Learning to play and 1 year in I have 3. Ibanez 305, short scale musicman (sterling) and I just bought a dingwall combustion. I play ok as long as the tempo isn't too fast š
I think if youāve kept up with a hobby for a year, itās more than just a fly-by-night thing and youāre justified putting cash into it.
Iāve had so many projects that Iāve dumped money into that fizzle out over a month
On the other hand you do want to avoid the toxic "if I buy this next piece of gear I'll sound better" mentality. You can't buy skill (unless you're buying lessons, that's kinda like buying skill, but you still need to practice for that).
Buy what you want to, no judgement there - I got my second bass because I liked the color better than the first one. I have a stack of pedals I don't need that I got because they're cool. Just be realistic about why you want something, don't lie to yourself about it making you play or sound better. I've watched people piss away tens of thousands of dollars trying to buy skill with other stuff, it was a complete waste of money and they ended up disappointed and not enjoying it at all and with a *much* lighter wallet.
I wouldnt say theres *no* connection, but little. You're going to have a much easier time playing and improving on a bass that you are comfortable playing and has had a decent setup.
Cheesegrater frets can be quite the hindrance. Besides that, i agree
Do what you want. You only live once. If you want more than one bass, fucking buy it and use it in good health. Iāve watched too many young people die from cancer. Buy the most expensive bass you can afford and let your heart sing every time you look at it. Donāt look back. Fuck money. Please enjoy every moment you have by grabbing the best toys, eating the food, laughing a lot, enjoying your family and friends. And that includes buying that bass you want. Fucking buy it and love it and never look back.
Being a person who has started multiple hobbies that didn't last very long, my first bass was an on-sale Gio Mikro because it was cheap and I liked the feel and sound of it. When I was pretty sure playing bass was going to "stick" (2 or 3 months later), I did some research and got a "nice" bass.
I did the same! Didn't want the hobby to just fade out as many others had so bought a cheapo bass (which i still love) for 75 bucks and used it for about 3 months playing most every day. Then I started eyeing up some more quality instruments and eventually pulled the trigger on a used Sterling Ray34CA. Now, I have my original bass upstairs with my old guitar amp for when I just wanna fiddle around at my desk and my new one with my bass amp downstairs for more serious practice.
Holy shit this is literally me rn. I'm playing a mikro cause it was cheap. Now that I've been playing a lot, 3 months later I'm looking for a nicer one.
Pretty similar to u/efdrums - I had just the one until I became a touring musician in 1993. For practical purposes I just got a second bass exactly the same - a Japanese Jazz bass. Touring was my day job for the next 7 years, so I had the same two instruments the whole time. When I stopped touring (settled down, got married had kids) I sold the backup and kept the original.
I did eventually join another band that gigged regularly when the kids werenāt little any more, so I had to get a spare/backup. Got a Squier Jazz, so same instrument but a bit more down market than the Japanese Fender Iād sold.
Then I had back problems in my mid to late 40s and had to have physio. Refusing to admit I was too old to rock and roll I switched to a smaller amp and a short scale bass - a 78 Musicmaster. So the change was for practical reasons. As I was still gigging quite a bit, I did need a backup, so bought a Squier Mustang. Similar sounding and pretty much same shape.
I stuck with this setup until that band broke up. About 18 months ago I joined a band that plays surf. I needed an instrument that fitted their retro aesthetic more so I bought a Danelectro long horn. Sold the Mustang and the Musicmaster is now my backup.
I still have my original Jazz bass bought all those years ago (1993) but itās retired now as a gigging instrument.
I'm mechanically inclined - My first bass is a Rogue - entry level model PJ bass. Over time, I changed out the PUP's to Seymour Duncan to improve tone, the tuners cause one broke off in my hand, the pots. This is a great sounding bass now. Out of curiosity, I bought a stripped down 60's era viola bass and replaced everything including the frets. Then I decided to build my own 32" teardrop shaped body and neck and have Lace bass humbucker and cheap single coil. That gives me three, and today I bought a used Music Man 5-string because occasionally I hunt for notes lower than low E. Now, I'm no professional - I do host weekly jams in my basement though. So, to summarize, desire for better sounds out of a cheap bass, curiosity and ambition and then to extend the sound capabilities all lead to my decisions.
I love a project bass! Finished my VI project last year and thinking of doing a medium scale superlight with some aluminum pups next year because... why not?
It's fun putting in the research and build time just to discover different bass feels and sounds, even if my skill doesn't warrant them.
If you are going to gig regularly you should have a second bass as insurance against theft/malfunction/whatever The show must, and will, go on.
If you're mainly into recording, maybe. If the two are going to have very different tonal capabilities I can see it.
If you're just a basement/bedroom player, meh. Just get the bass you want and stick with it.
Or not! I'm not the boss of you. Get what you want and what you can afford and what makes you happy.
I only owned one at a time until I needed a road backup for touring (though I was on my third instrument by the time I bought the backup). I was back to one for a while after that but have always had at least two in recent years. I have three basses right now. I enjoy playing them all and don't plan to give any up.
I had bought an $100 cheap entry level bass. It worked fine, but I wanted something a little higher quality and around 8 months in i bought a new one around $500.
This was me too. Even played a couple gigs with my cheapo Craigslist bass. Got a 90s peavey forum next from a nice guy on the Talkbass forum thatās been my steady for years. But just this month I bought myself a used Lakland Duck Dunn for that good old traditional Pbass sound. Still have them all but my starter bass is usually loaned out to someone thatās thinking about taking it up
Honestly only a couple of months after picking up bass I decided to get a "nice" 5-string since I started with a 4. What I didn't expect is that I loved that "nice" bass so much that it made me want to play and practice more than my starter bass and still does
I had only one bass (a Guild JS1) for around six years, then bought an Ibanez fretless. That was in 1978. I've since expanded via GAS and have too many.
I owned 5 bass' within 2 years of playing the damn thing!! My wife hates it but variety is awesome cuz they all sound different and unique. Was it necessary? Nah but nothing material is really necessary! Peace, love and bass!!!
At the time I was playing stuff that required a 5 string. Simple as that. I still have my first bass, and it rips. When I was gigging consistently, at one point I had 8 basses, with some overlap. Iāve pared things down considerably. Now have a passive P (the first one), a passive J, an active PJ, and a Passive PJ with flats on it. It covers a ton of ground sonically.
I played a squier precision for almost 4 years. It did everything I needed up to that point, then I started using more effects and wanted something with a bridge pickup and active EQ so it would cut through a bit better. Got a Sire Jazz V3 which has been my main bass for 2ish years.
I donāt think you need to earn any gear, a bad or unmotivated player canāt do much with the best stuff anyways. If youāve got the money, buy what you want, and sell when you no longer use it
I'm saving for a new bass. I've only been playing for some months but I bought a cheap bass. She's fine but a bass tech strongly suggested that I purchase a better quality instrument asap.
I ended up getting my second (extremely nice) bass about two weeks after my first one. However, I'd been teaching myself for around six months on a mandocello I had converted so I knew it was for me. The question with my first was more "will I be able to handle a 34" scale 'real' bass?ā than "will I even like playing bass?". That question was answered after about a half hour. Then a perfect storm happened and my "dream bass" came on the market at the exact time I was able to afford it due to an unexpected windfall, I took it. In the course of a month, I suddenly had two basses, which I certainly hadn't planned on.
I've said that it's the one "impulse" expensive purchase I've made in my life, but a friend pointed out the other day it really wasn't. The when and how may have been, but I'd spent hours upon hours researching basses while I was learning with the mandocello and there was a lot of thought put into it. I also knew, after a week with the first real bass, that I'd finally found where I belonged and this wasn't going to be a whim I outgrew. All things considered, it was a sound investment.
I ended up getting my third bass a week or so ago, a gift from my mother. I'd reached a point where I was playing equal amounts in standard and drop tuning and actually needed two (the first ended up not a good fit ergonomically, but I still love and have plans for it). Truthfully, if I could do it all on one, that would be my preference. Not really how the world works, though.
I actually had worried when first buying the second one that I was wasting money or rushing into things. It took a little over a week to make its way overseas and I definitely had some buyers remorse. All of that disappeared the second I laid my hands on it, however.
I'd say it's really a very personal thing and the best thing is to trust your gut. If you feel it's time for another, then that's the right answer for *you*. I have zero regrets on how I handled my bass acquisition journey. Well, maybe one - I wish I hadn't been so afraid of the scale difference between mandolin and bass and had just gotten an actual bass from the start. It all worked out in the end, though.
A *sound investment* indeed š Thanks for sharing!
The one I just pulled the trigger on I had been salivating over for about a month, and I found one brand new on sale and couldn't say no. It's gorgeous even just in pictures and I am teeming with excitement for it to get here tomorrow.
I'm mechanically inclined - My first bass is a Rogue - entry level model PJ bass. Over time, I changed out the PUP's to Seymour Duncan to improve tone, the tuners cause one broke off in my hand, the pots. This is a great sounding bass now. Out of curiosity, I bought a stripped down 60's era viola bass and replaced everything including the frets. Then I decided to build my own 32" teardrop shaped body and neck and have Lace bass humbucker and cheap single coil. That gives me three, and today I bought a used Music Man 5-string because occasionally I hunt for notes lower than low E. Now, I'm no professional - I do host weekly jams in my basement though. So, to summarize, desire for better sounds out of a cheap bass, curiosity and ambition and then to extend the sound capabilities all lead to my decisions.
