NICE collection! So how are you diggin' that Sadowsky? How often do you play that one? Which one is your "go to", or otherwise, the one that's speaking to you most right now?
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So how do you guys with multiple basses do it?
- Thread starter adrian garcia
- Start date
i have 6 dan armstrongs and this is how i justify it
1969- this one is my baby. i am the only one allowed to play it. in my will this is the one that is put in the coffin with me. never leaves the house.
1970-reissue- this was my main bass. i dont take it out much anymore as it is rare also.
1971 fretless- i cant play fretless but only 150 ever made and i got a sweet deal.
1972 fretless london- killer deal on this one too. with a little research and help from kent armstrong i found out they they only made 2 factory fretless. ones mine and trhe other is jack bruces. never sees the light of day unless someone asks to see it.
2 ampeg da amb basses- dan armstrong clones but made out of wood, mahogony i believe. one has a red quilted maple top. the other, black cherry finish. these are my 2 main basses that i use now. not afraid to ding them or if something were to happen, wouldnt be that devastated.
just wanted one of every flavor of dan armstrong out there.
1969- this one is my baby. i am the only one allowed to play it. in my will this is the one that is put in the coffin with me. never leaves the house.
1970-reissue- this was my main bass. i dont take it out much anymore as it is rare also.
1971 fretless- i cant play fretless but only 150 ever made and i got a sweet deal.
1972 fretless london- killer deal on this one too. with a little research and help from kent armstrong i found out they they only made 2 factory fretless. ones mine and trhe other is jack bruces. never sees the light of day unless someone asks to see it.
2 ampeg da amb basses- dan armstrong clones but made out of wood, mahogony i believe. one has a red quilted maple top. the other, black cherry finish. these are my 2 main basses that i use now. not afraid to ding them or if something were to happen, wouldnt be that devastated.
just wanted one of every flavor of dan armstrong out there.
BigMikeW
Inactive
- May 25, 2005
- 2,991
- 5
- 56
- Disclosures
- Banned by TB Administration for refusal to account for funds
I use to have 8 - 10 basses at one time and realized I wasn't playing most of them. Now I am down to two and they both get a good workout. I have promised myself to never go above 4 again.
- Apr 9, 2001
- 5,110
- 17
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Nordy Basses, Schroeder Cabs, Gallien Krueger Amps
Nice basses, Dan. And thanks for the prayers, bro!
Hey, Mike! Thanks, Vic! You guys are awesome!
Hey, Mike! Thanks, Vic! You guys are awesome!
This is where I'm at right now. I have my trusty Yamaha BB605 with a Bartolini 5.4 A/P Preamp and "J" pups. DR Highbeams, a Radial JDI and I'm good to go. I have a Fender Jazz 24 but I just don't play it. It's a great bass (and for sale) but I always go for my Yamaha. I know that it will do whatever I need and I won't have to think about it too much. Confortable, plays nice, sounds nice and looks nice.
FWIW, I have three basses - an Alembic Epic 5 that I play 95% of the time, a Tacoma Thunderchief fretless 4 string that I play occasionally, and a Yamaha 4 string that my brother plays most of the time. I have plenty of other gear, though, so I am in no way deprived. ;^)
Mine all fit different roles. I've got 3 now and a 4th in the works. Main workhorse is a 6 string fretted. Second most played, that basses fretless twin. Bass 3 is a passive P copy with flats on it (and sometimes a mute) which is a totally different beast, both in terms of playing style and tone.
The drawback of having more than one bass is that you have to choose which one to take with you.
I am a "little lady" bass player. I try to think of my manybasses as my "hobby". My co-workers spend tons of money on golf clubs, others on expensive photographic equipment, and others have quite the collection of cars & trucks.My passion is all bass, it consumes my free time and it gives me great satisfaction. To me, my basses are my reward for working so dang hard during the week. I have six beautiful basses and one on the way (haha, no, not preggars at my age!). They range from a downright cheap (but still loved) Peavy Millenium 4BXP, a Fender Mexican fretless J, Fender Aerodyne J (made someplace...), Fender American P, a Warwick Corvette $$, a Fender deluxe American Zone Bass, and there is a custom-built Carvin LB20 under construction and due in a few weeks.
