Your 3 basses for the most well-rounded stable

[G On Bass]

Any brand (though preferably a Wilkins) PJ5, a 2 pickup fretless and an upright.

 

[ShirazBop]

Fender P5, J5 and a Fender P/J Fretless 4 sting

 

[selowitch]

1. My Fender Urge Bass (MIA) can give me all the tones I need (and plenty more that I don't);
2. A Traveler TB-4P is my backup instrument for playing outdoors or in seedy bars found in questionable neighborhoods;
3. I have a Gold Tone MicroBass 25 fretless as my "campfire bass." That's pretty much it;
4. Oh, I may try to find a circa-1992 five-string PRS for the heck of it at some later point.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Stingray, Jazz and a Ric.

 

[Canadian APII]

I have a real love hate relationship with the tone of the Aria. It's super mid heavy and in comparison to my P of J it sounds anemic sometimes but it sits in a mix so perfectly. It's also flat out the best playing bass I have ever owned. Having said that, I think about selling it every now and then.

All my other Aria Pro IIs have such a well developed sound I really think it is the electronics. Otherwise it is beautiful.

 

[twinjet]

If you had to pick three basses to own that would cover the most band situations which would they be? This isn't a "which bass is better" or "which is more versatile" it's a "which three would YOU choose?"

Let's keep it civil, ya animals.

I'd personally choose a Fender P, a Fender J and a Rickenbacker. I think that pretty much covers it, except maybe a good active sound.

G&L
L-2000
L-1000
ASAT fretless semihollow

 

[Mason Nagy]

Lakland 5 string Jazz, passive with rounds, Fender 50's reissue P bass with flats, and a Thunderbird with rounds.

 

[packhowitzer]

P
Stingray
NS Design CR5

 

[leothebit]

I currently own a '13 P/J Fender Jazz (flatwound strings), a '97 Rickenbacker 4003 (roundwound strings), and a custom made active semi-hollow bass (similar to a Guild Starfire with active electronics, flatwound strings too).

Only thing missing is a good slap tone (which the jazz would definitely deliver with a good set of rounds), but I never slap anyway.

 

[Gluvhand]

All my other Aria Pro IIs have such a well developed sound I really think it is the electronics. Otherwise it is beautiful.
View attachment 973999 View attachment 974000

Nice. Short funny story. When I ordered mine I asked for a black SB Elite II and for years thought that's what I had. Found out later it's a BnG II. I think I ordered/bought it in '87 but I guess they snuck me a leftover '86. The only thing wrong with mine is the pickup selector is stripped. It works but rotates 360 degrees and needs a tap sometimes. I'm not even sure what the differences are between the BnG and the Elite.

 

[PortlandBass77]

Sire V7
Rickenbacker 4001/4003 (which I happen to own in this magical universe )
Peavey T-40

 

[Novarocker]

1. Duesenberg Starplayer
2. Fender PJ
3. Stingray or 4003/4080, probably the Ric

I'm loving some of these answers, I'd put a Les Paul Triumph or T-40 up there too.

 

[Camarillo]

One is all I need: G&L L-2500.
You cover everything with that beast!

 

[jaybones]

P, J, and hollow body.

Got it covered with my Affinity precision with tapewounds, jazz partsbass with 18V Bartolinis, and original Rivoli (~1970 MIJ bolt on neck, and it's only a semi-hollow body.

 

[Canadian APII]

View attachment 974003
Nice. Short funny story. When I ordered mine I asked for a black SB Elite II and for years thought that's what I had. Found out later it's a BnG II. I think I ordered/bought it in '87 but I guess they snuck me a leftover '86. The only thing wrong with mine is the pickup selector is stripped. It works but rotates 360 degrees and needs a tap sometimes. I'm not even sure what the differences are between the BnG and the Elite.

I have heard nothing and I have heard the width of the nut. So I don't know.

 

[meowcow]

View attachment 974003
Nice. Short funny story. When I ordered mine I asked for a black SB Elite II and for years thought that's what I had. Found out later it's a BnG II. I think I ordered/bought it in '87 but I guess they snuck me a leftover '86. The only thing wrong with mine is the pickup selector is stripped. It works but rotates 360 degrees and needs a tap sometimes. I'm not even sure what the differences are between the BnG and the Elite.

One difference is the colour of the hardware; Elites have all gold hardware whereas BnG is only part gold on the bridge

 

[Ballin'bass]

I'm a 5 bass stable kind of guy.

But if I chose only three that I NEEDED:

1. My Fender RW precision (passive )
2. My Modulus Jazz (active)
3. My Modulus Quantum 4 (active)

My others are fantastic basses but when it comes to practicality, durability and tone, these three meet my standards and then some. No need to worry about them getting messed up from weather or getting damaged, really (they're all built like brick s*** houses). I can rely on each one to preform perfectly without issues. They all have the best tone I've ever heard from any of their type of bass (partly thanks to the upgrades I've put into them).

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I agree with your choices OP. I would maybe swap the jazz for a thunderbird but not sure. Currently i have a rick and an ebmm sterling.

 

[ChrisCassisi]

Fender p, Wal MK2 and a Gretsch white falcon for me. Those are the only 3 basses I would ever need for the styles I like to play.

 

[Creeper2]

My 3 would be my Warwick German thumb bolt on! My Warwick pro series thumb bass and my Warwick rock bass vampyre