80s Bass guitars

[RoyGBass]

Ten thousand years later,I finally scroll to the end of your picture posts.
Geez dude!Minimize!!

sorry to make you look at 80s basses on this 80s bass thread

 

[58kites]

Seems there's one in every crowd.
The bigger the pics the better!

 

[Watchootognbout]

sorry to make you look at 80s basses on this 80s bass thread

Seems there's one in every crowd.
The bigger the pics the better!

Sure.
And what if everyone has 13 to 20 basses?
Minimize.

 

[wvbass]

Depends on the type of 80s Music.........for hair rock/metal, something "pointy"

For 80s MTV pop:

John Taylor - Duran Duran - Aria SB with two pickups (the single pickup SB is, for all intents and purposes, a P-bass)
Nick Beggs - Kajagoogoo - Musicman Stingray
Andy McCluskey (sp?) - OMD - Fender Jazz and others
Sting - Ibanez Musician, Steinberger, among others
Patrick O'Hearn - Missing Persons - Carvin LB50


If the visual aesthetic is as important as the music, almost any thru-body bass with that thru-body look will work to reflect that period's visual video look (these were often seen in videos no matter what was used on recording)....also, nothing says 80s pop more than a headless bass like a Steinberger even though a lot of the pop guys didnt use them....but a Steinberger + octagon Simmons Drums + Keytar + Aqua Net Hairspray (purple or white can) = I Want My MTV

One last thing concerning 80s Pop: By this time, production was getting very clean with lots of SPX90 fx washes and Fairlight "overproduction". Bass tones in 80s pop were getting cleaner, defined, crisp, and articulate. Whatever you get, I strongly recommend not a single pickup bass like a P (Stingrays excluded) although a few guys, like Charles Ovatto of Animation and John Crawford of Berlin used single pickup basses, a two pickup bass with one pickup in the mid position and one at the bridge will be optimal. I also recommend learning the "faux fretless" technique (solo the bridge pickup, roll down tone or highs, slide into notes with fretting hand, pluck near bridge) as it is very useful in this style of music. In the 80s, adding chorus and slapback delay to "faux fretless" went a long way to cover songs such as "Save A Prayer" by Duran Duran, "Lonely In Your Nightmare" by Duran Duran, "Be Near Me" by ABC, and several others without having to switch to an actual fretless or to approximate that thing on the record...Fresh bright strings, either rounds or very bright pressurewounds, also optimal

I can't say you should stay away from single pickup basses if you want to be like John Taylor or Sting. I can't say I would shy away from single pickup basses for 80's music. I remember plenty of them.

 

[Rib 13]

I can't say you should stay away from single pickup basses if you want to be like John Taylor or Sting. I can't say I would shy away from single pickup basses for 80's music. I remember plenty of them.

LOL Ive been through this about three times in this thread already Please read the rest of the post for reasoning and my subsequent responses to posts like yours for reasoning

also, to reiterate another post of mine from a similar response, Im not saying Im right, wrong, or otherwise...Im just going by my own experience: During the 80s, 80s pop is exactly what I played/worked (including the use of a keyboard onstage for synth bass). I wasnt doing hairband rock, I was covering Duran Duran, INXS, Kajagoogoo, Wham, Pet Shop Boys, Culture Club, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, etc..Im only re-iterating what worked for me back then and kept me working....Everyones mileage is still going to vary

 

[wvbass]

LOL Ive been through this about three times in this thread already Please read the rest of the post for reasoning and my subsequent responses to posts like yours for reasoning

also, to reiterate another post of mine from a similar response, Im not saying Im right, wrong, or otherwise...Im just going by my own experience: During the 80s, 80s pop is exactly what I played/worked (including the use of a keyboard onstage for synth bass). I wasnt doing hairband rock, I was covering Duran Duran, INXS, Kajagoogoo, Wham, Pet Shop Boys, Culture Club, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, etc..Im only re-iterating what worked for me back then and kept me working....Everyones mileage is still going to vary

You are right that bass tone was changing. Active tones were becoming more dominant. "Roundwounds with a pick" tone was becoming more mainstream. Your "faux fretless" with big reverb was a recurring specialty tone. But even most of the guys on your list spent a good bit of time on single pickup basses. A lot of studio work was still a P bass, too.

For me, nothing says 80s like too-tight, high-waisted jeans, a black and white striped shirt, and a P bass. Lots of other ways to do it too, though.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

Pointiest bass until LTD came along. I regret never getting the OHSC for it. I bought mine new in 1985 for about $250. Walked into my local music store (practically lived there and spent most of my money there) and the owner pointed it out. He hated it, said it would never sell and gave me pretty good deal on it. Played it live and recorded with it for a few years, then got my first Ric and never looked back. I dragged it out a couple of years ago to try it again but it just didn't do it for me. I keep it for posterity.

