How many basses to take to a pub gig

[Guest MoJo]

Back before the days of Basschat or even it’s predecessor Bassworld, I only ever owned one bass at a time and played the same bass at every gig for more than a decade. 
Since discovering Bass forums, I have owned more than 100 basses, some for just a few days and almost always taken two basses to a gig. 
I play a Precision. Passive, simple electronics, installed by myself, no battery to die mid-gig. I play with a very light touch and in 42 years of playing, I’ve never broken a string. It makes me wonder if I need to take a backup bass to a gig at all. 
How many of you have ever had to break out the backup on a gig and why?

[Dan Dare]

Never had to, which is just as well as I've never taken a backup. I do keep a set of old (and therefore already stretched) strings in the gig bag so if I bust one, the replacement won't be forever going flat. I carry batteries, duplicates of every lead and a spare amp (which I think far more likely to expire than the bass).

[Doddy]

For a pub gig, unless I'm doubling on upright I only take one bass. For bigger shows when I generally have to travel further, I've normally got a spare.

[uk_lefty]

First gig in years I took three basses and must have looked like a bit of an idiot switching them, and caused the soundmam a headache. For a pub gig now it's one bass with a spare in the car usually, or on stage if there's space. I don't do a spare amp because I don't have one but I do have a multi fx that can be piped in to the PA if needed. 

I own 6 basses, it's a bit daft, but I enjoy buying new basses and trying them out. I don't need to show off my collection in the Dog and Duck because it would be wholly unnecessary and a risk of more stuff being stolen.

[Cuzzie]

Whatever is comfortable mentally and physically for you as well as space wise to store.

I would take a spare, but I use a double gig bag so it’s very little hassle and things are covered so I have no worries

[uk_lefty]

Having said all of that... When my 80s band gets going i'll need two basses: fretted and fretless. But that's a need rather than a spare. 

[musicbassman]

Bass player's interest in how many different basses he's taken to the pub gig = 100% !   😁

Other members of the band's interest -  20%   🙁

Punters interest = 0%     😑

[Skybone]

I get the impression that the "essential backup" concept comes from function bands that will tend to play a couple of long sets on each booking, rather than for half an hour down at the Dog and Duck.

 

[Sibob]

I’ll take two basses to 90% of my gigs. I’m the same in that I’m primarily a ‘passive P’ type player, but the way I see it, if something breaks on a paid gig, I want to quickly be able to turn around and grab another bass. Rarely ever happens, if ever, but no skin off my nose taking two basses. One is very much a spare, I’m not swapping between them.

On rare occasions I’ll have to train to a gig or something, so I’ll take one bass, but make sure I have spare strings etc.

Si

[Steve Browning]

I play fretted and fretless on a gig (the fretless does 3 numbers). I take a spare fretted bass, so I take 3. If I know space is tight, I just take one of each.

I've not needed a spare on a pub gig but did need my spare at a reasonably sized gig (2,000 seater) when an old machine head broke, as I tuned up in the dressing room. The only time I've actually needed it but only lack of space stops me always having a spare available.

[Cat Burrito]

I have only ever broken a string once, onstage at the Horn Reborn in St. Albans back around 1998. I took a backup out for about three years after that and since then I am back down to one bass at a show, two basses if on tour. Like the original post, playing since 1988 I am confident that the chances of anything happening are so low, I can offset the inconvenience of lugging extra kit. I look after kit so I don't think anything too horrendous is likely to happen.

[mr4stringz]

I always take a backup. Though I’ve needed one twice from memory in 25 years of gigging. To be honest it’s more for my own peace of mind as, while the chances of me needing to break it out are minimal, it’d always be on my mind to one degree or another if I didn’t have one there just in case. 

[Woodinblack]

I take a backup, which is the hofner cricket bat, it takes no room and stays in the car. I have never really needed it, but I did once use it as I wasn't getting on with my primary bass.

But for me it is just there for me to feel confident. I have spare leads, batteries. Ultimately the only things I ever really need are spare things of whatever the guitarist uses, as he is the one that forgets / breaks things and never carries a spare. Which is odd considering he brings 2 or 3 guitars and switches between them.

[bassbiscuits]

I usually take just one bass for most pub gigs. One of the bands I play with involves two basses for different tunings, and they double up as each other’s spares.

I last broke a bass string in about 2006 onstage, which prompted a long intro and some banter from the singer while I replaced it. No big deal.

 

[Crawford13]

I agree with the concensus take however many you feel comfortable with. 

I generally only take 1 bass, I keep it in great condition and it's a quality instrument so chances of failure are slim. 

If it's a massive gig I will take a spare, purely to calm the nerves. 