I had been playing for a year or two. Saw a garage sale. I tried and I liked it at the time. Not so much now. I got another one after 5 years playing. I needed something that would fit my hands, and played better so I got a shorts scale one
I'd played guitar for about 15 years prior. I didn't get my 2nd or 3rd guitar until about 6 years in. Playing bass however, I got my second one within about a year because everybody's P-basses sounded so much better than my SR500. While in that band, I decided I wanted a 5 string as we landed on D often and I don't like the idea of downtuning a bass.
I didn't get that 5 string until I joined my next band a few years later. Then... I decided there were more pickup configurations I hadn't tried and other features I wanted to experience.
I've got a total of 5 bass guitars right now. Two are active 5 strings, one of which is my #1, with 19mm spacing and a 35" scale. Then I have my passive Fender P-bass, and a Vintera 70's Jazz. Before I picked up the Vintera I bought a Squier Classic vibes 60's fretless jazz for a steal of a sales price.. Classic Vibes basses sound and feel fantastic by the way. They can hang with my Fenders all day long.
That being said.. there are people in this world who have made due with one single instrument and all the power to them.. they probably have more money than me because I seem to spend all mine on musical instruments and or one other hobby I enjoy. I sold all my guitars when I took up bass and I have 4 guitars total at this point within about 2-3 years of getting back into it. . That's 5 basses, 4 guitars, though one of my guitars is my only acoustic and has nylon strings.
There is a reason some of us call ourselves starving artists.. because gear isn't cheap.
I'd say be thankful you aren't into orchestral instruments, but, you can easily buy a car for the cost of some upright basses on the market.
If you're comfortable enough in life to enjoy things beyond what is necessity, as in you can afford it without ruining your family's Christmas or missing bills.. there is no harm in owning more than one instrument. The only real way to figure out what you like is to spend some months with it in your hands.
It's easy to get carried away. GAS is a real. Gear won't make you a better player, but a new piece of gear might inspire you to play and practice more often.
I got another shortly afterwards but thatās because I found it cheap at a pawn shop. I donāt recall when exactly I got my 3rd bass but it was prob ten years after I started.
I like to buy a new bass every two to three months. The second bass was purchased cause the first was a POS. I could have stopped there but where would the fun in that be. Seeing this in print looks insane. Bass 7 is a kit and I think the last unless I start selling some off.
I bought my second one immediately after selling my first one,and a third kinda fell on my lap. It was my grandma's, it was broken, and she told me if I fixed it I could keep it. I'm telling myself not to get another one until I make some money off of music, but man, I really like the look of the squier 40th anniversary jazz, with the surf green lol
I owned 1 bass up until we got signed. If I broke a string during a set I had to make sure I knew my fretboard 1000% up and down to play in different positions for the rest of the show. After we got signed I finally purchased a second bass. I used it in the studio mostly. It would have been nice to have a bass detuned for certain songs, or a basic backup bass.
I played & gigged with my first bass for probably 5 or 6 years before I decided to upgrade to a new 5 string. I have 3 basses now, only got a third cause I inherited it from an uncle who passed. They all sound and play very differently, I would only buy another one if there was a new tone or feel that really called to me.
It was for me when I wanted a much different tone or I wanted a 5 string bass for extra range. There was no universal bass for me as each now serves its own purpose in my repertoire
There is no "earning it" moment when you get another guitar/bass. I've been playing bass for a total of 11 years and only got a bass guitar 2 years ago. I bought my second bass guitar after like 6 months when I wanted a 5 strings, and then I bought a Jazz bass, then I found a guitar in the garbage and fixed it and traded it to some dude for 2 basses, and then I just bought a Sterling Ray4HH Stingray 2 days ago. And that makes 6 basses in total. There was no moment of earning to get another, I just got another when I had the money and want for one. Maybe the only exception is buying really expensive instruments, but for the most part it's just a feel of when I want another one and can afford one.
When I started, it was very "guitar is guitar" to me, and "bass is guitar but lower and with less strings."
I got my second when I realized the difference between them (e.g., active vs. passive, J pickups vs. P pickups, etc.) and wanted to get something different.
My next purchase will probably be a newer, more expensive J that doesn't have neck issues like my current one. (It's playable, although not ideal.) So, in summary: first by knowing more, then by wanting better.
My first bass was a cheap squier. After playing that for about a year I bought a better second bass. If I started with a better bass I may have held out for longer but I wasnāt sure if I would stick with it.
My first bass was given to me when I was in high school, a 24-fret Kawai P-copy. As my technique improved I developed a craving for fretless (also was a Kate Bush/Del Palmer fan), so I saved up for a fretless and bought a relatively disappointing Harmony fretless P-copy within my first year playing. Eventually replaced it with a Yamaha fretless J-copy that I still own.
The first bass I bought is a 5 string and the second I just bought a couple days ago is a 5 as well. I honestly don't know if I'll ever buy a 4 for myself, maybe one day out of curiosity, but I think 5 strings is the right amount for me
My second bass came about 12 years in, when I started feeling like some of the songs we were writing would sound better with a fretless. So I got a fretless. From there, I usually reach for another bass when I want a different tone or ergonomic, but I haven't added one in many, many years. I guess I'm "satisfied."
Do you want one and can comfortably afford it? If yes, then buy one. If no, then don't buy one. There are no parameters that dictate whether you can have one bass or 20 other than your ability to pay.
I only ever had one āmainā bass, even when I was gigging semi-regularly.
First bass was an Epiphone āAccu Bassā (P-bass copy) that came with an amp. Then I got a Washburn Bantam 5-string because you canāt play nu-metal with 4 strings š Then later I hd a career and was single so I bought a Modulus Flea 5, which is the most Iāll ever pay for a bass.
Then later I got a Squier Jazz to have something different.
None of those were ālogicalā or ānecessaryā purchases. Just because I felt like it.
I played an Ibanez SGR200 for a couple of years before I got my Gretsch G2220. I wanted a short scale with flats for a more "retro" sound than I could get with the Ibanez. I probably would have stopped there, at least for a bit, if I hadn't come across an amazing deal on a Ray 34. That was one of those "If you don't buy it, you will regret it forever" situations.
I really love my bass. It's a PJ and it covers a lot of ground. I'd like an active bass as well, but that's all I want. Probably an HH Stingray.
I'm more inclined to collect more 6 string guitars, there's more variety.
There is no earning it, only learning that you want/could benefit from one. I want to get a 5 string and another 4 string to put flatwounds on, so that I can cover more bases soundwise. It's not really a skill thing at all.
I have one 5 string as my first bass and another 5 arriving tomorrow. I'm putting flats on my old ESP B55 and I'll be using the new Jackson Spectra as my practice/jam bass for the foreseeable future
Justify it by buying way different types. My own example Iāve played a Ricky forever and just bought a simple P Bass. Two different animals to me. Each adds a different color to the mix IMO
I have been playing for a year now and I have the NEED to buy a second bass.
This is the drill: very low setup for finger playstyle. Very high strings for pick. This makes a lot of difference. But I will go for a cheap p bass like a yamaha 174.
2 or 3 years in, I found a generic P for $10. It needed a g string. My main one, a Dean has a history of electronic gremlins, so it's been a good backup.
I think I bought 4 basses in the fist year? My first was a trbx174 that I got cheap from Amazon warehouse deals. Then I wanted a Jbass for slap, then I wanted a fretless, then I wanted a 5 string, then I wanted a pbass which is probably what I should have started with because I play that most of the time. š
I don't think about "earning" basses by playing, I earn money at work to buy basses. Basses are mostly just a tool to me, I buy them to do something I can't do (well) with the ones I have. I'd still like to get a 6 string and a semi-hollow... Right now, every time I think about a new bass I just go play one of the ones I already have š
GAS is just a lame excuse. Just admit that you like to buy stuff and then just buy it or don't. š Do you want a new bass? Do you have the money for it? There's likely not going to be a better time to buy it. The price of a new 5 string Sire M7 ash has gone up almost $400 cdn since I bought one March 2021.
I got my second bass recently, after almost 5 years of playing, it's a 5 string! But I only got it now because I had the money. So i think it depends on how much you want it and how it would change your playing, tone.
3 years of playing Iām still on my first bass. Havenāt had the money to buy another one, and Iām a lefty player so options besides custom builds are very limited and very expensiveā¦
Thereās no skill level to buy another bass, or any instrument. If you got the money, and you want it. Buy it
I have a friend whoās not even really a guitar player, theyāre a vocalistā¦ but owns like 7 of themā¦ just buy what you can afford
Got my second bass around 5-6 years after getting my first. At that time, I had to travel regularly between home and another city for work and stayed at one place for a few weeks or a month before travelling back to the other place and repeat. I grew tired of carrying my bass every time so I just decided to buy another one so I had one waiting at both places I stayed at.
Getting my second bass started my bass GAS. Now I have one bass staying at the other city and "the others" staying at home.
This post is motivating me to get that Epiphone 60s Les Paul standard Iāve been wanting. I just have a hard time justifying it at the level I play at. Even though Iāve been playing for decades I still probably play at advanced beginner level.
I've only been playing since September and I'm about to take receipt of my 2nd bass tomorrow. If you can afford it, get it! Maybe a new instrument will inspire you to get to the next level
Bought a 2nd bass because I wanted a 5 string to learn to play mudvayne and korn songs. 3rd was a fretless to go for a different tone and playing style. Now the 4th and 5th I just liked those.
