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Why do you own so many basses?

#141
That's a good question. I really don't need all these basses, but I seem to attract more. I liken it to having a good set up golf clubs or firearms for hunting. Each has its specialty, and it's good to have the right tool for the job.

In my case, it's partly because I have a thing for oddball instruments. It's fun to rescue neglected / abused basses that still have something to offer. A few Peaveys and MIJ copies came into my orbit that way. Plus, there are some duplicates of basses I really like and want to experience with pressurewound, flatwound, and tapewound strings. Others I picked up to restore and pass on, and I haven't been arsed to make ads for them. Plus, I don't really need to sell them - except now the guest room closet is completely taken up with basses, and that's kind of ridiculous.

There's also the pull of not wanting to pass up a good deal. I'm looking at a Steinberger Spirit locally that's only $200. I don't need it, but damn.

TLDR: I just kinda snuck up on me.
 
#143
Different situations call for different tools. Playing mostly musical theater, I get calls for different instruments. Currently I have 4 electrics an upright and a Kala U-Bass. From the early ‘70s to about 15 years ago my absolute main electric was my ‘65 Jazz. Starting about 20 years ago, shows began calling for notes below E. I put a Hipshot D tuner on the Jazz, but eventually realized I needed a 5 string.

It took me a couple of years until I was able to find a Roscoe Beck V, the closest thing I could get to my Jazz but with a low B.

Also, about 20 or more years ago, there were more calls for fretless. I got a Fender Acoustic/Electric Precision fretless that fit the bill, and was a somewhat reasonable approximation of upright when pit space was too tight. I worked on using an E-bow for faux arco sounds for over a year at home before using it on a gig, but with a lot of practice and technique, I was able to reasonably cover many arco passages with the A/E fretless. Then, there began calls for 5 string fretless. I got my Turner Renaissance fretless V ( the E-bow, of course, doesn’t work on the TI Acousticore strings).

The actual best emulator, by far, of an amplified pizz upright is the Kala U-bass with Pahoehoe strings. I tried one out in Honolulu maybe 20years ago and liked it, but felt that at $800 or more was too expensive for what might just be a toy. When they came out with the Exotic Mahogany model at about $400, I purchased one taking a chance that it wasn’t just a toy. I soon realized that it was a fine legitimate instrument in its own right. I don’t use it in the pit that much, but do on pop, and corporate/banquet gigs quite often, especially cocktail hour type stuff when I don’t bring my upright.

My upright, a ‘39 Kay, I got from the proverbial little old lady whose, now deceased, husband had played it in Army bands during World War II. It had been sitting up in her attic for years. She wanted to give it to me, but I felt I had to give her something. So, I paid her $25 for it back in the ‘70s, which actually was a lot of money for a destitute grad student back then. Over the years, I’ve invested in repairs and set ups, and it stills serves its purpose in theater pits and Jazz gigs very well, although I would never use it as an orchestral bass.

That is the reason that I have multiple basses.
 
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#147
I guess it’s because I get obsessed with things I get interested in. For example, I have an American P Bass with flats. Parts P Bass with roundwounds. Squier P Bass with pressurewounds. Mini P Bass with flats. I only need one but most of them were dirt cheap, which alleviates the guilt. I gave away the cheap 5 string Jazz type because I don’t like the jazz sound or 5 strings at all. I’m unfortunately the same way with old cowboy revolver replicas…
 
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#148
I always had 3...a good 4 string, a good 5 string, and a backup 5 string. The models might have changed, but that was what i allowed myself to have at one time. Since the pandemic, I've realized that i missed too many of the bases i sold to keep that strict number. I'm not in my 20s anymore and i have a good career where i can spend some money without impacting the family, so i decided to collect.

I now have 14 basses - a Spector Coda 5 to fill the jazz bass slot, a Sandberg VM5 to fill the P bass slot, and a highly modded Ray25CA to cover the Stingray sound. The rest are a variety of Spector 5s, all with different pickup configurations/scale lengths/bolt-ons vs neck thrus/USAs/Euros/Korean basses. They work for me ergonomically and are very customizable, so that's what i stick with. I think I'm done with Spectors (although i may sell a few off to get the right NS-5XL).
 
