2017 was great for bass, because...?

[dukeorock]

2017
Got a couple hundred shows in, so that's good.
Discovered I like Nordstrand pickups. BigMan and NP4 so far.
Found a Gamma P bass for $450 that I like more than my last few ‘real’ US Fenders.
Was determined to get a Gibson bass back in my life. Scored a 2014 T Bird that is to die for.

No new amps, one new dirt box. Reiner Gasoline OD. Super interesting pedal for a guy who never gets along with dirt pedals.

Put rounds back on a couple basses that were sporting flats.

After finally getting pretty good at fingerstyle, went back to playing with a pick 90% of the time

Have as many electric gigs as upright for the first time in many years

 

[packhowitzer]

For me it was good because after 25 years of playing- I got my first fretless and it's now my main player

 

[chris_b]

2017 saw me buying a Sadowsky Jazz 5 and an AG700. These turned out to be 2 inspired choices.

I'm now down to 2 basses, 2 amps and 2 cabs and sounding better than ever.

 

[allenhumble]

I spent too much but am incredibly satisfied with my gear.

Next year will probably be a barefaced bbII and Jules mystery 500 watt pedalboard amp.

 

[TrevorG]

Weirdly I've had an amazing year for bass playing; Starting with replacing my old SWR (which blew up six years ago) with something two third the size and weight, one third the price, three times the power and twice the quality(CMD K1). Then having a great time playing bass in a theatre show. New pedals to help me along the journey and now I've started gigging and practicing like someone possessed.

 

[Skerrvydog]

Started hanging out here and spent my Jeep cash on Bass gear instead. First gear upgrades in like a decade with a Epi T-bird classic, a Quilter Bass Block 800, a Eden 112 practice and portable cab, and a big ass pedal board including a DSM OmniCabSim being built now.

 

[Honch]

2017 was ? The fat lady hasn't sung yet. It's still here for a couple of weeks. But I know for one thing. 2016 had the grim reaper on a spree with some stalwarts in the musci industry as well as unexpected ones. This year has - by and large - just happened with the very much expected Chuck Berry (at 90 no less) and Tom Petty which I think was a little bit too soon. While there have been many others, nothing in the same league as 2016.

BUT, the grim reaper year for bassists, stalwarts, old farts and new farts was 2015. No one has bit the dust in the lowest frequencies as much as that year, compared to both 2016, and 2017 (if nothing unexpected happens). Now I list John Wetton from 2017 about the only one comparabel to 2016s Greg Lake, but here's the 2015 bassist gone list:


2015-12-28 Lemmy
2015-12-? Carson van Osten (Todd Rundgrens bassist)
2015-12-24 Anthony Tolston (lady GaGa)
2015-10-18 Frank Watkins (Gorgoroth)
2015-09-? Bryn Merrick (bas The Damned 84-89)
2015-06-27 Chris Squire
2015-06-09 James Last (yes, believe it or not, a bassist).
2015-05-21 Louis Johnson (Michael Jackson)
2015-05-05 Craig Gruber (Elf, Rainbow, Gary Moore etc)
2015-04-30 Rutger Gunnarsson (Abba)
2015-04-28 Jack Ely
2015-03-16 Andy Fraser (Free)
2015-03-15 Mike Porcaro (Toto etc)
2015-02-07 Joe B Mauldin (The Crickets)
2015-01-10 Jim Drummond (Neil Young, CSNY, Bob Dylan)

And I have even left out someone maybe. And for 2017, the best one is, that not as many bassists of past and present had to bite the dust. But, I don't want to push it, a couple of weeks left....

 

[Nephilymbass]

Loved Fayetteville back in the 80s, playing venues no longer there.....

Glad for your success. You may not be Airborne, I don't know, but as they used to say, "all the way!"

My father was in the 82nd.
Have several friends who were around here in the 80s. Roy Cathey from Gibraltar is frontman for the fifth now. Corey from steel rain is playing with Saint Asonia and Clints obviously with Sevendust. All great guys.

 

[TonyP-]

I was able to obtain a Mike Lull Signature Instrument this year.

 

[Nephilymbass]

That was my Thumb bass! I sold it to you.. Excellent instrument with Delano dual-coils, Audere 4-band Z-mode pre-amp, and 3-way coil tap switches for each pickup. I'm so happy that you are playing her and letting the masses hear that beast of a bass!!

thanks, I’m very greatful you agreed to the deal. It’s awesome to be able to play such a great instrument. Had an issue with some of the wiring but had the pre taken out and reinstalled along with a new jack and it’s been amazing since.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

It was a great year in bass for women, I would say, with some amazing bands and players arriving on the scene. Another, perhaps more accurate, way of putting it is that 2017 is the year I became aware that so many women are arriving on the scene and kicking ass all over the musical spectrum.

