This is a fascinating subject on many different levels. How many basses do you ‘need’? The obvious answer is one, because otherwise you can’t play the bass. After that we’re into the ‘want’ category and that’s entirely subjective.
About 3 years ago I was pondering the same question, when I stumbled across Keith Williams’ fantastic YouTube channel ‘five watt world’. He’s gone on to produce a ‘short history of’ on lots of interesting subjects, including the P Bass. But he started out by asking the question. How many do really ‘need’? It resonated with me.
My thoughts are simple. I’d rather be really proficient on one bass. Owning 10 basses wont make me a better bassist (Spoiler alert - practice will!). However where you live is a free country (If it isn’t, don’t worry you won’t be reading this anyway) so as long as you’re not hurting anyone, buy whatever you want. I’m not judging at all.
So now that I’ve found a bass that looks good, feels nice to play I’m going to settle down and put some hours in on it.
Beware the man with but one bass as @Lanny so eloquently puts it!
