When is a laminated or hybrid bass preferable to a carved bass?

[Jeremy Darrow]

If it made sense for me, I would always play a carved bass on any gig. However, virtually all of my gigs are road gigs these days and I feel more comfortable traveling with a plywood bass. I actually use a small-bodied travel bass, which is also plywood, for many shows. It's a compromise that I have become comfortable with after working hard to get a good amplified sound. In my case, it's less about sound than it is about having a sturdy and frankly less valuable instrument to subject to the rigors of touring. It doesn't hurt that my plywood instruments amplify well, perhaps for the reasons that have been mentioned already.