When do You know that You have enough basses?

[jbhaugh]

My experience has been that I have enough basses if I have one instrument in my collection that I want to play exclusively. If you own one bass that makes all the other ones redundant, you have enough. Sometimes I get tired of the "number one" and switch to another instrument I already own, or sometimes I get rid of some gear and buy something else. I guess my goal is to have a collection made of only current or past "number ones". If I have a bass I never want to play, I will eventually sell it.

 

[TheReceder]

When my wife says "if she sees one more bass in this house she'll divorce me and make sure she gets all the basses".

Just to Clarify.... I've learned to keep all but 2 basses in their cases

 

[Hevy T]

When you run out of hiding places!

 

[Colin Cunliffe]

A simple question...

You made a massive mistake in your poll. It is generally accepted amongst psychiatrists et al that no matter what path we follow, the answer to "how many?" is always N+1

Simple equation, N is the number you currently have, +1 is self explanatory

YOU ALWAYS NEED ANOTHER 1​

 

[el murdoque]

Where is the Carrots option?


Is it not necessary to define the terms 'having' and 'enough' ?

I would like to argue that once you have one reliable bass, you 'have' 'enough' basses.

When I bought my first good bass about 25 years back, this has been my main, and often only bass. I've played it a lot. I don't play like a pro, so I don't wear down the frets through 40+ hours of practice a week.
This bass could easily last until I retire. It has enough tonal abilities so I'd get every job done.
So in all honesty, I've had 'enough' basses when I bought that first good one. The others are for fun, luxury, ease of use, tonal differences and to have different necks at hand to put on different strings. I can recall many reasons why I own each of my basses, but when you boil it down to the absolute essentials, I think I could use either of my main basses as my only instrument for the rest of my career.

 

[aekisz]

For me, the answer is when I starting hiding them from my spouse in multiple locations. I already have one more at home than she knows about. At work I keep two: a Frankenbass and an old Japanese reclamation project. At my buddy's rehearsal space I have a CV Squier Jazz I converted to fretless. So, in short, I think I have enough. Nothing fancy. I have never spent >1k on a bass and have no desire to. Though, if I won the lottery, I can see myself getting a Wal.

 

[Bikingbasser]

When they don't get played enough.

 

[Frejinald]

One for each hand. So.........five?

 

[Thunder Lizard]

Roughly around the time I realized that practice would make me a better player; not getting another bass. Probably why I've never suffered from GAS.
YMMV of course.

That's the whole point! every bass needs equal time, so if it's an hour on one, it's an hour on EVERY one, so that multiplies practice time! or that's how I work it anyhow.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

When this is the next gig....

 

[lomo]

I'd have too many basses if I had basses I never played. I have kept my number at 6 for about 10 years......if one comes in, one goes out....the # may go to 5 or 7 for a few months, but it returns to my equilibrium at 6......all fretted, 34" scale, 5 stringers......2 Fenders, 2 headless basses mainly for travel (but which I do play at home as well) and 2 more boutique types. 1/2 kept in the city and 1/2 at our place in the woods. I have 1 rig at each location as well.
Works 4 me, YMMV

 

[DukeCC]

I can make a case for:
A Fender Precision
A Fender Jazz
A Stingray
A Double Bass
A junker bass w/ case to leave at practice spot
Very maybe one more--Electric Fretless, Rickenbacker, Firebird etc.

7 basses is too many. I know because I have 7 and I have one for sale.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

When you don't know the # of basses you have.

 

[Liko]

When you run out of money to buy them and bodily fluids to donate to get the money to buy them. The combination of both typically doesn't happen until you've been buried with your existing collection, so...

But seriously folks, it all depends on how much you're into collecting them. IMHO, a primary gigging axe and a capable backup are staple items for any bassist, and you can't really say no to a change-of-pace bass, something that does things in the play room that your primary axe can't or won't. So, up to 3 basses is totally normal, and depending on the number of tone fetishes you cultivate, I wouldn't bat an eye at five or even six.

Beyond that, you have a collection. Or a harem, depending on how you view them and how often you rotate through them. Nothing wrong with either, it's just been my experience that you tend to find your favorites, and there usually comes a day when you need money more than any particular bass.

 

[Manticore]

I don't suffer from gas. I know I have enough basses shortly after buying the last one...and shortly before deciding to buy the next one.

 

[devnulljp]

When you run out of room to keep them, you have too many.

it's time to move to a bigger place

 

[dkelley]

If I ever figure out when I know, I'll let you folks know!

 

[swink]

it's time to move to a bigger place

Or built a shed out of bass cases

 

[Brian Crawford]

I love my fender mod shop basses and with them being so expensive I keep it to a minimum. Don't get me wrong if I had the funds I would already have all the colors I love. Try to get a new color about every couple years or when I can sweet talk the wife into a new one.

 

[mattj1stc]

For me, it was when I realized that there was one bass that I kept on taking out for almost all occasions despite having about 14 of them. I eventually worked myself down to just the one that I used all the time.