So how do you guys with multiple basses do it?

[MikeBass]

What do I have right now?...

Two Roscoe SKB 3006's- one of which is for sale. I've been playing a 6 on my main gig for the past 4 or 5 months.
I love them both, just prefer one over the other. Would have no problem keeping them both.

Valenti J/MM 5....do we need to discuss this??? Pretty much my #1 gigging bass and only 5 I own.

Fender Jazz- we all need a Fender right?? It's old as hell (70's), been modded all to crap, weighs a freakin' TON. Was my main bass forever. Just weighs too much these days.

88 Warwick Streamer- this bass kills. But it's not getting much use these days. For sale!

Landscape archtop 4- insanly good sounding bass. Rare as hell. Again, not really getting much use. Kinda don't want to, but it's also for sale.

65 Hofner Club Bass- was my dad's. He bought it new. 'Nuff said.

I'm like others I guess. I like what I like, but if it's not getting used, it should maybe go to someone who will.
As for "options" for tone as others have pointed out, that's why for a LONG time I had so many basses.
These days I discovered I pretty much will sound like myself no matter what bass I play. Sure we can really dig in and all agree on the differences in tone, but at the end of the day, give me something in the "Fender/passive" and "MM/active" ballpark and I'll be totally good on ANY gig.
So, I'm kinda cleaning house a bit.

 

[Staccato]

I have six basses. Or maybe seven, I forget. I keep them all because they all do something different, something that I need if not regularly than at least often enough that it makes more sense to have them than not to.

Note concerning Insured Basses...
1. Maintain a complete listing, including each serial number;
2. Retain multiple photographs of each bass and serial number;
3. Keep the list, and photos in a fireproof, floodproof location (not on a computer without backup). Computers can burn, sink, or otherwise crash...

 

[Kwesi]

I could see me having 3 maybe 4 tops, but the 3rd and 4th would be for kicks while the other two would be the main gig basses.

 

[j-raj]

I have had a bunch of basses and throughout the years, but with in the last couple of years I had experienced unemployment (back to working now), divorce (yah, but it was a pain... happy now!), relocation ($$ grrr!)...blah blah...etc. I have gone down to what I need for gigging:

4 (passive Jazz), 5 (Nordy, true Swiss army knife of any sound I need) and a 6 (has the range I need for writing, solo'ing and fun to scat w/). All have their individual sound, purpose and wood combinations. The only thing that I could maybe see myself adding in the near future is a fretless, but I don't gig on them often.

 

[hellbent_Nivek]

In my experience... 2 that need to be exactly the same sound. The show work horses.

All the others are like women... love'em then leave'em. Or sell them like hoars!!!

 

[tdub0199]

Playing a different bass every once in a while is kinda like getting some strange ya know....

 

[williamk]

what's wrong with having just one bass that fits everything well?

 

[MikeBass]

what's wrong with having just one bass that fits everything well?

Not one damn thing!
I've thought MANY time about ditching everything and just getting a Sadowsky/Fender Jazz 4 string and calling it a day.

I mentioned my old Fender. It was my only bass for a long time. The only reason I don't do as I said above with it, it's HEAVY.
That thing has been around the world with me and no kidding must have over 1000 gigs on it.

Hmm....I have a gig tonight......might have to take just that one.

 

[BananaKing]

what's wrong with having just one bass that fits everything well?

It's a good question, but, depending on what you do, you may need to change your sound from night to night, gig to gig, depending on the situation. If you do Motown or reggae one night and then go do a rush cover band the next, you might need more than one bass. Also, if you have to do anything with a fretless you might find the need.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Whatever works for you.

Some people find their inspiration in really digging deep into one instrument. Especially if they focus on a particular style. If that's you, then why would you want to clutter your life with a bunch of other instruments that don't move you?

Others find their inspiration in switching flavours on a regular basis. I think that if you tend to be addicted to one-trick ponies ("character basses" with far-from-generic tones), then you are more likely to want multiple axes.

There are also practical considerations. Portability is important to some of us, and two basses can get in the way, even with a good double gigbag. There's also the whole money vs. family priorities thing.

In my case, I find that my GAS is reduced by having a main bass that has a relatively transparent character, and can cover a lot of tonal ground through touch alone.

I still fool around with project basses, but to be honest, out of all the project bases I've had over the last 10 years or so, there were only two that genuinely filled a unique role in my gear.

One was an Epi El Capitan ABG, because the short sustain and and the way I tended to play it, resulted in a bark and punch that seemed to fit better than a solidbody for some material. The other was a Dearmond Ashbory, which made a handy travel bass, and was useful for making upright-ish noises on occasion.

Still, I hated to lug them everywhere for just a handfull of tunes (especially the ABG in its huge hardshell case). They are both long gone...

 

[MikeBass]

It's a good question, but, depending on what you do, you may need to change your sound from night to night, gig to gig, depending on the situation. If you do Motown or reggae one night and then go do a rush cover band the next, you might need more than one bass. Also, if you have to do anything with a fretless you might find the need.

Carol Kay and Joe Osborn (while not "MoTown" exactly- but the same era/style) used Jazz Basses.
A lot of Reggae is done on a Jazz.
And the Geddy Lee sig Jazz.......

Just sayin'......

