This was discussed a little bit here (NBD content), but I figured I'd give the issue its own thread and ask the opinion of the TB community (that's what you guys are for, right? 
) I'll give a bit of relevant background information first, but if you want to skip that and go straight to the issue I won't be offended. 
Background
I just graduated high school in June, and in a little less than a month I will be moving to Pennsylvania to continue my education at the Pennsylvania State University (College Park, the main campus). I got my dorm assignment last month and, as expected, the room I'll be staying in is pretty tiny (15X11 to be exact), and I'll be sharing it with one other person. Because space is limited I'll only be bringing one bass with me
crying, and I figured I'd ask TB to help me make the decision. I'm not majoring in anything music related at Penn State, so I don't technically need to bring a bass with me...but I really want to. 
I'm planning on trying to get into the local college music scene, or at the very least keeping my skills up to par.
Okay, it's time to get to the good stuff...
The Basses
As you can see, I have the three basses pictured above (and hard cases for each of them): a Gretsch short scale/hollowbody (the correct model name is so long and hard to remember that I won't bother putting it down here), an Ibanez SR600, and a Fender Kingman (acoustic/electric).
The Gretsch was my most recent purchase (my graduation present to myself), as well as the most expensive. I really enjoy playing it; everything about it (the tone, playability, looks) is on point and it's the closest I've ever been (so far) to falling in love with a bass. It's also (currently) the third most expensive thing I own (the first two being my laptop and the used car I bought two months ago), so I'm obviously a little bit nervous about bringing it into an unfamiliar setting and having it damaged or stolen.
The Ibanez was (and still kind of is) my main player, mostly because I'm afraid of damaging the Gretsch in any way. As with the Gretsch, I see no problems with this bass; it's comfortable to play (more so than the Gretsch even, because of the thinner neck), the EQ helps me achieve a good sound, and I like the aesthetics (even though she's not quite as pretty as her younger sister, haha). I'd be a little less nervous about bringing it to college, and it would serve my intentions just fine.
The Fender is a bit of an odd ball; it was my second bass ever, and my first "real" bass; I bought it with my first paycheck on a whim. I've always been into alt/folk stuff (think Shakey Graves, The Lumineers, etc.), and I thought to play that type of music I had to have an acoustic bass.
I kind of regret the purchase, but I don't have the heart to sell it either. I play it the least of the three, but I think it'd be good in a college setting because 1) I wouldn't bring my amp 2) I'd be able to play it outside (for maximum tool status) and 3) it wouldn't be so loud that it'd disturb my peers. I'd still be upset if something happened to it, but it's my least expensive (and least favorite) bass, so it wouldn't be as heartbreaking as losing the Ibby/Gretsch. However, it would inhibit my ability to play out in most settings.
I'm not counting the Fender out, but I'm leaning towards either the Gretsch or the Ibanez; both are able to achieve the tone I enjoy, they're both comfortable to play (the Ibanez has a slight edge), and they're also both fairly versatile in terms of what genres they could fit into.
Oh, and please don't suggest I buy a "beater" bass like a Squier/SX/used MIM Fender etc. Normally I'd be all for the GAS fuel, but it was hard justifying a third bass to my parents, so they definitely wouldn't be on board with a fourth...plus I need money for textbooks.
Sorry for the wall of text, and thanks for your suggestions!
) I'll give a bit of relevant background information first, but if you want to skip that and go straight to the issue I won't be offended. Background
I just graduated high school in June, and in a little less than a month I will be moving to Pennsylvania to continue my education at the Pennsylvania State University (College Park, the main campus). I got my dorm assignment last month and, as expected, the room I'll be staying in is pretty tiny (15X11 to be exact), and I'll be sharing it with one other person. Because space is limited I'll only be bringing one bass with me
crying, and I figured I'd ask TB to help me make the decision. I'm not majoring in anything music related at Penn State, so I don't technically need to bring a bass with me...but I really want to. I'm planning on trying to get into the local college music scene, or at the very least keeping my skills up to par.Okay, it's time to get to the good stuff...
The Basses
As you can see, I have the three basses pictured above (and hard cases for each of them): a Gretsch short scale/hollowbody (the correct model name is so long and hard to remember that I won't bother putting it down here), an Ibanez SR600, and a Fender Kingman (acoustic/electric).
The Gretsch was my most recent purchase (my graduation present to myself), as well as the most expensive. I really enjoy playing it; everything about it (the tone, playability, looks) is on point and it's the closest I've ever been (so far) to falling in love with a bass. It's also (currently) the third most expensive thing I own (the first two being my laptop and the used car I bought two months ago), so I'm obviously a little bit nervous about bringing it into an unfamiliar setting and having it damaged or stolen.
The Ibanez was (and still kind of is) my main player, mostly because I'm afraid of damaging the Gretsch in any way. As with the Gretsch, I see no problems with this bass; it's comfortable to play (more so than the Gretsch even, because of the thinner neck), the EQ helps me achieve a good sound, and I like the aesthetics (even though she's not quite as pretty as her younger sister, haha). I'd be a little less nervous about bringing it to college, and it would serve my intentions just fine.
The Fender is a bit of an odd ball; it was my second bass ever, and my first "real" bass; I bought it with my first paycheck on a whim. I've always been into alt/folk stuff (think Shakey Graves, The Lumineers, etc.), and I thought to play that type of music I had to have an acoustic bass.
I kind of regret the purchase, but I don't have the heart to sell it either. I play it the least of the three, but I think it'd be good in a college setting because 1) I wouldn't bring my amp 2) I'd be able to play it outside (for maximum tool status) and 3) it wouldn't be so loud that it'd disturb my peers. I'd still be upset if something happened to it, but it's my least expensive (and least favorite) bass, so it wouldn't be as heartbreaking as losing the Ibby/Gretsch. However, it would inhibit my ability to play out in most settings.I'm not counting the Fender out, but I'm leaning towards either the Gretsch or the Ibanez; both are able to achieve the tone I enjoy, they're both comfortable to play (the Ibanez has a slight edge), and they're also both fairly versatile in terms of what genres they could fit into.
Oh, and please don't suggest I buy a "beater" bass like a Squier/SX/used MIM Fender etc. Normally I'd be all for the GAS fuel, but it was hard justifying a third bass to my parents, so they definitely wouldn't be on board with a fourth...plus I need money for textbooks.
Sorry for the wall of text, and thanks for your suggestions!
...but probably not.
