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What do you use for a back up?
- Thread starter Abrahampost
- Start date
Thanks for all the great info.... I think I enjoy reading what everyone is playing as much as the info on what type of back up to get! As much as it makes sense to get a tribute g&l I am leaning towards a 4 string P-Bass since it will be easier to justify to the fiance... something tells me an identical bass in the apartment might land me in the doghouse.
I came close to picking up a second L-2500 which was chambered with an f-hole(one gorgeous prototype) but that money ended up on her ring finger instead. Although having to transition from a 5 to a 4 mid set might be a pain, my logic is it can't be a bad thing to have to practice my song lists on both instruments just in case of a failure(really when is more practice a bad thing?)
I came close to picking up a second L-2500 which was chambered with an f-hole(one gorgeous prototype) but that money ended up on her ring finger instead. Although having to transition from a 5 to a 4 mid set might be a pain, my logic is it can't be a bad thing to have to practice my song lists on both instruments just in case of a failure(really when is more practice a bad thing?)
P.S. I wouldn't necessarily say that EVERYONE must bring a backup. However, just ask yourself: how would your bandmates feel if something did go wrong that halted the show or terminated it entirely? If it wouldn't matter to them, then hey... don't bother with backup. 
It's nice to have two really cool basses, but all you really need from your backup is that it's good enough to get you by while your #1 is repaired. Good luck!
P.S. I wouldn't necessarily say that EVERYONE must bring a backup. However, just ask yourself: how would your bandmates feel if something did go wrong that halted the show or terminated it entirely? If it wouldn't matter to them, then hey... don't bother with backup.
Good point.
I always see responses to the back-up threads with people saying it doesn't matter if their only bass fails. They'll take the time to fix it, or beg another musician to use theirs, or drive to a nearby locale to pick one up.
Man, I wish my shows were that laid back.
No wait...no, I don't.
Anyway, yes, it is situation and standard dependent.
Good choice and sound logic. You can't go wrong with a G&L 2500 and Precision combo. That's a perfect "one two" punch! If you decide to go with an active Pbass check out the Fender Deluxe Active P Bass Special its nearly as flexible as your G&L in tone options.
BassHappy
Supporting Member
You got ripped off... They forgot the pickups.
Actually very cool. How does the piezo sound alone in the Roscoes? Also, what kind of music do you play?
Hello Baird
Thanks for asking. Always love talking about my instruments.
What happened was - Keith originally made me a bass with Bartolini mags and the RMC piezo midi system both. At band rehearsals every time I turned the mags off and used the piezos by themselves the band would go - "Whoa, what did you just do? The bass sounds great!"
I called Keith and asked him if he would make me a new body for the bass with no mags. I told him the birdseye maple was too beautiful to cover up with ugly pickups. Of course he thought I was nuts (he probably still thinks I am)
but he did as I asked. I knew he still had some pretty incredible birds eye maple from the same batch. So that is how it all evolved.I started using the Roland V bass around this time and kind of fell in love with the amazing variety of sounds I could trigger - especially the upright and fretless emulations - plus I loved the amp modeling. I use a lot of sounds in the course of a concert and we go from a whisper to a roar pretty quickly - so volume programability was also a BIG problem solver. I loved the instant recall and I loved being able to control the V Bass right from the bass. I was also triggering my Axon boxes via midi for some orchestral sounds.
My band has eight CD's altogether plus over a dozen live bootlegs floating around over the years. We were slated to be Peter Gabriel's band after he left Genesis, but that didn't pan out on the business side - so we signed with Arista instead and did a couple of records with producer Ken (Beatles, Supertramp, Jeff Beck, Stanley Clark, Mahavishnu) Scott.
There are a number of tunes from the various releases streaming on our jukebox here if you are interested:
http://www.everythinghappytheman.com/music.html
"The Muse Awakens" is the most recent record and it was recorded entirely with the two Roscoes. I think there is a pretty convincing fretless emulation in the first 1/2 of the song "The Muse Awakens" which is on the jukebox. Everything else was my PRS #11, except some Rickenbacker on the first record.
You gotta admit - my second Roscoe body on the top right looks pretty darn cool as the only one with no pickup routings....
Thanks for asking, hope this isn't too boring....
BassHappy
www.innertainment.net
It's nice to have two really cool basses, but all you really need from your backup is that it's good enough to get you by while your #1 is repaired. Good luck!
Yes, two really cool basses is nice. That's why I have two blueburst USA L2500 in fretted and fretless. So that way it's a back up and two different sounds at the same time.
But I also have a Tribute G&L L2500. I could use it for a back up, but usually don't because it's my "bar bass" and it's for when I don't want expensive basses along. So when I play the Tribby, usually the backup is one of my fretless SX basses. Like I said, it makes sense to me if you are dragging another bass along you'd like it to bring something different as well as being able to be used to finish the gig in case of disaster.
My Tribute ALSO serves another purpose which is I test mod ideas on it, BEFORE I develop the cahones to start drilling on my USA G&Ls. Bottom line is that ONLY those mods that have proven themselves for me, find their way into the USA L2500s. Works out great.
I currently don't have a backup electric bass. I have been considering an Xaviere or another cheap knockaround instrument, so if I was playing somewhere that I didn't want my Jaguar deluxe to go...
I can vouch for those Xaviere P and J clones. Not bad at all at that price point, more than adequate as a back up.
Oh, good. The price is definitely right--I do have a little hesitation in ordering an instrument online (though my Dean EAB did arrive just fine).
Great service after the sale, on par with Rondo Music (Kurt).
The neck may have a little fret sprout, but that's pretty common these days with anything made overseas. It may not even be enough to bother with. My tech charges me $20.00 to make them smooth as silk.
Otherwise, rock solid. 20-minute set up, time for the show.
I take two P-Basses, because my goal is to have a backup that keeps the show rolling in the event of a failure. No need to twiddle with the amp that way. But if our music required or could strongly benefit from different bass sounds on different tunes, I'd bring a different kind of bass as the backup.
A back-up has to be bullet-proof and simple. A sweet Japanese Fender P-Bass is the most appropriate!
