How can the number of bass guitars translate into the quality of playing it? What is the goal of having 10 or 20 guitars? Is it just collecting? Investing money? Maybe nostalgia for the time when you couldn't buy it? Honestly, I don't understand...
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why do you have so many guitars
- Thread starter sergeykuimov
- Start date
Musicianship and number of instruments has no correlation. Some folks like to have many basses, who am I to judge, whatever trips your trigger.
Those are some of the reasons. Welcome to TB, how has your first year been? You also joined on my birthday.
I'm down one to nine, and if I sell two more that will leave me with seven. I like collecting them, playing different ones, and tying up my money so I can extract it later. Sometimes at a profit, sometimes not. YMMV, enjoy the journey. There is usually some good stops on the way.Raz
That's right. Some people have the money and enjoy having many instruments, even though they may not get played very often, if at all. As you suggested, they may have a particular instrument because it has sentimental value to them.
For many decades I have been playing, buying, selling, trading and inheriting musical instruments. Some have sentimental value, others are just utility. I actively play a half dozen instruments, a few of each ends up being an obscene total amount of instruments. If anyone asks how many instruments I have, my simple answer is “My wife thinks that I have too many, I think that I have too few, so the obvious answer is TWO.
Just my opinion. Collecting basses is like collecting anything else you like. Lots of folks used to collect beer cans, but signage, model cars, beer steins, whatever are kind of the same thing. You probably get a different level of enjoyment out of basses because you can play them. Oh, and they're more expensive.
As long as it doesn't hurt your overall bottom line financially to survive, more power to anyone who has a whole pile of basses in their collection.
As long as it doesn't hurt your overall bottom line financially to survive, more power to anyone who has a whole pile of basses in their collection.
Why does anyone have more than one of anything?
I just liked having the ability to reach out and grab/play all kinds of different basses.
Story time:
When I was a teen, I ripped last page out of each new Bass Player mag and pinned them on my wall. I had quite the virtual collection, and I gazed at those pictures intensely for years and years.
When I got "older", I actually owned and played most of those basses, and they hung proudly in my music room. It became a collection of a wide variety of basses.
As I got even older, and experienced being the executor of a few complicated estates, I felt I was going to be putting quite a burden on anyone who had to deal with my “collection”, especially since nobody in my immediate orbit is a musician .
I began to fear when I leave this earth, all those amazing instruments would go out with either a garage sale or estate sale, for pennies on the dollar.
So I began last year to find homes for most of them, and I'm just keeping the few I gig regularly. Each sale has been a fair exchange, and with very cool buyers.
I feel pretty good about where I’m at now, but I do miss my “collection” sometimes.
Story time:
When I was a teen, I ripped last page out of each new Bass Player mag and pinned them on my wall. I had quite the virtual collection, and I gazed at those pictures intensely for years and years.
When I got "older", I actually owned and played most of those basses, and they hung proudly in my music room. It became a collection of a wide variety of basses.
As I got even older, and experienced being the executor of a few complicated estates, I felt I was going to be putting quite a burden on anyone who had to deal with my “collection”, especially since nobody in my immediate orbit is a musician .
I began to fear when I leave this earth, all those amazing instruments would go out with either a garage sale or estate sale, for pennies on the dollar.
So I began last year to find homes for most of them, and I'm just keeping the few I gig regularly. Each sale has been a fair exchange, and with very cool buyers.
I feel pretty good about where I’m at now, but I do miss my “collection” sometimes.
So Anyway, it doesn't. In some cases, it might be a hinderance to musical progress because there's more time switching and tweaking instruments than practicing.
I'm in the same boat as Goatrope. I've been fortunate enough to be able to buy some nice instruments and I've enjoyed owning them. In recent years I've sold those that don't get any gig time because it doesn't feel right to own something that's not getting played out in the world. And I don't want to burden my kids with a lot of music stuff that they'll have to sell when I Cross The River.
I need at least 4 Fender p basses. 2 the exact same color. Need a bass to highlight my shirt.
(Just a reminder that i am kidding)
(Just a reminder that i am kidding)
I’m learning to be more minimal in life. I have three basses and I’m happy with that. I can’t see having too many but to each their own.
because bodies tend to smell after a short while
i generally had one or two instruments until 10-12 years ago, so i came to the "bass collection" thing after i had been playing for 35-40 years.
i got into making cheap instruments play like the better instruments i always had. in the past 3-4 years i've enjoyed making parts-basses: seems like i'm always thinking of ways to have 'just one more'!
i don't need one, of course (i have 6-7), but i enjoy putting the parts together and tweaking the creation until i'm satisfied that it's one of the "best" i've played.going from one great instrument to having a collection of 4-5 great instruments is its own reward, but it keeps me thinking, sometimes keeps me busy, and always keeps me satisfied: they just play so well!
also, since they all have slightly different necks, i'm rewarded with "new" every time i pick one up to play it. so i have fun rotating them in and out of my playing experience. and playing different fretless necks is just huge fun!
however, if you're making the point that "we only need one" = i agree with you!
but i'll keep my collection, "my stable." 
To me, it depends on who's doing the collecting. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Tools of the trade. The guys (they're all guys, aren't they?) who have Jack Bruce's 1966 EB3 and etc., ah, just big time Conspicuous Consumption.
I don't have a lot of basses. I have donated a lot, though - I have a small fraction of the basses I've ever owned, the vast majority of the ones I no longer have were donated to local music charities. You don't have to feel bad for me, though - I kept the ones I REALLY like.
I have more than one, because:
1) I gig regularly, and having basses with different vibes helps keep me motivated - being able to play different basses keeps things fresh.
2) I do need backup, so if one is being repaired....more than one is kind of a necessity.
3) I build my own, and to make progress in making myself the perfect bass, whenever I do an experiment, I need a control unit - you cant take apart your only bass, modify it, and then evaluate it vs the previous iteration - your aural memory isn't that good.
4) I post here. Isn't there a rule about having multiple basses just to get on this place? ;-)
I have more than one, because:
1) I gig regularly, and having basses with different vibes helps keep me motivated - being able to play different basses keeps things fresh.
2) I do need backup, so if one is being repaired....more than one is kind of a necessity.
3) I build my own, and to make progress in making myself the perfect bass, whenever I do an experiment, I need a control unit - you cant take apart your only bass, modify it, and then evaluate it vs the previous iteration - your aural memory isn't that good.
4) I post here. Isn't there a rule about having multiple basses just to get on this place? ;-)
Because it's pretty useful to have 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 legs, 2 arms and more than one hair
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
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Doesnt need to be analyzed. Just be happy for your fellow man. Different people enjoy doing different things.
