How many of us go out single handed ??

[D-L-B]

I take at least two basses to all gigs. Different tunings. Taking back ups would mean me carting 4 or even 6 basses to gigs where there's barely enough space to fit the three of us on the stage as it is...

[razze06]

One bass only at gigs.

If I don't feel confident enough about gigging with a certain bass, then that bass goes on the market.

The Ned Callan passed the test with flying colours, so it stays

I am considering getting a tiny head with DI or a just a DI pedal, cause amps do go wrong sometimes...

[drewm]

It's worth keeping in mind that not all breakdowns are as easy to fix as a broken string. Something like an electronics failure could take a while to properly diagnose at a workbench, never mind fix at a gig.

A while back Warwick had a batch of dodgy tuning posts - tighten your string slightly and PING! the thing would snap. Not exactly easy to fix while the band fill.

I've not played a gig important enough to warrant needing a spare in years. If I did, I'd certainly take one. Back to the original question, my main bass is a 5 string, so I'd ideally have a 5 string as backup. If something goes wrong and you need to swap, the last thing I'd want is to need to work extra hard to re-finger the parts whilst I'm already potentially a bit stressed by whatever's gone wrong.

Fortunately, I think I could pick up a backup Warwick for about a fiver at the moment

[LawrenceH]

One reason not to take a backup is it's one extra piece of kit to get nicked. Another is that it can take up valuable real estate on a small stage.
I don't think many classical musos will take a backup instrument either. I have had electronics fail at a gig once, but it was a jam night and my bass was for general abuse. Since then I've made sure my soldering is solid but still wouldn't bother with a backup for a pub gig. The string break idea I don't really get - in an emergency I could always get by on 3 strings! Probably a lot of guitarists would actually rpefer it so long as it was a high string that broke As for the idea that it would be short-changing the audience somehow, by and large for me that kind of spontaneity is what live music is about. Check out Keith Jarrett's Koln concert for a renowned performance that only really came about because the piano was a badly-tuned piece of crap which he had to adapt to. No spare piano at that gig either!
I'm not knocking anyone who gigs with a backup and it probably makes more sense at notated gigs but there are other ways of looking at reliability which to me are equally valid. If I wanted absolute reliability I'd just play recorded music. And bring two CD players. And mixers. And a spare PA. Wait...actually what is the most likely piece of kit to fail?

[Starless]

Always take two basses, neither of which is a backup. One fretted, one fretless. Make sure I can do the set on fretless (works wonders for improving fretless ability).

Sometimes do whole gig with fretted (if feeling lazy) and sometimes mix it up. Only once done a whole gig without frets but that was tiring. Concentration and finger placement accuracy wears you down over a whole night, but like I said, it's great experience.

I have to take two basses to justify the purchase of the Mono double gig bag (which is the bees knees).

[BluRay]

I take a spare bass & DI. But bust strings are the least of it tho, eh. We 've had power cuts, blown fuses, toppled speakers (audience assisted), snapped guitars (being clumsy, not rock n roll), collapsing drum risers (very funny) and horror-of-horrors bass amp falling off the speaker and down the back of the stage - no idea how I managed that. We have a spare song with an extendable intro (of the sort than can be done minus one band member whilst someone takes a minute to fix something). The audience only ever notices if the music stops.

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='drewm' post='1174835' date='Mar 24 2011, 04:07 PM']Fortunately, I think I could pick up a backup Warwick for about a fiver at the moment [/quote]

I bought a 14 year-old Fortress MasterMan V as a gigging machine for dives. It's excellent.
As for back-ups... No. It's one more expensive "asset" to have to keep an eye on, and the distraction it generates outweighs its worth. I've not broken a string live since I started playing... about 14 years ago. I give whatever bass I'm using a pre-gig once over, maybe swap out the battery in an active, but that's it. BTW, I never gig brand new strings. I'll always make sure they're at least "played in".

[4000]

I suffer from "Entwistle Hook" syndrome and feel like I need a spare for everything (although ironically don't have a spare amp at the mo). I also once had a jack crap out on me during a gig and have never forgotten it. I have frequently gigged with one but much prefer to have a spare for piece of mind, even more so because both my main gigging basses are nearly 40 years old.

[TRBboy]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1174555' date='Mar 24 2011, 01:13 PM']It's a simple matter of necessity, convenience against the ability to cope with the situation differently.

Tuners go on the fritz too (arguable more frequently than you snap strings at gigs) yet I doubt anyone on here would look down their nose at you for not taking 2 tuners to a gig.

The concept of a backup bass is good and if it works for you then fine but the implication that you are not doing all you can by not taking a backup is IMO not so good.[/quote]


I don't think it's fair to make the assumption that just because I take a backup bass, I don't know how to look after my gear!

I've always really looked after my instruments and I make sure that they're well serviced, set-up and gig ready but I like to take a spare just for that added peace of mind. I always take strings and tools anyway, and touch wood, I've never had a catastrophic failure during a gig but I figure it doesn't take up much more space in the car to take a spare bass. I always want to appear professional, even if it's just a local pub gig, and make sure that we'll get asked back again, and having a disastrous breakdown mid-set could leave a bad impression. I'm more worried about unpredictable, freak gear failures instead of broken strings etc. If something does go catastrophically wrong and you've only got one bass, you're up s@#t creek.

