Choosing a "forever bass?"

[Hummergeist]

I believe that trying to identify a 'forever bass' is like when you try too hard to meet the love of your life. Just relax and let good things come to you.

 

[BGroovy]

Hi folks. I've been playing bass for a long time, and my main has been a Schecter C-5 that I've dragged through the mud. I love this bass, but if I'm honest with myself, this bass hasn't fit my vibe for a long, long time. (Looking at the catalogue this bass was introduced in is evidence of that.)

So what is my vibe? I love things that are very clearly modern but are also classic — stuff that feels like a blend between vintage and future. Right now I love my Ampeg PF-50t fliptop and Godin A5 fretless. They feel like instruments I will use forever, and I haven't really had that experience before. It's nice.

I narrowed my options down to an this bass hasn't fit my vibe for a long, long time (in dark night) and a Yamaha BBP35 (in vintage sunburst). These fit my price range, sound great, and seem built to last forever. I'm 85% sure I'll get the BBP35, because it manages to be much more modern while being very classic.

So! What is your "forever bass," and how did you choose it? Also: what would y'all pick if you were me?

I’ve had two forever basses and I no longer have either. Over 20 years of playing my tastes and needs and honestly body have changed. My stingray 5HH was the first one I thought would be forever. As soon as weight started bothering me after a shoulder industry it had to go.

Next was a Peavey Cirrus V. After a year determined that the 35” scale length really killed me after more than an hour.

What about an L1000? Or a P + Humbucker of some sort.

 

[Mike Vee]

A forever bass chooses you, not the other way around. You could spend 10K and when the bass comes, not really like it. Or you might like a Squier at GC as your forever bass.

 

[Wfrance3]

4 string passive jazz-neck P bass with Dunlop Flats, fralin std wound pickup - Oh, wait that’s mine. Yours, I got no idea…

 

[r_bnks]

Spectors are pretty much my forever basses. But If I'd need to chose, I'd go with a Kramer era white NS-2.

 

[Avezzano]

Look: not even the wife is "forever".

 

[jnuts1]

Hi folks. I've been playing bass for a long time, and my main has been a Schecter C-5 that I've dragged through the mud. I love this bass, but if I'm honest with myself, this bass hasn't fit my vibe for a long, long time. (Looking at the catalogue this bass was introduced in is evidence of that.)

So what is my vibe? I love things that are very clearly modern but are also classic — stuff that feels like a blend between vintage and future. Right now I love my Ampeg PF-50t fliptop and Godin A5 fretless. They feel like instruments I will use forever, and I haven't really had that experience before. It's nice.

I narrowed my options down to an this bass hasn't fit my vibe for a long, long time (in dark night) and a Yamaha BBP35 (in vintage sunburst). These fit my price range, sound great, and seem built to last forever. I'm 85% sure I'll get the BBP35, because it manages to be much more modern while being very classic.

So! What is your "forever bass," and how did you choose it? Also: what would y'all pick if you were me?

sorry but you have this all wrong. Your forever bass will choose you.

 

[bassbrad]

Some of us get lucky to find that perfect bass, I have been blessed to have had several. My forever or soulmate bass is an '82 Carvin LB50 Koa Stereo Bass aka 'Taz' that has been my main squeeze since day one. I have others for specific tones and feels Taz this is always my first go to bas as well as the one I am most expressively at home on. Taz and I spend a bit of time every day. We have travelled the world together so we share many great memories.

Some of my basses hold emotional attachment while others are simply fine tools to make music with.

The Unknown Blonde a '67 natural Fender Precision that was my other companion for my professional years [83-93] has since been retired to semi luxurious retirement some where in the Hard Rock Cafe collection. Luckily I have a new blonde in my life, my lovely wife.

 

[Geri O]

There is no such thing as a forever bass for me. There's too much excellent diversity in bass guitar. Too many good ones, so mulitple basses must be played and owned.

There. Fixed that for ya.

Yer welcome.

 

[higain617]

For me, it woz Ric. It does what I need.

 

[TheSeagoats]

LTD AP-5 has been perfect for me, also a modern take on a classic instrument.

