got this GREAT playing, monstrous sounding bass. Now, It's the one I grab first.
So, to me it's like owning a racing team. I identify my fastest car, then go back and try to tune the rest of the team to beat that one. I also learn a LOT doing this, like the differences in pots, caps, pickups, bridge mass, string tensions, and the fact that WOOD MATTERS... LOL!
I also get stuck banking on one or two different basses, usually one for recording and one for gigging. But, because I love to mod and experiment with my basses, I'll frequently pull out a second or third choice bass and try to tweak it (experimenting with different strings, setup, and electronics) until it gets closer to being my main player.
That's exactly how my top-choice "gigging" bass, a Mexi-Mutt Jazz came into being, I just kept switching out parts and pieces, and different wiring setups (especially the series/parallel mod), until I got this GREAT playing, monstrous sounding bass. Now, It's the one I grab first.
So, to me it's like owning a racing team. I identify my fastest car, then go back and try to tune the rest of the team to beat that one. I also learn a LOT doing this, like the differences in pots, caps, pickups, bridge mass, string tensions, and the fact that WOOD MATTERS... LOL!
