How many basses do you take on stage?

[tauzero]

Two, but the second one won't be on stage (or the allotted corner of the pub), it'll be close by (or in the corner of the allotted corner). Though I might swap at half-time to see if anyone's paying attention.

[snorkie635]

1 minute ago, Mickeyboro said:

A spare is permissable!

 

As I mentioned, he actually played all three. Now I can tell the difference between Gibson and Fender but wasn’t sure why the Spector. 

 

I have played that venue with an Elf and 1x10: this gentleman had an Ashdown head and 8x10. My ears are still ringing…

But you have to admit, I was good! 😉

[Cat Burrito]

Aside a phase in the late 90s where I briefly took 2, I only ever take 1. I put a bass through its paces but aside breaking a string once in the late 90s (why I started taking two), I didn't feel the inconvenience of taking two could justify the chances of something going wrong.  Back then, I never bothered to get instruments set up and had a poor technique. 

 

I'm not saying I'm right, ultimately do whatever works for you.  

[asingardenof]

2 hours ago, asingardenof said:

At the moment one just because of logistics, but I am eyeing up a two-bass case so I can take a backup in case something goes wrong. I already have a spare amp after a previous one blew in the middle of a gig and at least one other DI option. 

Speaking of which, can anyone recommend an inexpensive option for this? I'd quite like the Gator two-bass pro gig bag but at close to £200 it's a bit out of reach at the moment. There are a few (eg G4M) at a fraction of this price but will I mess up both of my basses by choosing a false economy?

[Dood]

Yup, Two and they are both the same. Main bass, backup n' spare. They are capable of a wide enough range of tones that I haven't needed a different instrument yet for these shows.

[Angelus]

One on stage, with a spare set of stings in the gig bag and usually a wee Jackson Dinky in the van as a spare. Never, ever used the wee Jackson though.
 

I play with a guitarist that has two sounds, clean and dirty. I also play with another guitarist that has a guitar and patch for every song. I think I’m trying to say, if you’re not happy with the sound, you have choices. I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer? 

[chris_b]

I've had amps and cabs fail on gigs, but so far, fingers crossed, I've never had a bass failure.

 

I always take both on every gig and decide which will be the #1 and which will be the spare during the sound check.

[EssexBuccaneer]

I’ve just bought a cheap and cheerful Harley Benton five string which will take my total to three. One in E, one half-step down, and the five stringer for the really heavy stuff. 
 

I can’t be arsed with retuning between songs.

[SumOne]

To everyone taking one as a backup - has a backup ever been needed? 

 

I only ever use one and Basses seem like tough/reliable things where not much can go wrong, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me. Perhaps I've just been lucky though. 

[nilorius]

Always - one !

[Waddo Soqable]

29 minutes ago, SumOne said:

To everyone taking one as a backup - has a backup ever been needed? 

 

I only ever use one and Basses seem like tough/reliable things where not much can go wrong, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me. Perhaps I've just been lucky though. 

Me too.. 👍

[neepheid]

44 minutes ago, SumOne said:

To everyone taking one as a backup - has a backup ever been needed? 

 

I only ever use one and Basses seem like tough/reliable things where not much can go wrong, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me. Perhaps I've just been lucky though. 

 

I've only recently started taking two, so no, not needed yet, or ever thus far. Figured that after about 15 years I had chanced my arm long enough.

[Phill]

Backup has only ever been needed once (fingers crossed) for the big gigs, always two & a recent theatre thing going on I've got 3 on stage. P bass, Jazz & fretless  plus a synth 

[BigRedX]

43 minutes ago, SumOne said:

To everyone taking one as a backup - has a backup ever been needed? 

 

I only ever use one and Basses seem like tough/reliable things where not much can go wrong, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me. Perhaps I've just been lucky though. 

 

I've never had a bass fail at a gig, only broken strings, and while I could fit a new string mid-gig, you can guarantee it won't go as smoothly as it does at home, and it looks completely unprofessional. Plus when you've only got 30 minutes for your set you don't want anything unnecessary eating into that time.

 

It's only happened 3 times IIRC, but the first time it happened I'd never even considered that it might be a possibility, so not only did I not have spare bass, but I didn't even have a spare set of strings, and ended up having to use the headlining band's bass which was a Violin Bass copy strung with ancient flats and on a strap so long in hung somewhere just above my knees (at the time I wore my bass at chest height and used a twangy round-wound sound).  Before the next gig, not only had I bought two sets of strings, but also a spare bass. Since then I've always taken a spare instrument unless if there has been no room for it in the band transport. 

