Am I?

[mcgraham]

I was discussing this was bassjamm recently. I own 3 (soon to be 4) basses, but I only [i]have[/i] one of them (soon to be two). I also have two electric guitars (boutique and workhorse) and an acoustic.

I am like Bilbo; the instruments are not an end in themselves, I genuinely only play one bass all the time, the others just sit unused until I need a backup (e.g. main one in for a setup or repair). I'd love to be down to just one instrument, but I play both, and to a level that I'd need at least a main and a backup.

Mark

[Phil Mann]

It's a good debate, isn't it, how many basses should you have?

Depending on your playing status dictates what basses you need I guess. It's always nice to collect something, mum's might like thimbles etc, but some instruments are real pieces of art and easily collectable, however, 'tool's of your trade' - how your accountant sees it, is also an important element.

I use a Spector USA NS5XL, as my main bass, but when it needs servicing I need a back up, hence why I have another to support it. On some gigs I have to have a 5, so I won't substitute it for a four that's quick to hand, as it will change my approach and voicing.

Then for Studio work, I have two Fenders, a Jazz and a Precision (I get calls that just ask for a "Fender Bassist", not an electric bassist) recording requests can be very exact, if you don't have the sound, you don't get the job.

I also have a fretless, I've had numerous that I've sold, but my current is a five string instead of a four. This was a conscious decision when purchasing it, so that as many variables as possible are as similar as possibly to my fretted fives. This way I don't add any additional pressure on myself when sight reading etc, when the demand on my skills is greater, the last thing you need is changes in string distances and neck length's that may effect your intonation.

The more areas you play in, the more tools can be accounted for, why do so many instrumentalist have so many pedals and preamps? Well it's because in a particular environment, you need a particular sound, it can become overkill in some situations, but it's the same approach with the amount of basses you own if it's a career.

Mike Brooks will have some good words to share with you on this subject, he has a good collection of basses, much larger then my collection of five, and every one is accounted for, all for different playing situations and styles. It's obviously not a drag buying these 'tools' though, as we all know, I've already got my eye on another fretless!

Thanks for reading!

Phil

Edited August 12, 2008 by Phil Mann

[Mike Brooks]

Hear hear! No more I can add to that concise and well thought out comment...nice one Phillip!

Mike

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Hallo!

Thx for the comments!

I don't really have a problem with the collection, its just that I need a bigger house!

I've got a working `team' as it were; many of the others are simply there for my own interest etc. I know Mike very well - he's a good lad!

Nick

[Balcro]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='260538' date='Aug 12 2008, 01:20 AM']Allo

Does anyone else have over 50 basses? I'm currently at critical mass (seriously) with 57 basses and around 13 guitars. I must stress that this is not in any way shape or form meant to prove anything (other than that I am completely nuts and am about to lose everything {including my mind!} in my quest for furtherage of bass fulfillment!) but I'm intrigued as there are some really great collections out there in Basschat Land. My collection has grown rapidly and having gotten involved here, I've met some really great people with some really amazing basses.
Am I mad?
Cheers. Nick[/quote]


Good morning Doc. We'll have to call you Doc Heinz from now on.

Balcro

[thedontcarebear]

I've probably had a few hundred guitars/basses in the 7 years or so that I've been playing, but nowadays I try to keep the amount down and spend more on decent basses whereas when I was younger I'd have more, but probably cheaper ones.

I would probably get more basses, but I have 2 expensive guitars (and some cheaper ones) and I feel quite bad having a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Paul Reed Smith Anniversary Custom 24 sitting in their cases never getting touched, and if I got more basses, some would end up the same way.

[thumbo]

If I could afford it I'd quite happily keep buying basses. I'm completely the opposite with guitars though, I only have 1 electric guitar and I don't desire anymore even though I played guitar for a few years before bass. I think there's something quite stunning about basses, it draws me in like some kind of zombie... braainsss basss baaasss

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='260538' date='Aug 12 2008, 01:20 AM']Allo

Does anyone else have over 50 basses? I'm currently at critical mass (seriously) with 57 basses and around 13 guitars. I must stress that this is not in any way shape or form meant to prove anything (other than that I am completely nuts and am about to lose everything {including my mind!} in my quest for furtherage of bass fulfillment!) but I'm intrigued as there are some really great collections out there in Basschat Land. My collection has grown rapidly and having gotten involved here, I've met some really great people with some really amazing basses.

