Why do you have multiple Jazz Basses?

[Slpbass81]

You should always have a backup for your main bass when gigging. It doesn't have to be a Jazz Bass. I have an American P Bass as a backup to my American Jazz bass. I rarely need to use the backup so I wanted to get something different for the recording studio.

 

[7dollarbologna]

You got to have a 60's and a 70's and at least 1 fretless.

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

A 60's and a spare, a 70's and a spare, and for all impractical purposes my Jaguar DeLuxes are active/passive Jazz Basses each with a different pickup spacing (MIJ vs CIJ) which is about 1/2 inch different. Also because you just should. It's science.

 

[pauljude]

I have an original 62 Jazz...a MIJ 76 reissue Jazz...a fretless and a 5 string Jazz...............so yeah, its ok to have 2.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Life is short. I say go for it.

It's like collecting classic muscle cars, but a lot cheaper. If cost isn't an issue then you should buy as many basses (both jazz basses and other types) as you want.

 

[TonyP-]

I feel that J basses have more variance in their perspective personalities then other models.

I have had bunch of them and a have a handful now...

Love them.

 

[armybass]

Yep! Agree totally with Tony.

Active classic 5, passive 4 and a modern active 5. All totally different and all totally lovely!

 

[static0verdrive]

Yep! Agree totally with Tony.
View attachment 565780 View attachment 565781

Active classic 5, passive 4 and a modern active 5. All totally different and all totally lovely!

Beautiful. I'm afraid you need more though, I see no rosewood or passive 5's!

 

[Robroy]

Well, give me some sound reasons so that I can justify buying another J. I have a Geddy with a DiMarzio Area set.

I have two. One is a cool tobacco sunburst with chrome plates over the bridge and pickups. The other is a standard metalic blue. I bought the latter to leave at my friend's house in KY so we could jam when I flew out there. Now that I live in KY it's in my arsenal. I have it because it only cost $109 and I'd rather have it as a backup/practice bass than the $75 I could probably sell it for.

 

[Alan Ace Cooper]

I started playing bass because I saw Verdine White with Earth Wind and Fire playing an Olympic white Fender Jazz Bass on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert show. I am both passionate and obsessed over the Jazz Bass. Other than my Acoustic Electric Bass, ALL of my other 4s and 5s are Jazz Bass shaped.
Fender set:

Devon J5 set:

 

[TonyP-]

The real question is...Why not?
Just ask Mr. Schwarzenegger

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[01FromFinland]

That's as good question as asking someone who has two or more cars 'why are they both/all the same model?'. Maybe because they are good and the user likes them? Besides, like cars, different vintages of JB's sound different the same way that driving an older car feels different to a new one.

 

[Savage_Dreams]

its like clothing. you could get by with only owning 1 tshirt. but dont you like to wear a different color every once in a while?

 

[Big Hoss]

I don't. Actually I have none at all. Not saying I don't want one, or two... but I don't currently have one. I don't see anything wrong with that though...

 

[Vertigo Jones]

Because one's fretted and one's fretless.

 

[TonyP-]

I don't. Actually I have none at all. Not saying I don't want one, or two... but I don't currently have one. I don't see anything wrong with that though...

and there is not...

Play what you like, like what you play...and play nice with others (unless they are paying you to not play nice with them ;-) )

 

[Biggbass]

One is a straight up passive Fender J bass, one is a Fender JP, and one is an active Sadowsky J
If it came down to one it would definitely be the Sadowsky. For one thing it's only 7.5 Lbs which
makes a big diff at gigs.

 

[DavC]

active/passive , rounds/flats , 4 strg / 5 strg , different pups , different fret board materials , fretted/fretless , etc , etc ...

 

[akukulich]

I always want a back-up that at least sounds close to my primary bass. If my primary bass is in the shop or having a problem, I want to be able to take the back-up and not sound like a different bass player. That said, sometimes I like to take a different bass specifically to get different sounds. On some gigs, that's not always appropriate.

 

[VWbug]

Obviously we all think about this occassionally.

No one wants to be looked at like a cat lady or a person that's not "quite right". LOL Perhaps there is a degree of OCD or something there but I've come to wonder if folks that have strong feelings about just having 1 or 2 aren't neccesarilly committed musicians ridding themselves of distractions, but the other side of the same coin of some sort of OCD type behavior where they feel satisfied or less anxious or better about themselves to just have the bare necessity.

Sort of like when folks hate others for dressing real nice so they get attention and then they go WAY overboard to dress as strange as possible in sort of rebellion and get just as much attention drawn to them instead of just grabbing some jeans and a regular shirt and going about their lives.

The analogy is, the folks with a handful of basses are just curious about different possibilities and enjoying a proffession or hobby and are trying to maybe keep it interesting while being responsible with the rest of their lives and are more the person that just says "whatever" and grabs the jeans and comfortable shirt and just gets on with it and enjoying their lives?

I don't know... Maybe I'm way off bass?