I am born in india and had my first bass which I got back in 2015. But I couldnāt get it along with me to Canada for uni without paying out of my nose for travelling with it. Instead I threw in a couple dozen more dollars instead of paying for extra luggage and got an Ibanez SDGR300! Best choice I made during Covid after Staying indoors and wearing masks.
Iāve always āsince the late 80sā had zero or one bass. Mostly one but I moved to guitar for a few years. Iāve been gigging lightly for most of that time. Iāve bought and sold several over the years. For the past 14 itās been a MIM P Bass and itās the one for me. I will probably always have one as my main bass. I currently have half-round strings on it and Iām really happy with it.
About a year ago I finally got a second bass, a Hofner violin bass strung with flatwounds. I was looking for a particular sound for a few songs and it fits the bill. But itās just an accessory. I do really that itās a short scale and I could see maybe getting a Mustang if I ever had extra money laying around. But aside from that possibility Iām mostly a one bass guy
My second bass was an acoustic-electric. I bought it thinking (wrongly) that it might be loud enough to play without an amp at a campfire-type setting. It is not.
I kept it because it's great for listening to music and learning/tabbing a song without using an amp. Plus, I can plug it in, it has a built-in tuner, and, well, it's another bass.
I got my 2nd bass (well technically 4th but am not including the first 2 I had almost 20 years ago when I wasn't serious about learning the instrument) after 10 months. My 2nd bass is a five string. I am a hobby player so I don't really NEED more than 1 but the main reason for getting another bass is to explore more range and learn new things, so I got a 5 string to learn to play a 5 string. I can't say GAS wasn't a reason, cuz it was, but I had to have a solid reason to convince myself (took like 2 months to decide). I am still GASing for new basses but I have to keep it in check by telling myself that getting a new bass for looks or tones isn't enough since I am not gigging anywhere and they won't help me learn, just another distraction. However, now i have another reason to buy a new bass, I really want to try to play more melodic and chords so I want to get another 5 string , possibly medium scale, and put a high C string on it (i am not convinced on a 6 string and they look so heavy).
Took me a couple years of playing to figure out exactly what style I wanted to play and the instrument to support that. Played my first bass for two years and my second bass for 30.
There was no "right time." I had the money and saw something I liked. At one point, I had 12 basses and 3 guitars. I only have 2 of the 12 basses now, and none of those guitars. They've been sold or traded for other things, but I'm back up to 8 basses, 2 guitars, and a balalaika.
N+1 = the number of basses you should have, and N = your current number of basses. Please keep these important formulas in mind when asking yourself if you should get another bass.
I bought my second bass about 3 weeks after getting my first bass. My first was a 4-string and I decided that I wanted to learn on a 5-string instead. I eventually sold the first one.
I knew about a month in, but I was playing a knock off pass with vary high action. That definitely helped shape me, but it didn't tk long to notice it was a hindrance.
I started playing when I was 14. I felt like I progressed pretty quickly early on, I was practicing every day, and was in a band. I decided pretty quick that I wanted to own a professional grade bass that would last for many years.
So I got a job, saved all the money, and bought a 5 string Musicman. That was fifteen years ago, and I only bought a third bass this year.
so I had an old hand-me-down washburn bass as my first. It was fun to play, but it was jacked (action too high, had slight bow on the neck, etc). I knew it was NOT worth getting it fixed, but still loved it.
I got my 2nd bass, first one I bought new about 7 years later. My Ibanez GR200 Baby blue. She's still on my wall to this day 20 years later. I did actually end up getting the washburn tuned up and gave it to my nephew about 15 years ago (a guitarist, so he'd be able to use it for bass tracks if needed, or get someone else to use it for a bass).
Now days, I have 6 basses - 4 of them Schecters:
1 five string
1 four string passive
1 four string active
1 8 string active
Plus baby blue, and I got a short-scale ibanez to practice with at my desk playing rocksmith.
I was a little over 2 years into playing. I had been dreaming about getting a stingray and sterling released a higher end model with a beautiful finish and a clear pickguard to show off the wood and I bit the bullet. Don't regret it either I love that bass dearly.
Four years or so. I had a J and wanted a P to diversify my sound. Also eventually got a fretless for one more sound. Three is enough (other than maybe a Ray someday).
I bought my first bass (Fender Musicmaster) in 1978, and my second (Yamaha RBX374) in 2017 (about 20 years after number 1 had been lent to a stepchild who left it at his boarding school when he finished there, which was during a period of domestic turmoil and I never got around to chasing it up; it turned up mysteriously on ebay this year).
I bought my first "second bass" in the sense of owning two at once in 2020 as a lockdown present to myself, a cheap G4M semi-acoustic to see how I got on with fretless. So it wasn't really a matter of how well I was learning (which remains quite slow) but of wanting to experiment with different stuff. Chopped that in for a Squier CV Jazz which is now my main instrument (technically I'm on number 5 now because I got a like for like warranty replacement)
I'm up to... 5.
Started with MIJ P I got in '91ish. That got me through high school and college and then I stopped playing for quite a while.
Got back into it and still had my P and it was okay. But then I saw Spector Euro5 LX at an insanely low price (to this day I think it was a listing error) and I snapped it up. And then, you know, I was travelling a lot for work at the time so I got a travel bass.
About here I started modding my P. Which got me thinking I'd love to have a full-on bass *project* so I bought Squier VI on sale and replaced everything except the body, neck, and tuners.
And finally my jamming buddy said, "Hey it would be cool if you had an acoustic for living room jams," and that seemed like a great idea so now I have an acoustic.
So five.
Probably have two more to get. While I like my P, even modded it has a few features I don't love. I'll never get rid of it, but it's still not quite what I want in my Swiss Army Bass. As to the other, I've accumulated a lot of band stickers over the years that are begging to be slapped on a bass but I refuse to spend a lot of money on a sticker bass so that project awaits me finding a quality, if dinged up, instrument at a pawn shop.
But I don't have a music "career." I think it's wise to make sure you're really into bass before dropping big $$$ on something. But if you find a bass you like and have the means (or if you need a backup for gigging) by all means get it! If anything, I think you "earn" the bass on the back-end by learning to play it and having fun.
I haven't done it yet, but I will soon. I have a full scale 4 string and I want either a 5 string or a short scale. Not sure yet. Short scale will make certain techniques easier, 5 string will make most things harder but give me that extra string... tough choice.
But yeah, I think you get a new instrument when you have a purpose for one. I'm not a big believer in collecting instruments. If you think a new instrument will serve a purpose for you and you will play it AND you can afford it, get it.
I started playing bass by renting one from the local music store. It was a heavy p-bass I think. I hated the weight. So I went shopping and found a Yamaha RAX550 used. Iāve been using it ever since. After my rock band broke up I wanted to have a more jazz sound so I got flat wound strings for it. About 15 years later I got into playing folk music and wanted something to play at acoustic jams so I got a Fender acoustic bass.
What Iām saying is get the bass you want to play and set it up appropriately and forget GAS. If it is fun to play you wonāt really want anything else. Spend the money on lessons instead.
Iāve been playing bass since I was 13, now Iām 25 and I still only have my P Bass! Saving up for a used fireglo Rickenbacker 4003S though. A friend of mine has one and he says they play like a dream, even better than the ones with the binding.
6 months. Love my stingray, but wanted something that'd be more chill for country type stuff my buddy wants to do so I got P. Also it was pretty and on sale
5 years I played casually and then I needed a more serious bass I had a squire pj that I modded out then got the fender meteora and that's been my main bass for a while then I got the itch for a new one so I ended up getting an aerodyne pj jazz bass
I'm telling myself I still need to practice more to justify a second bass. But I do want one so that I can stick some flats on my jazz bass and then buy a bass to play more prog rock/metal/punk on. Maybe a Gibson or Dingwall. Jazz bass is still great for prog rock but I'm not sure how playing Rush on flats would sound.
I bought my second bass about 6 months into playing. I wanted to both play stuff in E standard and downtuned metal and I found I couldn't really do both easily with just one bass.
i have played for a little under five years and am concidering buying a new one soon.
mostly cause my current bass (a yamaha something) is greatā¦ for a beginner. itās very genreral and is good at everything, but not great at anything yaknow? i want something more spesific and custimizable.
my main problem so far is that i live in the north of europe and there are only 2 guitar shops within a 5 hour drive, and i donāt like any of thair bassesā¦ i also want 24 frets and would like (but donāt need) 5 stings lolā¦.
I have been playing for about 3 years and own 2 basses. The first was a gift from my wife. She just picked one that she thought looked nice, so I ended up with a brown Ibanez GSR200. Plays nice, sounds fine, looks good on a wall. Watched a video from Andertons with 10 basses playing the same riff and realized decided I didn't necessarily like the sound of more expensive ones any better, so I was pretty happy.
Then I started wondering if a short scale would be more comfortable down where I spend most of my time. Found a used Epi EB-0 online. A little heavy, but looks and plays pretty well. It's currently getting a bridge pickup route, but I can't imagine needing anything else after the upgrade is done.
Thanks for your time.
I bought a westone thunder 1a from a mate at college for Ā£80. I didn't want to pay more because I thought I'd need to paint it, and it was just a low quality bass you buy from a catalog.
Turned out that I knew nothing. It is a cracking bass and never bothered refinishing it because it didn't matter what it looked like.
Over the years my bass playing has gone from occasional gigs to mostly home recording but despite some pangs of GAS (looking at you schecter ultra), I've stuck with the westone.
