Why we own multiple guitars

I’ll try to answer this question by putting my current music life under the spotlight. Here is a list of my recent bands, and how good my alternative basses match them.

Scores

Band	Style	P with flats	P with nickels	J with steels
Akın Eldes	Acoustic	1	2	3
Cenk Soyak	Power Trio	1	2	3
Istanbul Funk Unit	Funk	1	3	2
Jozi Levi	Latin/Jazz	3	2	1
Minzen	Ambient	1	2	3
Özge Estekin	Soul/Jazz	3	2	1
Pinyata	Pop/Rock	2	3	1
Tushe	Pop/Rock	2	3	1

Let’s summarize the scores.

Subject	P with flats	P with nickels	J with steels
Overall score	14	19	15
Primary count	2	–	3
Secondary count	0	3	0

Evaluation

As you see, the total scores are close. It could seem like I could get by with any of those basses. However; that’s not the case at all. Each bass is the primary choice for different bands. Therefore; each bass will work great on some gigs and inadequate on others.

Verdict

P with nickels is at least the second best choice for any band. I could have “only” a P bass with rounds, and fulfill my role as a bassist – but not ideally all the time. Having “only” a P with flats or a J would be perfect for some of my gigs, but jeopardize the rest.

The best choice is to own all of the aforementioned basses simultaneously.

Although most people play other instruments or other styles of music, their need for multiple guitars could probably be justified likewise.

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