Seriously?
I don’t read blogs anymore. I watch YouTube videos, I read Reddit posts, and I follow Instagram. But I don’t read blogs. So, why bother to write a blog if I don’t even bother to read anyone else’s blog?
Well, there is no good reason, other than most people I know or interact with are sick of listening to me talk about strings, actions, amps, effects, and so on, so I talk to myself here in the blog and who knows, maybe there may be some useful information for someone?
So, today’s issue… More gear than gigs.
At one point I would buy gear to help better the quality of music for each new gig. Like I did a tribute show for a band that was famous for the bassist to use a P-bass, so I would buy a P-bass. I would buy a fretless for a fretless gid, I bought Ike basses and all kinds of other basses. and now I have more basses than gigs. Same goes for amps but to a much smaller degree, I think I’m down to only 4 or 5 amps at this point… but again, I still have more than I can use because, since the pandemic and due to my age… I have way fewer gigs than I have in the past.
Due to this, when I get a gig, I am more likely to try to choose the right bass/amp for the gig and less experiemntal with my choices. This means I bring the same bass and the same amp to any/every gig. So why have all of these instruments? I really dont know.
My Dano’s
I have two U1 Dan Electros from the late ’50s. I keep one with Flatwounds and one with round wounds. I dont use either one for gigs anymore. They are too unreliable and the intonation is crap. But I bought 1 for $150 and the other one was actually pulled out of a dumpster!! These are the basses I played with the Legendary Charlie Chesterman for years. There is so much history, I just cant get rid of them.
My Fenders
I don’t have any actual Fenders anymore. 25 years ago, Paul Chandler made a custom J-Bass to my specs. So even though I very rarely find a need for a j-bass anymore. I keep it with round wounds and passive eq. I cant get rid of this one, it’s custom made for me. So it hangs on the wall.
Squire Classic Vibe P-Bass. Well, it’s made by Fender, and is probably the best P-bass I’ve ever owned. But purist will say it’s a Squire, not a Fender. In my early years as a bassist, I played P-basses and Gibson Grabber/Rippers. But I got rid of all my P-Basses in the late 80’s only buying a Sting model for a tribute gig. But Recently, for another tribute gig, I found I needed a P-Bass, so I sought out a Squire P-Bass copy of the Pino P-Bass. I love this bass. I put Thematic Flats on it and it has completely replaced the need for my old Dano’s and any other electric bass need I might have.
Uke Basses
Years ago when Kala first came out with their U-bass, I had already made one from the broken parts of my old Guild Ashbory bass. So I had to buy one as soon as I could. I have ripped out the frets and painted it with a crazy mojo inspired paint job. I also bought it because I was getting sick of hauling out my Upright for every gig. I thought I could throw myself into just being the Bass Uke guy. Well, I couldn’t. People want to see the big-upright bass and there are a handful of tones that just dont work on any use bass. Over the years, I’ve bought U-basses by Hadeen, and solid body Kala basses. So I have a handful of these basses that just hang on the wall, or sit in the corner. I mean, how many Uke basses could one person ever need?!!
Random Stuff
OLP Fretless 5 String. This is the smartest purchase ever, and I’m planning on being a second one. These basses can be found for as little as $125! When you find one, buy it! My OLP was not fretless when I bought it, I yanked the frets myself and this bass became my main bass for a few months, but then I had some rockabilly gigs come up and when I went back to my upright… well, I preferred the Upright. But I want a fretted, clingy sounding MM copy, even though I’ll probably never play in a funk band again.
Tennessean 12String Bass. No one needs a 12 string bass, but I had just seen Cheap Trick and thought, damn!!! I need that power. So I found this random, cheap, import bass and wow, the power! I could never use it for anything, until I had a George Harrison tribute show and I got to play it as a huge drone!!! It’s was great for that. I need to get rid of this bass.
The Upright Basses.
King Double Bass. 21 years ago, I decided that Upright was my thing and that I couldn’t keep trying to get my collection of crappy upright to sound like the bass I wanted to hear… So I had a custom King double bass made for me. I’ve been mostly happy with it for years, and then disappointed with it, then thrilled with it. Upright bass is a love/hate proposal for a rock bassist.
About 12 years ago, I decided I needed a smaller, easier to move Electric upright bass, so I bought a NS Design WAV 4 string. I had issues with it from the beginning. It didnt sound like an upright, it sounded like a fretless electric to me. and I had plenty of issues and modifications to it. I would put it in a closet for a year and not touch it and then find a reason to get it out and give it another try. Recently I found just the right strings for it, D’Addario Hybrid solo and I discovered the NinoMute. And it sounds and play exactly the way I want it to sound. I started bringing it out, and of course, certain groups and gigs preferred the look of the big up-right bass over the look of a fat man holding a stick bass. But, I’m an old man now. And I love not always having to drag around the big dog.
Recently I saw online a truly ridiculous bass. A NS Design Omni CR bass… FRETTED!!! A Fretted upright bass?!?!?? But I couldn’t get it out of my head… I sold a Buch of equipment I wasn’t using and made the purchase. It’s amazing! It’s a P-Bass scale but with an upright bass curved fingerboard, but with frets and EMG pickups and 2 types of pizza pickups.
So what to use?
I have no idea. I love being able to simplify things in my life. I dont like gigs where I need to bring more than one bass, more than 1 amp, more than 1 anything. I want it all to be simple, and so, the NSD Omni Fretted…but I’m starting to with it was a 5 string… and hmmm… maybe fretless?… UGH! I am doomed to own and carry too many instruments.
I guess by writing this it has helped me see the answer… I need more gigs!
