One bass or many???

[PrimalConcreteSledge]

This is a question to everyone but especially to those who play out live a lot and record albums.
Do you have one main bass that you use for everything that you do in a studio and on stage (like Jaco who used his Fender jazz all the time) or do you have a collection of basses that you use for different purposes?
I know that most people here have 2 or more basses. So what do you think is better: to find one bass that you get very comfortable with and which you can do everything with or have 2 or more basses that have different applications whether it be playing live, recording, practicing, etc.
Kind of an oddball question, but hopefully it makes sense.

[da_s_man13]

For live i'd want 2/3 of the same bass, but recording I wouldnt limit myself.

[blacklungfever]

I have 2 basses because one has frets and the other doesn't.

Then I have my upright.

[WhoDidTheElf]

I personally like to have quite a few, one for each type of tone I want. Each of the basses speaks differently, and I find it nice to hear a new voice every once and a while.

[Omega Red]

i have a fretless, a fretted, and a Jazz style bass.

[EADGC]

I have no limit as long as they are all unique

like different number of strings, features, tunings, fretted/fretless, etc

I'd never buy two really similar basses just for the tone

[:amaze:]

just one for me. love the tone.



:amaze:

[edgebass5]

These days I use one bass for live, studio, practice.... everything.... It does everything I need.

[loveforever]

I will use one bass for all,it's because I just have one bass only.

But in the last music competition,I used the bass which belongs to my friends..

But I will say I just use one bass normally..haha

[rh15951]

Live, I normally use the Rapture and very rarely the Jazz. Recording, I use both.

[super deluxe]

different basses for different gigs.

p-bass for the cover band
5string for the original band
jazz for recording

[The Forgotten Bassist]

I use the fretted 6er most of the time but the fretless 4 string does come with me to recordings and gigs to get cracked out occasionally if I feel it'll sit better with the song.

[DBoons Ghost]

I have 7 basses and I don't play live. I used to play in cover bands and I would only use one bass. I don't know why I have so many. It's a sickness. I am working on recording though.

[Left Shoe]

fretted, fretless, upright

3.

[tenfloors]

For live and recording i use my warwick 5 string and a friends musicman 5, for the big band i'm in i use and aria and a fretless, in the concert band i use a steinberger. I have an fretless acoustic for fun.

I want a Jazz Bass V & a Musicman Stingray 5 for live and recording too. As soon as i have them, all i will buy is different woods and pickups of the warwick, fender and musicman just because there the 3 basses i get along with the most.

[Polyamarous]

When a find a bass that's good enough for me to use everyhwere for everything, I'll buy another one and that'll be it.

[sr800bkBassist]

i have a jazz bass made somewhere between '91-'93 that i use for everything. so far i've used it in very poppy indie, more intense post-hardcore, and in my folk group. works for everything, i see no point in owning another bass. i'd rather buy different instruments and have many different types of instruments, but one of each, than like 10 of the same kind of instrument.

[ebe9]

3 Basses

1 for mainly fingerstyle and some slap (main bass)
1 for slap
1 fretless

[Mr. Pickle]

I have three.






I only use one.






The others just sit and look pretty.

[Misanthropic]

music man sub, which i use for both my punk band and my rock cover band. ibanez sr506 for home recording, playing own stuff and tapping.

would like something more versatile for the covers though and maybe a fender deluxe of some sort for the punk.

[TheJerkyBoys]

I only got one right now -- Music Man Stingray 4 string. I am looking to get a 6 string. Of course I also have my first bass which is a defretted Squier P bass; I don't think its pickups even work.

[Akira]

I think one fretted and one fretless is pretty good.

[BullDoG_37]

i own 6 but only play 3... (4 string, 6 string, acoustic) and use 2 at gigs (4&6 stringers)

[muthafunkabass]

I have 5 and am making a sixth. They all have their special qualities.
-My first bass... sentimental (sp?) reasons
-5-string fretted
-6-string fretted
-4-string fretted upgraded with trem and new pickups
-5-string fretless
-The one I'm making (really only cutting the perimeter of the body and putting it all together) will be a 4-string fretless

Just get as many as you want, but it's a little redundant if they're not all that unique.

[Son of Magni]

Anyone with more than one bass is an arrogant elitist :p

[BullDoG_37]

i always wanted to be one of them :P

[Trevo]

I have two, but really only use and need one. I don't think I've used my other live ever since I got a new one.

[muthafunkabass]

Anyone with more than one bass is an arrogant elitist :p
Well this guy I know has a great ESP but I gotta tell him he's going to become an arrogant elitist if he gets this awesome custom he's been wanting. ;)

[Richi]

I have two basses.

I have a 4 string Westone neck on a Dean body. It's really bright and punchy, excellent for funk and, surprisingly, latin stuff. Does well with blues too.

I also have my 6 string TRB. Does everything else:D

[Lovefist]

I been borrowing my buddies Yamaha, its some sort of fiver thats a maple natural paint job and it was active. I would use that bass at anytime. I like plugging it into my friends 800RB...nice soundzz.

Lakland Skyline Darryl Jones/I use this usually live, but I might use it on a track this week.

Hamer Cruise Bass/ I don't know if the pickups are upgraded but I love this bass. One of the best not-fender jazz basses you can get for the money.

Lakland Skyline Jerry Scheff/ I'll use this bass for special recordings with TI flatwounds. It's got a great active thing going own and it's more modern then I'm used to.

Hohner B2b/ I havent used this bass beyond band practice and Jazz band when I was in high school. I got laughed at for even having a headless bass...kinda pissed me off, but it's small, has a decent voice, and can strung in less then a few minutes (granted the strings cost more).

Anyways I'd say your better off getting 3 basses:
Precision Bass (Bob Glaub's got a great one)
Jazz Bass (Take your pick, there are alot)
Some sort of active bass or short scale

[burtonbassist_101]

i have four, and each of them sounds completely different than the others - but i'm selling 3 of them so i can get one really good one. but it is nice have the variety.

[chaosMK]

I just have one bass- a good one (Cirrus 5). I've never liked any other basses as much as this one- it's my sound. Not sure why I'd want or need another. Maybe another Cirrus with different woods if I had mad extra Benjamins.

Oh... now that I think about it, I might like a Modulus.

[lemoley]

i have in total 4 basses:-

Fender CIJ Precision
Fender MIM Jazz
Schecter Studio 5
Riley bass (one i made myself)

i use the P and the Schecter for live with them being in drop D and Standard respectively and for recording, well it all depends on what sorta tone im looking for etc..

[Tryxx]

I think I'd like a total of 3 basses. Fretted and Fretless, definitely, and then an acoustic.

There's just something about the acoustic that makes me never want to put it down. It hangs up beside my bed, and I usually pick it up before completely getting in or out of bed. That's just personal preference, I'm just a bedroom player and find myself just wanting to explore around with different tonalities.

[darrell]

I have my Stingray which is my workhorse. I use it for everything.

I have a cheap SX fretless in pieces waiting for me to not be lazy and finish sanding and painting it. I also have a Dean Edge 4 which is a piece of crap that I haven't seen in about a year. It's at a friend's house. The neck is shot on it and so is one of the pickups. It's extremely noisy.

Then I have my upright, which I plan on converting into an electric upright once I get an idea of what I'm doing. Should be a fun project. I've tried to get people to help me on the internet, but no one really wants anything to do with it. lol.