How many of you have more than one bass?

[aristeas]

Hi all, long time no post..

 

Pix below are of my first good bass, Fender Jazz 1975, bought new here in Australia for $850 local currency. My faithful for companion for 25 years, and I swore we'd never part until I played a relatively modern Ibanez that was lighter, faster, easier to play and sounded great going for peanuts. The pix were taken just before I sold her for $3850 (Australian) around 2000. Sometimes I still miss her.

 

Now I have two - a 30 inch scale Fender Japan Precision in a battered candy apple red, and a brand new Pawn Shop Fender VI bought last month that I use for home recording. I switched to guitar late 80s and the basses are seriously outnumbered, latest acquisition is a

Gretsch Jet Baritone - tuned A to A with .14 to .72 guitar strings - which seems to be almost the best of both worlds.

[mullet97]

If you ask my ex, way too many – but for the record, you can never have enough!

My last three were: Fender P Steve Harris (WestHam), Traded a Gibson SG bass for a Fender Kingman bass and USA Geddy Lee.

 

Also have a Fender J Deluxe, two Fender J MIM’s (one with D-Tuna), and an Ibby 5 string. I mostly keep them in different tunings and two are just in the living room if I’m in the mood for whatever.

[Phil O'Keefe]

If you ask my ex, way too many – but for the record, you can never have enough!

My last three were: Fender P Steve Harris (WestHam), Traded a Gibson SG bass for a Fender Kingman bass and USA Geddy Lee.

 

Also have a Fender J Deluxe, two Fender J MIM’s (one with D-Tuna), and an Ibby 5 string. I mostly keep them in different tunings and two are just in the living room if I’m in the mood for whatever.

 

So true!

[Schustermgs]

I've got the Mexican standard Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, Fender Jaco Pastorius signature bass with Bill Lawrence pickups and a cheap Ibanez Gio that my parents got me when i was 8 that i still don't know the name of after a lot of time spent looking online.

[arf-boy]

Late to the party but here goes.

 

Started learning bass about 20 years ago on a Guild SB-202 that had had the frets ground off. Still have that bass and love it for a) low, butterball, action and b) lovely wooden tones, especially with the factory switch that reverses polarity on one pickup.

 

Added a Washburn XB-400, 4-string with actives -- and frets, to make it easier to play and sing. Consigned that this spring and just got a Hofner 500/2. It's lighter and has a meatier sound. Getting used to the short scale but I think this one will become my favorite. (And it's an easy bass to pass to my guitarist friends if I want to play guitar for a song or two.)

 

Also have a Yamaha BB-5000, for the extra low notes. This bass also helps with singing because the 5-strings makes it more likely the bassist can stay at the same neck position.

 

Finally, Cremona 3/4 upright. Nowhere near the greatest upright ever but I had my local tech lower the action, at the expense of volume, so I can easily play it all night. I play this a lot with my folk band and I'm learning to bow. Having the bow re-haired helped, as it reduced the pressure needed to make the notes.

 

If playing bass and singing is hard, bowing and singing is twice as hard.

 

[Beyer160]

Currently four, which is honestly at least one more than I need. One day when I find a deal I can't refuse on a jetglo Ricky 4003 though, it may become five-

 

 

'82 Fender "Fullerton" '62 RI P-bass, routed for a P/J configuration and fitted with EMGs. I bought this already modded when when I was a young'un and unaware how blasphemous it was. My #1, strung with D'addario Chromes.

 

MIJ Fender Jaguar, strung with D'addario rounds. I only acquired this recently, and have a set of Fender CS '60s pickups for it on the way. The ceramic stockers actually sound OK, but I got it cheap and this is probably going to be my main gigging bass now, so I figured I'd spend a couple bucks on it.

 

MIM J-bass with Split 55 pickups, strung with Rotosound 77s and fitted with series/parallel switch. Got this as part of a ridiculous Craigslist package deal where I sold the rest of the stuff and had money left over and a free bass. I added the Split 55s, which were a SDOTD.

 

MIM P-bass with Duncan Quarter Pound pickup, strung with... uh, whatever rounds were on it when I got it. I traded a Squier Jaguar guitar for this bass with the Duncan installed and a hardshell case. I'd only paid $200 for the Jaguar, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

 

The '82 doesn't go out to bars anymore, so the two MIMs were my gigging basses until I got the Jaguar. Now I don't really need the MIM Jazz, but it's white with a white guard, and the P is black with a black guard, so I hate to break up the set (they both came that way, it was completely unintentional). Yes this is dumb, but I've got so little in those basses that I really don't care.

[MDMachiavelli]

I'm not a bass player either but I have two, an electric and a stand up.

[isaac42]

Heck, I regularly use five different basses.

[Verne Andru]

I guess I have 3:

 

Yamaha BB405 with Q-Tuner neodymiums

 

 

Danelectro double-neck with a Bass VI neck on the bottom

 

 

Squire SS Jaguar like this [mine has a white perloid pickguard].

 

 

 

 

They're all really different from each other, as you can imagine. The Yammi is a great 5 string with, IMHO, the best sounding pickups ever made for a bass.