35 years later I bought a U-bass for portable fun. I'd been given a cigar box guitar and wanted a suitable instrument for the bass end.
It was about 5-6 years later. I was playing serious enough gigs where I wanted to have two with me (as I had broken enough strings that I wanted a back up).
i bought my second bass four months after i began playing. my first bass is a toy compared to the j bass i purchased. i wanted a professional players instrument and itās my favorite purchase of my life
I sold my first four string (Ibanez SR600) to buy a five string (Ibanez SR505). After realizing my mistake, I bought another four string (Spector Legend Classic), had those two for a while. Then bought a 6 string (Ibanez GSR206) with the sole intention of converting it into a fretless. Sold the 4 and 5 string to buy a more expensive 4 string (Ibanez PGB1 ATK). Then I kinda just bought another 4 string (Warwick Rockbass Corvette $$) on a whim. I justified it by telling myself I could tune one 4 string BEAD and the other in standard. Now Iām selling the Warwick to buy another 4 string. And after all that, I still suck at playing bass.
I am a songwriter first, singer and guitarist after that, but I always loved bass and wanted to learn more. Because I am a writer first and foremost, I think having different sonic pallettes was the most important factor at first. My first bass was a pawn shop Squier Jazz. My next one was a cheap fretless. My 3rd one was a Squier Bass VI. I don't have large hands, so I struggled a bit on everything 34" scale. After realizing that, I bought a short scale and realized that was the favorite bass for me. Love the scale length and actually prefer the tone to long scale.(Still in love with the Bass VI, but that is almost like a super baritone guitar vs a normal 4 string experience). Now that I have figured out my comfort zone and what I love, I am planning on investing in 2 higher end short scales. 1 fretted and 1 fretless. I'll be done after that.
I agree with others here that you should not equate your experience with being deserving of a second or third bass. If you really love playing, even if you aren't that great yet, buy as many as you want if it isn't a bad financial decision. No one who loves to play regrets having more toys unless it keeps them from paying rent. I only suggest doing as much research as you can, and trying to avoid spending money on something you might not end up in love with and reselling for a loss. Go to music stores and play as many as you can. Figure out what scale length, nut width, active/passive, etc. that feels/sounds best to you and then splurge on something that dots all your i's and crosses all your t's.
>Was there a moment in your career that you felt like you'd "earned" a new guitar?
Just bought myself a Sire M7. I could have bought the M5 a few months ago on credit, but I held off and told people the only thing I wanted for my birthday was a contribution to my bass fund.
I earned it through patience and my salary. It's my 9th if you include the kit basses I built for fun.
I upgraded to a legit Fender P Bass after playing a Squier Bronco for years and instantly my playing got better.
A lot of the time, itās the player not the instrument. But in some cases, itās the instrument holding you back.
Weirdly enough, Iāve never actually had to fully purchase a guitar out of my own pocket in my entire career. My current bass does everything I need for my gigs at the moment, and if I need something, between two of my brothers they have a MM Stingray Classic 5, MM Sabre Classic, Japanese Fender Jag, and a Peavey GV, so thankfully I can borrow those at any time if Iām in a pinch. I gave my only other personal bass to my best friend (as seen on Tobe Nwigwe Tiny Desk š), which was an all American fender licensed parts build I did myself. Probably my favorite bass. Still love that thing.
These are basses I justify buying and would buy today if I had the means:
American Vintage ā62 Jazz Bass
Almost any fashion of late 60ās jazz bass with matching headstock. Black on black with block inlays is a pure fantasy at this point. Refinished if I want to throw it around, original finish if I need an endgame piece.
1978 P Bass in Mocha š«
Fodera Emperor 5 because tone.
Duesenberg Starplayer Bass with the Black alligator finish
I also just love special guitars, no matter the cost. If even if I didnāt play Iād like how they look on a wall.
I ended up buying a second bass as an emergency backup, but I'd intended to buy a new one for a while anyway since my primary Affinity PJ bass is REALLY heavy to lug around (especially when I have to carry around my bass combo + pedalboard) & I was in the market for something lighter for out-of-town shows. After my band played a local festival, my PJ bass' output signal started cutting in/out so I left it with a friend who does gear repair, and we got a last-minute gig right after that of which I didn't have a bass, so I used my portion of our band fund to finance a new Squire Bronco while picking up extra gear for the gig and it's been fantastic. I still use the PJ on recordings for more tone control, but the Bronco is and will remain my tour / project bass for years to come.
If you want that bass, go buy it, don't worry about "earning" it. Maybe don't go and buy 20 bass guitars that you'll just hang on a wall, but one extra bass can't hurt, especially if it has characteristics that differentiate how it sounds / plays compared to your current one.
I was a child of the 90s and started playing in the 2000s, so I was coming through when a lot of bands droptuned. My tastes also got heavier as I aged. I found I was constantly retuning my 4 to Eb or Drop C or some shit, and that was a headache. So about 3 years in I got an inexpensive 5 string.
There's no rules here, but my view is that if you want to get the most out of buying a second instrument you need to think different and work out what the instrument is going to offer that you both need, and don't have. Think extended range, think fretless, if you've got a passive traditional instrument think modern active (or vice versa), even think acoustic if that's your thing and you want this subreddit to think you're stupid.
No shade to anyone who did this (and I bet it's heaps of people), but I just don't really understand why anyone would go "I had a P Bass for a year, then I decided I wanted another bass so I bought a Jazz". In that case the instruments will have so much shared utility that you'll probably end up just playing the one you like better.
Again; no rules though. Some people just buy 15 of the same thing. I remember a very funny thread nearly a decade ago where a guy was looking for help from the sub because he was supposed to take his wife on holiday but spent the money on another Stingray (he apparently already had 4 or 5 and just had no control over his GAS). He wanted us to give him sensible reasons why 'he just had to buy it' that she'd understand. Apart from the few usual suspects who said "Just compare a $3000 bass to handbags" most of us told him he should have gone on holiday, lol.
Also a child of the 90's with heavy music taste, here! I skipped the nonsense and went straight for a 5 string. The one I just bought is, too. I went for a plain black ESP B55 to start while I was unsure of the style and finish I was looking for, but eager to learn. Last week, I bought a Jackson Spectra JS3QV in Purple Phaze. I simmered on it for about a month, and there wasn't a day that I didn't go back and look at it. I found one on sale and jumped on it. It'll be here tomorrow, and I can't wait. I'm gonna put a set of flatwounds on the B55 and I think between the two I'll pretty much be set for life.
I was wanting to get a Rick, and kind of still do, but decided to start smaller. So I got a Schecter stealth to start with and love that guitar so much that I hardly ever think of getting anything else. It really just boils down to what you want. There are no rules to this, it's all up to what works for you. Skills are more important than equipment as I believe Zakk Wylde proves here. š
https://youtu.be/rwhvFLHIlBs?si=5qcirONaairOhGBc
I owned a Precision, then I bought a Jazz. This was out of necessity for gigs. Eventually I added a Stingray 5 for that additional tool in the box.
Buy the instruments you need for the gigs you want.
Year after started playing again. Nothing special or req to learn something to earn it. Just wanted 5 string to try different things and music.
Tho it was cheap one
I went from a squire affinity to [an ultra jazz](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JBassAUMCB--fender-american-ultra-jazz-bass-cobra-blue-with-maple-fingerboard). I started deep in Covid so I bought the squire having never liked bass years ago. I wanted to learn the basics to roll out modern band when we were teaching in person again.
The squier wasnāt great. I wanted to know all the mistakes and complications were my fault, not the instrument, so I went for a huge upgrade.
Earning multiple or higher quality instruments is a false concept. There's no level you have to achieve. All you have to have is the money.
This guy get it. If you have the means and want another bass, just get one.
Learning to play and 1 year in I have 3. Ibanez 305, short scale musicman (sterling) and I just bought a dingwall combustion. I play ok as long as the tempo isn't too fast š
I think if youāve kept up with a hobby for a year, itās more than just a fly-by-night thing and youāre justified putting cash into it. Iāve had so many projects that Iāve dumped money into that fizzle out over a month
On the other hand you do want to avoid the toxic "if I buy this next piece of gear I'll sound better" mentality. You can't buy skill (unless you're buying lessons, that's kinda like buying skill, but you still need to practice for that). Buy what you want to, no judgement there - I got my second bass because I liked the color better than the first one. I have a stack of pedals I don't need that I got because they're cool. Just be realistic about why you want something, don't lie to yourself about it making you play or sound better. I've watched people piss away tens of thousands of dollars trying to buy skill with other stuff, it was a complete waste of money and they ended up disappointed and not enjoying it at all and with a *much* lighter wallet.
I think that's the same hand. There's no connection between skill and gear.
It bears repeating, though. People fall into this trap even with open eyes.
I wouldnt say theres *no* connection, but little. You're going to have a much easier time playing and improving on a bass that you are comfortable playing and has had a decent setup. Cheesegrater frets can be quite the hindrance. Besides that, i agree
the sad part is, once you have the money, you seldom have the time. life is a cruel mistress at times.
Do what you want. You only live once. If you want more than one bass, fucking buy it and use it in good health. Iāve watched too many young people die from cancer. Buy the most expensive bass you can afford and let your heart sing every time you look at it. Donāt look back. Fuck money. Please enjoy every moment you have by grabbing the best toys, eating the food, laughing a lot, enjoying your family and friends. And that includes buying that bass you want. Fucking buy it and love it and never look back.
this, this is it right here
Being a person who has started multiple hobbies that didn't last very long, my first bass was an on-sale Gio Mikro because it was cheap and I liked the feel and sound of it. When I was pretty sure playing bass was going to "stick" (2 or 3 months later), I did some research and got a "nice" bass.