 

[johnk_10]

i love all 20 of my basses and each one inspires me to play them a different way. i only take two to gigs but have used them all in the studio depending on what the track requires.

 

[topless_mike]

pretty simple really. i keep all mine in cases, and my mood depends on which one i grab.

l-r
Hoener 4 stg acoustic
Conklin GT 7 stg
Warwick Corvette 4 stg fretless
Dean Edge Hammer 10 stg
Hamer Chap-12L 12 stg
Music Man 5 stg
Jackson Concert EX 4 stg

I have one other one not pictured. Its pretty much a disposable bass.

 

[Ed Goode]

I own 6 EB's, three of which are gigged regularly, along with a DB that see pretty consistent use. If truth be told, I could easily get away with only using my Barker B1six for everything I do (mostly jazz, funk/jazz & classic rock), and if pushed to the wall, that would be the bass I would hold on to.

But I also have two other world class slab basses, a fretted 7 and a fretless 6, both made by FBB. The Barker and two FBB's are all amazing quality, tone, playability and unique styling, so I see no need to dispose of any of them. They all get a good workout (I fortunately gig a fair amount, ~ 150 dates a year) so it's not like they're sitting idly collecting dust.

My other three basses, a Dean Stylist semi-hollow body, a 1968 Goya fretted 4 and a mixed breed fretless 4 P are hanging around just for the heck of it. I actually spend a lot of time at home messing with the parts bass ....

I actually have no GAS at this time for anything, and haven't for several years now ....

 

[BananaKing]

Carol Kay and Joe Osborn (while not "MoTown" exactly- but the same era/style) used Jazz Basses.
A lot of Reggae is done on a Jazz.
And the Geddy Lee sig Jazz.......

Just sayin'......

I know, and I thought of that, but how does that cover fretless if you find yourself slapping funk tunes often and need a more "singing" fretless tone?

I would love to have one bass that can be used for everything and, as time/money permits, I will eventually, hopefully, find it. However, that being said, there is also something nice about having a backup instrument if you're touring as well as the ability to go from Pbass with flats to Jazz bass or stingray with rounds.

However, I could easily see myself selling everything for a Nordy Jazz..... Anyone wanna sell me theirs?

 

[deaf pea]

Carol Kay and Joe Osborn (while not "MoTown" exactly- but the same era/style) used Jazz Basses...

While Joe Osborn DID use a Jbass exclusively, Carol Kaye was all about Pbass back in the 60's and 70´s . . . . . .


Just sayin'......


FWIW, I was there in the LA studio scene of the 70's . . .

 

[kesslari]

I used to be of the "one bass to rule them all" mindset. So I'd sell a bass to buy a bass. I sold some basses that way that I wish I still had...

I don't have a lot of basses, but at this point in my life I enjoy having several. I have certain qualities that I like in a bass, so my stable tends to have some similarities (with the exception of an Ibanez ATK - a 4 stringer with a fat neck, but perfect for what I enjoy playing with that bass). I gig all of them except the 5 string fretted, but I still enjoy that bass too.

Gigging the Willis fretless and the ATK tonight. Recording the Zon next week.
It's a nice life.

 

[basssuperfreak]

My wife calls them the other woman, so I guess I have 10 other habits to take care of, But they dont talk back and they are low maintenance. No!!! Im just kidding!! I play all kinds of music and its what ever flavor you are trying to get. But the one I really would have liked to have was an Alembic that had a removable fret board just pull it out and lock in the frettless, it was quick and dirty. But cannot remember the model it would have been around mid 80's.

 

[TRichardsbass]

It's easy. I play all my basses. Do I go in phases? Yes!

How does a parent handle having more then one kid? Same concept.

Right now I'm really enjoying my Kubicki Factor. But I also find myself pulling the Peavey G Bass out too.

For me its easy. I don't feel guilty. I just try to make sure I circulate each one occassionally. I probably haven't used my Kramer 650B in over a year. So when I rehearse tonight, I'm bringing my Kramer. I have a show on Sunday and still haven't made the call for that. I'll wait to see the weather. Nice day? It will probably be the Kubicki. Wet day? Its the Peavey. Windy day? Gotta be my Silvertone 1442. And so it goes.

One thing I have done is just use my VXL attack pedal so that all my basses give me about the same sound. Makes it easy not to worry too much live. In the studio I use them all depending on the mood and sound I want.

 

[Korladis]

I mean, how do you justify keeping a stable of basses ? I seem to always find one that stands above or just fits the bill play IT. That means others go unplayed and eventually get sold.
Right now, my Nordy vj5 is killin' and the go to bass. I have thinned the herd . I thought about 6 ( even bought on ) to have a different flavor or something completely part from the J bass thing , such as MTD, etc.. but I get used to the feel of a bass and keep going back to it and like I said, I see no reason to go to anything other than the Nordy.
So should i go for another Nordy, or try something completely different?

I have four.

One's still getting restored, when it's back it'll be my main bass. I have another one that's a copy of that model, which is right now the main bass but will be the backup. My first bass is a platform for mods, and is right now strung with the bottom four strings from a five string set, as I don't own a five string and probably won't any time soon. Lastly, I have an acoustic fretless bass, which is a very different instrument that I use with folk music.

I have five if you count my upright, but that's a whole different ball game.