Gigging bassists... how many basses do you own?

[police squad]

approx 70 gigs a year, now I'm full time on bass again.
Main band I take 2 x P bass. One is about 1975 (my absolute fave of all time) and the spare is my Steve Harris West Ham bass.
My police tribute again I always carry a spare. But it could be the Fender MIJ Fretless, natural, maple boarded P, or the red version again with maple board and fretless, or the Ibanez Musician, again Fretless, or the Bravewood '57 Sting replica, The Steinberger XL2 from 1983 or my White Spector Euro4 LX.
In the blues band I play in, Hofner Jubilee Violin bass. It just goes thud and works brilliantly.
I have an Aria SBR-150 that usually stays home

[Twigman]

Most of my gigs are fly aways so I only take the 1.

I have four and a half basses at the moment .

[Staggering on]

We play jazz standards at about 15-20 gigs a year and I use my Yamaha SLB200 on most of the tunes and my early 90's Yamaha RBX750A with flats on a few.I take both to all gigs so I always have a back up on hand-things do happen.The BG is nice if we do any old rock or blues at the occasional dance gig.I also have a Stagg EDB34 which I don't use now that I have the SLB200,guess I should sell it soon.

[Phil Starr]

About 40 gigs a year. Four basses an American Deluxe P, a Highway One Jazz with a J-Retro fitted and two i don't gig with, the Cort which was my starter bass and a Burny MIJ Thunderbird. I tend to use the J at home but the P for gigs with my current band who play all the corny pop-rock covers. The J sat more nicely in the mix with my previous band who were more pop orientated. The Cort sits in the van 'just in case' but i've never had a bass let me down.

[The-Ox]

some excellent replies! How quickly do your guitars wear from gigs?

[Muzz]

My Shuker I had made for me so it was new, it's done possibly 120 gigs so far, there's no wear. I look after my basses, but only to a point - it travels in a gig bag and hangs on its stand all evening when its not being played. I chuck them around a bit onstage, too, but I don't have a belt buckle in the back of them, or wear jewellery on my right hand...

Makes me smile/wince when I see some 'relicing'...I had a Yamaha for 20+ years, which in total picked up half a dozen small headstock/bottom end dings, and that was it...no-one can legislate for accidents, but some 'relics' you see are hilarious..

I'm gonna ding my Shuker now, aren't I?

[FinnDave]

Small paint chip on the body and dent in headstock on my main bass (2012 US Precision). Both caused by drummer when packing up in a tight space after a pub gig, at least 50% my fault as the bass was left leaning against my cab rather than back in its case or on a stand.

[police squad]

[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1452087743' post='2946233']
some excellent replies! How quickly do your guitars wear from gigs?
[/quote]
I've been gigging this for 25 years. it's done over a thousand with me

[CHW]

Essentially, 1 a modern player jazz -I used to keep a crafter precision copy in the boot of the car for unforseen issues, but after 20 years with no unforseen issues, I have stopped taking it. 3 years on, and I've still not had a problem.

I do own a virtually unplayable defretted (by me- badly) acoustic bass, but it hangs on the wall by my bed and is the bass I use if I need to practice anything

[EliasMooseblaster]

Seven, of which four currently see regular gigging action. I usually take a 4-string and my (only) 8-string along to a gig - I think there were only a few Cherry White gigs last year where I didn't need the HB-8 for at least one song. The choice of 4 has lately been between the Thunderbird and the Epi SG, and sometimes the Schecter Model T if I'm in the mood for something brighter.

[Paul S]

I own quite a lot of basses - I think around a dozen or so. I always take 2 basses to a gig. I'm in 3 bands, for which I like to use slightly different sounding basses as they are different genres. For one band I use a Stagg EUB if space permits, so that's an extra one! We are working on an acoustic set, too, so that's my Uke bass and/or semi-acoustic too...

I am absolutely sure I could make do with a single Precision bass for all of them

[leschirons]

30 - 40 gigs a year. I have 5 basses.
4 string Fender jazz, 5 string MM SUB, 6 string Status, a 5 string OLP and a fretless.

Mainly use the 5 and 6 stringers as I like having the B string. The OLP comes out when doing outdoor evening gigs near water or it's a dive full of p***heads.

[mcnach]

[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1452046444' post='2945913']
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]

My last count was about 16, I think?
However, over the past year I've gigged with only about 6-7 of them, and it's really only 2-3 that get most gigs: Stingray & Precision or lately the Maruszczyks. To be honest, I could have just the Stingray and I would be fine. It's just nice sometimes to change, and certain gigs just feel like they would be better with maybe the P/JJ or a Precision... but the Stingray would cover all for me.