I did the same! Didn't want the hobby to just fade out as many others had so bought a cheapo bass (which i still love) for 75 bucks and used it for about 3 months playing most every day. Then I started eyeing up some more quality instruments and eventually pulled the trigger on a used Sterling Ray34CA. Now, I have my original bass upstairs with my old guitar amp for when I just wanna fiddle around at my desk and my new one with my bass amp downstairs for more serious practice.
Holy shit this is literally me rn. I'm playing a mikro cause it was cheap. Now that I've been playing a lot, 3 months later I'm looking for a nicer one.
Mikro, the gateway drug! š
.... And the "nice" bass is/was....
A Guild Starfire I. Still love and play the Mikro as well
Oh wow, the Guild Starfires looks lovely. Can't complain about the Ibanez either.
Pretty similar to u/efdrums - I had just the one until I became a touring musician in 1993. For practical purposes I just got a second bass exactly the same - a Japanese Jazz bass. Touring was my day job for the next 7 years, so I had the same two instruments the whole time. When I stopped touring (settled down, got married had kids) I sold the backup and kept the original. I did eventually join another band that gigged regularly when the kids werenāt little any more, so I had to get a spare/backup. Got a Squier Jazz, so same instrument but a bit more down market than the Japanese Fender Iād sold. Then I had back problems in my mid to late 40s and had to have physio. Refusing to admit I was too old to rock and roll I switched to a smaller amp and a short scale bass - a 78 Musicmaster. So the change was for practical reasons. As I was still gigging quite a bit, I did need a backup, so bought a Squier Mustang. Similar sounding and pretty much same shape. I stuck with this setup until that band broke up. About 18 months ago I joined a band that plays surf. I needed an instrument that fitted their retro aesthetic more so I bought a Danelectro long horn. Sold the Mustang and the Musicmaster is now my backup. I still have my original Jazz bass bought all those years ago (1993) but itās retired now as a gigging instrument.
Jeez. Kinda makes me feel shitty about having 3 basses that have never left my bedroom
If they make you happy and inspire you to play more, thatās all that matters!
After three years. There was no 'earning it' feeling. I just wanted something with a different sound and feel.
I'm mechanically inclined - My first bass is a Rogue - entry level model PJ bass. Over time, I changed out the PUP's to Seymour Duncan to improve tone, the tuners cause one broke off in my hand, the pots. This is a great sounding bass now. Out of curiosity, I bought a stripped down 60's era viola bass and replaced everything including the frets. Then I decided to build my own 32" teardrop shaped body and neck and have Lace bass humbucker and cheap single coil. That gives me three, and today I bought a used Music Man 5-string because occasionally I hunt for notes lower than low E. Now, I'm no professional - I do host weekly jams in my basement though. So, to summarize, desire for better sounds out of a cheap bass, curiosity and ambition and then to extend the sound capabilities all lead to my decisions.
I love a project bass! Finished my VI project last year and thinking of doing a medium scale superlight with some aluminum pups next year because... why not? It's fun putting in the research and build time just to discover different bass feels and sounds, even if my skill doesn't warrant them.
When I realized I could own both a fretted and a fretless bass.
If you are going to gig regularly you should have a second bass as insurance against theft/malfunction/whatever The show must, and will, go on. If you're mainly into recording, maybe. If the two are going to have very different tonal capabilities I can see it. If you're just a basement/bedroom player, meh. Just get the bass you want and stick with it. Or not! I'm not the boss of you. Get what you want and what you can afford and what makes you happy.
I only owned one at a time until I needed a road backup for touring (though I was on my third instrument by the time I bought the backup). I was back to one for a while after that but have always had at least two in recent years. I have three basses right now. I enjoy playing them all and don't plan to give any up.
I had bought an $100 cheap entry level bass. It worked fine, but I wanted something a little higher quality and around 8 months in i bought a new one around $500.
This was me too. Even played a couple gigs with my cheapo Craigslist bass. Got a 90s peavey forum next from a nice guy on the Talkbass forum thatās been my steady for years. But just this month I bought myself a used Lakland Duck Dunn for that good old traditional Pbass sound. Still have them all but my starter bass is usually loaned out to someone thatās thinking about taking it up
Honestly only a couple of months after picking up bass I decided to get a "nice" 5-string since I started with a 4. What I didn't expect is that I loved that "nice" bass so much that it made me want to play and practice more than my starter bass and still does
I just woke up one day and had 8 basses. They kinda just accumulate over the years.
Oops! Maybe I'll have that same thing happen haha thanks for sharing
I had only one bass (a Guild JS1) for around six years, then bought an Ibanez fretless. That was in 1978. I've since expanded via GAS and have too many.
I owned 5 bass' within 2 years of playing the damn thing!! My wife hates it but variety is awesome cuz they all sound different and unique. Was it necessary? Nah but nothing material is really necessary! Peace, love and bass!!!
Hell yeah! Thanks for sharing
Btw, my first bass was a Jackson that I'm still using but upgrading the pickups to something booming! I still need a Dingwall though! Lol
My Jackson will be arriving in the mail tomorrow! I'm stoked
At the time I was playing stuff that required a 5 string. Simple as that. I still have my first bass, and it rips. When I was gigging consistently, at one point I had 8 basses, with some overlap. Iāve pared things down considerably. Now have a passive P (the first one), a passive J, an active PJ, and a Passive PJ with flats on it. It covers a ton of ground sonically.
I played a squier precision for almost 4 years. It did everything I needed up to that point, then I started using more effects and wanted something with a bridge pickup and active EQ so it would cut through a bit better. Got a Sire Jazz V3 which has been my main bass for 2ish years. I donāt think you need to earn any gear, a bad or unmotivated player canāt do much with the best stuff anyways. If youāve got the money, buy what you want, and sell when you no longer use it
I'm saving for a new bass. I've only been playing for some months but I bought a cheap bass. She's fine but a bass tech strongly suggested that I purchase a better quality instrument asap.
I ended up getting my second (extremely nice) bass about two weeks after my first one. However, I'd been teaching myself for around six months on a mandocello I had converted so I knew it was for me. The question with my first was more "will I be able to handle a 34" scale 'real' bass?ā than "will I even like playing bass?". That question was answered after about a half hour. Then a perfect storm happened and my "dream bass" came on the market at the exact time I was able to afford it due to an unexpected windfall, I took it. In the course of a month, I suddenly had two basses, which I certainly hadn't planned on. I've said that it's the one "impulse" expensive purchase I've made in my life, but a friend pointed out the other day it really wasn't. The when and how may have been, but I'd spent hours upon hours researching basses while I was learning with the mandocello and there was a lot of thought put into it. I also knew, after a week with the first real bass, that I'd finally found where I belonged and this wasn't going to be a whim I outgrew. All things considered, it was a sound investment. I ended up getting my third bass a week or so ago, a gift from my mother. I'd reached a point where I was playing equal amounts in standard and drop tuning and actually needed two (the first ended up not a good fit ergonomically, but I still love and have plans for it). Truthfully, if I could do it all on one, that would be my preference. Not really how the world works, though. I actually had worried when first buying the second one that I was wasting money or rushing into things. It took a little over a week to make its way overseas and I definitely had some buyers remorse. All of that disappeared the second I laid my hands on it, however. I'd say it's really a very personal thing and the best thing is to trust your gut. If you feel it's time for another, then that's the right answer for *you*. I have zero regrets on how I handled my bass acquisition journey. Well, maybe one - I wish I hadn't been so afraid of the scale difference between mandolin and bass and had just gotten an actual bass from the start. It all worked out in the end, though.
A *sound investment* indeed š Thanks for sharing! The one I just pulled the trigger on I had been salivating over for about a month, and I found one brand new on sale and couldn't say no. It's gorgeous even just in pictures and I am teeming with excitement for it to get here tomorrow.
I'm mechanically inclined - My first bass is a Rogue - entry level model PJ bass. Over time, I changed out the PUP's to Seymour Duncan to improve tone, the tuners cause one broke off in my hand, the pots. This is a great sounding bass now. Out of curiosity, I bought a stripped down 60's era viola bass and replaced everything including the frets. Then I decided to build my own 32" teardrop shaped body and neck and have Lace bass humbucker and cheap single coil. That gives me three, and today I bought a used Music Man 5-string because occasionally I hunt for notes lower than low E. Now, I'm no professional - I do host weekly jams in my basement though. So, to summarize, desire for better sounds out of a cheap bass, curiosity and ambition and then to extend the sound capabilities all lead to my decisions.
