You have more than 1 bass.. You stop playing in bands..

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

..then you think ' should I just have 1 bass for life?' Should it be one made specially?

I'm thinking like that at the moment.
After picking up a bass , which has been ignored for months, I'm thinking maybe I should just use that one. It's not too far fr having a customade bass, both on price and performance .

The bass is my '78 Telebass
It sounds good recording through my podfarm interface . It doesn't need a battery. Also , there's no slapping involved.
It may not happen , but there could be a clear out on the way.
Has /is anyone else feeling this way?

[neepheid]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1392726694' post='2371965']
Has /is anyone else feeling this way?
[/quote]

Not I.

[flyfisher]

Just do whatever [u]you [/u]feel most comfortable with and don't worry about what anyone else would do. There are no rules.

[GreeneKing]

I have 12 basses (now how did that happen?)

My band is presently 'ticking over' - no singer.

I look to which basses I should sell and can easily justify all of them. When I practice I get the taste for something different and it's there.

So not one for me then

Peter

[discreet]

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1392726694' post='2371965']
Has /is anyone else feeling this way?
[/quote]

Well yes... I've had just one bass for decades and it's only recently I've acquired a second.
I can see why people amass huge collections, but I just find it confusing, frankly.

[uncle psychosis]

Over the last few years I have managed to wean myself off endlessly eyeing up new instruments, new gadgets, and new toys. I'm a player, not a collector, and if it won't get used then I don't need it sitting around gathering dust. Two basses is my limit now. One main one and a backup that does things slightly differently.

However, everyone is different. Some people just need one bass. Some people like collecting things. Some people need lots of slightly different sounds. There's probably even some people out there that have convinced themselves they really [i]need[/i] 5 different Precisions. Just do whatever works for you. Its all cool.

[chris_b]

I gave up playing for quite a few years. I sold my amps and cabs but it never ocurred to me to sell my Pbass.

[Horizontalste]

I'm not a gay or out, but I think having one bass is kinda romantic. I think if you are happy with the sound and play it long enough it becomes an extension of the musical you. Kinda comfy like an old friend.

& on that note, I'll go do something manly & balance will be restored.

[Truckstop]

Do it. Sell them all and start again. Who cares? They're only possessions. If I stopped gigging tomorrow I'd probably sell everything and if I needed a bass and an amp for a job I'd buy or borrow gear from someone else.

Truckstop

[RhysP]

I'm in a position where I now feel anything I'm ever likely to do musically, either live or recording projects, can be catered for with my MIJ Precision.
I've got my Spector Euro 5 LX as my "modern" bass but to be honest I'm thinking of selling it as I never play it & I've also never been 100% convinced that a five string is necessary for me. After many years of using them exclusively I've also gone right off active basses too.

I've done the whole custom build thing & to be honest it was a bit of an anti climax, but I guess that's largely because what I need/want from a bass can easily be catered for by an off the shelf instrument.

[KevB]

I keep a small number, never seen need for dozens of them as I'm not a 'collector' by nature but can respect those who are. Wouldn't feel comfortable if gigging regularly with absolutely no backup in case of accidents or failures. Also means I have the ability to loan out a bass to others in need without it being too detrimental. Currently have 4 decent quality basses and looking to slim it to 3, think that's just fine for me. If I stopped gigging or not in any recording project type band then I'm not sure I'd even keep one or any serious gear, never been much of a bedroon noodler.

Edited February 18, 2014 by KevB

[Cat Burrito]

I stopped playing in bands from 2000 - 2004 and kept my Fender Jazz 75RI and my Fender Precision 57RI along with my Peavey combo. This was before I discovered the internet and went through the big GAS period. I dread to think how I would have coped circa 2008. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, it is just what suits your personal circumstances.

[xilddx]

Most amateur bassists think there's always a better bass around the corner from what I've seen on here. Tastes change, requirements change, skill and knowledge improve. There's a love of new shiny sh*t to consider.

I thought I had a bass for life with my Warwick ChromeTone, then I sold it for a '83 USA Jazz which blew me away. I just sold that and bought my mate's Fender Japan Power Jazz to free up some cash for car repairs, and you know what, I love it. And I just found out that for some reason, when I tune Drop D, the E string's tension and playability is better than any bass I've had, it just works, it doesn't feel slack or rattly at all, no idea why. It's things like this that can make a bass a stayer.

I think you have to play a bass to know if you connect with it, and then you have to play it a while to find out if that connection becomes solid. It can be a long journey. If you find yourself playing THROUGH the instrument and not ON it, it could be THE ONE, for a while.