 

The Dano is just so much fun to play. I have a Roland GK synth pickup on the 12 neck so between everything I get the broadest palette of tones anywhere.

 

Then there's the Jaguar. Very nice little short-scale 4-string with American Standard P-bass pups and a SD Jazz give me all those standard bass tones you can't get any other way.

[isaac42]

I guess I have 3

You guess? Is there some confusion?

[Verne Andru]

You guess? Is there some confusion?

 

Of course I'm confused LOL. I switch the Dano between baritone and bass vi so technically how many basses I have depends on how it's strung. Since it's currently got bass strings, it counts as a bass, but that's subject to change.

[isaac42]

Let us know if you get it straightened out!

[deeptubes]

I have 7, but I turned 1 into a floor lamp. So, I guess that bass doesn't count. They are all different basses in every way. I've got: '79 Peavey T-40, passive, HH/HJ/JH/JJ, rounds; '84 Fender Precision Elite II, active, PP, drop D, rounds; '87 Peavey Dyna-Bass, active/passive, JJ, rounds; '90 Fender HM, passive, JJJ, nylons; '01 Fender Precision Special Deluxe, passive, PJ, flats; '04 Fender Dimension, active, PJ, tapewounds. I strung and tuned them to accentuate their own inherent tones. And for the curious ones, here's the floor lamp.

[DeepEnd]

That bass lamp is cool. It looks like the sort of thing a musician's wife would complain about.

[deeptubes]

The cool thing is that it still works. I could use it as a stage prop and then pick it up sometime during the set and use it, or even sit down and play it upright.

[Electric Al]

I presently own 2 basses.Both are pretty cheap , but playable !

 

1 regular 4 string , the other is a short scale .

 

I use both, It all depends how I feel !

 

Just recently started playing again , after not playing for over 25 years. Career and life got in the way !

 

Now I am retired , and have time to jam !

[Radar-Love]

How many basses do you own?

 

Reason(s) for owning more than one?

 

 

1.) Several -- a few dozen would be fair number. I do play them all, some more than others. Some I've owned since the 1970s. I do own a few "project" basses and parts basses as well.

 

2.) Each has a special playing or tonal attribute or retains a particular permanent configuration. Occasionally, one will go away and be replaced by another.

 

 

 

 

[Ancient Mariner]

I'm really a guitar player, but have 3 (cheapie) basses:

J type Johnny Brooke with Geddy Lee pickups

P type with added Musicman pickup at the bridge

Yamaha de-fretted 5 string for fretless.

 

Why?

 

For complicated reasons there was a time when I needed to play something other than guitar with a particular bunch of guys, and no-one played bass, so I grabbed the J type (because it was cheap, had a nice skinny neck and looked good) and started learning. After a bit I quite fancied something with a bit more growl and bought the P type, which I still play out with occasionally - sounds quite different to the J type, and the MM pickup sounds distinctive and clear in a band setting. I'd also fancied dabbling with fretless and the yamaha came up really well priced again - it records better than the other 2, although I don't often take that one to play out.

[Trevor-RerPZ]

4:

1995 Fender Precision, red, white pick guard, maple fretboard

2000 Fretless Fender Jazz Bass, sunburst

2012 Ibanez SRA 300 PW, pearl white w/black hardware, passive EMGs, on board preamp.

2011 Fender Bronco Bass, Badtz-Maru black w/ maple fretboard

 

I mainly play the Ibanez, then the P-Bass. The Bronco is a toy, 2 saddle bridge that is impossible to into intonate.

[Phil O'Keefe]

4:

1995 Fender Precision, red, white pick guard, maple fretboard

2000 Fretless Fender Jazz Bass, sunburst

2012 Ibanez SRA 300 PW, pearl white w/black hardware, passive EMGs, on board preamp.

2011 Fender Bronco Bass, Badtz-Maru black w/ maple fretboard

 

I mainly play the Ibanez, then the P-Bass. The Bronco is a toy, 2 saddle bridge that is impossible to into intonate.

 

 

Have you ever considered replacing the Bronco Bass bridge with a four saddle unit?

[DeepEnd]

Never seen a Bronco with a four saddle bridge. Are you talking about a drop-in replacement? Any idea where Trevor-RerPZ might find one?

[Perfessor]

Just 2 basses right now....a P bass and an Aria TAB66 semi acoustic bass. That Aria is the best bass I have ever played and I have played for 46 years.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Just 2 basses right now....a P bass and an Aria TAB66 semi acoustic bass. That Aria is the best bass I have ever played and I have played for 46 years.

 

Do you have a picture of the Aria that you could post? That sounds interesting and I've never seen one...

 

[Danhedonia]

"How many basses do you own?"

 

More than is reasonable.

 

"Why do you own more than one?"

 

Because guitars are to me what cars are to Jay Leno.

Because I can.

Because I have no clue what's 'the right bass' for me, so I buy things that offer different playing experiences.

Because he who dies with the most toys wins.

[Perfessor]

 

Do you have a picture of the Aria that you could post? That sounds interesting and I've never seen one...

 

Here's a pic Phil. I just got done doing a little playing. I use it for a jazz trio along with a pedal to cut the sustain. It's 34"scale and has a 1 5/8" nut width. Did I mention I love this bass?