BYB - Birth Year Basses

[Peteyboy]

For the record, I don't consider myself a millennial. 1980 wasn't a banner production year for basses, but I really like the shape of the body and headstock of the Yamaha SB-800. If I had the burning desire to own a BYB, it'd probably be this one.
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I mean, I recognize the contrivance that goes into these stupid generational definitions. Don't mean to contribute to the offhand pigeonholing of anyone. My age-set are weirdly fetishistic about toys and tech and pop culture of our youth. I'm no exception. I AM pretty stoked about the wide range of ages that responded to this, in spite of it being steered towards (what I referred to as) Millenials.

 

[dave64o]

I play five-strings exclusively, but this 1964 Jazz bass would be pretty sweet:

 

[nonohmic]

This would be my choice for a BYB.

Fender American Vintage '57 Precision Bass 1982 Fullerton | Snooze's Gear Outlet | Reverb

Of course at that price, there are probably ten other basses I would rather buy.

 

[KohanMike]

Would that be a Tutmarkenfaker?
Way cool by the way...

Yep, Paul Tutmarc.

 

[Shawn Luckman]

I was born in Aug 1967 so a Fender Precision from then would be nice .
I do though have someone's birthday bass, my MAY 24th 1964 Hofner Violin Bass 500/1

Not for sale I'm afraid.

 

[Peteyboy]

I was born in Aug 1967 so a Fender Precision from then would be nice .
I do though have someone's birthday bass, my MAY 24th 1964 Hofner Violin Bass 500/1
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Not for sale I'm afraid.

Beautiful bass - keep it safe in its case! I'm learning also that the quickest way to bust up a cat's instinct for apathy is to focus your attention on a prized possession. They photobomb it and then make mental notes to later whizz in the f-hole.

*edit - you're safe: no f-holes! Isn't that funny? If you'd asked me to draw a Beatle Bass from memory I'd have included f-holes.

 

[MMiller28]

It's on the heel of the neck.

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Hmm! I asked a couple sellers on Reverb and they said they couldn't give me a date. Now I just need to find one that will take off the neck for a 1/4 chance.

 

[fivestringdan]

Hmm! I asked a couple sellers on Reverb and they said they couldn't give me a date. Now I just need to find one that will take off the neck for a 1/4 chance.

What year are you looking for?

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

If I was a millennial I’d covet one of the 82-84 Fender Fullerton reissues.

Here come the 'you're not a millennial!' posts...

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

I gave up on this a long time ago. 1988 is the year for me. I’ve never seen anything from ‘88 that I’d prefer over anything from any other year.

My '88 Japanese Jazz Bass Special was pretty excellent. I cannibalized it for another project, but I think I might one get a 1985 (my birth year) Japanese Fender of some sort.

 

[mikeswals]

I gave up on this a long time ago. 1988 is the year for me. I’ve never seen anything from ‘88 that I’d prefer over anything from any other year.

I would be all over an '88 Wal!

 

[FloydianAnimal]

1983 for me. I've considered a birth year bass but just haven't ever seen one I really wanted for the right price. Ideally I think a Ric 4003 or a Stingray from that year would be cool, though. I'd consider a Fender but most I see from that year are overpriced for what they are.

 

[captainofsmooth]

My '88 Japanese Jazz Bass Special was pretty excellent. I cannibalized it for another project, but I think I might one get a 1985 (my birth year) Japanese Fender of some sort.

Agreed. As I’ve looked in the past, the mij Fenders have been the most considered. But I already own other 80s and more recent mij basses, and I can’t see getting rid of any of them just get another from my birth year.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

tl;dr

I always find the concept of people talking about 70s-90s instruments as "vintage" to be mildly disorienting. In my mind, those instruments are "what's at the store." I understand in my rational brain that that era is 30-50 years ago, but my lizard brain says otherwise.

That being said, a 1959 anything, even if I had the funds, is a bit difficult to come by these days. Not impossible, by any means, but you can't just walk into a random Guitar Center and get a 1959 Gibson EB1.

 

[4sight]

I planned on a birth year bass for my 40th in December, but in the end I couldn't find a 1979 bass I actually liked. I like Fenders, but the tail end of the 70s didn't exactly represent their best work.

 

[Peteyboy]

tl;dr

I always find the concept of people talking about 70s-90s instruments as "vintage" to be mildly disorienting. In my mind, those instruments are "what's at the store." I understand in my rational brain that that era is 30-50 years ago, but my lizard brain says otherwise.

That being said, a 1959 anything, even if I had the funds, is a bit difficult to come by these days. Not impossible, by any means, but you can't just walk into a random Guitar Center and get a 1959 Gibson EB1.

I know what you mean, but that's a 2-way street. Imagine what 1959 looks like to someone who's 34! That's probably also disorienting for different reasons.

 

[alembicbones]

Well, here it is:

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Beautiful bass but the price is definitely out of my range.

Bones

 

[RayWithFlats]

I always find the concept of people talking about 70s-90s instruments as "vintage" to be mildly disorienting.

Yeah, I saw a Hohner JT-60 listed as “vintage guitar” on eBay, I can remember drooling over the magazine ads when they first came out.

 

[Peteyboy]

I'm guilty of it too, but as I move forward into my middle-age I definitely aspire to be less astonished about the constant and natural passage of time. That's just how this train's rolling, right? I say this to myself as much as to anyone else.

 

[Sid Fang]

Even looks a lot like me...