Two things I do know is that I would NEVER commission a custom bass thinking it might be THE ONE. Not a chance. The other is that the more I play the less I give a sh*t about my instruments and buying new ones. As long as it looks good, feels good, and is reliable and well made, then that's enough.

[leschirons]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1392746624' post='2372286']
The other is that the more I play the less I give a sh*t about my instruments and buying new ones. As long as it looks good, feels good, and is reliable and well made, then that's enough.
[/quote]

That there +1

[rogerstodge]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1392747188' post='2372298']


That there +1
[/quote]and + another 1

[discreet]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1392746624' post='2372286']
...the more I play the less I give a sh*t about my instruments and buying new ones.
[/quote]

I do give a sh*t about them, but I don't GAS for a Fodera or a Ritter thinking it's going to be £5K better than a Fender.
I like looking at basses on here and elsewhere of course, but I'm not constantly yearning for something else... much.

In any case, it's all in the fingers as any fule kno.

[seashell]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1392732028' post='2372066']
I keep a small number, never seen need for dozens of them as I'm not a 'collector' by nature but can respect those who are. Wouldn't feel comfortable if gigging regularly with absolutely no backup in case of accidents or failures. Also means I have the ability to loan out a bass to others in need without it being too detrimental.
[/quote]

I can vouch for Kev's generous attitude here. I'll have to stop borrowing his basses or I'll end up with more of them than he has.

[martthebass]

If I had the cash and the space I'd have a few more, but four seems about right for me. I go on and off the fretted ones so having a different 'flavour' available keeps me interested. At the minute I'm using my cheap Squier VM Jazz77 more than anything else, in a couple of weeks I'll probably be back on the Status...

[Lozz196]

Whichever bass you feel best with, keep hold of it. I`ve two basses like that, my 2011 US Fender Precision, and my 1991 Korean Squier Precision. Obviously poles apart in price, but I just love both, and each just feels "right". Can`t explain why, I`ve had many Precisions and all have been good but these two, well my hands just gel with them.

Whilst in theory I`d love a custom made bass, I`m in agreement with Nige, I`d never commission one thinking it might be the one, cos in all likelyhood it may well not be.

[Conan]

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1392730670' post='2372026']
I'm not a gay or out, ...on that note, I'll go do something manly & balance will be restored.
[/quote]

What an odd thing to say!

I don't really count my basses. But I've currently got four. OK, so I guess I [i][b]do[/b][/i] count them. What I mean is, I don't really pay too much attention to how many I have. Sometimes five is too few and sometimes two is too many. It doesn't really matter. I have a fretless in case I ever need one. So far, I haven't. My Status has been with me since I was just out of my teens. My MIM J feels [b][i]right[/i][/b]. I want my Marcus Miller to feel right, but somehow it just doesn't. Not wrong exactly, just not "right".

But if a bass isn't quite right, or isn't getting much use (and doesn't look like it is going to) - then it is on its way out. Not that selling basses is easy at the moment, but trading them can be fun too. It gives me a chance to try something that I wouldn't otherwise be able to.

It's not harming anyone, is it? There are worse (and more expensive) things to spend your money and time on...

[deepbass5]

Can't imagine not having a back up. so my minimum would be two, a bass that likes Jazz and a bass that likes Pop.

[lojo]

With a second hand market that allows you to effectively rent basses , I've still got a fair few models id like to try

[iconic]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1392793265' post='2372711']
With a second hand market that allows you to effectively rent basses , I've still got a fair few models id like to try
[/quote]


great analogy!

[Fionn]

It's interesting to put yourself into other folks scenarios. Oh, what to do?

If I wasn't going to be playing in bands anymore , but potentially still jamming around with folk, a bit of recording, etc, then I'd keep a single electric bass. I wouldn't consider a new custom build, prefering the idea of a bass which I loved and was familiar with (like an old friend). I'd use a little of the cash generated by selling everything else to get myself a nice, simple, light, compact (yet powerful enough) combo. You know, just to keep a toe in the door.

If I wasn't going to be playing in bands anymore, not jamming, not recording, just noodling at home, then I'd sell everything and get myself a really nice acoustic fretless bass.

Of course, if I was simply sick of it all ... Then I'd occupy a small unpopulated Hebridean island, grow a massive beard, collect loads of guns, start a cult, and father a tribe a mini messiah me's ... yeahhh!

Edited February 19, 2014 by Fionn

[Telebass]

Well, I'm in the process of slimming down my small armoury. I always considered 3 the bare minimum, so that if one broke, I could still take 2 to a gig. Now I still have 3, but for different jobs. A P, a fretless P, and an acoustic of some description. The rest will be leaving.