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#152
Because I like to play them, build them, and I gig a lot.

I have 5 5-strings that I gig regularly and they have different purposes (pickups/electronics varied) 3 of those are headless, and amazing.

Then for the other 5, in the studio I have a 6-string that I refinished and used to gig when that was appropriate. 2 5-strings that are unique, not made anymore and are fun to play (e.g. - Status Streamline 5). I have a headless with piezo that I’ve removed the fingerboard and replacing with fretless (upright tones?). And another headless 5 that I built as a fretless that I’ve removed the fingerboard and swapping that for a fretted fingerboard.

I haven’t played 4s in 20yrs but have a new tribute project just starting so I picked up a road worn Jazz 4 for that project (that’s about the look). I bought another jazz for the project but don’t like it as much so that will get sold off.

Oh, and I have 3 more headless scratch builds that I’m currently working on in my Makerbarn. And those all have unique electronics configurations and pickup locations. They will all see stage time as well once complete.

So right now, 15 that all have a purpose… and one of those will leave soon.
 
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#153
I have 15 basses and my goal is 18 before I quit collecting them. I'm more of a collector now than a musician/bassist. I haven't played in a live, gigging band since 2003 and frankly I don't miss it. I'm not religious, so I don't play for church groups.... and got tired of playing Hard to Handle and Enter Sandman for a bunch of drunks at dive bars. I've learned to do very basic work on basses like neck adjustments, nut filing, bridge saddle adjustments, etc. All the basses I've bought have been new and none of them required major repair like fret work, etc.... so I've been lucky.

There's so many reasons to "collect" basses. There's more diversity in bass guitar than electric guitar, IMO. Passive basses, active basses. 4-string basses, 5-string basses, 6-string basses, 8/12/15-string basses with drone strings, Contemporary basses, Classic basses, Fretless basses, basses with 20, 21, 22 and 24 frets, basses with short, medium and long scales, P/J basses, Bart basses, Single "P" pickups, dual single "J" pickups, semi-holow basses, acoustic basses,... the list goes on and on.

The average person does not understand my need to collect bass guitars. I don't care. It makes me happy.

Next on my collection list: Gibson Thunderbird Rex Brown Signature with hipshot drop D, Schecter Stargazer 12-string, Eastwood Magnum (Ovation replica)
 
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#156
I'm back up to 16 bass guitars, down from a high of 24.....

I like all the pretty colors
Because I can afford it
Because I'm a weirdo
I like having a backup of each model
I like having "one with rounds, one with flats"
I'm a Gemini, so I need at least 2 of everything :)

Edit to add:
GAS is incurable.... it goes away for a while but always comes back....for me at least
Talkbass is the biggest bunch of enablers :)
I have more watches than bass guitars and amps combined - I have 3 motorcycles and 2 vehicles (car & truck)...
I have several long boxes filled with comic books I collected since the late 70's when I was a kid
I'm just a collector overall
 
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#158
Some great answers here! 😁
My honest answer is that I've been buying basses for 30 years and, while I certainly have sold some, I've had a harder time letting go of my basses than buying additional ones. When I go to sell, I remember why I bought them in the first place.
I have, however, identified six or eight that I plan to part with.
 
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#159
As far as i am concerned, i moved from Spain to France in July 2024 and had to sell off most of what i had. Only kept a Cort B5 Element OPTB that was already waiting for me in France.
Then i found deals on basses that i loved the looks of: ESP-LTD STREAM 205 in Snow White and an Ibanez TMB400TA-CBS.
Then during Black Friday, got myself a Squier Sonic Bronco in order to turn it into some sort of Musicmaster just because i like the looks of those basses but not the price tag. Those three new basses were bought new in December and January.
Total of 4 basses and i don't gig but play them constantly..

GAS list:
- Sire P7 5-string Swamp Ash Sunburst with maple fretboard
- Sire V7 5- string Alder Lake Placid Blue with rosewood fretboard
 

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