I once had a boatload of Peavey Cirrus and Millennium basses. I found it to be a little on the redundant side and sold a few of them.
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Two identical basses (stupid -?-)
- Thread starter Juan Count
- Start date
If there are ample financial resources available for buying basses, I think owning duplicates wouldn't be a bad idea...IF you are gigging and think you might need a back up. Otherwise, I think it's a better use of money to have a variety of basses for a variety of tonal options.
And what's up the the drop tuning bit you guys are talking about? I play with a guitarist who uses drop tunings because he plays chords on a guitar. I play single notes on a bass. If he plays below E, I use a 5-string.
I don't need drop tunings. I just play things 1/2 step up or down as needed. It's more confusing for the guitarist than for me. Sounds to me like some of you guys are making this bass playing business harder than it needs to be.
And what's up the the drop tuning bit you guys are talking about? I play with a guitarist who uses drop tunings because he plays chords on a guitar. I play single notes on a bass. If he plays below E, I use a 5-string.
I don't need drop tunings. I just play things 1/2 step up or down as needed. It's more confusing for the guitarist than for me. Sounds to me like some of you guys are making this bass playing business harder than it needs to be.
Invalid Link Removed And the darkstar'd and fretless p's aren't even in that one. currently one of those has foam under the bell cover and labella jamerson flats and the other has a set of TI Jazz flats, but that one frequently has rounds on it instead.
Exactly. Which is why I had to vote against "identical" basses. Of course I DO own nearly "identical" basses. I love the idea of a fretless/fretted pair. And I happen to own Identical SX six string basses which were supposed to turn into a fretted/fretless pair but after I strung one with flats and one with rounds I suddenly saw the utility of having identical basses except for strings. But as DWBass notes, for that reason they NOT "identical"!
I really can't see the point of absolutely identical basses. Sure that gives you a "true" back up for your main axe, but I figure if I'm going to the trouble of carrying a backup bass along, it ought to do double duty as both a back up (credibly finish the gig if the other bass dies) and also as a choice for variety if I want it (say fretted/fretless or flats/rounds or solid body/hollow body etc.)
To me, identical means same instrument, strings, pickups - meaning that they are physically equivalent.
I don't see the point.
I have around 13 and each is different. Two of them have the same pickup and even that seems a bit redundant to me.
I don't see the point.
I have around 13 and each is different. Two of them have the same pickup and even that seems a bit redundant to me.
I wouldn't but I know Carol Kaye has and maybe does. She plays what she plays and if one goes down, she has a identical backup ready to go.
I have 3 basses. All completely different.
Nordy VJ5 modern passive electronics
Lakland 55-94
MTD 635
Nordy VJ5 modern passive electronics
Lakland 55-94
MTD 635
I'm in one band in the UK (soul/reggae/pop rock) and one in France (rock/French rock) - I use two Epi Thunderbirds albeit with different bridges/strings/pick ups...
M.R. Ogle said:
I have. It's rare that I take a P Bass to a gig. But I felt like a nut that night, sound checked and everything thing was fine. Go to fire off the first song, and the P Bass was dead. I grabbed my StingRay (I always have a 2nd bass) and quickly switched. When I got home I found the ground wire was broken on the output jack...there was no fixing that at the gig, had it been my only bass.
But for the OP, my take is if I only own two basses, then I don't want them being identicle.
Those are my reasons for having multiples of the same bass. String type, gauge, tunings, back-up, etc. are all legit reasons. If you gig, love your primary bass, and are one of those players who actually believes in having a back-up, by all means get a second one.
I have several pairs of identical basses in my stable for flats versus rounds and drop tunings.
I have 3 Ric 4003's. Different colours. Cos I like 'em. No other particular reason.
It's nice to be able to change basses when it's a sweaty show and put a fresh bass on, similar to another one.
It's nice to be able to change basses when it's a sweaty show and put a fresh bass on, similar to another one.
If I were on a long tour I would want two basses that were similar or alike "just in case." Also, I can see where someone might want to have different strings on two basses of the same model, or different tunings, if that's a part of your gig.
There are as many answers to this question as there are bassists, I expect.
There are as many answers to this question as there are bassists, I expect.
For years I always had 2 of the identicle basses. If I broke a string or one bass crapped out on my, I had a back up that I could just plug and play. Obviously as I have gotten older, I can plug and play most of my basses, so I have no real reason to have more than 1 of a bass, but it is cool...
I have two identical basses. One tuned E, the other Eb. One with flats, the other with rounds. I don't think having two is stupid.
At one time, I owned 7 different basses including a 5 and an 8 string. This was crazy, IMO. I now keep an active 4 string with humbuckers, and strung with DR stainless, and a semi hollow with 1 Darkstar and TI flats. Also a cheap beater at home for, whatever. The differences in the two that I normally use, is like night and day. Even though I like them both, I would not duplicate either one. Two, exactly the same? Not for me.
I have a variety of basses (well, two isn't really that much), but it's depending on the tune.
Most of our songs call for my Rickenbacker. Not a problem. While a few odd ones require my five-string for some more "umph!", so I bust it out.
I could see me getting another Rickenbacker and tuning it either Baritone or Tenor (probably the ladder), but other than tuning purposes, the average gigging musician need not apply for owning identical basses.
Tell this to "The Edge", however, and he will surely knock your teeth in.
Most of our songs call for my Rickenbacker. Not a problem. While a few odd ones require my five-string for some more "umph!", so I bust it out.
I could see me getting another Rickenbacker and tuning it either Baritone or Tenor (probably the ladder), but other than tuning purposes, the average gigging musician need not apply for owning identical basses.
Tell this to "The Edge", however, and he will surely knock your teeth in.
I have.
Twice.
1st time was tuning a 64 Gibson T-Bird E-string back up from D. Screws let go on the rear string retainer and it flew off. So I grabbed the other 64 T-Bird(although identical, the main one sounded and felt WAY better).
2nd time was when a roadie came outside of a bar gig(Hwy 1 down the bayou in Louisiana) saying "Crab, we tried to get to them....you're gonna really be PO'd man". Two drunks fighting over a girl spilled onto the floor-level stage knocking over my main 64 Gibson T-Bird and guitarists 67 Flying V. The V survived, the T-Bird got a machine head broken off. The fighters got to meet our roadies and the club bouncer known as "Fridge". Cost me a bit to get repaired BETTER than new by Jimmy Foster before he started building his own( Archtop Guitars & Jazz Guitars : Custom Built 6- & 7-String Guitars (New Orleans) | FosterGuitars.com ). RIP Jimmy.
To the OP: two of the same can be good when you perform constantly and DEPEND on your stuff for the band's sound. Ask Nikki or Martin Turner.