 

[keyofnight]

Haha, wow, that catalogue man, sure brings back memories.. You should've gotten that Devil Tribal bass, then I'd understand your embarrasment

But it kind of sounds like the Schecter C-5 is your forever bass. My forever electric guitar is a cheap old Essex (now SX) telecaster, nothing feels home like that one. My forever bass was bought not too long ago (last year), and that was a more though-out case, in the sense that I had a budget in mind, which I could even extend (and did), and I tried everything I could get my hands on. One just stayed in my head for days and that was it. That bass now also feels like home.

Totally — I could've done much, much worse. I could've gotten a Tommy Lee signature! Back then, I really just wanted a 5'er so I could play grunge without down tuning. I saw that Schecters would go for lower than the Spectors, and they felt nice when I tried them at GC & Sam Ash. When I saw the C-5 pop up online, I bought it on a whim, despite my guitarist friends saying I wasn't ready for a 5'er.

Yeah, it might just be a forever bass. I can't imagine getting rid of it. No one would pay more than $300 for it anyway, and the memories are worth more to me than that. I'll only ever just retire it.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

It seems that the fact that some people here have a strong connection to a specific instrument makes some other folks uncomfortable? why would that be ya think?

For the record I also play guitar and have no guitar that I'm as connected with as my main bass. So no "forever guitar" or "eternal synth"

 

[fdeck]

It chose me, in 1977. I've owned other electric basses, but have always come back to this one. It just plays itself.

 

[Frank Kreber]

Hi,
My forever bass is a Sadowsky Metroline Singlecut…
This is the first bass that makes me completely satisfied ( playability, sound, build quality, look …). It is a blend of tradition and modern that suits the music I like to play (Blues, Bluesrock, Jazz) and is an inspiration for getting into solo work.
The basses I owned before had always a flaw ( weight, playability, scale, PU…) that made me search for something else. But I think this process was a necessary one - to play with a lot of basses let me know more about my identity as a player, my likes and dislikes. I also tried fretless and sixstring basses and they sounded great but the concepts of these
instruments were not my cup of tea.
So glad about this happy ending !

 

[Auspuff]

Some of us get lucky to find that perfect bass, I have been blessed to have had several. My forever or soulmate bass is an '82 Carvin LB50 Koa Stereo Bass aka 'Taz' that has been my main squeeze since day one. I have others for specific tones and feels Taz this is always my first go to bas as well as the one I am most expressively at home on. Taz and I spend a bit of time every day. We have travelled the world together so we share many great memories.

Some of my basses hold emotional attachment while others are simply fine tools to make music with.

View attachment 5107975

The Unknown Blonde a '67 natural Fender Precision that was my other companion for my professional years [83-93] has since been retired to semi luxurious retirement some where in the Hard Rock Cafe collection. Luckily I have a new blonde in my life, my lovely wife.

Agreed.

I had my Koa LB50 custom made, in 1981, still have it, and I will never get rid of it.

Pic is from a gig, in 1983.

 

[keyofnight]

When I pick a forever bass or amp I make sure it has a good resale value because for me nothing is forever. I also learned long ago that I don't need to spend a ton of money to find something that plays well and sounds great.

The resale value matters so much more than I thought it would. It turns out that if a bass is worth less than the cost of repairs, luthiers will hesitate to work on them. (I ended up learning to do all of my own setup, repair, and mod work as a result. Well… I would've done it anyway, but at least I had an excuse. )

 

[Dincrest]

My forever bass is that magenta-wine red colored LTD F-205 at the bottom. The neck on that thing fits my hand wonderfully, when strapped on it nestles my body just right, and I can play it with my eyes closed. If I ever get a custom shop ESP, I would want them to re-create my F-205 exactly.

(The D-5 up top is my backup. It's a stellar bass that's saved my hide a few times and feels more plush than its price would indicate, but it's my #2. The Swirl 4-string has been through two bands, the rigors of the road, even been in photo shoots with models, and is now enjoying retirement).

Like P-Nut says, if the instrument effortlessly lets your hands play what's in your head, then you've found your Excalibur.



And like others said, the bass chooses the bassist like the wand chooses the wizard. I never set out to be an ESP/LTD player. Fate or whatever you want to call it just happened to slide those basses into my life when I most needed them, were supposed to be backups for nicer basses, and I ended up ditching those nicer basses in favor of my LTDs. (Except the D-5. That was a birthday gift to myself last year).

 

[MegaSwing]

Seems to me that one’s ‘forever bass’ chooses YOU, not the other way around.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

At this point I think I have about a half dozen ‘forever basses’. Perhaps more!