In conclusion, if you think of it as a hobby, then it doesn't seem odd or excessive to own seven basses. All of mine get used for different reasons and occasions. Even dumb reasons, like for my upcoming gig I am using my orange AM P-Bass because it was the only one that I dared to put retro-looking hippie flowers on the white pickguard.
Enjoy what you have; don't worry about what you don't have. Everybody arrives at a certain comfort zone where ownership (in numbers) is concerned. When I come home from a tough day of shipping car parts all over the world, my little "friends" are all there to greet me. Bass is what keeps me going!
Hey Adrian,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, brother!!!! I pray you see 50 more!!! (Not that being with the Father would be so bad, mind you!
)
Man, if you have a tool that inspires you to play, even if it's a different bass day to day, then I say, keep it!
I have an F bass BN4 that I LOVE, but there are days that I only want to play my Nordstrand AG4 (THANK YOU, BTW!) There are also days where I'll only bring my fretless to a gig, and use the digital tone controls (ie. my HANDS!)...it's whatever is inspiring me at the moment!
I heard something about 6 months ago that REALLY made me think...instead of having what you want, want what you already have!! It made me think of all of the GREAT basses I've owned and sold (mostly stupidly) because I was wanting a "new main squeeze", when after all was said and done, I didn't put enough effort in appreciating that particular bass for what it could do, and not try to find a "1 sound fits-all" bass. (This is MY dilemma...NOT saying it's someone else's...)
Now, I realize that I change day-to-day, NOT my basses, and if I am feeling different on a different day....well, then I grab a different tool and enjoy making music with THAT!!! It's kind of like polygamy, but legal!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, brother!!!! I pray you see 50 more!!! (Not that being with the Father would be so bad, mind you!
)Man, if you have a tool that inspires you to play, even if it's a different bass day to day, then I say, keep it!
I have an F bass BN4 that I LOVE, but there are days that I only want to play my Nordstrand AG4 (THANK YOU, BTW!) There are also days where I'll only bring my fretless to a gig, and use the digital tone controls (ie. my HANDS!)...it's whatever is inspiring me at the moment!
I heard something about 6 months ago that REALLY made me think...instead of having what you want, want what you already have!! It made me think of all of the GREAT basses I've owned and sold (mostly stupidly) because I was wanting a "new main squeeze", when after all was said and done, I didn't put enough effort in appreciating that particular bass for what it could do, and not try to find a "1 sound fits-all" bass. (This is MY dilemma...NOT saying it's someone else's...)
Now, I realize that I change day-to-day, NOT my basses, and if I am feeling different on a different day....well, then I grab a different tool and enjoy making music with THAT!!! It's kind of like polygamy, but legal!!!
My problem is that the Ken Lawrence Brase, Sadowsky 5-24, and the Alleva Coppolo LG-5 are all "go to" basses! Each is absolutely fantastic and will do anything I can (within my hack set of skills). My emotional favorite is still the Brase as my wife came up with 3/4 of the cost of the bass as a present - my first custom bass. You just can't get away from that!
I do have to say, the three all sound different so it is appearant which bass I'm playing but they are all keepers. I traded Bassconbeatz for the LG-5 (he has my old MTD) and I am totally pleased with the trade. The Brase can cop almost all of the MTD tone.
Just to keep from playing favorites I do a strict rotation - If I don't I'll play the same bass for a while and then kick myself for forgetting about the others.
Dan K.
At one point I was up to 13 basses, although I am back down to 11 now. I have that many for a few different reasons, foremost, they are all different: I currently own a 1974 4001, a 1973 fretless Fender Jazz, an MIJ Fender P with Lindy Fralin pups, three Ibanez basses (BTB405 with Barts and an Aguilar OBP3, Roadstar II, and an SR506), a Lakkland 55-01, and an EUB.
I also find that by playing different basses, it effectively keeps me from getting into a comfort zone with my playing, for example, I am devoting all my attention to my fretless Jazz at thwe moment because playing fretless requires a lot more discipline.
Finally, because I can afford to own more that one bass.
I also find that by playing different basses, it effectively keeps me from getting into a comfort zone with my playing, for example, I am devoting all my attention to my fretless Jazz at thwe moment because playing fretless requires a lot more discipline.
Finally, because I can afford to own more that one bass.
