Back up basses - What do you look for?

[Callumjord]

I have a question for all you gigging bassists out there,

How many of you gig with a "back up bass" and if so what is it you exactly look for when picking a backup bass?

I'm asking this because recently my Function/Wedding band has gained a lot of interest and we are just away to begin a busy couple of months of gigs that will lead well into the new year and also we have managed to have nearly every weekend of the summer months of 2018 fully booked.

I have recently started using my P bass as my main bass and since a lot of my up coming gigs are all over the North East/part of Highlands in Scotland i'm looking for a back up bass to take with me just in case anything was to happen (Fingers cross).

I currently have a Vintage musicman copy that would be ok for a back up bass, only problem is that i simply don't enjoy playing it as much as my other basses, the pickup runs very hot and it sounds completely different plus its active. I have thought about doing the bass up, give it a refinish and upgrade the pickups and electronics but then there is something in me that says "just get another (cheaper) P bass".

Does anybody deliberately take a different sounding/feeling bass with them as backup or do you pretty much look for another version of your main bass?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Callum

[colleya]

I'd imagine that if it's a 'just in case my main bass fails' backup then something as close to the sound/output of your main bass as possible. That way you can switch with minimal faffing around with settings, especially as you're in a function band where keeping the show going and folk on the dancefloor is a priority.

However, in my experience unless it's wildy different tone or output that screws with the band balance then most folks won't notice. It's a standing joke in our band that the constant rotation of gear by the guitarist and myself is purely for our ears only. The good folk at the Dog & Doris on a Saturday night couldn't give a monkeys if I'm using a P bass or a Status 57 string made of graphene reinforced kryptonite provided it sounds good and we play Take On Me!


If you can afford it then another one of the same would be great, if not then possibly one of the Fender sub brands, the higher end Squiers get a lot of love on here.

Edited September 3, 2017 by colleya

[lownote]

I run a Fender P loaded with round wounds as my main bass, and a Squier P with Tonerider pups, KiOgon loom and flats as my backup. Actually, they arrived in the opposite order of that but I liked the Fender so much I've swapped their seniority. The rationale for this combo now is that they feel, weigh and handle much like each other so it's not going to throw me if I have to switch in a crisis. But also having the flats gives me an alternative if I'm playing a gig for which the rounds are just a little too brash.

Edited September 3, 2017 by lownote12

[Lozz196]

Backup bass has to be the same type imo - I use a US Precision and my backups are another US Precision if I`m doing a really important gig or tour, and a Squier VM 70s Precision for regular gigs. Both strung with Rotosound steel roundwounds. Sure due to differences in pickups and possibly bodywood there may be a slight difference in sound, but I`ve got to be as near as my regular bass as possible.

[Dood]

[quote name='colleya' timestamp='1504437253' post='3364798']
I'd imagine that if it's a 'just in case my main bass fails' backup then something as close to the sound/output of your main bass as possible. That way you can switch with minimal faffing around with settings, especially as you're in a function band where keeping the show going and folk on the dancefloor is a priority.

[/quote]

Exactly this for me. I want a bass with a superb tone stock, then a second that feels and plays the same; Right down to pickup and preamp' choice. Any tonal adjustments I need, I use my pedal board to 'get the tone' appropriate for the track in mind.

[Dood]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1504438781' post='3364816']
Exactly this for me. I want a bass with a superb tone stock, then a second that feels and plays the same; Right down to pickup and preamp' choice. Any tonal adjustments I need, I use my pedal board to 'get the tone' appropriate for the track in mind.
[/quote]

It does also mean I have terrible OCD for instruments in pairs.. Two Fender PJ's, Two Fender Precisions, Two Dingwall, Two Shuker basses, Two electric guitars....

[joeystrange]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1504437894' post='3364806']
Backup bass has to be the same type imo - I use a US Precision and my backups are another US Precision if I`m doing a really important gig or tour, and a Squier VM 70s Precision for regular gigs. Both strung with Rotosound steel roundwounds. Sure due to differences in pickups and possibly bodywood there may be a slight difference in sound, but I`ve got to be as near as my regular bass as possible.
[/quote]

Pretty much exactly this.
I take two Precisions, both fitted with the same pickups and hardware.

If my main bass fails then I want to backup to sound as close to it as possible. Not for consistency or to make sure the band sounds the sane for the rest of the gig, just because I like the sound and I want it to be the same.