I had been playing for a year or two. Saw a garage sale. I tried and I liked it at the time. Not so much now. I got another one after 5 years playing. I needed something that would fit my hands, and played better so I got a shorts scale one
I'd played guitar for about 15 years prior. I didn't get my 2nd or 3rd guitar until about 6 years in. Playing bass however, I got my second one within about a year because everybody's P-basses sounded so much better than my SR500. While in that band, I decided I wanted a 5 string as we landed on D often and I don't like the idea of downtuning a bass. I didn't get that 5 string until I joined my next band a few years later. Then... I decided there were more pickup configurations I hadn't tried and other features I wanted to experience. I've got a total of 5 bass guitars right now. Two are active 5 strings, one of which is my #1, with 19mm spacing and a 35" scale. Then I have my passive Fender P-bass, and a Vintera 70's Jazz. Before I picked up the Vintera I bought a Squier Classic vibes 60's fretless jazz for a steal of a sales price.. Classic Vibes basses sound and feel fantastic by the way. They can hang with my Fenders all day long. That being said.. there are people in this world who have made due with one single instrument and all the power to them.. they probably have more money than me because I seem to spend all mine on musical instruments and or one other hobby I enjoy. I sold all my guitars when I took up bass and I have 4 guitars total at this point within about 2-3 years of getting back into it. . That's 5 basses, 4 guitars, though one of my guitars is my only acoustic and has nylon strings. There is a reason some of us call ourselves starving artists.. because gear isn't cheap. I'd say be thankful you aren't into orchestral instruments, but, you can easily buy a car for the cost of some upright basses on the market. If you're comfortable enough in life to enjoy things beyond what is necessity, as in you can afford it without ruining your family's Christmas or missing bills.. there is no harm in owning more than one instrument. The only real way to figure out what you like is to spend some months with it in your hands. It's easy to get carried away. GAS is a real. Gear won't make you a better player, but a new piece of gear might inspire you to play and practice more often.
I got another shortly afterwards but thatās because I found it cheap at a pawn shop. I donāt recall when exactly I got my 3rd bass but it was prob ten years after I started.
I like to buy a new bass every two to three months. The second bass was purchased cause the first was a POS. I could have stopped there but where would the fun in that be. Seeing this in print looks insane. Bass 7 is a kit and I think the last unless I start selling some off.
I bought my second one immediately after selling my first one,and a third kinda fell on my lap. It was my grandma's, it was broken, and she told me if I fixed it I could keep it. I'm telling myself not to get another one until I make some money off of music, but man, I really like the look of the squier 40th anniversary jazz, with the surf green lol
I owned 1 bass up until we got signed. If I broke a string during a set I had to make sure I knew my fretboard 1000% up and down to play in different positions for the rest of the show. After we got signed I finally purchased a second bass. I used it in the studio mostly. It would have been nice to have a bass detuned for certain songs, or a basic backup bass.
I played & gigged with my first bass for probably 5 or 6 years before I decided to upgrade to a new 5 string. I have 3 basses now, only got a third cause I inherited it from an uncle who passed. They all sound and play very differently, I would only buy another one if there was a new tone or feel that really called to me.
It was for me when I wanted a much different tone or I wanted a 5 string bass for extra range. There was no universal bass for me as each now serves its own purpose in my repertoire
There is no "earning it" moment when you get another guitar/bass. I've been playing bass for a total of 11 years and only got a bass guitar 2 years ago. I bought my second bass guitar after like 6 months when I wanted a 5 strings, and then I bought a Jazz bass, then I found a guitar in the garbage and fixed it and traded it to some dude for 2 basses, and then I just bought a Sterling Ray4HH Stingray 2 days ago. And that makes 6 basses in total. There was no moment of earning to get another, I just got another when I had the money and want for one. Maybe the only exception is buying really expensive instruments, but for the most part it's just a feel of when I want another one and can afford one.
When I started, it was very "guitar is guitar" to me, and "bass is guitar but lower and with less strings." I got my second when I realized the difference between them (e.g., active vs. passive, J pickups vs. P pickups, etc.) and wanted to get something different. My next purchase will probably be a newer, more expensive J that doesn't have neck issues like my current one. (It's playable, although not ideal.) So, in summary: first by knowing more, then by wanting better.
I thought it would be cool. Then I never touched it after the week of buying it
Why is that?
I didn't need it. I had also grown onto my other bass better
My first bass was a cheap squier. After playing that for about a year I bought a better second bass. If I started with a better bass I may have held out for longer but I wasnāt sure if I would stick with it.
My first bass was given to me when I was in high school, a 24-fret Kawai P-copy. As my technique improved I developed a craving for fretless (also was a Kate Bush/Del Palmer fan), so I saved up for a fretless and bought a relatively disappointing Harmony fretless P-copy within my first year playing. Eventually replaced it with a Yamaha fretless J-copy that I still own.
I think if I ever buy a 3rd bass it'll be fretless
Skill with both styles is a definite advantage in flexibility, imo more important than getting a 5, 6 or 8 string bass.
The first bass I bought is a 5 string and the second I just bought a couple days ago is a 5 as well. I honestly don't know if I'll ever buy a 4 for myself, maybe one day out of curiosity, but I think 5 strings is the right amount for me
Fair. Now I'm vaguely motivated to try a fretless 5.
Take that vague motivation and run!
My second bass came about 12 years in, when I started feeling like some of the songs we were writing would sound better with a fretless. So I got a fretless. From there, I usually reach for another bass when I want a different tone or ergonomic, but I haven't added one in many, many years. I guess I'm "satisfied."
I think I'll get a fretless one day. Then I think I'd be "satisfied" too. Maybe a multiscale.. Hmm
Do you want one and can comfortably afford it? If yes, then buy one. If no, then don't buy one. There are no parameters that dictate whether you can have one bass or 20 other than your ability to pay.
I only ever had one āmainā bass, even when I was gigging semi-regularly. First bass was an Epiphone āAccu Bassā (P-bass copy) that came with an amp. Then I got a Washburn Bantam 5-string because you canāt play nu-metal with 4 strings š Then later I hd a career and was single so I bought a Modulus Flea 5, which is the most Iāll ever pay for a bass. Then later I got a Squier Jazz to have something different. None of those were ālogicalā or ānecessaryā purchases. Just because I felt like it.
I played an Ibanez SGR200 for a couple of years before I got my Gretsch G2220. I wanted a short scale with flats for a more "retro" sound than I could get with the Ibanez. I probably would have stopped there, at least for a bit, if I hadn't come across an amazing deal on a Ray 34. That was one of those "If you don't buy it, you will regret it forever" situations.
I'm sure that Ray34 is sweet. Thanks for sharing!
If you want it and can afford it just get it
I already bought it lol I'm just fighting off the buyer's remorse. I'm sure it'll go away when it gets here tomorrow
What kind of bass is it
I already have an ESP LTD B55. Snagged it used at Guitar Center for like 200 bucks. The new one is a Jackson Spectra JS3QV
Looks like a nice bass, Iām sure youāll enjoy it when it comes.
I really love my bass. It's a PJ and it covers a lot of ground. I'd like an active bass as well, but that's all I want. Probably an HH Stingray. I'm more inclined to collect more 6 string guitars, there's more variety.
There is no earning it, only learning that you want/could benefit from one. I want to get a 5 string and another 4 string to put flatwounds on, so that I can cover more bases soundwise. It's not really a skill thing at all.
I have one 5 string as my first bass and another 5 arriving tomorrow. I'm putting flats on my old ESP B55 and I'll be using the new Jackson Spectra as my practice/jam bass for the foreseeable future
Justify it by buying way different types. My own example Iāve played a Ricky forever and just bought a simple P Bass. Two different animals to me. Each adds a different color to the mix IMO
That's what I'm going for, kinda. I'm throwing some flats on my old bass for a new sound and seeing what the new one can do since it's active
I was gifted one and honestly thought it was pointless
I have been playing for a year now and I have the NEED to buy a second bass. This is the drill: very low setup for finger playstyle. Very high strings for pick. This makes a lot of difference. But I will go for a cheap p bass like a yamaha 174.
2 or 3 years in, I found a generic P for $10. It needed a g string. My main one, a Dean has a history of electronic gremlins, so it's been a good backup.
I think I bought 4 basses in the fist year? My first was a trbx174 that I got cheap from Amazon warehouse deals. Then I wanted a Jbass for slap, then I wanted a fretless, then I wanted a 5 string, then I wanted a pbass which is probably what I should have started with because I play that most of the time. š I don't think about "earning" basses by playing, I earn money at work to buy basses. Basses are mostly just a tool to me, I buy them to do something I can't do (well) with the ones I have. I'd still like to get a 6 string and a semi-hollow... Right now, every time I think about a new bass I just go play one of the ones I already have š GAS is just a lame excuse. Just admit that you like to buy stuff and then just buy it or don't. š Do you want a new bass? Do you have the money for it? There's likely not going to be a better time to buy it. The price of a new 5 string Sire M7 ash has gone up almost $400 cdn since I bought one March 2021.
I got my second bass recently, after almost 5 years of playing, it's a 5 string! But I only got it now because I had the money. So i think it depends on how much you want it and how it would change your playing, tone.
3 years of playing Iām still on my first bass. Havenāt had the money to buy another one, and Iām a lefty player so options besides custom builds are very limited and very expensiveā¦ Thereās no skill level to buy another bass, or any instrument. If you got the money, and you want it. Buy it I have a friend whoās not even really a guitar player, theyāre a vocalistā¦ but owns like 7 of themā¦ just buy what you can afford
Got my second bass around 5-6 years after getting my first. At that time, I had to travel regularly between home and another city for work and stayed at one place for a few weeks or a month before travelling back to the other place and repeat. I grew tired of carrying my bass every time so I just decided to buy another one so I had one waiting at both places I stayed at. Getting my second bass started my bass GAS. Now I have one bass staying at the other city and "the others" staying at home.
It took me about a year before I got bored of my 1st bass but everyone's different .....I've had dozens of guitars/basses in my lifetime
This post is motivating me to get that Epiphone 60s Les Paul standard Iāve been wanting. I just have a hard time justifying it at the level I play at. Even though Iāve been playing for decades I still probably play at advanced beginner level.