How quickly they wear out from gigs?
Hmmm, they don't! I don't gig in war zones. The Stingray has probably about 200 gigs on it, and it's in great condition. Yeah, sure, a couple small dings on the headstock (playing on the left side of the stage normally, too close to a wall many times) etc, but I see no reason why a gigging bass has to accumulate injuries unless used over decades... I had a Warwick Corvette $$ in nirvana black that started showing signs of wear on the top next to the pickup where I rest my thumb, and on the other side from being hit while popping the G and D strings while playing slap. But that's a very delicate finish. The neck on my Stingray (all maple) was getting pretty dirty, but I had it cleaned up and lacquered so it always looks perfect now (and I prefer lacquered necks).

[Mykesbass]

Been gigging my Shuker (in the avatar) since 2012. Up close there is a fine pattern of scratches on the finish, and the board is nicely gnarled (always expected with a light wood fretlless board). It is currently the only bass I take to gigs, but a new development means that the seafoam green parts build P Bass is now staying with me and will be getting used (need the real vintage look). My third bass is a restoration project.

[Matt P]

I think at last count I have 5 basses, the 5 string letts goes to pretty much everything, with a squier 5 string p-bass as a backup, I very rarely gig without a backup (a hangover from my days as a guitarist playing floyd-rose equipped guitars)

when the uke bass goes out I'll often take the letts as well, and the 77 p-bass does go out when the gig calls for it, again with the letts as a backup.

Matt

[uncle psychosis]

Three.

And even then I'm trying to sell one of those.

[ambient]

[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1452087743' post='2946233']
some excellent replies! How quickly do your guitars wear from gigs?
[/quote]

I just sold a Modulus Q6 that was 16 years old. It'd done I don't know how many gigs with me in 3 years, plus I'd dragged it up and down to uni in London 3 days a week for those 3 years. It was pretty much mint.

I always smile when you see ads and the dinks and dents are described as mojo, and it's a players bass.

😊

[sykilz]

Two.....Yamaha BB414 for actual gigging, a Mex Fender Jazz for noodling at home. Seriously, for a pub rock cover band, what more do you need...???!!!!!

Oh, and my old Washburn 5 string that I used for years exclusively in my originals metal band, got new in 1991, barely a mark on it....mojo indeed!!!

Edited January 6, 2016 by sykilz

[stuckinthepod]

I always take two of my three- Usually Epi Thunderbird Pro Classic and my Overwater/Tanglewood PJ as backup. Only doing c20 gigs per year. Really enjoying the T-Bird.

[Sibob]

I gig a fair bit, between once and three times a week and over 3 bands usually, I own 4 basses and usually take 2 basses with me on any given gig.

Si

[spongebob]

30/35 gigs per year, 2 basses.

Both Rickenbacker 4001's, both from 1974, both strung with Fender flats. Only ever take 1 to gigs, no backup.

Currently only have the 1, as the other is undergoing some important restoration work, but is due back late Jan/early Feb. This is a fairly 'new' acquisition - but I have been gigging the other one for a bit now. I will be alternating them for gigs - not an issue, as both are 'my' sound anyway!

Edited January 6, 2016 by spongebob

[sbrag]

Currently have 5. Yamaha bb1100s is the mainstay of 20+ years and does 90% of my gigs. Shergold Marathon and MTD CRB are both new to me this year and often act as back up or if I fancy a change. I'm about to stick flats on the Shergold and usually keep it tuned to Eb for home practice and the MTD has a d-tuner which is useful for some gigs. I've recently bought a Squier VM Jazz 5 to see if I need a 5 and it could have it uses but I've yet to gig it. My Tanglewood Elfin is there to stop my kids breaking any of the above.

Edited January 6, 2016 by sbrag

[MacDaddy]

3.

Custom Shuker. Main live bass.

Hamer Blitz. Main recording bass.

Custom Iceni Zoot. Main back up for both as its active\passive.

[BigRedX]

Wear? What's that?

My Warwick Star Bass which has been my main instrument for the last 2 1/2 years and has probably done getting on for 100 gigs hasn't got a mark on it. The red Gus G3 (which I've had for almost 10 years) has a couple of scuffs in the finish at the end of the headstock and that's it. I'm not to precious about them - I play in a punk/psychobilly band after all but they seem to be very hard wearing. I wear a leather jacket with zips on stage and a belt (although that's covered by my shirt) plus two large rings on my right hand, but none of these have yet marked any of my guitars or basses. If they did gather to many unsightly marks I'd simply get them re-finished. The Gus which was bought second hand was rather battered when I got it and went straight back to Gus for a complete refurb.

I also used to own two Overwater basses that dated form the mid 80s. One was my main gigging bass until I got my first Gus in 2002 and had only picked up a handful of marks none of which were noticeable under anything other than a close inspection. The other which had been previously owned by a reasonably high-profile session bassist and had travelled with him all over the world was in only slightly less good condition.

I think that a lot of the wear that basses sport has to do with the robustness of the finish. When the Overwater was my main bass I owned a Washburn as a backup. That also came to ever gig, but rarely got any use and spent most of its time either in its flight case or on a stand at the back of the stage. However it managed to pick up far more marks and chips out of the paintwork than the Overwater ever did!

Edited January 6, 2016 by BigRedX

[andydye]

At least one fewer than I need ...as per the rules