Why Not Just One Bass?

[Dr. Cheese]

If I had to get rid of every bass but one, there is no doubt in my mind that my career would continue along as it always has. I almost never bring more than one bass to my gigs (well, more than one electric...I also double on upright on most of them), and when I do, it's mainly to show off the collection or do comparisons in a live environment as I'm not a fan of changing basses in the middle of a show...I have enough to do with the upright. But I'd still want to have two in case one has to visit the shop, and since nobody's forcing me to have only one, I think I'll be keeping all of them But I'm totally behind those of you who are fine with only one. For years, I really only had one good bass, and I kept gigging.

EDIT: Did I post this once before? Apologies if I did.

There is nothing wrong with repeating common sense!

 

[Sputnik Monroe]

I am having an EBMM Sterling modded to be my main gig bass ...
It should be able to closely emulate a Jazz Bass, P Bass and the classic
Ray tones ... Ready in about two weeks. It will be nice to have all the
tones I need in one bass.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I was just thinking about if I could purchase a Warmoth fretless neck and alternate between that and the original neck on my Precision. Does anybody else do that or think about doing that?

Picture this:You're on stage playing a set of songs with your one and only.After the song is finished you step to the mic and say"We're going to take a 15 minute break so I can switch necks so I can play fretless on the next song"Really!Wouldn't a second fretless bass be much more sensible?

 

[drummer5359]

One bass? That's blasphemy!

 

[matthewbrown]

I currently have just one bass, a Peavey TL-5, and it works just fine for what I do. Prior to getting the Peavey, I had a Yamaha TRB5II, and it worked just fine for me too. The bottom line is that I love basses, but I am not a working musician, I just volunteer at a church. Seriously, I don't even practice that much lately. Work and family keeps me pretty busy, and I barely have time to play at all.

Realistically, the collector in me will always want multiple basses, but I am becoming much more comfortable with just owning one bass. I think I am also just getting cheaper. Yesterday, I was checking out the Skyline 55AJ, which is a really nice bass for $1,300, but the more I think about it, I keep thinking why not find another Yamaha or Peavey for $700 or less, and put the extra money to something else?

I know I'm just rambling, but the longer I read TB, the more I feel a need to put my love of bass in its true place: a hobby. When I read here about actual working musicians, I realize that I just am not doing what they are doing, and there is no need for me to have the amount or type of gear that many of them are rocking (I know a bunch of guys who work would be pretty happy with my Peavey and Eden.)

I'm not saying I'm over GAS, or done buying basses. I just feel much less of a need to own expensive gear compared to how I felt years ago. I think TB and age have really made me see things differently.

This is a very reasonable POV, and in keeping with a real understanding of what your relationship to the bass is, I think.

 

[kodiakblair]

Been a while since the Doc started this thread and I hope he's found his CIRRUS 5'er.

I've over 20, completely unnecessary I know. Some are shorties, some have flats, some active or passive, 4 5 or 6 strings,
some tuned different. A couple bought just because they looked good.All get played though,some just for one song.

The family's gone now and the cat don't mind if I get cheap basses and tweak them and the living room sure would look bare
without them. It's my hobby. So why limit myself to just one ?

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Been a while since the Doc started this thread and I hope he's found his CIRRUS 5'er.

I've over 20, completely unnecessary I know. Some are shorties, some have flats, some active or passive, 4 5 or 6 strings,
some tuned different. A couple bought just because they looked good.All get played though,some just for one song.

The family's gone now and the cat don't mind if I get cheap basses and tweak them and the living room sure would look bare
without them. It's my hobby. So why limit myself to just one ?

Sounds like fun to me! No, I don't have a Cirrus five yet.

 

[kodiakblair]

Hey Doc

The CIRRUS five is out there. I got the 4 string version of my Vintage V1005, it's one of the " Just looked good ".
so I went the opposite to yourself.Like my Peavey Grind it's a Mahogany thru neck active, just with a Spalted top.

Doesn't play as well though.

Started working with a new crew this week and none of the fellas batted an eye when they heard I'd 21 basses
but you don't criticize a man swinging a 32oz hammer.

 

[hsech]

I have one gig bass (Gibson SG Standard). I have five basses soon to be six. Two of those six basses will be sold when we get back from a lengthy RV trip. Four basses is a reasonable number IMO since two of them are vintage and I only play them out on rare occasions. I don't really need vintage wall hangers, but they are basses that bring back memories from younger days. Not the particular basses that I own, but ones like them. The two more vintage basses are a 1969 Fender Mustang and a 1984 Hofner 500/1.

 

[forrestgump]

Picture this:You're on stage playing a set of songs with your one and only.After the song is finished you step to the mic and say"We're going to take a 15 minute break so I can switch necks so I can play fretless on the next song"Really!Wouldn't a second fretless bass be much more sensible?

It was really just an idea. The original neck is very good. It still would be interesting, though.