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Why Not Just One Bass?

#101
One is surely sufficient to make music but many of us are hobbyists. For me half the fun is being able to discover and make different sounds as well as doing mods. I think it would be easier for a guitar player to get by with one axe.

With bass you have 4/5/6 strings, frets/fretless, solid/hollow, electric/acoustic, roundwounds/flatwounds, singles/humbuckers. Technically speaking there are 96 possible combinations of those choices. Oops, I forgot short/long scale so make that 192 possible combinations. :-)

Having said that, I'm starting to think enough is enough for me. I have an HH Ray 4 as my primary and it will make just about any tone anyone could want. But, for variety I have inexpensive versions of some of the other major types: one fretless, one acoustic, one short scale, one 5, and two Squiers (a P and a J) that are my main tinkering platforms - they spend more time on the bench than connected to an amp. So in one sense I have seven but tend to think of it as one of each kind.
 
#102
countbassiedad said:
One is surely sufficient to make music but many of us are hobbyists. For me half the fun is being able to discover and make different sounds as well as doing mods. I think it would be easier for a guitar player to get by with one axe.
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Just like bass players, I've seen many guitarists who use only one, I've seen many who have a few, I've seen many who have dozens. But rare is the guitarist who doesn't at least have an electric and an acoustic. I don't even play guitar on gigs except 3 or 4 times a year and I have an electric and acoustic.
 
#104
JimmyM said:
Just like bass players, I've seen many guitarists who use only one, I've seen many who have a few, I've seen many who have dozens. But rare is the guitarist who doesn't at least have an electric and an acoustic. I don't even play guitar on gigs except 3 or 4 times a year and I have an electric and acoustic.
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That is a good point ... and although I make do with just two basses, I do get the urge to indulge - in other instruments. Gretsch electric guitar, Martin acoustic, Nord keyboard, a tenor sax, cheap drumkit... I mostly gig on bass and keys, rarely on guitar, never on the others - but I like having them around.
 
#105
When I was a teen to early 20s I had a bunch of basses. About 5 years ago I unloaded all but two. They sorta became more of a burden than anything as I only played one of them. I still use only my Ric pretty much. My 90s Pbass 60s RI was my first bass so I've kept it. I'm really a one bass guy.

I sold a 1969 Gibson EB-3L, a newer Hofner beatle (the nice one), a 62' RI Jazz bass, most notably.
 
#106
Dr. Cheese said:
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.
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You are you, I am me and that is that and this is this or something.
 
#108
The way I see it, it's justifiable to own two or more basses because:

A) Different priorities (e.g. I don't need another bass right now, so I rather spend cash on a decent amplifier; still some other bassist may think he needs another bass for certain things, like a "modern-sounding, active bass if he has none)

B) Different tones (self-explanatory)

C) Different scales, which may open possibilities of playability (e.g. a shorter scale for easier lead basslines)

D) Personal preferences: some may prefer to have one or two, some may prefer to have fifty (I'm not kidding, I've read some TB-ers have that many).

E) As the OP said, depends on the type of musician you are: hobbyist, semi-pro, gigging pro, recording pro, all of them

F) Different tunings/ different number of strings. I have two basses because I want to convert one to BEAD, so I can play most of the songs I like (many which need that low B, or at least a low D, and I don't have to detune a bass every time I need a different tuning)

G) All of the above (and then some)

Many before me probably have mention one or all of the aforementioned points, so it only serves to support those points.

Point is: there is no right or wrong with this issue. Whomever has the cash and desire to have tons of basses is free to do whatever they please.
 
#109
I play 3 church services a week (and have for the last 3 years or so), and we do a weekly band practice. That's it lately. I have one bass. My next will be a fretless. I have two in mind after that and that's it. An upright would be great. I've played bass over 25 years and never had more than one at a time. My aging has increased by desire to grow, thus the fretless. TB has shown me the same things as the OP. Life is life, and to each his own -- in a good sense.

We're doing old-school standards for Christmas (tons of non-religious songs, actually, this time) so I slapped a set of flats on and I switched to passive too. My Carvin LB70P does great for the musician I am - with massively flexible electronics. Without that flexibility a second would be practical. I could easily see 1-4 basses.

But what about amps, heads, cabinets? :D
 
#110
Just thought id chime in on this one... currently I have a fair amount of basses although the prices reflect why.
My main bass is an Ibanez SR5005E, great bass and I love it although its probably going away soon since I miss having a 6er.
Aside from that though I have two SX jazz 4's, one with rounds and one with tapewounds, I also have an SX P that is fretless with duncan pups and a very cheap Yamaha xxx170 4 string fretted with very old flats and some dimarzio pups.

So basically my main bass was $2500 and all of the others were under $150 each. They cover the tones I was missing well enough to satisfy my needs and what I wish to spend on basses. If I wasnt into things on two wheels and I didnt buy a Cervelo and a Triumph last year I would probably have bought some more basses but the fact is that what I have meets my needs..... although I will probably ditch that soundgear for a six string.
Some day Id love to upgrade my cheapo's and just get a nice fretless and probably a Lull jazz bass but that is just a want. not a need.
 
