Your 3 basses for the most well-rounded stable

[2cooltoolz]

 

[felixxx]

I think we all know that 'need' has nothing to do with this. A single bass can cover pretty much anything. What we 'want', now that is another story.

 

[mmbongo]

Roscoe Century 5 string.

..annnd....well that pretty much covers everything. Add a fretless version if you want. I guess the 3rd one would be an upright so you can truly cover all situations.

 

[Jayhawk]

1. Fender Precision with rounds
2. Fender Precision with flats
3. Violin Bass with flats

 

[JRA]

1. fretless pj
2. backup fretless pj
3. fretless jazz

i have these now, but for a long time i didn't have a jazz, so i'm glad i 'accidentally' discovered that one. but if the OP's question narrowed it down to just two basses: i'd have to pick the pj's. some of you are picking instruments that i know nothing about (at least in terms of playing experience), so i have to limit my choices to what i personally know = pj's! full disclosure: i have five. none of them sound the same, but all seem versatile enough.

 

[Lava]

Fender American Deluxe Jazz
Lakland US 44-64 Custom (Vintage P with J Neck)
Sadowsky NYC Standard

 

[byoung93888]

Ric 4003
Fender Jazz MIA GL
Warwick Vampyre NT4 LTD (active)

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'd go with:

Fender P bass, 4 string American elite
Active 5 string Jazz - Valenti, Sadowsky, etc
MM HS sterling or stingray in 4 or 5 strings

The MM oils be swapped with an acoustic or a fretless if my gig situation was such that those made more sense.

 

[Susqmike]

G&L L-2000 or L-2500 would cover most for me.

 

[superheavyfunk]

Active J-style
Passive P-style
Hollow body

That should cover just about everything that ever gets thrown at a bassist.

 

[garp]

1. Passive 4-string P.
2. Passive 4-string J.
3. Some kind of active 5-string thingy -- perhaps with soapbars -- to cover whatever the P and J can't.

 

[kkaarrll]

fretless carrigan--with whizbang passive/active to adjust the soundzzzzzmwhahahah
l2500 for passive/active 5
and hopefully soon a stingray for flat out active fun

 

[Gnal]

Right now, I'd have to go with:
Fbass BN5 w/ rounds (ash body, ebony board)
Fbass BN5 w/ flats (ash body, ebony board)
...
Those should basically cover everything I want, but if I had to choose a third then...

Bacchus PB4 (ash body, rosewood board)

 

[Antisyzygy]

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.

Simple Passive 4-string : G&L SB-1 or a LB100 depending on personal taste

Active 5-String Swiss Army Knife : G&L L2500

Fretless 4-String : G&L SB-2

If we're talking Fender, then a P, a fretless J and some sort of 5-string they offer.

There are other brands that can work as good. The main thing is you want some sort of P bass, some sort of 5-string, and then a fretless IMHO.

 

[AndreasR]

4 String passive (for instance P, J, P/J)
5 String active (Ray or L2000)
4 string hollow body or acoustic fretless (Rob Allen)

would do it for me. But the examples are guidelines more than rules.

 

[rodv66]

P Bass, J Bass, 5 string. Brands are up to you.

 

[Acoop]

A 74 Fender Jazz, a 2000 MM Sting Ray and 60-year old upright.

 

[Glasiron]

For me it would have to be:

1. a fretted 6 (currently a Carvin LB76)
2. a nice 4 string P
3. some kind of low-ish cost Fender style (P or J, doesnt matter much to me for this function) to take apart and modify constantly

 

[Phalex]

P, J, and a Doghouse.

 

[geminiswp]

Limited to THREE?

I have five.

Ibanez ATK300FL, Fender MIM Jazz, MusicMan Sterling SUB, JayTurser with DiMarzio Area PJs, and another plan P Bass about to get rebuilt - the Oscar Schmidt....