Why have so many basses?

[Old Garage-Bander]

you only need one or two basses to become a good or great bass player.

you only need one or two basses to become a good or great bass player.

you only need one or two basses to become a good or great bass player.

Better check your turntable, the record is skipping.

 

[ghostinthemach]

I def agree with your sentiments and although this topic has been beaten to death,I often keep coming back to the same question, myself. Obviously it's a deeply personal question, and the answer is different for everyone. I think it boils down to the fact that I love a certain era of guitars and basses. Particularly designs from the 50s-70s. It's just fun to play and collect different guitars. I've reached a place in my life where I am fortunate enough to splurge once in a while on a nice instrument. As a result, I have accumulated quite a few over the years.

Is it excessive? Perhaps. Am I a pro gigging musician? Absolutely not. But having the option to plug in a wide variety of instruments when I get home from work in the evening gives me a nice feeling. I try to bond with all instruments I own on some level. Others are just case queens that I am proud to own and bust out every so often. Call it stupid, I guess.

When I was broke, I played an Mim jazz bass for about 10 years and was content. It was my only functional bass. Maybe that has something to do it that too...

Sorry for the rambling, been a long day.

My story is very similar, except I still play in front of an audience about 10 times a month. The bands/situations are wildly divergent so most basses get used out of 16 just for the ability to match to a project. Only one is truly vintage (1968).
I also owned only 1-2 fairly inexpensive basses for much of a 48 year experience.
Now that I can afford more, I’ve indulged, but, I have never spent more than 2k on any bass. That seems to be my personal maximum. I AM having lots of fun with the variety, but have considered selling one or two lately.

 

[MordBass]

Certainly not to be judgemental or come across superior in any way.other but i often wonder why do so many people own so many expensive basses when they can hardly play one? maybe i am missing something here, but it just seems pointless and a waste. is it perhaps an insecurity thing . you know the more great basses you have will make you a better player? also it would stand to reason that a serious player would want to "bond" with one instrument and get to know it intimately. i would think that is important. in my first years i had one good 80s fender precision bass that was with me for many bands clubs and gigs. i didn't need 10 basses. was just wondering what others thought.

For me its about writing and recording.
Ill come up with very different lines if Im jamming at home on my 6 string.... vs my P bass..... vs my Thunderbird.... vs fretless etc.
Its about having different tools for the job. I'm in a rock band that gets pretty funky/fusionish..... and Im in a black metal band that basically requires tremelo picking through a wall of guitars for every song. Aside from those, Im in a nu metal band that is recording another album soon and theres a lot of slapping but no use of a low B or high C.... but I also do the occasional tracking for some hiphop friends and I LOVE jamming a lot of jazzy stuff at home.
Could I do it all on one bass? Yea, but then I'm compromising and why compromise when you are spending good money and tons of time on recordings and performances?
Then you also get into live playing where for one band I wear a bullet belt and a bunch of spiked gauntlets. I dont mind my epiphone or jackson getting all beat up because they were cheap. But my Zon or Lull? Hellllllll no Im not bringing those out while wearing all that stuff.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

you only need one or two basses to become a good or great bass player.

So people who are good, or great only need one, or two basses?
And people who don't play well seem to have larger collections of basses.
By that logic, if I were to sell mine, and have none, I'd be the best in the world.
Genius, absolute genius.

 

[JimmyM]

you only need one or two basses to become a good or great bass player.

So what? If it makes the person happy to have a lot of basses, what's it to you?

 

[Lefty4string]

Did i say everyone who has a bunch of instruments is compensating? i say a good majority are like it or not.

 

[Lefty4string]

And if i have an opinion on it what is it to you?

 

[MordBass]

I'm reminded of this dude who posts videos of himself playing guitar really well in his parents' basement on a rig that runs in the thousands.
Why doesn't that guy move out of his parents' house?
This is essentially the kind of question you're asking.

Could be a ton of reasons to be honest. I have a friend that lives at home because he helps take care of his dad. Additionally, he is an only child and will inherit the house so why throw away tons of money in the meantime just to say you have your own place and then move back anyways. Especially when he'd have to stop by there twice a day anyways . Some people are just culturally different when it comes to that sort of thing.
On the flipside... I also know a bunch of guys that are stupid good but only play at home. The reason almost all of them give is because it would be a massive pay cut to start touring or playing professionally and I agree with them. If you're making 100k/year and get to see your family/friends whenever you want and sleep in your own bed and buy all the gear you want.... then you are both successful and a musician.