#111
jmattbassplaya said:
At one point in time I owned over 15 basses. I eventually realized how silly I was for owning that many, and I ended up selling off most of them. I now own four basses and am much happier with that amount. In fact, I'm actually selling off one of them because four basses even seems like too much for me. It's funny but I actually find more passion and desire to play when I only own a few pieces of gear as opposed to a lot.
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+100% you focus on the playing rather than the stuff. You really only need one or two basses (yes, a jazz and pbass) and get crazy and add an extra string if you must. All the rest is largely inadable on a stage.

Once you have the above, all reasonable fine tuning can be done with good amp equalizing.

In the studio however maybe you want something with alternate strings (eg flats)

Now if you add a good preamp with passive bypass to either of the above (j-retro, p-retro) its hard to justify not being happy with two instruments (or one instrument like a Musicman Big Al).:bassist:
 
#112
I own one Marcus Miller 5 with a Warmoth body, one Eastman upright.
like you i play at church and i play in my daughters project band and a jazz band.
i use to own a bunch of basses from Fodera to Fender .
To each his own but as I age I become more pragmatic.
 
#113
Here's another thought: for those concerned about not having cash for another bass (but want to have one), or about the environment/ resources (because each new bass requires wood and stuff), or simply about other people having more basses (but secretly want to try more basses), here is a possible solution.

RENT IT. In fact, that's what I'm thinking of doing. I might sell my MIM Fender because I'm a hobbyist and I might not justify OWNING it. I could use the money for an amp (and a couple cabinets, a small one for home and a big one for band practice) and to upgrade my Squier CV, and rent another one as a backup. In one store I can get a decent Fender for as low as $30 a month. And I can return it every time I want without being concerned about losing money if I sell it.
 
#114
countbassiedad said:
One is surely sufficient to make music but many of us are hobbyists. For me half the fun is being able to discover and make different sounds as well as doing mods. I think it would be easier for a guitar player to get by with one axe.

With bass you have 4/5/6 strings, frets/fretless, solid/hollow, electric/acoustic, roundwounds/flatwounds, singles/humbuckers. Technically speaking there are 96 possible combinations of those choices. Oops, I forgot short/long scale so make that 192 possible combinations. :-)

So in one sense I have seven but tend to think of it as one of each kind.
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This is exactly the point. "One of each kind!". It all boils down to what are you interested in at the moment? You can't learn something new if you don't woodshed it to some degree and you can't go to the woodshed if you don't own the instrument. And given my wide-ranging interests in new things all the time, I'd point out you forgot 7 string plus doubled basses like 8/12/ 10/15 string, not to mention high end vs bar basses! And of course there is "modern" vs "old school". As long as people are thinking up new ways of building basses that I might be interested in playing, then there are basses to buy to learn on. Of course if they aren't my thing, then I can just get rid of them, but often I DO see a musical place where they would work and when I do, I keep them.

And I assure you guitars are no better. Hey, I"m no guitar pro and mostly play bottleneck open tunings to accompany my blues singing. So what do I have? resonator in metal, resonator in wood, biscuit resonator, spider resonator, tricone resonator. Electric solid, electric hollow body, acoustic. Acoustic 12 string, Robot tuned, Hipshot tuned, 7 string, plus the LP and strat I built myself from kits! And most of them are tuned to various open tunings. And this doesn't even count the pedal board, amps and recording crap!

Oh but do my interests stop there? No. You forgot I also play drums. Have THREE drumsets, plus drumframe. And I play percussion: All manner of Congas, Djembes, Dun Duns and suitcases full of "toys". I studied piano for years so there is my grand piano at my mother's house. (still suck on keys) and that doesn't count my ukes and other misc. stuff. Have I overdone it? Well, maybe just a bit, but hey, I've "lived" with ALL of it and hence I now DO know a thing or two about what all of it can do musically... and get this: I STILL really haven't learned anywhere near to "it all" and never will. Nobody ever does!

And finally let me add that I also own a banjo! And I can truthfully say that NOBODY ever needs more than ONE banjo! :D
 
#116
I have 10 right now with 4 or 5 up for sale as I don't really need that many. I don't "really" need to sell those 4 or 5 either so I'm not in any rush. If someone is interested and wants to buy one that's fine. If not then I'll play it for a while longer. Participating and reading about basses here on TB stimulates gas and I end up buying a bass out of curiosity because the price is too good to pass up. I often prowl ebay and throw in ridiculously low ball bids on something that I'm gassing over, and occasionally I win and pick up stoopidly cheap deals on Amazon.

Now if I can only find a way to balance basses coming in vs basses going out....
 
#120
spade2you said:
Too many musicians are "why guys". It may come off as condescending, but if you have to ask, you probably won't get it no matter how well it's explained.

The second you change your answer to "why not", you've already got it.

There are many great tones out there. I've met more tones I like than I don't like.
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Why not one? My point is not that multiple basses don't have advantages; that is undeniable. My point is that for many bassists, one bass does what we need, and we really are pretty happy with just one. I will certainly buy a second sometime next year, if not sooner. It's just that I am quite happy with only one, and if I had to stay at one for a while, I was would not feel deprived.
 

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