I've only been playing since September and I'm about to take receipt of my 2nd bass tomorrow. If you can afford it, get it! Maybe a new instrument will inspire you to get to the next level
Bought a 2nd bass because I wanted a 5 string to learn to play mudvayne and korn songs. 3rd was a fretless to go for a different tone and playing style. Now the 4th and 5th I just liked those.
I am born in india and had my first bass which I got back in 2015. But I couldnāt get it along with me to Canada for uni without paying out of my nose for travelling with it. Instead I threw in a couple dozen more dollars instead of paying for extra luggage and got an Ibanez SDGR300! Best choice I made during Covid after Staying indoors and wearing masks.
Iāve always āsince the late 80sā had zero or one bass. Mostly one but I moved to guitar for a few years. Iāve been gigging lightly for most of that time. Iāve bought and sold several over the years. For the past 14 itās been a MIM P Bass and itās the one for me. I will probably always have one as my main bass. I currently have half-round strings on it and Iām really happy with it. About a year ago I finally got a second bass, a Hofner violin bass strung with flatwounds. I was looking for a particular sound for a few songs and it fits the bill. But itās just an accessory. I do really that itās a short scale and I could see maybe getting a Mustang if I ever had extra money laying around. But aside from that possibility Iām mostly a one bass guy
My second bass was an acoustic-electric. I bought it thinking (wrongly) that it might be loud enough to play without an amp at a campfire-type setting. It is not. I kept it because it's great for listening to music and learning/tabbing a song without using an amp. Plus, I can plug it in, it has a built-in tuner, and, well, it's another bass.
I had the same P-Bass from ages 17-41 until I got my second bass.
That's dedication! Do you still have it?
Yep and two others now, I used the same bass, 3 pedals and two amps for like 30 years. I finally just started updating and upgrading this year.
I got my 2nd bass (well technically 4th but am not including the first 2 I had almost 20 years ago when I wasn't serious about learning the instrument) after 10 months. My 2nd bass is a five string. I am a hobby player so I don't really NEED more than 1 but the main reason for getting another bass is to explore more range and learn new things, so I got a 5 string to learn to play a 5 string. I can't say GAS wasn't a reason, cuz it was, but I had to have a solid reason to convince myself (took like 2 months to decide). I am still GASing for new basses but I have to keep it in check by telling myself that getting a new bass for looks or tones isn't enough since I am not gigging anywhere and they won't help me learn, just another distraction. However, now i have another reason to buy a new bass, I really want to try to play more melodic and chords so I want to get another 5 string , possibly medium scale, and put a high C string on it (i am not convinced on a 6 string and they look so heavy).
Took me a couple years of playing to figure out exactly what style I wanted to play and the instrument to support that. Played my first bass for two years and my second bass for 30.
There was no "right time." I had the money and saw something I liked. At one point, I had 12 basses and 3 guitars. I only have 2 of the 12 basses now, and none of those guitars. They've been sold or traded for other things, but I'm back up to 8 basses, 2 guitars, and a balalaika.
N+1 = the number of basses you should have, and N = your current number of basses. Please keep these important formulas in mind when asking yourself if you should get another bass.
I shall recite these sacred texts next time I find myself at a GAS crossroads. Thank you
Well, it's the reason I got my 5er, and then my second 5er. And why I want my 3rd 5er. Along with my two 4 strings...
I bought my second bass about 3 weeks after getting my first bass. My first was a 4-string and I decided that I wanted to learn on a 5-string instead. I eventually sold the first one.
See bass, like bass, buy bass. Rinse and repeat.
I knew about a month in, but I was playing a knock off pass with vary high action. That definitely helped shape me, but it didn't tk long to notice it was a hindrance.
I started playing when I was 14. I felt like I progressed pretty quickly early on, I was practicing every day, and was in a band. I decided pretty quick that I wanted to own a professional grade bass that would last for many years. So I got a job, saved all the money, and bought a 5 string Musicman. That was fifteen years ago, and I only bought a third bass this year.
so I had an old hand-me-down washburn bass as my first. It was fun to play, but it was jacked (action too high, had slight bow on the neck, etc). I knew it was NOT worth getting it fixed, but still loved it. I got my 2nd bass, first one I bought new about 7 years later. My Ibanez GR200 Baby blue. She's still on my wall to this day 20 years later. I did actually end up getting the washburn tuned up and gave it to my nephew about 15 years ago (a guitarist, so he'd be able to use it for bass tracks if needed, or get someone else to use it for a bass). Now days, I have 6 basses - 4 of them Schecters: 1 five string 1 four string passive 1 four string active 1 8 string active Plus baby blue, and I got a short-scale ibanez to practice with at my desk playing rocksmith.
I was a little over 2 years into playing. I had been dreaming about getting a stingray and sterling released a higher end model with a beautiful finish and a clear pickguard to show off the wood and I bit the bullet. Don't regret it either I love that bass dearly.
Four years or so. I had a J and wanted a P to diversify my sound. Also eventually got a fretless for one more sound. Three is enough (other than maybe a Ray someday).
I bought my first bass (Fender Musicmaster) in 1978, and my second (Yamaha RBX374) in 2017 (about 20 years after number 1 had been lent to a stepchild who left it at his boarding school when he finished there, which was during a period of domestic turmoil and I never got around to chasing it up; it turned up mysteriously on ebay this year). I bought my first "second bass" in the sense of owning two at once in 2020 as a lockdown present to myself, a cheap G4M semi-acoustic to see how I got on with fretless. So it wasn't really a matter of how well I was learning (which remains quite slow) but of wanting to experiment with different stuff. Chopped that in for a Squier CV Jazz which is now my main instrument (technically I'm on number 5 now because I got a like for like warranty replacement)
I'm up to... 5. Started with MIJ P I got in '91ish. That got me through high school and college and then I stopped playing for quite a while. Got back into it and still had my P and it was okay. But then I saw Spector Euro5 LX at an insanely low price (to this day I think it was a listing error) and I snapped it up. And then, you know, I was travelling a lot for work at the time so I got a travel bass. About here I started modding my P. Which got me thinking I'd love to have a full-on bass *project* so I bought Squier VI on sale and replaced everything except the body, neck, and tuners. And finally my jamming buddy said, "Hey it would be cool if you had an acoustic for living room jams," and that seemed like a great idea so now I have an acoustic. So five. Probably have two more to get. While I like my P, even modded it has a few features I don't love. I'll never get rid of it, but it's still not quite what I want in my Swiss Army Bass. As to the other, I've accumulated a lot of band stickers over the years that are begging to be slapped on a bass but I refuse to spend a lot of money on a sticker bass so that project awaits me finding a quality, if dinged up, instrument at a pawn shop. But I don't have a music "career." I think it's wise to make sure you're really into bass before dropping big $$$ on something. But if you find a bass you like and have the means (or if you need a backup for gigging) by all means get it! If anything, I think you "earn" the bass on the back-end by learning to play it and having fun.
I haven't done it yet, but I will soon. I have a full scale 4 string and I want either a 5 string or a short scale. Not sure yet. Short scale will make certain techniques easier, 5 string will make most things harder but give me that extra string... tough choice. But yeah, I think you get a new instrument when you have a purpose for one. I'm not a big believer in collecting instruments. If you think a new instrument will serve a purpose for you and you will play it AND you can afford it, get it.
I started playing bass by renting one from the local music store. It was a heavy p-bass I think. I hated the weight. So I went shopping and found a Yamaha RAX550 used. Iāve been using it ever since. After my rock band broke up I wanted to have a more jazz sound so I got flat wound strings for it. About 15 years later I got into playing folk music and wanted something to play at acoustic jams so I got a Fender acoustic bass. What Iām saying is get the bass you want to play and set it up appropriately and forget GAS. If it is fun to play you wonāt really want anything else. Spend the money on lessons instead.
Iāve been playing bass since I was 13, now Iām 25 and I still only have my P Bass! Saving up for a used fireglo Rickenbacker 4003S though. A friend of mine has one and he says they play like a dream, even better than the ones with the binding.
6 months. Love my stingray, but wanted something that'd be more chill for country type stuff my buddy wants to do so I got P. Also it was pretty and on sale
Before the first one arrived. Bothing wrong looking at other basses. Just dont keep it a secret be open and host about it.
I've been switching between different tunings too often and at some point having two basses proven to be more convenient
I wanted a fretless so I got one
5 years I played casually and then I needed a more serious bass I had a squire pj that I modded out then got the fender meteora and that's been my main bass for a while then I got the itch for a new one so I ended up getting an aerodyne pj jazz bass
I'm telling myself I still need to practice more to justify a second bass. But I do want one so that I can stick some flats on my jazz bass and then buy a bass to play more prog rock/metal/punk on. Maybe a Gibson or Dingwall. Jazz bass is still great for prog rock but I'm not sure how playing Rush on flats would sound.
I bought my second bass about 6 months into playing. I wanted to both play stuff in E standard and downtuned metal and I found I couldn't really do both easily with just one bass.
i have played for a little under five years and am concidering buying a new one soon. mostly cause my current bass (a yamaha something) is greatā¦ for a beginner. itās very genreral and is good at everything, but not great at anything yaknow? i want something more spesific and custimizable. my main problem so far is that i live in the north of europe and there are only 2 guitar shops within a 5 hour drive, and i donāt like any of thair bassesā¦ i also want 24 frets and would like (but donāt need) 5 stings lolā¦.
