Currently working my way through Beginner to Badass, on module 5. I currently only have one bass, my Ibanez SR500. I have been wanting to grab another Jazz bass or maybe a P (had a Squier Jazz a long long time ago). Wondering if switching up basses while going thru the course is good to throw in an element of variety or will the varying action and feel likely impede progress when the technique itself it what I’m primarily working on. Any thoughts? My gut tells me to just keep on rocking the SR500 until I feel confident enough to grab any bass and apply what I’ve learned on it with little adjustment, the way I do currently on different electric and acoustic guitars.
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Don’t stress about it either way.
Keep your eye on your local used market. If something comes up that really gets you excited and/or is a great deal, grab it while you can. But don’t go out of your way.
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I’m racing @BeerBaron here…
And I bet we say the same thing?
I say play the bass you want to play that day. It won’t be a huge shift, and sometimes wanting to play one bass vs the other bass can be the difference between practicing and not practicing.
Anything to keep playing!
(point to you, @BeerBaron . Ya beat me.)
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Both great perspectives, and I totally get both.
Gio… I know exactly what you’re saying. When playing guitar, sometimes I don’t want anything to do with my Strat, I’d rather grab my SG or PRS, but other days, all I want is the Strat, or maybe the Tele, or maybe not in the mood for any electric at all and grab my Taylor. Very real scenarios!
BeerBaron… don’t go out of my way… solid advice. I spend time everyday browsing Sweetwater for basses (I suppose there’s worse stuff I could be looking at at work lol). But yeah, great deals that are rare, that’s something worth pursuing.
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Expanding on what’s already said: Do what’s responsible for your situation but keeps you excited for The Bass Pursuit. There are many aspects to this hobby. Amps, pedals, mods, plugins, other educational resources. Build a stage in your yard and play out there every day until other band members come by and ask to jam.
Some are less expensive than new instruments but are still learning and exploring. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with ten cheap instruments if that’s how you roll.
I tend to isolate what I want–a specific thing or a couple options that would satisfy an interest, then watch for deals on one of those. Outside of that, I save my coins. Of course, sometimes a pricier flight of fancy presents as a too-good-to-be-true deal and then my credit score goes down again. 
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Yup. My latest “treat” was a $50 Joyo Double Thruster pedal (darkglass clone) and it’s a really great distortion and also does a really good always on “more better” thing. But like anything else, it’s a distraction when it comes to doing the B2B lessons. For that I tend to turn it all off except my tuner and just dial in my amp for a nice clean uncompressed thing. I do love gadgets and gear as much as the next guy/gal though!
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I’m a bad example. I bought my 2nd and third super quick. Well, once I started actually trying to learn and play. It was a 26 year gap between 1 and 2. That was last October. I now have 6 basses, two have been heavily modified, just got my 6th earlier this week and already have messaged a seller about another. Plus I have 1-2 projects very early in the works.
Why, is that I like variety, and often seek it out. From food and drink options, to movies, to music, to what I instrument I want to play. Some basses lend themselves better to certain songs than others. Whether it’s an aesthetic or a tone or ergonomics.
For a song with a bunch of slides, I’ll usually pick up something with flats. To learn a new song with picking I’ll usually start on my Beatle bass with the narrower string gap. Something with a lot of low fret stretching (like frets 1-7) I have short fingers so I’ll usually start with a short scale to get used to the movement and work the stretches until it’s more natural on a 34” scale. Playing some Motown I’m definitely going for my P bass. Maybe my fretless for some R&B. More modern stuff I’ll probably go for my dual soap bar humbuckers. It all depends, you know? Sometimes I’ll work on a lesson and the bass I chose just doesn’t feel right, so I’ll try a few different ones until it does.
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Different bass offers different inspirations so switching the bass can definitely improve your playing. I normally play one song with 10 basses and one or two would standout. If you are having trouble choosing then choose one of this 
I would, they are not mine 
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Do whatever keeps you playing.
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The GAS enablers will tell you that a collection isn’t complete without a J and a P and a StingRay and a Ricky. Do not listen to the sirens. Dance with the girl who brung ya. 
Finish the course, earn your Badass badge, and then take out a mortgage for basses #2 through #25. Stick with the SR500!
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Sure. Pickup-wise the SR 500 can do everything you want. But maybe you’d like a short scale?
Back to the point, probably do stick within range. For example, a 5-string isn’t recommended until you’re pretty comfortable with 4. And Love the One You’re With is deep wisdom.
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I have an Ibanez SR300EDX and also Fender J, to me it’s a very good pairing, going from one to the other requires no getting used to, mainly because they both have every similar slim neck widths, for those of us who like slim necks, and the string heights are about the same. I keep one tuned in Std E tuning and the other, the J, in Drop D, because it weighs 3 lbs. more than the Ibanez, there’s some logic in there somewhere. 
Anyway, those are two good things to consider while looking for another bass, neck width and string height.
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I have a number of basses, I swap between them as my mood takes me. They all feel a bit different, but it doesn’t really affect my playing that much. It’s more, I want this tone today, or I haven’t played this bass in a while…
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Yeah. I’d spend time browsing other sources. Look at your local FB Marketplace, Music-Go-Round, the used inventory at local Guitar Center. Also check out Reverb, Musicians Friend, and go on Ebay and look at “Jeff’s Music Gear”. Also the “Selling Acquired Gear” thread on this forum (which is where I got my favorite bass).
When I say “Don’t go out of your way,” what I really mean is - don’t limit your options by being in a hurry. Take the time to find deals and/or unique instruments that surprise you and catch your eye.
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I just have my Hofner and no desire to cheat on her. It will probably remain my only Bass. If I ever get good enough to perform I know I’ll need a second bass in case something unfathomable happens to Prudence while I’m on stage, but I’ll worry about that later. My first inclination would be a second Hofner for continuity.
I can’t see going back and forth while taking the course. I’m trying to get some muscle memory going to play without looking and using two basses right now would hinder that. But that’s just me. Everyone learns differently.
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I got my second bass (a short scale Danelectro Longhorn) exactly one year ago, I just realised it now. It arrived last year on this day. So it is kind of its bassiversary 
It don’t recall now the exact day I got my first bass, but it might have been 6 months or so before that. Before buying the longhorn, I was afraid maybe getting a short scale so soon could possibly mess up my skills at playing a 34" bass. It was my main concern. But as it turned out, it wasn’t a problem at all. The fingers just naturally know what to do. It is easy to switch between basses.
It also made me realise I like a 34" bass much more, though lower down the neck it demands more shifting or stretching. It still feels more comfortable to me than with the short scale. But it might have something to do with the shape of the longhorn’s body (being small, it doesn’t sit as naturally on my lap, and it is better for playing while standing).
I don’t think it is a bad idea to get more basses while you are still learning. Nothing bad would come of it. Unless you can’t stop buying 
While my 99 years old aunt might disagree, I say life is short. We never know how much time we have left.
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I envy your conviction.
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…and it’s 7 now.
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Soon. It’s 6 3/4
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Details….
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