But, seriously, I guess it is a journey for all of us. Some find enjoyment in numbers and variety and in collecting; others find joy in focusing on what it is they need and cut away everything distracting from that focus.
To the OP (@rfreiberger): maybe you needed to explore several bass (and string) options before knowing what works best for you!? Maybe you are not there yet and that is also why you spend time on selecting a bass instead of practicing!? It’s all part of the process - I wouldn’t sweat it. Just grab a bass and play. When it’s time to cull the flock you’ll know it
This is actually a thing, exploring is good (and the two basses I have settled down to are pretty different from the one I started with, which was great itself).
But serially buying and selling is also a fine plan
For me the thing is if I am not using something I start to get the itch to purge it for cash and space. I don’t have to do this, it’s more that I feel happier if I do.
Other than the preamps, OC-5, compressor, synth and tuner, all my other pedals are essentially for some bass, but more sax experimentation. They are super overkill but I enjoy it and hope I have some thing that end up appreciating in value.
I’ve finally sorted mics and mic setup and like what I’m hearing in my DAW from my sax for the first time ever! One step at a time - damn if life isn’t in the way of funnin.
I’m down to two basses that are completely different one from the other and a good preamp. My long scale bass (G&L Tribute L-2000 with rounds) feels great and sounds great but way to complex for my taste, I only play it in one mode and aesthetically I don’t like it. My second bass is short scale PJ Mustang that I really enjoy with flats but I always end up going back to long scale. Pedals? SansAmp DI and a chorus pedal. I think it’s a setup that really works but if I could exchange all for a good p-bass and a Line 6 stomp box I’d do it immediately. I’d have plenty of knobs to play with when desired but a simple bass that really replicates my playing. I have come to the conclusion that less is more and toys are toys.
Unfortunately I don’t have the money to buy first and then sell. Furthermore in Mexico I can’t expect to get enough for the SansAmp and the two basses to buy a Fender MIM and the Helix. Both cost about $1900 US Dollars and I’d be about $500 short, not to mention G&L Tributes’ have a (unfairly) bad reputation of being below Squier in quality and are hard to sell.
Not that I am arguing, but what I am finding with my Dimension (see below) is that I can produce an amazing amount of different tones with that one bass and I don’t have to re-adjust myself to different necks and bodies and the like. So maybe it’s possible to do that without having to own an entire room of basses.
My Fender Dimension, just cuz I like posting pics:
Two humbuckers with five position switch (1: full bridge pickup; 2: inner poles of both pickups; 3: full both pickups; 4: outer poles of both pickups; 5: full neck pickup) and a 3 band active EQ.
What helps me practice is to have the bass ready to go in its holder, similar to what @HowlinDawg did. I have everything ready to go without making a ton of choices. Maybe you could make up a routine like “a different bass a day” and put that bass there the day before?
And I guess my question to you would be whether you have a practice routine, too. My routine is simple at the moment: go to the current lesson, plug in and tune up, play some scales and then do the lesson until I run out of steam or feel like moving on.
If you go through deciding everything every time, you might be stuck in a loop. For me, it helps to write down everything in a big long list, clarify what’s my top priority (or bass) and then move the rest to a “do this later” list. The “later list” can be used to cross of things forever. Like, I realized I’ll never find that little oven rack I want, so why waste hours on Amazon. You could find out which basses you like the least by making a playlist where you keep tabs on which ones you actually play.
I tried to learn guitar. I have several different guitars, amps, pedals, etc. on some days one guitar didn’t feel right, so I would try another until I found one that felt right, and occasionally I would change amps/pedals to try and find the sound I was hearing in my head. Now that I am working on my bass, I have one bass guitar and one bass amp. I’m going to learn to play what I have, well, before I spend money on anything else I might need. That doesn’t mean I don’t window shop, but I keep the GAS turned off.
What’s funny (or perhaps not) is that my EBMM BFR HH does in fact produce a heck of a lot of different tones with the 5 positions, but, I tend to only dig one or two, and, I can’t get P or J really etc out of it like I would like. It is a very specific tonal bass (for comparison sake).
The SIMs pickups, with its 15 positions, can actually do a decent job at everything, but, not as good as full J or P or MM etc. I do like some of the oddball combos PP MP PM etc and use them more than the EBMM 5.
That’s exactly what I’m talking about with my G&L. It’s a great bass with it’s own character but I only use it with one setting and the equivalent of just turning down the tone on a p-bass becomes really complex.
That’s an impressive number of letters; I had to look them up to know what they were (I mean, I knew EBMM and HH, didn’t know BFR though). Nice bass.
But yeah, the Dimension (and I’m sure your bass) can get… close to a P sound, and close to a J sound. Not all the way, though. Close enough for me, for sure.
BTW, having an adjustment period for a body or neck, that goes away. I may switch basses 2-3 times a practice session. The only adjustment I have is going from EADG to BEAD and even that’s evolving.
There’s no argument there! One bass can do just about anything if you know how. Hand positions and plugging alone produce tons of tonal option.
As for the feel are concern, it was more neck shape and nut width than the pickups configuration. Wider string spacing may feel slow but spacious it inspires different fills that a fast skinny and narrow jazz style neck.
You don’t need multiple basses to get different tone option as the matter of fact you don’t even need tone knobs to do that 3 of my basses are just volume only. My room full of basses is the reason I have a room full of basses. I won’t reveal it but you’d be shocked how much I actually spent on basses after my initial few purchases. People don’t think twice about buying from a guy with a room full of basses. Lol.
This may be it, never thought about it. My FGN has a P style nut, my Custom has a J style nut, and I told my teacher the Custom is the Cramps and the FGN is Blue Bayou, which is what you said but I was just going by feel without analyzing
I agree, I have some young kids around the house so leaving my gear is just asking for chicken nuggets stuffed in the bridge or play-doh in the strings. What I have is a setup keeping the bass I’m playing in the gig bag and the amp usually out of the way. I also have a small setup in the garage but it’s cold and not that I find I can spend time there without heading back inside.
I do have a list which I’m working on about which bass I like to play and which one looks nice. It’s funny but some of the cheaper basses I have play better and feel more natural than my more expensive basses. I bought this Ibanez ATK700 years ago and the action is extremely low but never buzzes.
You could find out which basses you like the least by making a playlist where you keep tabs on which ones you actually play.