The-Ox Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 This thought came into my head, for those of you who gig, how many basses do you own? I suspect its more than one, do you have certain basses than you gig and others you don't? Any other reasons why you have more than one bass? This isn't a critique at those who do, in fact its quite the opposite! Would love to hear your thoughts on how you guys utilise multiple basses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevy-stu Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) I do about 200 gigs a year, used to be a few more, virtually all rock/pop/dance covers. Currently own 5 basses - 92' Stingray, 02' Stingray, 74' Jazz, 77' Precision, short scale Cort strung as piccolo. The 92' Stingray does about 70% of the gigs, as it's my favourite by far, and most useable for type of gigs I do, handles de-tuning and has best volume balance across strings/frets. 02' Stingray comes out if I fancy a change. Jazz comes out again if I fancy a change, or for gigs I know I won't need to a massive range of styles. Cort Piccolo only used for duo or acoustic type gigs. Precision used only once or twice a year as just doesn't sit well in most stuff I do/how I play. eta - I try to avoid taking the Jazz (as it's the most valuable) to gigs where I think the bass will be on stage unattended for a while, weddings etc.. Edited January 6, 2016 by chevy-stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) 76 gigs annually. I have 7 basses and I gig all of them. I usually bring 2 to every show. 1951 Re-issue MIJ P Bass ( purchased used w/case ) 1955 Re-Issue MIJ P Bass ( purchased used w/case ) G&L Blue Burst ASAT Bass (purchased used w/case, Active Pre-Amp ) Gibson 1991 Thunderbird (purchased used w/case, ebony fret board ) Gibson Gold Top Les Paul Bass Gibson Custom Shop ES-335 in Vintage Faded Cherry Hofner Limited Edition German Made Hofner 500/2 Club bass If, I never buy another bass I'm happy. Blue Edited January 6, 2016 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colgraff Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Two basses. One gigs, one for practising kept in Dr. Graff's house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeystrange Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) I think I have four these days. All Precisions. Two that I gig (main and backup) and two that have fallen out of favour and stay at home. There are also another four in the house that belong to Mrs. Strange. Edited January 6, 2016 by joeystrange Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 4 - see signature. It's the Precisions that see most of the action! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 2 - fretted Jazz, fretless Jazz. "I've never needed more" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 When I was gigging I only had two basses, and I only ever took one of those with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 One. About 50 gigs a year covering all types of conventional band music and I use my Yamaha BB424x. I have an RBX270 in bits which I keep meaning to put together so I can use it as a spare but haven't got round to it yet. Anyway, PJ config means I can get from rock to funky in the flick of a switch, classic looks which suit all gigs, cheap enough to not worry about damaging it, cheap enough to replace quickly, good weight, great tone, super-reliable because it's Yamaha, and is all I'll ever need. Sometimes I think I should get another bass to give me more options, maybe an active 5er. Or maybe a 425? But for the moment, one bass is all I need Any other one bass heroes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 When I was gigging - I only every took one. I once took two, and changed half way through just to justify it, but there was no real need. If I do get back into it - it will be one again, too much hassle swapping mid set and just seems a bit OTT. The key for me is having basses that are versatile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Probably too many, but hey ho! Probably doing 30+ gigs in 2016 2 x fretless 4s 1 x fretless 5er 4 x fretted 4s but all very different in my defence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Are they all ACGs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 3 basses. One for practice and composing (5 string, E to C) and a P and a J. Precision gets used the majority of the time for gigs, I occasionally take the Jazz out. 85% of time spent with a bass in hand I'm playing the 5 string though, hence the ACG order :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) I can only really take one bass to gigs as I generally get there on the tube... I'd like to take two but those double gig bags look damn heavy. I currently own three but only play two and one is for sale... When the new Wal arrives I will hopefully get down to just two basses again, one fretted and one fretless sixer ...On a related note, it's a good job i don't own a van and get to gigs / rehearsals that way or I'd definitely be buying a Glockenklang BAC and 6x10... Edited January 6, 2016 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Three, two Precisions and a Jazz, all Fender. I take both Ps to gigs, not played the J for at least 6 months. I think I still have a bitsa fretless with a J neck on a Squier P body, must be tucked way as not seen it for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigjas Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 I currently own 6 basses, one is an acoustic that I use for quiet practice/working out songs etc at home. Of the other 5, I take 2 with me to gigs. I gig about 30 - 40 times a year. The other 3 rarely get played and are hanging on the wall looking pretty........ The 2 I take to gigs are a 5er that I need for just 1 song and my main gigging Bass that I built myself a few years ago. Jas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassintheface Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Was 4 up until last week, but selling my 75 RI MIJ Jazz has taken me down to 3 temporarily, with the intention of replacing it with a Precision pretty soon. My main gigging bass is my black 62 RI Jazz with flats. I also have a early 2000's Stingray 3 EQ which comes along to gigs now as my back up bass. I also have my 73 Jazz which lives generally at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) I have 8 basses - they all get used in an ill-defined rotation but read on:- 2003 Stingray 5H 2007 Stingray 4HH 2010 Classic Stingray 4H 2014 Classic Sabre (Neptune blue, Mahog body, roasted maple) 1993 Stingray 4H fretless 3 band 1993 Stingray 4H 3 band 2003 Stingray US 5 Sub 2008 Bongo 5HHp Of these, the 2007 SR4HH is used most as it's the most versatile 4. The Sabre is very very rare, beautiful and I would hate to ding. The Bongo is the least used. Although the 93 SRH is a rare blueburst it's not pristine so is the bass used at jams where I have to provide the bass. If it gets bashed I'm less bothered. The 2 bands are often chosen for outdoor gigs as I don't have to fiddle with mids on the fly to deal with a combination of room acoustics - overloud guitars (on stage volume) and loud drummers. I love outdoor gigs!!! I do use the SR5 and Bongo 5 but they are my heaviest basses and also I don't play 5s enough for it to be totally intuitive. I'm comfortable using them whereas a four feels absolutely like home. I don't need 8 guitars, and yet I still get attracted to more - I have resisted so far in the last couple of years. Oh and I'm primarily a Musicman fan (stating the obvious), but also Fender, Wal and Ibanez Musician. Edited January 6, 2016 by drTStingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Three for me, all get gigged but only ever take one with me: 5-string Warwick Corvette for the metal/hardcore band (we flick between B & D tuning so 5 string is easiest) 4-string Fender Jazz for the pop/rock band 4-string Fender electro-acoustic for acoustic gigs with the pop/rock band Play the jazz most when noodling at home as I prefer playing 4-strings. As with most others on here I would like more (a nice P-bass, 4-string Warwick, Thunderbird, something semi-hollow and maybe a head+body-less for travel) but I really need to sort my amplification out first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 I did about 50 gigs last year, I always take 2 basses (I have 8 in total, 4 of which aren't used outside the house), but the one that always gets taken, and used 90% of the time, is my main Shuker. The 'sub' spot rotates between the other three main basses (Dingwall, Thunderland or my other Shuker), but when it comes to getting onstage and reaching for a bass, my hand falls on the Shuker nearly all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) I currently own 7 basses (it used to be over 30) and my band does about 40 gigs a year. I take the same two basses to all my current gigs - Warwick Star Bass 5-string which has the right look for the band and the red Gus G3 5-string as a back up. Although the others don't get much live band use right now, I did use 2 of them in the studio when we made our most recent album and just because I don't play them a lot at the moment, doesn't mean that one of them won't suddenly become my main bass in the future if I was to do something different music-wise. Edited January 6, 2016 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 1. 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 3 Precisions, A US Standard, A Nate Mendel and an old Modified Korean Squire. I also have an Epiphone Thunderbird Pro VI which I bought on a whim but dont like it. I gig The Nate Mendel and the Squire most. I,m thinking about getting a SUB Ray in black and Maple and moving on the T Bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 (edited) 3. One is in the loft, one stays in it's hard case (I assume it's still there and hasn't been nicked at a gig while I wasn't looking), the other one I play. Always. None of them are Fenders. . Edited January 6, 2016 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzodog Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Approx 20 gigs per year 2 basses. 1 P and 1 J both taken to gigs but P bass gets used the most. I would like more but I'm skint and have a very unsupportive wife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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