Your 3 basses for the most well-rounded stable

[FrenchBassQC]

My three current basses: Fender P-Bass (passive), Eliezer Lara J Custom (J-Bass passive) and a Yamaha TRBX305 with Aguilar Super Doubles PU's and an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp (Active).

 

[Gaolee]

Thunderbird
EB-2
fretless Thunderbird

Problem solved. A P would be good, too, but you can get very close with a 2015 Thunderbird wearing flats.

 

[shadven]

I need 4, I have them all:
1965 P
1968 Telecaster Bass
Rickenbacker
Gibson Thunderbird
1964 Horner 500/1

Okay, that's 5.

 

[Bass'd on a true story]

After a lot of years, I finally have a bass that covers every sound I need.

Precision
P bass
Single pickup humbucking

 

[lowfreqgeek]

I could easily do the specific session work and gigs I currently do for the rest of my life on three bass guitars I already use: G&L L2500 Fretless, Regenerate Guitar Works Malibu 6 (think of a 6-string Jazz bass), and an RGW VRB-4P (basically a P-bass).

I'd also have to have my upright, though, which is why I clarify "bass guitars".

 

[Lammchop93]

4-string P, 5 string Jazz, and a 4 string Spector PJ

 

[Snibborwocky]

'58 Fender Precision
'62 Fender Jazz
'76 Gibson Thunderbird

 

[Toxie]

My basses cover the whole range, I think.

Fender Jazz Bass
Ibanez Late 80s PJ with hot actives
5 string Ibanez with Passive Jazz pickups

I can get pretty much any tone I want, but I like the funkiness of all 3.

 

[mattattack187]

P Bass, Jazz Bass & Stingray cover any situation and style of music for me.

 

[spaz21387]

2 ric 4003s and a stingray... thats my stable... well soon i just got a call from the store and my second 4003 came in so im picking it up after work. 1 ric will live at our jam spot the other stays at my house

 

[mark beem]

I already have them..

Mike Lull M5V (Jazz bass)

Lakland Skyline 55-64 (P bass)

Lakland Skyline 55-01 Fretless

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I had it all sorted out until I lost my job - but what I wanted was 1) a good solid 4 2) a slappable 5 and 3) a fretless that would let me cop a good upright feel (I have no interest in the Jaco tone thing - been there, done that, never got good at it). I had to sell the 5, but I still have the nice 4 (Lakland 494) and the fretless (Rob Allen Deep 4). When I'm solvent again, I'm going to plunk down the bucks for a Fodera Emperor 5 deluxe. Until then...

 

[kittywithabanjo]

I could live with a PJ, a jazz and a fretless your choice of how many strings....but since I don't have too...

 

[jamro217]

P. Ric. P/J fretless.

 

[ThudThudThud]

My Am. Std. Jaguar covers PJ really well. It's active/passive, and has a series/parallel switch. I can go full P, or full J (bridge) as it has pickup switches rather than blend. I does "roundwounds on a Precision" as well as any other bass.
My Precision is wearing Chromes.
My Jazz wears roundwounds.

That'll cover most stuff.
If I could add one more it'd be the ABG with tapes.

 

[Spectrum]

Donzo

 

[bunkaroo]

Spector NS style 5-string fretted
Spector Coda vintage style P/J
Spector 5-string fretless

Coincidentally I have all three!

 

[Margus Alviste]

I think Leo has designed all we need - a P, a J and perhaps some "inpired by Leo" active 5-string - Sadowsky, Lull etc. I my case the third one would probably be an MTD535.

 

[Alan Ace Cooper]

Only 3? What a tragedy! What's a gear whore supposed to do with only 3 basses?!?

Red Rain - Devon DJ5 - Alder body, Quilted Maple top, Wenge neck, Ebony fingerboard. Bartolini Classic soapbars with coil tap for classic J Bass set up. 18 volt Aguilar preamp, HipShot A Style bridge and HipShot Ultra-Lite Lollipop tuning machines.

Roxanne - Fender Sting Signature 50s Precision Bass w/ Seymour Duncan SCPB Antiquity pickup, Kelling Sound Solderless 51 Precision Bass control mod w/.18 cap, WebbTecca Compensated brass saddles, HipShot HB3 vintage style tuning machines.

Blue Marcus - 1973/74 Fender Jazz Bass neck w/HipShot HB3 tuming machines, MJT Medium Relic Jazz Bass Body /Alder. EMG JVX@ Neck, EMG J at Bridge, no additional preamp or body routing. Leo Quan BadAss II bridge.

All strung with DR Lo-Rider Nickel Wound Strings. 40, 60, 80, 100, (125)

 

[GwenOnBass]

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.

QFT.