For me it's about being sonically "covered", for sessions, and for my own tracks to support whatever sound I have in my head. Granted, there's serious holes in my quiver, for example no fretless, but to me it's about having some tonal range, that only having different axes can deliver. And a huge part of it, IMHO is dependent on roundwound vs. flatwound. I've certainly tried over and over to find the one "do it all" bass, but it just doesn't exist. If one's do it all 5 or 6 string can cop a pretty good P or J, or whatever, still . . . lets say the tune calls for flatwounds and your bass has rounds? This is how I've made my choices. I keep a roundwound fiver, a roundwound P, a flatwound P, a roundwound J-style, a flatwound Dano, passive, active, etc. etc. Man, if one bass could do it all, I'd be really happy . . . . but I think you can cover all the bas(s)es pretty well with 5-6 axes ultimately, and they don't all have to be high-end instruments by any stretch.
I don't feel a need to justify having several basses.
I just really like basses.
i like playing them, cleaning them, modding them and just having several basses.
All get a run at some stage and I don't feel justification to anyone else is needed.
they just make me happy.
I just really like basses.
i like playing them, cleaning them, modding them and just having several basses.
All get a run at some stage and I don't feel justification to anyone else is needed.
they just make me happy.
Truth be told, I have 4 four string fretted basses. My first bass was a Gibson Victory bass that I will always keep. It is retired and quite sentimental. My 51 P-bass gives me quite a different tone than my Geddy J. My most recent purchase was a Warwick Corvette and it has already become a favorite, although I figure with the Geddy and the Wick, I can't go wrong. If one were to go, the 51 would be it, but as long as I can afford to keep 'em, here they will stay.
That being told, I am selling off a Washburn AB10 that is in great shape. That one will go. If anyone wants dibs on it PM me.
That being told, I am selling off a Washburn AB10 that is in great shape. That one will go. If anyone wants dibs on it PM me.
I like to have basses in different tunings for different bands. And of course if you have one you have to have a spare, right? oh yeah some have frets some don't and you got to have an acoustic bass, right?
This is how I justify a good 6 or 7 to myself any way
TheOldFlatwound
Supporting Member
i totally agree--that what i've got happening too. even someone like me who pays mostly fender style basses and hollowbodys have a lot of room to cover (rounds, flats, 60's stlye, 70's stlye, passive, active etc). 3 basses: a jazz w/rounds, p w/flats, and a hollowbody would do it, but i like having the other options too.
If i wanted to get into more modern basses, it could really end up being a lot of stuff, but i find that i don't really need that. I think Ken Smith basses are really great, for example. It would be nice to experiment with those sounds one day, even though it probably won't be a "go to" bass for me.
If you're working as a full time player it can't hurt to have options and be comfortable on several basses. i played for years for a living with 2 or 3 basses, recently it's grown to a much bigger collection, but i'm glad to have them and put them to good use.
Tunings, tunings, tunings!!!!!! I play in metal act and dont really care for 5 strings. We bounce between 6 or 7 tunings a night and its just easier then tuning over and over again. The lead player does it as well and we are pretty fast at the change overs. Crowd likes it too. Besides variety is the spice of life.
you can never sample too many fine wines unless you truly believe you just drank the last remaining great bottle on earth. never happen in this lifetime and that would be boring, wouldn't it?
indulgence is not a sin so long as you keep it in it's place.. and indulgence is not necessarily always rational either, is it?...
this is a fabulous obsession ... a grand journey .. not an ugly one.. so, take it for what it is, because you will never get to the end by thinking you drank the last bottle.
it's all about the enjoyment you get and in return, give ... so, sit back and relax, crack a beer, enjoy the game and let Carey, Michael, Sheldon, Roger, RT, Suhr, Anderson, Ken, Rob, Joey and Vinnie, do their thing!
Oh, did I leave a few out? No time .. gotta run to work to support my obsession.... 'mydogbo, mar.'07' 
indulgence is not a sin so long as you keep it in it's place.. and indulgence is not necessarily always rational either, is it?...
this is a fabulous obsession ... a grand journey .. not an ugly one.. so, take it for what it is, because you will never get to the end by thinking you drank the last bottle.
it's all about the enjoyment you get and in return, give ... so, sit back and relax, crack a beer, enjoy the game and let Carey, Michael, Sheldon, Roger, RT, Suhr, Anderson, Ken, Rob, Joey and Vinnie, do their thing!
Oh, did I leave a few out? No time .. gotta run to work to support my obsession.... 'mydogbo, mar.'07'