[Kev]

Always two.  Have to have at least one as a backup, and i'll often use them both for different tunings.  I'd never take more than two unless I have rodies

[Kev]

57 minutes ago, SumOne said:

To everyone taking one as a backup - has a backup ever been needed? 

 

I only ever use one and Basses seem like tough/reliable things where not much can go wrong, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me. Perhaps I've just been lucky though. 

I've thankfully never had to use a backup, but I've seen many who have needed one who didn't bring one and have either had to stop the gig, try and restring or otherwise transcribe as they go, and it looks totally unprofressional.   It's an anxiety I don't need

[joeystrange]

1 hour ago, SumOne said:

To everyone taking one as a backup - has a backup ever been needed? 

 

I only ever use one and Basses seem like tough/reliable things where not much can go wrong, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me. Perhaps I've just been lucky though. 

 

I ALWAYS take two basses. In an old band I took three at one point as we had a few songs in a different tuning and it was much quicker to switch guitars.

 

I’ve needed to use a spare a bunch of times for various reasons but even if I hadn’t I’d still take one. As said above restringing on stage and more so the dreaded “has anybody got a bass I can borrow?” call out to the other bands on the bill looks incredibly unprofessional.

[Jonesy]

I've never had a bass fail on me or broken a string (at a gig or otherwise) and have never seen that happen to anyone else, but if I was getting paid to do a longer set then I'd be a spare just in case. The closest I've ever come to something going wrong was at my last gig. I was playing along and digging in quite hard as usual when all of a sudden I just stopped hearing my bass. I had a couple of seconds of panicking and wondering what was causing the problem then noticed a screw in my bridge pickup had sprung, causing the pickup to make contact with the strings and deadening the notes. Had to play the rest of the song pushing the pickup down with my little finger so the strings could vibrate properly. Luckily I was playing with a metal pick and the tip had been fairly worn in, so I used it as a screwdriver and got the pup back in place.

[Gasman]

Two for me at every gig - I've had a jack socket do a rapid unscheduled disassembly on itself and supposedly new batteries fail after 30 minutes, so it's great being able to simply swap instrument in 30 seconds. The backup is onstage where there's room, otherwise in the nearest broom cupboard.

 

My main amp is an AG700, but I bring my previous TH350 for emergencies - so far I haven't needed it but our rhythm guitarist has!

 

Our lead guitarist has a carousel stand with 4 guitars - not for primarily for backup but for various different sounds. 

[snorkie635]

1 hour ago, SumOne said:

To everyone taking one as a backup - has a backup ever been needed? 

 

I only ever use one and Basses seem like tough/reliable things where not much can go wrong, and nothing has ever gone wrong for me. Perhaps I've just been lucky though. 

It has indeed. Jack socket decided to pack during the first song at a wedding-do. The E string bust during a gig once.  A 'new' battery decided to die as well. No chance I'd ever turn up with only one bass.

[Chezz55]

Two basses every time.  My primary bass is either a Fender P or a Rickenbacker 4003, secondary bass is always another Fender P.  

 

I also carry a MarkBass Nano amp as a spare - used once so far, by guitarist when his AC30 had a (very expensive) senior moment.

[Bunion]

Used to be 3, in a rock band at the height of grunge, we covered  Alive and Jeremy by Pearl Jam (always went down a storm)  I had a  fretted, fretless and 8 string which gave a passable rendition of Jeremy (originally 12 string) 

[Johannes]

I have played about 3000 gigs and most of the time it`s just one, either fretted or fretless. Sometimes both of them. Never had a problem. I think if You have a decent quality bass, inspect it regularly and take good care of it there shouldn`t be a problem. 

[SumOne]

I'll take onboard the collective knowledge of basschat - I had been planning on selling my spare 5 string Bass but will keep it as backup instead. 

[James Nada]

I currently always take one stage bass and a cheap short scale Encore as a spare kept in a case nearby - it's purely an emergency bass.

I've never needed a spare in 30 years, until last weekend at a festival set when the E string snapped mid set.  Thank goodness I had the crappy Encore on hand.

Edited June 9, 2023 by James Nada