[Callumjord]

[quote name='colleya' timestamp='1504437253' post='3364798']
I'd imagine that if it's a 'just in case my main bass fails' backup then something as close to the sound/output of your main bass as possible. That way you can switch with minimal faffing around with settings, especially as you're in a function band where keeping the show going and folk on the dancefloor is a priority.

However, in my experience unless it's wildy different tone or output that screws with the band balance then most folks won't notice. It's a standing joke in our band that the constant rotation of gear by the guitarist and myself is purely for our ears only. The good folk at the Dog & Doris on a Saturday night couldn't give a monkeys if I'm using a P bass or a Status 57 string made of graphene reinforced kryptonite provided it sounds good and we play Take On Me!


If you can afford it then another one of the same would be great, if not then possibly one of the Fender sub brands, the higher end Squiers get a lot of love on here.
[/quote]

That is very true, your average punter is not going to notice or care what bass you're using. If you have to change from a P bass to a J bass nobody in the audience will notice too much but most likely wont care.

For me I think what I really want is to be able to just pick up the back up and not have to fiddle with any gain/eq settings (much) but also not have to adjust to a different feeling neck.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1504438867' post='3364818']
It does also mean I have terrible OCD for instruments in pairs.. Two Fender PJ's, Two Fender Precisions, Two Dingwall, Two Shuker basses, Two electric guitars....
[/quote]

oh i know that feeling, but then my wallet tells me no

[FinnDave]

My back up is always as close as possible to my main bass, ideally they are interchangeable. I am currently gigging with a Gibson Thunderbird and taking a Fender Jazz as back-up, but will soon have my Epiphone Thunderbird back in action and the Jazz bass will stay at home.

[casapete]

I keep a P style bass as a backup for my P-Lyte. Always keep it in the wings of the theatre where it can be grabbed if needs be.
It doesn't sound the same as the Lyte really, or play the same either for that matter.However, the odd time I've needed it
( always old theatres whose electrics don't like active basses for some reason ) it's been fine if a little heavy.
I do have another P-Lyte at home should a major fault develop, but prefer keeping the unbranded P bass as a stage spare as
I'm not too precious about it when on the road.

[Drax]

Matching output is the key for an easy swap, same string and pup configuration ideally, and passives easier than actives of course.

So rarely does the back up get called, not bothered if it's a grind to play. Most importantly, - needs to be tuned, and esp if active - levels prepped to just plug and play. Make sure it's a bass that does at least get played occasionally.

I learned this the hard way after years of never needing my back up. A vintage jazz 'broke' mid song (bridge screw failed), and the replacement bass (which I thought was all ok, but then I never actually played it) meant I was chasing my tail for the remainder of the gig, crap night all round.

[gjones]

I wouldn't stress about it. Stick a bit of foam under the string at the bridge, turn the treble down and your active Stingray will sound pretty P bass like.


It's pretty unlikely that your P bass will spontaneously combust, or be run over by a steamroller, in the middle of a gig.......hopefully

[naxos10]

Criteria - it must work.

Not to worried which one I take.

[Skybone]

IMO, for a back up instrument, you should have something that's very close to the main instrument you're using for the gig so that you don't have to mess about with any settings when you plug in.

If you use a P bass as your main bass, then your back up should be a P bass that's been set up so that it'll match the sound of the No.1 P.

Unless of course, you need to change the bass for different songs, like different tunings or sounds.

[Pinball]

I currently have three very different basses that I am happy to use at band practise as they all sound good. A Bass Collection 335, ATK 805 and my SR5. If a bass works for me and the band in practise I'm happy to take it as a backup.

[mr zed]

A Jazz bass on front pickup will sound close enough to a Precision in the mix so could act as a backup. It will of course give you different tones should you want them therefore adding variety. It's also nice to own a P and a J.

[Marc S]

For me, it depends on the gig. Most pubs I play, the punters wouldn't notice whether I'm playing a Jazz, or a P or a Stingray etc
And I'm sure they wouldn't notice me swapping basses, unless there was a lengthy period of silence between songs, followed my much twiddling of controls

I usually play passive basses, so my backup would have to be passive. In fact, one occasion where my main instrument let me down mid-gig,
was due to a battery failure in an active bass - and the battery had only recently been changed! Which caught me out, and convinced me of the need for a backup

If your main bass is passive, then at least get a passive backup. Backups tend not to be used too much - so you may encounter a sudden battery failure
Alternatively, you could rotate using each bass as your main bass - that way, you would become more adept at swapping basses, and switching to suitable EQ more quickly

My own backup requirements are often simply - as cheap and lightweight as possible.
Something like the Anygig travel bass guitar (do an ebay search- these look ok, they're small & light and around £160)
I have a Tanglewood Elfin, which is around 25" scale, really small & light, and sounds surprisingly like a full scale P bass... oh, and it was cheap

If I know I'm going to be parked near the venue, and there aren't too many stairs, and if the gig is a bit more "high profile" or better paid
I take along my backup PJ. Even though my main bass is a passive PJ, with identical pickups... there's still a noticeable (by me anyway) difference in EQ

[Steve Browning]

I use my two sunburst Japanese reissue P basses for gigs, they are identical but for the fact one is ash bodied. I don't carry a spare fretless although I use the A/E for 3 numbers at the moment.