I have been playing for about 3 years and own 2 basses. The first was a gift from my wife. She just picked one that she thought looked nice, so I ended up with a brown Ibanez GSR200. Plays nice, sounds fine, looks good on a wall. Watched a video from Andertons with 10 basses playing the same riff and realized decided I didn't necessarily like the sound of more expensive ones any better, so I was pretty happy. Then I started wondering if a short scale would be more comfortable down where I spend most of my time. Found a used Epi EB-0 online. A little heavy, but looks and plays pretty well. It's currently getting a bridge pickup route, but I can't imagine needing anything else after the upgrade is done. Thanks for your time.
My uncle gave me my second one because he didn't play basses with frets (after 2 years of playing lol)
I bought a westone thunder 1a from a mate at college for Ā£80. I didn't want to pay more because I thought I'd need to paint it, and it was just a low quality bass you buy from a catalog. Turned out that I knew nothing. It is a cracking bass and never bothered refinishing it because it didn't matter what it looked like. Over the years my bass playing has gone from occasional gigs to mostly home recording but despite some pangs of GAS (looking at you schecter ultra), I've stuck with the westone. 35 years later I bought a U-bass for portable fun. I'd been given a cigar box guitar and wanted a suitable instrument for the bass end.
It was about 5-6 years later. I was playing serious enough gigs where I wanted to have two with me (as I had broken enough strings that I wanted a back up).
My first one was a cheap average bass. Now, I only own a few basses, but I got it brand new.
i bought my second bass four months after i began playing. my first bass is a toy compared to the j bass i purchased. i wanted a professional players instrument and itās my favorite purchase of my life
Bought a 5 string when I wanted a 5 lol, maybe about 9 months?
the only reason i got my second bass is cuz my first one was a six string. which was a mistake at the time but i love playing it now
My first was a 5er and the new one I'm getting today is, too. I just feel like it's the right humber of strings for me
part of me wishes i got a 5 as my first too. i only ever use the high c for like some primus stuff lol
I sold my first four string (Ibanez SR600) to buy a five string (Ibanez SR505). After realizing my mistake, I bought another four string (Spector Legend Classic), had those two for a while. Then bought a 6 string (Ibanez GSR206) with the sole intention of converting it into a fretless. Sold the 4 and 5 string to buy a more expensive 4 string (Ibanez PGB1 ATK). Then I kinda just bought another 4 string (Warwick Rockbass Corvette $$) on a whim. I justified it by telling myself I could tune one 4 string BEAD and the other in standard. Now Iām selling the Warwick to buy another 4 string. And after all that, I still suck at playing bass.
I am a songwriter first, singer and guitarist after that, but I always loved bass and wanted to learn more. Because I am a writer first and foremost, I think having different sonic pallettes was the most important factor at first. My first bass was a pawn shop Squier Jazz. My next one was a cheap fretless. My 3rd one was a Squier Bass VI. I don't have large hands, so I struggled a bit on everything 34" scale. After realizing that, I bought a short scale and realized that was the favorite bass for me. Love the scale length and actually prefer the tone to long scale.(Still in love with the Bass VI, but that is almost like a super baritone guitar vs a normal 4 string experience). Now that I have figured out my comfort zone and what I love, I am planning on investing in 2 higher end short scales. 1 fretted and 1 fretless. I'll be done after that.
I agree with others here that you should not equate your experience with being deserving of a second or third bass. If you really love playing, even if you aren't that great yet, buy as many as you want if it isn't a bad financial decision. No one who loves to play regrets having more toys unless it keeps them from paying rent. I only suggest doing as much research as you can, and trying to avoid spending money on something you might not end up in love with and reselling for a loss. Go to music stores and play as many as you can. Figure out what scale length, nut width, active/passive, etc. that feels/sounds best to you and then splurge on something that dots all your i's and crosses all your t's.
>Was there a moment in your career that you felt like you'd "earned" a new guitar? Just bought myself a Sire M7. I could have bought the M5 a few months ago on credit, but I held off and told people the only thing I wanted for my birthday was a contribution to my bass fund. I earned it through patience and my salary. It's my 9th if you include the kit basses I built for fun.
One gig and then I upgraded (weight related), 8 months later I added a second when the one I wanted finally came availableā¦now up to 5.
I upgraded to a legit Fender P Bass after playing a Squier Bronco for years and instantly my playing got better. A lot of the time, itās the player not the instrument. But in some cases, itās the instrument holding you back.
Weirdly enough, Iāve never actually had to fully purchase a guitar out of my own pocket in my entire career. My current bass does everything I need for my gigs at the moment, and if I need something, between two of my brothers they have a MM Stingray Classic 5, MM Sabre Classic, Japanese Fender Jag, and a Peavey GV, so thankfully I can borrow those at any time if Iām in a pinch. I gave my only other personal bass to my best friend (as seen on Tobe Nwigwe Tiny Desk š), which was an all American fender licensed parts build I did myself. Probably my favorite bass. Still love that thing. These are basses I justify buying and would buy today if I had the means: American Vintage ā62 Jazz Bass Almost any fashion of late 60ās jazz bass with matching headstock. Black on black with block inlays is a pure fantasy at this point. Refinished if I want to throw it around, original finish if I need an endgame piece. 1978 P Bass in Mocha š« Fodera Emperor 5 because tone. Duesenberg Starplayer Bass with the Black alligator finish I also just love special guitars, no matter the cost. If even if I didnāt play Iād like how they look on a wall.
I ended up buying a second bass as an emergency backup, but I'd intended to buy a new one for a while anyway since my primary Affinity PJ bass is REALLY heavy to lug around (especially when I have to carry around my bass combo + pedalboard) & I was in the market for something lighter for out-of-town shows. After my band played a local festival, my PJ bass' output signal started cutting in/out so I left it with a friend who does gear repair, and we got a last-minute gig right after that of which I didn't have a bass, so I used my portion of our band fund to finance a new Squire Bronco while picking up extra gear for the gig and it's been fantastic. I still use the PJ on recordings for more tone control, but the Bronco is and will remain my tour / project bass for years to come. If you want that bass, go buy it, don't worry about "earning" it. Maybe don't go and buy 20 bass guitars that you'll just hang on a wall, but one extra bass can't hurt, especially if it has characteristics that differentiate how it sounds / plays compared to your current one.
I was a child of the 90s and started playing in the 2000s, so I was coming through when a lot of bands droptuned. My tastes also got heavier as I aged. I found I was constantly retuning my 4 to Eb or Drop C or some shit, and that was a headache. So about 3 years in I got an inexpensive 5 string. There's no rules here, but my view is that if you want to get the most out of buying a second instrument you need to think different and work out what the instrument is going to offer that you both need, and don't have. Think extended range, think fretless, if you've got a passive traditional instrument think modern active (or vice versa), even think acoustic if that's your thing and you want this subreddit to think you're stupid. No shade to anyone who did this (and I bet it's heaps of people), but I just don't really understand why anyone would go "I had a P Bass for a year, then I decided I wanted another bass so I bought a Jazz". In that case the instruments will have so much shared utility that you'll probably end up just playing the one you like better. Again; no rules though. Some people just buy 15 of the same thing. I remember a very funny thread nearly a decade ago where a guy was looking for help from the sub because he was supposed to take his wife on holiday but spent the money on another Stingray (he apparently already had 4 or 5 and just had no control over his GAS). He wanted us to give him sensible reasons why 'he just had to buy it' that she'd understand. Apart from the few usual suspects who said "Just compare a $3000 bass to handbags" most of us told him he should have gone on holiday, lol.
Also a child of the 90's with heavy music taste, here! I skipped the nonsense and went straight for a 5 string. The one I just bought is, too. I went for a plain black ESP B55 to start while I was unsure of the style and finish I was looking for, but eager to learn. Last week, I bought a Jackson Spectra JS3QV in Purple Phaze. I simmered on it for about a month, and there wasn't a day that I didn't go back and look at it. I found one on sale and jumped on it. It'll be here tomorrow, and I can't wait. I'm gonna put a set of flatwounds on the B55 and I think between the two I'll pretty much be set for life.
why would anyone need 2 bass guitars? They both go dumdumdumdum!
I was wanting to get a Rick, and kind of still do, but decided to start smaller. So I got a Schecter stealth to start with and love that guitar so much that I hardly ever think of getting anything else. It really just boils down to what you want. There are no rules to this, it's all up to what works for you. Skills are more important than equipment as I believe Zakk Wylde proves here. š https://youtu.be/rwhvFLHIlBs?si=5qcirONaairOhGBc
I owned a Precision, then I bought a Jazz. This was out of necessity for gigs. Eventually I added a Stingray 5 for that additional tool in the box. Buy the instruments you need for the gigs you want.
Year after started playing again. Nothing special or req to learn something to earn it. Just wanted 5 string to try different things and music. Tho it was cheap one
I went from a squire affinity to [an ultra jazz](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JBassAUMCB--fender-american-ultra-jazz-bass-cobra-blue-with-maple-fingerboard). I started deep in Covid so I bought the squire having never liked bass years ago. I wanted to learn the basics to roll out modern band when we were teaching in person again. The squier wasnāt great. I wanted to know all the mistakes and complications were my fault, not the instrument, so I went for a huge upgrade.
i say buy what you can but only if you really want it. as it calls to you. don't accumulate to accumulate and try not to get too sentimental.