just wanna know how many gigging bass players have successfully stripped back to just one bass (yes, one) and cleansed themselves of greed and GAS?
let me know. cheers!
let me know. cheers!
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the "one"?
- Thread starter blackmail man
- Start date
i'm currently only gigging one bass, my Squier VMJ, since i shattered the headstock on my other bass. it's in about 6 pieces right now...that count?
I have a number of basses, but would sell some if someone asked me to.
I use only one instrument as it simply does what I want it to do.
It gets closer to "the tone in my head" than any bass I have heard.
By using only one, I really come to know that one instrument , and that has an effect.
I would not want to miss the upright tho, and the fretless.
To be able to take work on these instruments , when it comes my way.
No GAS here.( at the moment)
I use only one instrument as it simply does what I want it to do.
It gets closer to "the tone in my head" than any bass I have heard.
By using only one, I really come to know that one instrument , and that has an effect.
I would not want to miss the upright tho, and the fretless.
To be able to take work on these instruments , when it comes my way.
No GAS here.( at the moment)
I have one bass (one really nice bass) and am GAS free. I think it's important to build a relationship with an instrument that's as close to monogamous as possible, since they are all as different as you and me. My last bass before this one was the only bass I played for 15 years, others came and went but I never developed a relationship with any of them.
Good philosophy, and one I lived by for several years, but I'm going to experiment this year and the next with two 5ers and 2 4s. A fretted and fretless of each. [I suspect at least three will be "parts basses"] That's as far as I'll go. Any others will be collector items.
Why two 4s and 5s? Because I much as I feel the need for the low notes of a 5er, there's nothing quite as fun a slapping the hell out of a 4. I love to wrap my thumb around top of the neck like Louis Johnson.
sweet.
i have a batch of gear that will probably be finding new homes soon as i just dont play them. its nice to own them, but theres only one i pick up when i wanna practice, or if im sittin in, i drag it along, coz i know it will do what i wanna do. i plan to have a GAS free year, and im doin well so far. although i have plans to start a new build, hopefully that one wont count as GAS.
cheers folks!
i have a batch of gear that will probably be finding new homes soon as i just dont play them. its nice to own them, but theres only one i pick up when i wanna practice, or if im sittin in, i drag it along, coz i know it will do what i wanna do. i plan to have a GAS free year, and im doin well so far. although i have plans to start a new build, hopefully that one wont count as GAS.
cheers folks!
I've owned as many as 4 basses at 1 time and found that only 2 of them got regular playing time. I have since scaled down to 1 bass, my Tobias Renegade, since it had the most versatile tone of all of them. This was the backup to my main bass that I just sold it last week in order to fund a custom built one for me. I really don't see the need to own more than 3 basses unless you're a collector or a dealer of some sort. I can see owning a fretless, a 4 banger, 5'er, and maybe a 6'er if you really wanted one. I mean if you can afford a bunch of basses then go ahead but I can find a bunch of other things to spend my extra money on.
I have been having a love affair with my usa G&L L2k since october of '06. It is the bass I have had the longest by far ( I spent a lot of time and money looking for "the one") and I still love playing it today. The best gigs of my life happened with this bass, so it is special to me as well. The only GAS that I have is for more L2K's, just to get different wood options. But that feel is perfect for me.
I have a Ric 4003, and as far as 4 strings go, I'm done. I can say that GAS for others has been dissipated, however, I still GAS for 5 stringers and better amps/effects. One day I'll probably retire the 4003, and of course, I'll have to find a replacement...
I've been using only one bass for the last couple of months but only because it's everything I want in an instrument. 
It took a long time to find it, however, I now find I miss the quest to find the "one" that works best for me.
Maybe I should start the quest anew so I have a backup?
It took a long time to find it, however, I now find I miss the quest to find the "one" that works best for me.
Maybe I should start the quest anew so I have a backup?
That's interesting.......However, I kind of see my instruments as friends or brothers as opposed to significant others, so the more the merrier!
I'm a bass-slut !!! I don't have BAS but I do have 3 that I gig with...2 four string and a 5 string..the 5 is new so Ill have to make a choice soon I tink...
But I have a few around the house ... 6 to be exact.
But I have a few around the house ... 6 to be exact.
I am down to one - Music Man Sterling Classic. I do have a homemade 5-string laying around but only because nobody would give me $10 for it. It has not been touched since I got the Music Man.
I gig one bass, but I still take two. Never use it though. But just can't get out the door without 2. I have forced myself to purge to only having two basses total.
But basses look so damn cool. Hell, hang 'em on the wall if you don't play them, they're cheaper than Picasso's or Monets, and look better than craft fair art. 
I sold all my Basses to get a new computer (27" iMac i7 quad w/12 gig ram... WOW!)... I now play and own only a Yamaha 425. I'm happy with it but my dream is either a Fender Am. Deluxe P Bass 5 or another Warmoth build with Nordstrand P5 and Big split to get close to the Fender setup. Love those 5 string P pickups.....
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I could own just one if I really had to, but there is no reason for me to right now. Two of my basses have been in the "I'll never sell them..." camp for quite a few years now, so the most I could scale down to would be two anyways.
I have three: main ax is American Standard J, back up is the Squier J I started with. Third is a Fender AEB. I can't see going beyond three unless I find that dream vintage J in a pawn shop. Then it will come home, replace the Squier as the back up (taking all of its custom goodies), and the Squier will retire to a life of leisure as wall art.
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J
I generally tend to play one bass at a stretch.. I currently own 5 electrics.. a Jackson that I let my nephew use and will probably give to him.. a SR505 that I am letting my son use and will probably give to him.. a 77 Jazz which I don't play much but probably will never sell because it is my first bass, a Scecter Stilletto Studio 5 that up uintil recently was my go to bass.. and my newest bass, which will be the one I use for the duration a Jazz 24 V .. and I also have an acoustic fretless that I lay on occasion but for now the J24V is "the one" I might sell the Scecter... haven''t decided yet.. but all I really need is one electriic ... and this last one has really put the kibosh on my GAS for the forseeable future.. in every way I really have no need bass wise that is not mety by this bass except better chops.. LOL.. .