[Muzz]

I've broken a string on a couple of occasions, but not in the last decade. I use active basses, and I've had a battery die on me before now. I have a double gig bag, so I always take two basses. Tune the second one up while the guitarist is fiddling during setup (plenty of time there), bung it on the stand (or put it carefully in the gig bag) and it's a matter of seconds to change if needs be. It's no real effort, so I don't see why not. I  have spare leads, batteries, picks, etc (even a Behringer BDDI DI box I've never had to use, but only cost me a tenner). I see it as a professional approach.

[Ed_S]

I had a problem with my passive and assumed bulletproof precision bass. Fortunately it was at a sound check and we were close enough to home that I could nip back and get a different bass as I hadn’t taken a spare with me. The sound just kept crackling in and out so, after much wiggling things to no avail, I gave my wireless pack and patch cable to one of the guitarists and he could play through my rig just fine; it was almost certainly the bass at fault. To this day I have no idea what was wrong with it! I tried it out at home and it worked fine. I took it apart and it looked/tested fine. I resisted the urge to mess with it and it’s been fine ever since. But in that moment it wasn’t working and I would have been much better served by having a spare with me, so now I always take one and, perhaps predictably, haven’t yet taken it out of the bag at a gig. I’m fine with that, though - I hope I never need to.

As a frequent player on the multi-band-night circuit, I don’t take any issue with people having complete faith in their one bass and not carrying a spare, but when it fails on them I do take exception to being asked to borrow mine and then being blamed for ruining their gig when I refuse. As long as you don’t become that person when your luck runs out, it’s all good with me.

[casapete]

For pub gigs I usually just take one bass, on the basis that I’m never usually too far from home to nip back for a replacement. Bit daft but hey ho.

On my main gigs in theatres I always have a spare, and have needed it a few times over the years. This is because some (usually older ) theatres occasionally don’t like my active bass, and we get a small amount of interference through our PA. Not really bad but enough to be an annoyance to our sound tech. Probably just down to lighting/wiring in the venue. When this happens I just dig out my old passive P-bass and problem solved. On all my gigs I carry a spare of every lead though, along with strings, mics and either a spare amp or my Sansamp.

[Lozz196]

Two, the main player and a backup. I had an incident a couple of years back where I was lazy and just took the one, checked it before I left all was good, got to the soundcheck, no output (passive P-bass). Turned out to be a dodgy connection on the jack had established itself on the journey. Had to borrow a bass for the gig. Lesson learned.

[Supernaut]

My one and only bass right now is a Sandberg TM4 Super Light.

J and MM pickups so plenty of tonal options. Active and passive in case the battery dies mid set. Extremely light weight so no bad shoulder!

I always check my bass once over each month to make sure everything is tip-top so that way I never need to bring a back up. I haven't done so in nearly 20 years playing gigs. 

[rushbo]

I always take a spare bass. It's been years since I've needed to use it, but I still take one to every gig. Sometimes I justify it by giving the spare a run out in the second set. I have a "two bass" case, so there's nothing additional to load in/out, although that case can get quite heavy if you have to carry it a distance!

There are so many variable factors to take into consideration when gigging - you may never have broken a string in your life and keep your bass in A1 condition, but you can't legislate for clumsy band members knocking instruments off stands, uber-drunk punters doing the same, dubious venue wiring making things go "bang" when they shouldn't and inexplicable acts of God/Allah/Buddah etc. 

You may never need your spare, but if the occasion ever arises when that dry solder joint that's been dormant in your bass since 1963, suddenly kicks off at a gig, you'll be glad you've got that car boot sale Squier in the back of the car.

Edited April 29, 2021 by rushbo

[la bam]

If it can break - it will.

Maybe not this week, maybe not next, but it will.

It really isnt a hard ship to take a spare just in case. Even a cheapo £50 bass.

[Marky L]

Two. I'll usually play a straight up P bass and have the fretless along if we do one or two of the songs I use that in. If not, then it's just the back up and I can inflict the audience with fretless where it don't belong 😁

I am hamfisted and play with a pic mostly. When the adrenaline gets going then it can go dodgy in the string dept. The last string I broke was an E a couple of years ago.

Edited April 28, 2021 by Marky L

[Chienmortbb]

Ok so I usually don't and the thought of my pride and joy (Aerodyne Jazz) being stolen would break my hearts as I bought it with the money my Mum left me. My Peavey P bass (made In indonesia and bought for £50) has been gigged on many occasion when I working on the Aerodyne. \i suppose a doiuble gig bag would mean I could take both. I alos never take a second amp but do have an Orchid Classic DI.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I’m definitely in the Chris Wolstenholme camp regarding how many basses to take to a gig, but it’s been a while since I’ve played a pub to be fair.

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by hiram.k.hackenbacker