2nd bass for gigs?

[Jobiebass]

ive heard a lot of people say they take a back up bass for gigs,
been to a fair few gigs and only ever seen 1 guitarist change guitar cause he broke a string.


Is it worth taking a spare bass? do you swap basses for tone reasons in your set? lemme know why you guys/girls take a 2nd bass.

[budget bassist]

Different tunings if you don't want to look silly tuning up between songs, makes you look more pro. If i wanted to play something widdly i might use a musicman sterling or a jazz or my toby, then wanted to play a song using slap i'd change to my SUB or a stingray or something (this is all assuming i have said basses ). Also as you said, as a backup in case you drop and break it, you step on the lead and break the output jack, you knock it on something and break the headstock, somebody spills beer on it, the electrics short out etc etc, it's always worth having a back up just in case, because you never really know.

Edited June 26, 2008 by budget bassist

[s_u_y_*]

I usually change my strings every 3 months, so no real need for me. Though I did use a bass for a festival gig last week and wanted to use a bass with 6 month old strings and I've lost my pilers to trim the strings down. So brought a spare then. For most 30 minute gigs in the toilet circuit mean it's not a good idea for me to be swapping basses. Would love to though.

[waynepunkdude]

I always take a spare just in case, it has come in useful a few times, once my Fenders pick-ups lost all tone during a song and a mate of mine sorted out my spare and i managed to swap over without missing a note Whoop!!!!!

[ahpook]

i've never taken a spare bass to a gig.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

The singer/guitarist ALWAYS breaks at least one string every gig so swaps from his tele to his strat. The other guitarist swaps over from Acoustic to electric depending on the song. I haven't broken a bass string for 27 years, but I always carry a spare set (as hopefully everyone else here does, even if its an old set).

I normally take two basses, usually the NS upright and a Fender, as some songs are fun with the NS due to it having 5 strings and a very different sound, but when the "band area" (I hesitate to say stage) is a bit cramped and the gig is just a couple of minutes down the road from my house I'd just take the mustang.

I'm really getting into Ashborys, so I'm taking my new blue one to the gigs this weekend - last time I took one as an "emergency spare" it stayed in its case, however I'm going to definitely play at least a few songs on Ashbory tonight. I can't wait to see the panic on my bandmates' faces when I get it out as the only time they've seen me play one was before I had my head around how to even approximately play it in tune.

[hatori]

I have two basses at every gig. My Tobias sixxer covers all the guitarists different tunings and my fretless Fender jazz 'frankenbass' for when Im feeling slidy. May I add that I also carry a comprehensive tool kit just in case.

[Galilee]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='227717' date='Jun 27 2008, 12:25 AM']in case you drop and break it, you step on the lead and break the output jack, you knock it on something and break the headstock, somebody spills beer on it, the electrics short out[/quote]

I think that, if any of those things happened, I'd be in the corner crying, and sod the rest of the gig.

[cheddatom]

I used to take a spare but then stopped because of space in the car. I have snapped strings at a couple of gigs, but I just keep on playing. If it's before the last song, i'll leave it, otherwise I will put another string on quick snap!

[Dubs]

[quote name='Galilee' post='227778' date='Jun 27 2008, 08:56 AM']I think that, if any of those things happened, I'd be in the corner crying, and sod the rest of the gig.[/quote]

+1

I’ve brought a back up to 2 gigs before, and they were really important big gigs so I had to make sure I had a contingency plan if anything was to f*** up, but I didn’t need it. Other than that, I’ve not bothered. I broke a G string on stage before (…here come all the witty replies…) and had to work out how to play the last 3 songs of the set with just 3 strings as I was playing them – it was tricky but I got through it. That is the only time ever that I’ve thought, “it would be really handy to have a back up right now”.
I think there’s a certain amount of showing off when people bring a good selection of gear to gigs and line it up in the middle of the stage, next to their amp, instead of to the side or slightly off stage. I just think, “how small can your nob actually be if you feel you have to parade your entire bass collection?”. Often people change to a fretless for 1 song, I can understand that, by why change back to the same fretted as before, despite having 2 different fretted basses and a fretless on stage...what’s the point?!?!?!?!
Don’t get me started on guitarists…

[JimH]

I take a Hohner Steinberger copy headless "Cricket Bat" - takes up little space in its gigbag and is a reasonable standby in the event of any of the aforementioned disasters....

[Dr.Dave]

Weird one this in some ways.

If you're happy with - and intend to keep using - one bass for gigs then the obvious 'spare' bass is exactly the same model.

In reality , of course , unless we're towards the top end of the pro ranks we're likely to want an alternative instrument to regard as a spare.

Me - yes , I take 2 basses esp to bigger gigs. I play both , maybe one for each set but sometimes swap mid set. I always have spare strings (used and new sets) but in 28 years of giging I've only ever broken one - and that was a faulty new string.