 

[jd56hawk]

Better check your turntable, the record is skipping.

Sure. of course you should have a few tools of the "trade" i own 3 Jazz, a precision 78, and a MM 5 string.

Especially since he says you only need one or two but cleary doesn't adhere to his own rule.

 

[gln1955]

I agree with you. i have no problem with players who have a few instruments to round out a a toolkit. think my problem is with just less than mediocre players who compensate buy hoarding . just pointing out a truth.

Nope, not judgemental at all.

You've yet to explain how this is a problem outside of your little envious mind.

 

[MordBass]

Did i say everyone who has a bunch of instruments is compensating? i say a good majority are like it or not.

Compensating?? Or just exercising their financial abilities. If you love basses, you love basses... why wouldnt you buy more if you can afford it? Unless of course you are married and "not allowed" to.

 

[nostatic]

maybe i am missing something here, but it just seems pointless and a waste. is it perhaps an insecurity thing .

kinda like posting topics designed to get a rise out of people in an internet forum...

 

[Lefty4string]

Your accusations are just too far removed to take seriously.

 

[Lefty4string]

A little controversy is good sometimes. gets the blood flowing.

 

[cheechi]

as a lefty, isn't there any instrument you want to try out but can't find a store anywhere that has one for you?
That's my primary reason. I do research, decide if something is worth buying and what its street value is, and if I don't like something I bought I sell it. Because of the lefty market being what it is, you have to consider any profit/loss separately than other instruments. I look at it as a sort of 'rental fee'.

To date I have sold one instrument and given away two.

My several basses are a combination of rarity (lefty) variety (different tunings, different strings, different pickups) and if there is some 'underdog' (for lack of a better way to describe it) factor like my 80's Peaveys & Ibanez. My next target is a late 70s or early 80s Aria Pro II like Cliff had.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

if i have an opinion on it what is it to you?

It was none of our concern until you posted it here on an international forum with a lot of players (or collectors) who fit your description.
You wouldn't walk into a room full of dudes wearing man buns & skinny jeans & proclaim loudly that you hate hipsters, would you?

A little controversy is good sometimes.

Not when it's the same tired old question.

 

[JimmyM]

Your accusations are just too far removed to take seriously.

Yes, it's us and not you.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

and again, why not 3 or 4, or more?
and what if they don't expect to become great?

If you're going to say 1 OR 2, then why not more?
You really only need one!

I should cross post this in the Meme-an-avatar thread, but I'll wait until I have a larger collection of them.

 

[Christcr]

Certainly not to be judgemental or come across superior in any way.other but i often wonder why do so many people own so many expensive basses when they can hardly play one? maybe i am missing something here, but it just seems pointless and a waste. is it perhaps an insecurity thing . you know the more great basses you have will make you a better player? also it would stand to reason that a serious player would want to "bond" with one instrument and get to know it intimately. i would think that is important. in my first years i had one good 80s fender precision bass that was with me for many bands clubs and gigs. i didn't need 10 basses. was just wondering what others thought.

If we are only discussing really poor players who own twenty-seven gazillion high-end basses, I think some of the more popular reasons might be:

1) Compensation. Like a little tiny guy who buys the great big battleship of a truck. It makes them feel better about their "ability."

2) Even though they are not really good players, they are really into the music scene and want to be a part of it or feel they belong. You know, "Hey, check that guy out, he owns a fifty thousand dollar Fodera." As long as the gang never hears him play, he's golden.

3) Just something interesting to collect. I own over a dozen kerosene/oil lamps. I don't use them all that often, but I think they are cool and I have a hard time not buying one when I see it if it's really pretty and really old.

Ultimately... whatever floats your boat. It doesn't bother me at all and it's good for the music industry. If nobody bought those "end tables," the makers wouldn't be in business, and that would be sad because there are some really good craftsmen building basses. And as for the big companies, the more they sell, the more they are going to come up with fun new models and variations. If they are struggling to make ends meet, their selection and quality often goes down (I won't name names).

 

[Toddcaster64]

You’ve blown this thing wide open. For so many years, I fooled people (or at least thought I did) by the fact that I had more than one bass. Where should we turn in our instruments?