Am I mad?

Cheers.

Nick[/quote]
Eleven basses is the most I've ever owned at one time and right now, I have five.

If I had the time, money and resources (including enough space and an understanding wife!), then I'd definitely have more basses as it's so much fun collecting and using different basses... In fact, there's definitely a few on my 'wish-list' at the moment!

But in answer to the OP, you're definitely not mad; I mean, how many of us have sold or traded basses we really wish we'd kept? You've had the good sense and (maybe) good fortune to keep most of your basses and from my point of view, that's an amazing achievement! So, if anything, congratulations are in order I think...

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Thanks Nik!

I actually worked out an approximate figure of all the basses I've ever owned - came to around 140 instruments! Now, if only I'd kept [b]all [/b]of 'em! There are certain areas of the collection that are deemed `investment' potential, but there are a lot of cheaper basses that I've bought over the years that hold sentimental value, such as my very first bass (Aria CSB-450) that was originally traded in against my second ever bass, an '83 US Precision standard - the Aria went to Kings Lynn and came back to me (via a secondhand shop) in '89!

Boring eh!?

Nick

[Kiwi]

Nick I suspect there are very few people in the country with more than 50 basses. Although I have the resources to collect more than the 9.5 plus 2 guitars I have, I don't have the room and I don't think I'd play them anyway. As it is, some of the instruments only get taken out for special occasions.

For me it's just nice to have good quality instruments that are accessible. Thats what I believe I've paid for at the end of the day.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Do I win £5?

hehe!

Nick

[WILD FROG SHOT]

Thanks for massively fuelling the GAS guys & girls.

I've had my MIM Fender Jazz for 4 years now, and really never needed anything else; it's reliable, nice to play and sounds great. Recently been thinking about the acquisition of a second bass, maybe a 5 string to give me a few options, will probably end up getting a US Jazz though tbh

Nick, if you need somewhere to store your instruments, please consider my door open; i'll even keep them warm for you if you'd like!

[bobbassguy]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='260814' date='Aug 12 2008, 01:42 PM']Nick I suspect there are very few people in the country with more than 50 basses.[/quote]

Sting probably does.

I'm on 4 myself...two Squier P-Basses, one Squier Jazz, and one Spector Legend-4. I only ever use...the Spector. I could probably lose the others, but they all have sentimental meanings...my black P-bass was my first bass, my white P-bass was my Frankenstein-project-that-never-was, my Jazz was a gift, etc...I can't justify four basses really, but f*** it.

[wombatboter]

I've been playing bass for the last 26 years and I have owned around 85 basses...
Last year I had around 29 basses and I realised it was just too much...I started selling and now I have 19 basses...Two years I was an ebay-addict and bought a new bass every month (Sadowsky, 7 Wal basses in one year, Status, etc...).
I finally realised that a lot of basses were not used enough and that they deserved to be played.. Now I think I could do with my Fender Marcus Miller, Wal MK I, Lefay Fretless and my Rickenbacker 4001..the others I have are great but I hardly use them (I have a Wal MKII 5 string which I haven't played for more than an hour during the past year, I think that is a shame though)

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='wombatboter' post='261025' date='Aug 12 2008, 05:18 PM'](I have a Wal MKII 5 string which I haven't played for more than an hour during the past year, I think that is a shame though)[/quote]

I agree. I think that it's a great shame when quality instruments become wall decorations.

[Muse_Cubed]

Hmm, I could see myself maxing out at 5. Currently own two and they cover most things I want to do tonally. Might pick up a fretless and I want a Wal at some point but beyond that I can't really justify it to myself.

I'm the proud owner of 17 effects pedals (and an eBow). I know I don't touch tayste or anything but I guess I've got to madly collect something although I think I'm slowing down now, I don't feel the need to buy anything more. Mainly because there's no room left on my pedalboard.