A friend of mine had one of those when it first came to. I always called it the Fred Flintstone bass. With all of those rough curves it looked to me like it was something Fred would have carved out of stone!

BnB

 

[Rib 13]

For me, nothing says 80s like too-tight, high-waisted jeans, a black and white striped shirt, and a P bass. Lots of other ways to do it too, though.

nothing says 80s more to me than funny haircuts, a headless guitar or bass, octagon Simmons pads, Aqua-Net hairspray, clothes with zippers all over them, two 8-Balls, and groupies in bright colored spandax with hair boofed into a helmet so large they have their own zip codes

 

[Spent]

A friend of mine had one of those when it first came to. I always called it the Fred Flintstone bass. With all of those rough curves it looked to me like it was something Fred would have carved out of stone!

BnB

I can definitely see that.

 

[Malak the Mad]

View attachment 1117699 Pure 80's

I'm reminded of a turn of phrase by Stephen King…"The Coke-Soaked Eighties"…and to me, the Fender Performer looks like it's blueprints were still powdered with the previous night's "party favors".

I love how this has turned into a celebration of the 80s. I'm in total agreement that the headless (or keytar) epitomizes 80s pop. The metal scene of the mid-late 80s dominated my musical influence, but the visual was still very important. You don't want to hide behind a black or 3-tone sunburst bass. The 80s were about excess in color, form and if you were in thrash metal -- notes -- punchy, as sharp as your pointy headstock.

It's probably a fair assumption that the advent of the "MTV Generation" helped propel that chic fantastique. Music was becoming not just an aural medium, but a visual medium as well. No slam intended, but what more likely to get kids excited and running out to Sam Goody/Tower Records/The Wiz/etc. to slap down $10 on a cassette tape, this…

…or this?

And for those who were keeping up with the events of the time, it's no accident I put John Denver and Dee Snider together in the same post. I wrote a paper on the P.M.R.C. in college, making them personal heroes of mine.

For me, nothing says 80s like too-tight, high-waisted jeans, a black and white striped shirt, and a P bass. Lots of other ways to do it too, though.

What, no love for the "Skinny Tie" or the "Piano Key Necktie"?

 

[wvbass]

I'm reminded of a turn of phrase by Stephen King…"The Coke-Soaked Eighties"…and to me, the Fender Performer looks like it's blueprints were still powdered with the previous night's "party favors".



It's probably a fair assumption that the advent of the "MTV Generation" helped propel that chic fantastique. Music was becoming not just an aural medium, but a visual medium as well. No slam intended, but what more likely to get kids excited and running out to Sam Goody/Tower Records/The Wiz/etc. to slap down $10 on a cassette tape, this…

…or this?

And for those who were keeping up with the events of the time, it's no accident I put John Denver and Dee Snider together in the same post. I wrote a paper on the P.M.R.C. in college, making them personal heroes of mine.



What, no love for the "Skinny Tie" or the "Piano Key Necktie"?

No, but I wore a polka dot shirt that was a lot like that...

 

[58kites]

Sure.
And what if everyone has 13 to 20 basses?
Minimize.

No need for that.

 

[NecroticImbecil]

My ultimate 80s bass would be one of these, since I own them. Some are worth more than others, and one doesn't scream 80's but nonetheless was built in that decade. I like the crazy points and curves. Also the complete lack of points and curves.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Sorry to those who don't like pictures.

I know the Explorer and Flying V shapes predate the 80s, but the Exploiter and Lance were built then.

 

[jjfunk]

View attachment 2595748

My mid 80's Ibanez/Modulus prototype with graphite neck.

I have 2 of these also bought on eBay. One is fretless. I actually talked with Geoff Gould about these years ago and he implied the number of bass necks was very small. On the order of less than 20.

 

[ElectricBass72]

Spector, BC Rich, Fender P/J, Steinberger, Carvin, ESP, Jackson.... all reek of the 80's.

 

[mikeswals]

I have 2 of these also bought on eBay. One is fretless. I actually talked with Geoff Gould about these years ago and he implied the number of bass necks was very small. On the order of less than 20.

Thats pretty cool!

 

[HughD]

I have 2 of these also bought on eBay. One is fretless. I actually talked with Geoff Gould about these years ago and he implied the number of bass necks was very small. On the order of less than 20.

Another Modulus-Ibanez prototype here, this one unmodified from when I purchased it new from Modulus. Nice to see they're still out there.

 

[Metal Sombreros]

The 80s bass of all 80s basses is a Steinberger

 

[Hot Rats]

This was one of my 80's basses.


This was the other.