• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Why do you own so many basses?

#201
Greenman72 said:
So....if you can only play one at a time, why do you own more than one?

--------------------

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)

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

Why did you not sell any of the basses 1-7 ?

From your description it does not sound like you're doing much with them.
 
#202
el murdoque said:
Why did you not sell any of the basses 1-7 ?

From your description it does not sound like you're doing much with them.
Click to expand...
Well, I can legitimately say that I actually "need" five of them.
- One (four string) tuned EADG
- one tuned a half-step step below that (D#)
- one tuned two more half-steps below that (C#)
- one tuned two more half-steps below that (B)
- one five-string, tuned BEADG

I also "need" a traveling 4- and 5- string.

I also "need" another 5-string, because I need a P/J and 2x humbuckers.

I also "need" a jazz bass, because everybody needs a jazz bass.

All of those are at home.

-----------------------------

Then I "need" a 4- and 5-string at work to practice with. (I own my own firm and have my own office. So there.)

I also "need" a Peter Steele tribute model. (tuned BEAD, like Peter had it)

I also "need" one tuned to C#, because....I just do.

I "need" a birthday bass for myself and another for my wife.

I "need" to keep the one that Michael Stanely (RIP) gave me, for sentimental reasons.

Now, I have a stand in my office that holds seven more, so now I "need" to fill it up with the colors of the rainbow.


What about this is so difficult to understand?
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: scottycameron, el murdoque and mikeswals
#203
Greenman72 said:
Well, I can legitimately say that I actually "need" five of them.
- One (four string) tuned EADG
- one tuned a half-step step below that (D#)
- one tuned two more half-steps below that (C#)
- one tuned two more half-steps below that (B)
- one five-string, tuned BEADG

I also "need" a traveling 4- and 5- string.

I also "need" another 5-string, because I need a P/J and 2x humbuckers.

I also "need" a jazz bass, because everybody needs a jazz bass.

All of those are at home.

-----------------------------

Then I "need" a 4- and 5-string at work to practice with. (I own my own firm and have my own office. So there.)

I also "need" a Peter Steele tribute model. (tuned BEAD, like Peter had it)

I also "need" one tuned to C#, because....I just do.

I "need" a birthday bass for myself and another for my wife.

I "need" to keep the one that Michael Stanely (RIP) gave me, for sentimental reasons.

Now, I have a stand in my office that holds seven more, so now I "need" to fill it up with the colors of the rainbow.


What about this is so difficult to understand?
Click to expand...
Whoa, there!

This is Talkbass, what's "need" got to do with it???

IMGP2723a.jpg
IMGP2723a.jpg
IMGP2723a.jpg
IMGP2723a.jpg
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: B-Mac, namboy, shirojiro and 3 others
#205
MrAB4003 said:
These are the REAL culprits of GAS that not enough people talk about! Avoiding them is the reason why I don’t have GAS very often.

To answer OP’s question, I currently have 4 basses:
1. 2008 Squier Affinity Jazz Bass - this is my first ever bass and I will never get rid of it. It’s my piccolo bass and I use it for leads, rhythms, and solos like a guitar. It was a gift for my 15th birthday.
2. 2012 Ric 4003 - this is my main bass with rounds. It’s my go to bass for recording.
3. 2022 Ric 4003 - this is my main bass with flats. It has the V2 bridge and a single truss rod.
4. 2021 Fender MIA P Bass - this bass is currently for sale. I don’t play it anymore because it doesn’t feel or sound as good as my other basses (even my Squier!). It's on consignment and not currently in my possession.
Click to expand...
Update - I have "slimmed down" to 3 basses since I last posted here:
1. 2012 Ric 4003 - this is my main bass with rounds. It’s still my go to bass for recording.
2. 2022 Ric 4003 - this is my main bass with flats. It has the V2 bridge and a single truss rod.
3. 2021 Fender American Pro II P Bass - I decided to keep this bass and use it as a backup. It's in my possession and no longer in consignment.

Ironically, the one bass that I thought I would never get rid of is the one that's gone. Last spring, I switched from piccolo bass to guitar for leads, rhythms, and solos. My Squier was giving me hand pain while playing it. And it was becoming too expensive to maintain a $400 bass. When I re-strung my Jazz Bass with regular bass strings, I didn't like the way it sounded compared to my other basses.

So I decided to become a patron of the arts and donate my Jazz Bass to a local school of the arts. I figured that it would be going to a place that would let the teenage students learn, grow, and practice with it the way I did when I was a teenager.
 
  • Like
Reactions: urkel3000, shirojiro, SpankBazz and 1 other person
#207
Greenman72 said:
So....if you can only play one at a time, why do you own more than one?

--------------------

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)

-----------
So that's it. 13 basses. I think I'm in "one in, one out" territory now.
Click to expand...
I was too about 7 basses ago. :laugh:
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Drifter8230
#214
ThudThudThud said:
A hammer, and a flathead screwdriver is not a set of tools.
Sure, it'll get you through some jobs, but be utterly inadequate for others.
At my peak I had:
P with Flats
P with Rounds
J with Flats
J with Rounds
PJ Fretless with Rounds
PJ Fretted Active/Passive with Rounds
ABG with Tapes
No two sounded the same.
Click to expand...
I would argue that i can do 75% of my job with just lineman pliers, a 6" flathead screwdriver and a razor knife. yet i still carry a fully stocked tool bag for the last 25%. so is it more important to you being able to do 75% of your job or 100%? i think thats the real question we should be asking.
 
#216
Technically I only owned (bought) 1 bass, the other 3 were given to me to make payable (Since I'm a bassist I apparently know how to setup, repair and diagnose all problems bass related)

Somehow thanks to TB and YouTube all 3 were made playable, now noone wants them back, so I guess I own 1 bass and foster the rest. Wife seems happy with the arrangement so guess I'm sticking with that excuse
 
#218
Different sounds, different feels. Whatever sounds I want to make I can with my little stable of basses.

Four string Warwick Corvette
Four string Lado
Five string Hamer cruise bass
Six string Yamaha John Myung Music man killer fretless
six string Ibanez SR706FL
Seven string MG extreman fretless

I think I want a 5 string P
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back