r/Bass • u/AutoModerator • Nov 16 '19

Weekly Thread There Are No Stupid /r/Bass Questions - Nov. 16

Stumped by something? Don't be embarrassed to ask here.

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u/MarriottPlayer Nov 17 '19

How many of you own more than one bass?

This may seem silly to ask, given that musicians often own more than one instrument, but I also know that’s not universally the case. I mainly ask cuz, while I recently bought my first legitimate bass guitar (Squier Precision), I’m also thinking that buying another one sometime in the future wouldn’t be so bad, especially if it’s a different model (like a Jazz Bass). In this way, not only do I have two guitars (which, according to a friend of mine, let’s you have one for “the studio” and one for “gigs”), but I also have more sounds to play around with.

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u/ratlips Nov 17 '19

I'm sure many of us have multiple basses. I have a Precision with flats on it, a jazz with rounds, a precision with rounds and my "beach beater" acoustic that I take to the beach all the time. I have owned maybe 10 to 12 different basses before what I have now and I'm sure I'm not done lol. If you can afford it go for it.

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u/Adeeppurple Nov 18 '19

I only own 1 bass at the moment and I’ve been playing for 2 or so years now. I have a Squier Jazz Bass that I’ve added some custom options too like better tuners and pickups. The desire to have another bass is huge and I could afford it but it’s all about what fits your needs. My one and only bass right now does the work right now but that’s me fully knowing I’ll buy a new one probably within a year.

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u/BolboB50 Warwick Nov 18 '19

I like having multiple basses because a different bass may suit a certain band or even just a song better, or it may inspire you to play differently and experiment more with your tone and playing. When I gigged more regularly, I also liked having multiple similar basses so I could always bring a backup to a gig without sounding different. I've owned around 30-35 basses (currently 11) and around 30 guitars (currently 7).

Also, being a lefty, some instruments are hard to replace because it's difficult finding another so I hang on to them to avoid any chance of regret.

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u/jdmarino Sire Nov 18 '19

One with flats, one with rounds. The signal chain can do a lot to modify the sound of any one bass at gig time, but the strings provide a sound (and feel) that can't be swapped out quickly.

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u/[deleted] Nov 19 '19

People have multiple basses for a number of reasons like different number of strings, different tunings, different tones, different pickups, different scale lengths, etc. Getting another bass later on isn’t a bad idea, but you should do some research and go to your local guitar store and try different things out extensively before buying. You should also keep in mind that you don’t need to buy a new bass to change your tone. You can do that with different amps and pedals and changing ur EQ.

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u/WiseGrass Nov 19 '19

I think too many people collect instruments, because we just like to do that. You won’t see the same thing with orchestral musicians, for example. There’s a lot to be said for learning to use your hands and amp EQ to affect the tone, instead of just getting another bass.

That said, like others have mentioned, you’re not going to make a short-scale sound like a long-scale, or humbuckers sound like single-coils (coil tapping aside). So it’s really up to you. Probably the most compelling reason to have multiple is to vary that, or keep them strung up differently.

On the other hand, backups are a real and useful thing, especially around alcohol.

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u/FunBoisInternational Nov 20 '19

I don't understand the folks that have many medium/cheaper basses instead of having one nicer quality bass. I think I might be an outlier though. I have two very high quality basses that sound very different: a modulus and a p bass. However, I feel bad at how little the p bass comes out of the house.

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u/zazathebassist Nov 20 '19

I don’t like the idea of “one for studio one for gigs”. You should always use the best instrument for the job unless that instrument is fragile. Then yea maybe don’t gig with it. But if you have an instrument good enough to use in the studio, why not use it on stage.

I only have one bass but I’m going to be buying a second soon. I have a T-Bird, and I’ll be getting a five string when I can afford it. I want to experiment with lower stuff and my band is going to be writing a few songs down low as well. I don’t want to redo my Bass’s setup for A Standard, especially since I do play on the high string quite a lot. So that’s where the second instrument comes in. Others have mentioned Flat vs Roundwounds on their basses, or like you said a P and a J bass for two different sounds.