BYB - Birth Year Basses

[1bassplayinfool]

1952 for me so finding a bass from that year would be very pricey.

 

[crankypants]

I think the only bass I'd want from 1973 is a Ric and I'm not even that fond of Rics. But I wouldn't turn it down.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

For me, it would have to be a 1993 Kubicki Ex Factor!

 

[Peteyboy]

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That looks sinister and toasty.

 

[NeonVomit]

Either a 1983 Stingray or a Spector NS-2. European manufacturers and luthiers hadn't really taken off yet back then, so USA-made for me - these days all my basses are German-made with the exception of my 2010 Stingray and my Ibanez fretless.

 

[GIBrat51]

I have, entirely coincidentally, a birth year 1951 Kay C1.

Bet it ain't left handed, though, is it? Being old is bad enough; being old and left handed is the killer in the "Birth Year Bass" game. Yeah, there are electric basses that old; and even older - all the way back to Paul Tutmarc's 1936 Audiovox "Bass Fiddle". But very, very, very few of them were left handed. And the ones that are? Every one that I've ever seen or heard of, were special order customs. Extremely rare - as in, "we made 3 lefties that year" rare. And, like the '51 Fender Telecaster bass I mentioned; very, very expensive. For me, a Birth Year Bass is just another item in a really long list of things, that it's not worth thinking about - too much...

 

[jamro217]

I probably already have a birth year bass and don't even know it. If I do, like its owner the serial number is illegible and it is heavily reliced and ugly.

 

[Peteyboy]

Bet it ain't left handed, though, is it? Being old is bad enough; being old and left handed is the killer in the "Birth Year Bass" game. Yeah, there are electric basses that old; and even older - all the way back to Paul Tutmarc's 1936 Audiovox "Bass Fiddle". But very, very, very few of them were left handed. And the ones that are? Every one that I've ever seen or heard of, were special order customs. Extremely rare - as in, "we made 3 lefties that year" rare. And, like the '51 Fender Telecaster bass I mentioned; very, very expensive. For me, a Birth Year Bass is just another item in a really long list of things, that it's not worth thinking about - too much...

I "liked" what you said here but I don't like that what you say is true. I never really thought about it before honestly. It sucks that this industry is so unacommodating - I imagine that's pretty pervasive.

 

[OllyW]

Barring a lottery win, I can't see me ever getting hold of a '64 Jazz.

 

[Leonid Nidis]

I have been tought that a successful man plays a bass older than he is while drinking whiskey older than his woman
Anyway heres my birth year bass Fender AVRI 57 1982 that happens to be a great P bass

 

[2cooltoolz]

1953. Not happening.

But I've been lucky enough to find my "life partner" (don't tell my wife).

2003 G&L L2500. They didn't call them Custom Shop then, but it is more custom than the new "Custom Shop" line from G&L. A really special bass, not my birth year, but...

 

[JMarkD]

BYB? Can't really think of a dumber reason to purchase a bass or anything else for that matter. Of course, anything produced in my birth year probably doesn't work and is carcinogenic.

 

[ewarren88]

I’m not fixated on my birth year specifically, but I like the idea of having a bass that’s older than I am. So if/when I go on a quest for a “keeper” Precision, I’ll be favoring 1976 or earlier. I don’t necessarily want a collector’s item.

Problem is, a great many instruments have been significantly modded over the past 43+ years. I still have to decide exactly what it means (to me) to be pre-1977...

 

[patzilla83]

1983 Fullerton-era reissue P-Bass. The ‘62 or the ‘59, doesn’t matter.

or

Yamaha bb3000

 

[cuth]

Haha. Just bought a '67 Fliptop. One of the reasons why I chose that particular one was because we're the same age.

BYA - Birth Year Amps? Is that a thing?

 

[MoeTown1986]

Well, I was born in 1986 and love early 60’s P Basses. So, this 1986 AVRI ‘62 in Fiesta Red was kind of a no brainer for me.

 

[Kendescending]

It’s probably the last thing on my GAS list because I’ve already got an ‘87 ‘ray that’s all the bass I need but if I won the lottery I’d be interested. I’d love one of those mid-70s hybrid Musicman amps though.

I have one of the Music Man 100B hybrid amps. It's probably the only amp I will never sell, as it sounds amazing!

 

[rtslinger]

Mine would be 1958
so Gibson Explorer

 

[Ric5]

For me for my BYB I have 2 choices

 

[4dog]

1952 for me so finding a bass from that year would be very pricey.

hell..look for one that aint pricey from 66!!