Edited August 12, 2008 by Muse_Cubed

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='wombatboter' post='261025' date='Aug 12 2008, 05:18 PM']I've been playing bass for the last 26 years and I have owned around 85 basses...
Last year I had around 29 basses and I realised it was just too much...I started selling and now I have 19 basses...Two years I was an ebay-addict and bought a new bass every month (Sadowsky, 7 Wal basses in one year, Status, etc...).
I finally realised that a lot of basses were not used enough and that they deserved to be played.. Now I think I could do with my Fender Marcus Miller, Wal MK I, Lefay Fretless and my Rickenbacker 4001..the others I have are great but I hardly use them (I have a Wal MKII 5 string which I haven't played for more than an hour during the past year, I think that is a shame though)[/quote]
In that case, I think it's time I set up the first registered charity for deprived and neglected bass guitars that suffer from a degrading form of the worst kind of social exclusion imaginable... inflicted upon them by greedy and wasteful bass guitar collectors!!!

We'll be round in the morning to start 'freeing' up these long-suffering instruments and will work tirelessly to help rehabilitate them back into the community.

[4000]

[quote name='marcus bell' post='260553' date='Aug 12 2008, 01:51 AM']mad no rich yes, you must be to have all them basses, youve got to be rich to own just one alembic lol...[/quote]

I've got an Alembic and I'm not rich. Only in spiritual terms I can't afford new socks! I don't have a car and I had to wait 20 years to get it; unfortunately my back went sometime in the intervening period so I've never been able to enjoy it like I should have. Life eh?

[Born 2B Mild]

Last night, we were auditioning a drummer in the music room of my house. He looked at my guitars and asked if I was a collector. I pointed out that each and every one was very different and there were no duplicates.

1 x 4 string fretted
1 x 4 string fretless
1 x 6 string fretted
1 x 6 string soon to be fretless
1 x electro acoustic fretted
1 x electro acoustic fretless

plus a telecaster, electro-acoustic guitar, electro-acoustic spanish, and a mandolin.

See. Each a different tool, and only one of each sort.

Unfortunately I've got to sell a couple right now, but that's for financial reasons and one day I'll have my tool kit fully stocked again.

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='261153' date='Aug 12 2008, 08:44 PM']Last night, we were auditioning a drummer in the music room of my house. He looked at my guitars and asked if I was a collector. I pointed out that each and every one was very different and there were no duplicates.

1 x 4 string fretted
1 x 4 string fretless
1 x 6 string fretted
1 x 6 string soon to be fretless
1 x electro acoustic fretted
1 x electro acoustic fretless

plus a telecaster, electro-acoustic guitar, electro-acoustic spanish, and a mandolin.

See. Each a different tool, and only one of each sort.

Unfortunately I've got to sell a couple right now, but that's for financial reasons and one day I'll have my tool kit fully stocked again.[/quote]

Surely the work of the two four string basses could be done by the six string basses?

Trying to point out the subtle differences between each bass to a DRUMMER....you've got to be kidding. He'd just want to know which end to grab it and which end hits the skin

Edited August 12, 2008 by bassman2790

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='260538' date='Aug 12 2008, 01:20 AM']Am I mad?

Cheers.

Nick[/quote]

Asked my Wife and she says 'You have too many basses....you only have one pair of hands" ...so there

[doctor_of_the_bass]

Give her my best regards!

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='261191' date='Aug 12 2008, 09:55 PM']Give her my best regards![/quote]
You should go and tickle her with your 52 pair of hands.

[Dan_Q]

some people have a lot of gear! i think its awesome, if you like them and they get a play every now and then, why not?

I have a vast collection- one bass but i am only learning, but TBH i really don't think i'll ever want another. although i do suffer from GAS so that may change one day. Its my second bass, and i got rid of my first one before i grew attached to it, like i did my first guitar- which i now cannot part with, despite it being worth about 6 yen.

its a different story with guitars though- I have 2 main players, and another 3 and a half (yes i mean that ) in various states of knackeredness.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

My daughter became a teenager today and she already owns three basses - a lilac '71 music master, a princess purple DaisyRock Heartbreaker and a violetburst pearloid-topped DaisyRock Elite. She also thinks she has a half share in my trans purple Peavey millenium 5. I'm a bit worried she'll be the world's most prolific collector of purple basses by the time she's old enough to buy her own instruments. Oh Well.