I've been flipping mine. Not to make money but to try different ones. I just keep the ones that work for me the best. So far it averages about four at a time.
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The more basses I own...
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
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If I can find just one Bass that 'does it all', I would probably just have that one Bass. Each of my 9 Basses has something about it that the others don't.
You really believe that? I know plenty of darn fine musicians who have a lot of instruments. It's only a distraction to newbs and dilettantes.
I kind of feel the same way. I have quite a few basses, but really feel that I could be just fine with my two Jazzes (4 & 5) and a P. The rest are somewhat specialized tools in the tool box. I like having specific instruments set up for specific tasks--the flatwound P, flatwound J (which is a Super Ferrite Foundation), the 1/2 step down bass, the full step down bass...
As long as I have the room to store them and the time to maintain them, it's fine. It's my not guilty pleasure to have a lot of musical gear and to rotate through it to find what I like and try new pieces. I have been that way since I was in my late teens.
As long as I have the room to store them and the time to maintain them, it's fine. It's my not guilty pleasure to have a lot of musical gear and to rotate through it to find what I like and try new pieces. I have been that way since I was in my late teens.
This is kind of where I'm at. Every time I'm on the brink of buying a new bass, I think about the basses that I have now that will be neglected because of new shiny bass.
All my basses make me play a certain way as soon as I touch them. My Harmony P-bass copy with rounds inspires me to make one kind of music, while my Yamaha RBX fretless with flats inspires other types of music. I agree, there is a difference or should be between a collection and a hoard. I going through my tube amp phase at the moment, but this seems to be more with the skinny six strings, than my basses...wait...it's that bad, too. And then I have to get cabs!
Interesting topic.
First off - and I'm sure many of you will back me up on this - I think a hat-tip is in order to the esteemed Dr Cheese. He often posts thought-provoking things. (I also enjoy his demo bits, he plays well.)
As for the topic, I tend to go in phases. For many years, I pretty much only played a 4001 and a p-bass. Then I went uh... overboard. I think it was "I'm still young, finally making some money, have no kids, have no mortgage, let's buy a ton of basses!" Most of them ended up being closet case-dwellers that got sold off after a few years.
Nowadays I seem to be back at just two that I play a lot. (Oddly, 2 short-scale relations to the 4001 and p-bass - a Mustang and a 3000.) And I agree w/those that found the upkeep more trouble than it's worth. I don't think it's a zen/minimalism thing in my case, just a case of laziness! I pared down a lot over the last 10 years or so.
Realistically, I could do all I'm currently doing w/just my CIJ Mustang... but I still have a few I hang into for sentimental reasons. I recently strung one bass piccolo, so that makes at least two I *gotta* have, right?
-GT
First off - and I'm sure many of you will back me up on this - I think a hat-tip is in order to the esteemed Dr Cheese. He often posts thought-provoking things. (I also enjoy his demo bits, he plays well.)
As for the topic, I tend to go in phases. For many years, I pretty much only played a 4001 and a p-bass. Then I went uh... overboard. I think it was "I'm still young, finally making some money, have no kids, have no mortgage, let's buy a ton of basses!" Most of them ended up being closet case-dwellers that got sold off after a few years.
Nowadays I seem to be back at just two that I play a lot. (Oddly, 2 short-scale relations to the 4001 and p-bass - a Mustang and a 3000.) And I agree w/those that found the upkeep more trouble than it's worth. I don't think it's a zen/minimalism thing in my case, just a case of laziness! I pared down a lot over the last 10 years or so.
Realistically, I could do all I'm currently doing w/just my CIJ Mustang... but I still have a few I hang into for sentimental reasons. I recently strung one bass piccolo, so that makes at least two I *gotta* have, right?
-GT
Stopping at 58 would meant passing up the fretless I searched 32 years for
Zen minimalism?
I'm going for
Zon maximalism!
I'm going for
Zon maximalism!
For me, all these basses are a reminder that I'm not playing. Not only am I not getting any value from owning them...there may be a little value being taken away in the form of guilt, regret, nostalgia, or something.
It's not so much about the money as it is that these are supposed to be working instruments and they are hanging on the wall. If I had one of Geddy Lee's old 4001s hanging on the wall as some kind of trophy, that would be another thing because its job would be to hang the wall and be appreciated. My basses are supposed to be played.
- Oct 22, 2015
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I imagine I'm in the "fewer basses I own" category. The more I play mine the more certain it is what I want in my grail bass. And that grail bass is remarkably close to the one I have. Do tell. 
I get the "Keep them in their cases when you're not playing them" ideology, especially if one is looking to keep their basses pristine as to "flip" them one day. As for me, I'd rather have them all over my apartment to enjoy them.
I only have 7 basses so I'm sure that makes displaying them around my place easier then if I had 20, especially living in a NYC apartment ..... but what bass player doesn't want his babies in view all the time? I also live alone so the threat of kids or pets knocking them over or off their stands isn't an issue..... The only time I worry about that happening is when the girlfriend finishes off a bottle of wine and stumbles around the apartment ...
If I bought fine art, I'd hang it on the walls of my place to always enjoy, I consider my basses MY pieces of art and I feel grateful knowing I'm fortunate enough to even have them.
I only have 7 basses so I'm sure that makes displaying them around my place easier then if I had 20, especially living in a NYC apartment ..... but what bass player doesn't want his babies in view all the time? I also live alone so the threat of kids or pets knocking them over or off their stands isn't an issue..... The only time I worry about that happening is when the girlfriend finishes off a bottle of wine and stumbles around the apartment ...
If I bought fine art, I'd hang it on the walls of my place to always enjoy, I consider my basses MY pieces of art and I feel grateful knowing I'm fortunate enough to even have them.
As a fellow bassist, I've never been an audience member and thought to myself "That bass tone would sound better if the bassist was using ____ brand bass." I have thought "That bass tone would sound better if the bassist worked on dialing in their rig's tone.", though. I prefer to focus on that, over seeking out multiple basses for my collection. 1 bass can achieve a lot of sounds. 2 basses can achieve a lot more sounds. 30 basses can achieve a lot of redundant sounds. Only an opinion but it's mine.
After 20 years of playing I'm down to three, and one of those is for sale. A 4 string P, a 5 string jazz, and a 4 string Dimension.
I don't get it, how is it not true regardless of whether you play in front of people or not?
You a bass and play music in front of people, or to be heard by people after you record. You are using that bass to create music that you hope people will like. If the bass falls apart or sounds horrible, it will affect how successful you are in reaching your goal. At least indirectly, you want people to like your purchase.
In some cases musicians buy basses with odd shapes or different colors because they will noticed by the crowd.