25th April 2003 at the Londener in Leeds. I know that because it's pinned on the wall in front of me.

[Galilee]

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='227791' date='Jun 27 2008, 09:12 AM']I just think, “how small can your nob actually be if you feel you have to parade your entire bass collection?”[/quote]

[Mike]

Generally I bring two basses, and for two reasons. The primary one is that my main bass is a Shuker 4 - but some of the band songs require a 5 string. I'm having a 5 string Shuker built right now, but for the moment I'll take a Cort 5 or even a Smith 6. Another reason is that you never know what will happen - especially with active instruments, so it's useful and calming knowing I have another available to me.

[Adrenochrome]

I always take a spare for our full gigs [up to 2.5 hrs playing]. It's usually my fretless so I have a different sounding bass for a song like Nothing Else Matters and it's also a spare in case of technical problems. Even when playing a short set at a festival I might take my EB0 copy [smallest, lightest bass I have] as an emergency back-up.

[molan]

Slightly off topic - I went to a gig recently and had seen 10 lead guitars and 3 basses after only 5 songs!

Bloody American session musicians backing a touring singer. Lots of technical ability but lacking in any charisma. God knows why they needed to chane after every song.

Anyway - back on topic. I've never taken a spare bass to a gig but I do take simple stuff like strings, a basic tool kit & spare leads.

The worst thing that happened to me once was that my main lead failed just before the encore. All I had left was a really short length of patch cable. Had to strap my bass up around my neck and play rammed up against the amp & cab!

Always have an, easily accessible, spare lead with me now. . . . . .

[yorks5stringer]

Never used to bother but take a back-up now but it begs the question, should one take a spare amp/cab too....?

[john_the_bass]

I was taking a spare when I was regularly breaking strings (Elites and Fenders mainly) but since I have not broken one in ages, I've been risking it. The gigs we do - half-hour sets on the toilet circuit - don't really require a spare and I'll try and play around it if it happens again, but I'm kind of hoping it's not going to go wrong on me!

I take two guitars to every covers band gig I play because I do break guitar strings more regularly and when I'm being paid to play for a couple of hours, I need to make sure I can carry on playing. I take one of those 7 guitar rockstands and put the whole band's guitars/basses on it out of the way so people don't think we're showing-off cocks.

Edited June 27, 2008 by john_the_bass

[bassbluestew]

I always take a spare.............I now play mostly weddings and big corporate stuff, so the way I look at is is these folks are paying top dollar for my band, so I treat it a bit like work and make sure I always have the tools to get the job done. I don't normally take a spare rig, but I always go through the PA, so even if my amp went south it'd be ok.

In 33 years of playing I've only broken one string ever ( a G too funnily enough ), but that was some 25 years ago ( at a showcase in the Marquee in London - you tend to remember these things !!!! ). Having said that, the batteries in my Bongo died mid set a month back, was I glad I had my StingRay with me.

Just imagine how much a tool you'd feel if summat went tits up, and you've got a lovely selection of basses to change to, BUT THEY'RE ALL AT HOME !!!!! Nightmare.

Oh I also make sure the spare in onstage and tuned up ready to go. I never change mid set ( no time ) but do sometimes swap over at the break just to keep our sound man on his toes !

Stewart

[bassbluestew]

+1 on the lead

[EBS_freak]

I used to - but have never had a use to break out the spare. I always have a spare 9v on me though... I suppose if I ever get stung by a failing instrument I suppose I will start taking a spare bass!

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='227791' date='Jun 27 2008, 09:12 AM'] +1

Don’t get me started on guitarists…[/quote]


We played with a band once that had 2 guitarists they had 8 4x12's 2 TSL100's each and an array of vintage gibsons.

We hadv a running joke that they were waiting for the second much bigger van that contaned there ego's along with a life size gold statue of the band.



This is one of them at a pub gig.

Edited June 27, 2008 by waynepunkdude

[queenofthedepths]

I use a 5-string fretless and a 4-string fretted, in different tunings. If absolutely necessary, one can double for the other.

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='227825' date='Jun 27 2008, 09:35 AM']showing-off cocks[/quote]
That kind of gig, is it? :brow: Actually, forget I asked!!!

[Jase]

[quote name='ahpook' post='227755' date='Jun 27 2008, 06:56 AM']i've never taken a spare bass to a gig.[/quote]

Same here. I have some spare leads, a few basic tools.

[bass_ferret]

I have taken a fretted and fretless since I got my first fretless in 1989. The fretless is now tuned DGCF and I sometimes take a detuned fretted as well, but usually just the two. I have an EBS Microbass II as backup - if my rig goes tits will plug into the PA - it wont be great but I will finish the gig.