Just because you look after your car and service it, does that mean you shouldn't bother carrying a spare tyre?

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='TRBboy' post='1175108' date='Mar 24 2011, 07:21 PM']I don't think it's fair to make the assumption that just because I take a backup bass, I don't know how to look after my gear!...[/quote]
Who said that like?

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='TRBboy' post='1175108' date='Mar 24 2011, 07:21 PM']Just because you look after your car and service it, does that mean you shouldn't bother carrying a spare tyre?[/quote]

You don't take a spare car though

[Bottle]

If I'm playing in the main hall at church or a practice/rehearsal, then I'm likely to bring my Squier as well as the Ibanez, but only because it's in a different tuning and useful for certain songs in our list. If we're in the cafeteria downstairs then I'll just take my Ibanez and the Line 6 practice amp, because space is at a premium, and I often don't have room for a spare. So far I've not identified a need to carry a dedicated spare of anything apart from small stuff (batteries etc). I normally have my SansAmp to go into the PA with me all the time, so that covers most eventualities if the amp/cab should die mid-set.

I think that if I was being paid to play as a band, or at a gig outside of the church then I'd bring a spare bass (and likely my SansAmp DI pedal anyway) and keep it in the car as a standby. But they don't come up very often.

HTH
Ian

[TRBboy]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1175143' date='Mar 24 2011, 07:49 PM']You don't take a spare car though [/quote]

Or do I............

[attachment=75643:carcarcar.jpg]

[bassist_lewis]

I'm of the same opinion as the OP, I've been doing weddings and functions for the last 2 years and never had a bass break mid gig (strings or electronics). i used to use a 4 string and 5 string when I played for a jamiroquai tribute but I didn't like the hassle of swapping mid-gig. i read an interview with Lee Sklar who confirmed my feelings, if one song in the set needs a 5 string, play a 5 for the whole set. it was only when I joined this forum that I even considered taking a back-up bass.
I did hear about a guy who forgot to bring his bass and had to borrow one from an uncle's friend who's kid owned a £50 chopping board with strings on it. A back-up would have been good in that situation!

[janmaat]

I never brought a second bass because rightly put, chances are it will get nicked.

I considered bringing a spare guitar for the guitards may times...

[JTUK]

As my two gigging basse are relatively new to me (18 months max) ...I take 2 and have them to hand. I don't see the point of taking a spare and leaving it in the case though, so I don't.

Mine are tuned up, sound-checked and ready to go and I choose which one to start with depending on that sound check.
I might just fancy one over the other from that check...

I have a spare everything but was caught out the other day not carrying a soldering kit which would have made the gig passive and it wasn't the gig for that as it is a difficult room and P.A config and a prestigous gig.
One more bass to sling over the shoulder... how big a deal is that? esp when everything bar backline was hired in and crewed.

[RhysP]

When I was gigging I only ever took one bass with me.

[jezbass]

Two basses for me every time. I play in a band where I need sounds ranging from old school passive Jazz bass sounds to the full and toppy sound of an active. Not broken a string for years but wouldn't want the hassle of having to change string if I did.

[Rogueporn]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Taking a spare pays off when you manage to break the tip off the plug on your instrument lead into a sealed barrel jack. Happened to me a few weeks ago.[/font]

[ezbass]

I have other basses I could take, but I just take the one these days. Its just laziness really, but I'm ok with it.

[EssentialTension]

Just one bass usually but always spare strings even though I have rarely broken one.

[Dad3353]

Thumbs up..!
I play finger-style and, although I haven't broken a finger for quite some years, I always have a spare 'on hand'. Of course, I got it second-hand. I suppose that without it, at a pinch, I could always hope that some kind soul would lend a hand..? Yes, it's stored in the glove box of the car, so it's handy to get at.

[Twigman]

I have only ever taken 1 bass with me to gigs.
Most of my gigs are fly aways...you don't get many basses on an Easyjet baggage allowance.

I might take 2 to my gig on Sunday, just because this is the first gig I've ever been able to take 2 to!

I've never broken a string but as I made my new bass (a Warmoth) anything could go wrong!! - The soldering was an experience but through 2 rehearsals and some noodling at home it hasn't so much as crackled at me so I expect it'll be OK.

[Progman]

I always take a back-up, just in case. I think it's a case of not wanting to let the other guys in the band down of something should go wrong. I know this happens very infrequently, but sod's law says it will be the gig that's 100 miles away from home, on a Sunday night! An extra bass doesn't take up too much room in the van and gives you peace-of-mind.

[gafbass02]

Always, always take a spare here. Done 1000's of gigs and yes, I've needed it a few times. E String break during title track at rock city, stingray randomly packed up supporting sikth. I always have a reachable, tuned up spare bass onstage and a set of strings within reach too. As well as a back up cable coiled on top of my amp and a secondary option incase of amp failure. Just a DI on my pedal board and a spare in my bag is all it takes.