Why do you own so many basses?

[Greenman72]

So....if you can only play one at a time, why do you own more than one?

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For me: I had a cheap beginner 4-string with PJ pickups. (1 bass)

I thought I wanted to start playing a 5-string, so I bought an (otherwise identical) 5-string. (2 basses)

Then I thought "hey--I like humbucker pickups better". So I bought 4-string HH. (3)

Then I thought "hey--I should get a 5-string HH." (4)

Then my bass teacher died (TB's own Michael Stanley. RIP.), and gave me one of his. (5 basses)

Then I learned that my favorite band, Type O Negative, tuned their instruments to B-standard. So I bought a 4-string tuned to BEAD. (6 basses)

Then I learned that not all songs are in standard tuning, so I bought another 4-string HH that I could use in alternative tunings, like C# standard. (7 basses)

Then I found a 1980 model Aria Pro II on Reverb. Since I'm a 1980 model, I just thought I'd go ahead and buy it. No real reason why. (8 basses)

An Esh Stinger I (the "Peter Steele" bass) popped up on Reverb, and since I'm a huge TON fan, I snagged it. (9 basses)

I liked the Esh so much that I bought another one. This one is EADG tuning. (The other one is in BEAD tuning.) (10 basses)

I bought a 5-sting fanned-fret bass, but don't like it. It's about to get traded in for a 5-string version of the Esh Stinger 1. (11 basses)

I bought a cheap "travel bass" from a friend. It's a piece of junk, so I don't really mind if it gets dinged a little bit. (12 basses)

I bought a jazz bass, because every "real bassist" needs a jazz bass. Now it's got flats on it. (13 basses)

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So that's it. 13 basses. I think I'm in "one in, one out" territory now.

 

[NL_Bsss65]

Because I can

 

[lug]

My wife asked me that once. I asked her why she needed so many necklaces as she only has 1 neck (whilst reminding her her birthday was coming up and a new neclace was under consideration). It was like a lightbulb went off.

 

[murphy]

For me ....COVID Pandemic happened

 

[Peteyboy]

My wife asked me that once. I asked her why she needed so many necklaces as she only has 1 neck (whilst reminding her her birthday was coming up and a new neclace was under consideration). It was like a lightbulb went off.

Oh, she's only got the one? My ex was a real hydra.

 

[onda'bass]

They are all different from strings to frets. I don’t have a repetitive instrument, just 5 unique setups.

 

[JRA]

if you can only play one at a time, why do you own more than one?

the whole time i played for a living i had one (sometimes two ). the only reason i have more than one these days = fun!

i have seven playable axes ATM...so i'm having a lot of fun!

 

[DCErik]

I was a 'one-bass-at-a-time' guy from '79 to 2001 before I went on sabbatical for 25 years, but now that I'm back and have the 'excellent insurance' of the Olds I'm starting to assemble a stable!

 

[lowfreqgeek]

In a bygone era, I was active in many bands, genres, studio sessions, churches, and other gigs where I was using all kinds of gear at any given time. The classic Americana/Country band didn't need a 6-string, but loved the P bass. The bluegrass band needed upright. The jazz trio was upright, a lot of fretless, and the fretted 6. Most of the studio sessions were a Jazz, P, a hollowbody, a fretless 5, and a good fretted 5 string like a Yamaha BB5000A. The rock bands often needed a modern 5 string a la Spector and maybe a Jazz, and I used a fretless G&L L2500 a lot.

Sometimes you find a great deal on something, or you're given a gift, or you just find a bass that works better for something you're doing. I do have a hard time letting things go - ether due to sentimental value or laziness. I need to sell a few things off that are more periferal to my arsenal, but I need to dress some frets, change strings, etc.

For me ....COVID Pandemic happened

I was the opposite; when covid happened and most of my gigs dried up, I already had too much gear. I've sold one bass and acquired 2 since 2020. Oddly enough, all three were PJ 5 strings.

 

[GretschWretch]

Too much unexpected discretionary income. Too much indiscretion spending it.

 

[OMpZoNE]

The basses on my avatar are my collections, they stay in the hard case.
And my Edwards E-T-170BD(5string) and my Yamaha BB434(4string), are the basses for daily practicing.

 

[Lenny JG]

Because they all sound and feel different.

 

[Whale]

Although I would definitely earn more through other investments, I slowly collect basses that I have always lusted after.

If I'm to be honest, collecting instruments isn't exactly what I expected. Some of my basses are expensive, sought after vintage models. While you might assume they represent the "gold standard" in terms of tone and playability, many of my reissue versions sound much better.

I justify it all by letting my wife know the basses are a form of a savings account. After I kick the bucket she can sell them for a fair profit and do whatever she pleases with the funds.

 

[Peteyboy]

I have 5 kinda mid basses and sometimes I consider selling them all and buying one high-end model.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I only had one bass for many years. Until that ill fated "night I had an issue" and I bought a backup.

Then my son wanted to paint one of my basses for a high school project. It was a first so it was going to take time. In order to have a backup bass at gigs I got a third.

Then in the last couple years our older daughter wanted to paint one for dad.

So I have 4. 2 Musicmasters and 2 Mustangs. I'm not searching for a huge library of tonal variety and know what I like. All single coil, all passive, all short scale, all same strings and straps. I just like the variety and play them all.

 

[lomo]

Because approximately 200K years of evolution have resulted in cerebral firmware that urges us to hunt & gather......gathering shiny new things pleases deeply primitive instincts and is difficult to resist, even when logic dictates the gathering is fruitless. Mea culpa. I have 6 but can only rationalize 2. I keep it at 6 via a 1 in/ 1 out rule. 6 is a number I can easily store and all 6 get reasonably regular play time. Wurx 4 me.

 

[msb]

It kinda happened over time , there’s twenty something. I plan to slightly trim things down. Too many amps too.

 

[Lenny JG]

I played 2 of mine already and it's only 9am

 

[KenD]

Curiosity.

 

[bholder]

'cause I'm crazy. Certifiable Nutjob. But I'm happy!