Great for me personally, as well! I persevered, fixed the guitar when the electronics blew out (I found talkbass at the same time--thanks for the advice!), got a small Rumble for noisemaking, got my bass set up properly, and worked on technique* until I was happy with my approach. I have saved a little toward my next one, which I figure is probably 3 years or so out, by which time a middle-class instrument should be affordable. I will not buy a good bass until I can make this one sound great, so maybe 10 years out!

*Tilted way up. Had to relocate the horn strap button, which I enjoyed doing. Can't see the fretboard. Light, light, light touch. So hard to play light! So much better!

 

[4SG]

...because after not playing bass regularly for 30 years I became an empty nester, joined a band, toured Texas, toured England and recorded an album. And resolved to always be in a band or somehow making music for the rest of my life.

 

[Bass V]

...because I joined a band, toured Texas, toured England and recorded an album.

Sid Vicious, is that you?!

 

[India_Sierra]

It's been a great year for me. I came back to playing after three years mainly playing guitar and I just knew I would never put a bass down again.

I bought a Cort Jeff Berlin Rithimic, a Markbass Jeff Berlin combo, a Pedulla Pentabuzz and I took up Jeff Berlin's online reading course.

Next year will be even better!

 

[rodl2005]

Bought this Gibson EB which I love! !!! It takes my Gibson count to 2
Dunno what it is about light weight basses ?????? Both this GIBSON EB and my 08 Road Worn Precision are very light. ..both nitro finished. .and both are really punchy & responsive to touch/playing style. Both are very much up there with the best I've ever played. ..and both were way under the $1k mark. .. which... here in AUSTRALIA is saying a lot! !
This '14 EB

And my 77 Gibson G3 that I've had since about 09

So. ...if I take politics out. ..it's been a pretty good year

 

[dbsfgyd1]

personally, gear wise, or our bass world in general, how did it go from your perspective?
of course we still have the year end Christmas surprises, but IYO what made '17 good?
for me, despite a couple of unsettling local buy burns and atrocious shipping practices by some unprofessional pros it's been another great year of life's main goals... further acquisitions and learning, on both points I can thank TB a bunch.

this was another year which strongly suggests we're deeply in the best of times for gear and innovation, the new stuff in both bass, amps, and cabs has made life easier with less weight and more 'good' power, while our choices may never been broader. cool gear constantly comes out and gets reviewed then quickly gets passed over for the brand newest and it's smart bargains galore for us! and researching prospects is more efficient now, we've learned to decipher the usable info from the bogus better, plus companies are less prone to pulling something on us cos we've got immediate response and have learned to use that power better now. with the glut of new, used, vintage guitars out there the deals on killer basses is unprecedented, $300 or less will get you a great bass, cab, or amp for life! it's been like this for a while but '17 seems like a peak of sorts, whether '18 will continue this upswing for us consumers will be known shortly but in our 'small picture' there's no reason why it shouldn't.

maybe this all comes at a point where it's less viable for most of us to be involved in music like before, but if the golden era of playing has passed at least we can bid it adieu LOUD AND CLEAR and still have fun.

No doubt, equipment is much better across the board, and about as reasonable price wise as ever. If there is a negative, the budgets that were available 15 years ago for live entertainment have about dried up. In our area, there is a lot of either pay to play, or sell your own tickets, and split with the establishment. There is no doubt DJs have had a negative impact, giving people exactly what they want to hear, played the way the remember it. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that paying for one guy is a whole lot cheaper than paying for 8, regardless of how accomplished they are.

As for me and 2017, besides suffering switching to a 5 string after 50 plus years playing 4 strings basses, I found that I played as many gigs as I did the years before, but made a whole lot less money.

 

[Usidore T Blue]

It's been a great year for me. I came back to playing after three years mainly playing guitar and I just knew I would never put a bass down again.

I bought a Cort Jeff Berlin Rithimic, a Markbass Jeff Berlin combo, a Pedulla Pentabuzz and I took up Jeff Berlin's online reading course.

Next year will be even better!

Beautiful!

 

[Usidore T Blue]

Yes, it has been a good year
I finished this build
View attachment 2838850
And this build
View attachment 2838846
And this build
View attachment 2838851

Started and almost done with this build
View attachment 2838852

And starting a build with this
View attachment 2838853

Spectacular!

 

[CryingBass]

Because no favorite player of mine has passed recently that I know of. Last couple of years have been brutal. Happy Holidays TB!

 

[Bassworship1]

I spent way to much gear in 2017 but have settled in with as good a lineup as I've ever owned.

Purchased this year:
16 Custom Warrior Buckeye Burl (SOLD)
17 Warrior Custom DM (SOLD)
15 Roscoe Century Standard 5PJ
16 Custom Roscoe Century Black Burst
13 Custom Roscoe SKB3005
Genzler 800
2-Genzler BA210 Arrays
Aguilar AG700 (SOLD)
Mesa D800+ (SOLD)