My spare would always have to be the same to maintain the same sound etc. That said, it's more for comfort as I have only ever needed to swap basses 'in anger' twice in over 40 years.

[chris_b]

I have never broken a string or had a bass fail and I don't have battery problems since I started changing them at regular intervals, so I don't use a backup bass as such. I really don't see the value in a cheap bass to sit around for "just in case".

I have several go-to basses, a P and a couple of J's, so I may take 2 to a gig or I may not. I might try a couple of basses during the sound check and then decide which one to do the gig with. A couple of times I did the first set with one bass and the second set with the other, just to give them both a run out but I rarely switch after the gig has started.

[BigRedX]

My ideal back-up bass would be identical to my main bass in every way except for the colour.

[Paul S]

I have broken a string before now so always like to have a spare bass to hand. Plus I don't think you can rely on anything with electrics to not go wrong so, personally, I wouldn't be without a back up. 3 gigs after acquiring it my Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88 packed up with an expensive smell of burning - luckily at the sound check. I had a spare amp in the car so used that. Such is the 'gear lottery'

For my little band I use a Hohner B2V as back up for my MM Sterling 5 as we play tiny venues and it takes up no space whatsoever. It is unlikely anyone watching would either notice or care about the difference in tone should the need ever arise.

For my new Bon Jovi tribute band I use my Yamaha BB5000 and have decided to keep hold of my BB425 as back up, mainly because it looks much the same and, with bigger venues, I have more space to keep it nearby. Truth be told I actually prefer the BB425, even though it isn't 'as nice', but I guess tribute bands are as much about the image as anything else!

[BigRedX]

Electrics should be very reliable these days. They tend to fail either when they are very new due to manufacturing defects or very old as the more suspect able components wear out. In between so long as you don't abuse them they should be fine. In 40 years of gigging I've had 2 amp problems. One was due to manufacturing defects (Ashdown Superfly) and the other from user error - I stupidly plugged both sides of a stereo amp into the same cab.

IME mechanical things are much more likely to go wrong.

[pmjos]

If people are paying you to play its only respectful to make sure that you have an immediately interchangeable instrument. That's it. Have two the same, or in terms of your playing style and comfort, the same; very few people will notice sonic difference unless really out of the ball park.

[Marc S]

There have been various threads about backup basses and the thoughts of those who have never needed one, those who don't think they are needed etc. I haven't snapped a string mid gig for a long time. But it could happen. Also, yes, you can change your battery regularly in an active bass - but as Paul S says, electrics can fail - as I said in my earlier reply - I had a pretty new battery fail on me in an active bass... it can happen. I'd rather not play the "gear lottery" and it seems the OP is thinking along the same lines. Again, it's up to the individual....

The question here, is whether or not to go for a near identical backup, or one that produces a similar sound / tone. But I'd definitely think about a cheaper alternative, and just getting used to adjusting your EQ between the 2 basses. Thea cheapest option being to keep your MM copy, and carry a spare battery of course. Perhaps you'll even get used to playing the MM. I've got way too many basses - but I think it does you good to swap between them from time to time, getting used to slightly different set-ups, getting used to different dimension necks and string spacings etc....

BTW. Paul S - glad you opted to keep your BB425.... It was just going to cheaply for such a nice bass

EDIT: My son had an electrical fault which was hard to trace, and very intermittent. It was a nearly new bass, and the battery connector was at fault
It may have been down to him being over zealous when changing batteries, though I doubt it, as like me, he's pretty careful about such things...
I've spoken to several repairers and luthiers who say that some electrical faults may not be obvious or easy to trace....

And pmjos - you are absolutely right when you say if you're being paid you should make sure you have a backup...

Edited September 4, 2017 by Marc S

[Paul S]

Thanks Marc - yes, it is very good indeed. I am even half considering moving on the BB5000, despite the lengths I went to get it, and getting another BB425. Just hits the spot for me.