Awesome bass and a Carvin head too. At the moment I have 4 LB50 basses 3 KOA and another Ebony. I've promised to sell one of the Koas to a friend but he ain't coming up with the funds so it may stay.
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Choosing a "forever bass?"
- Thread starter keyofnight
- Start date
Never had a bass I couldn’t get rid of, but there are a couple I’d like to see again knowing what I know now, just to see if they measure up to my memories of them.
For various reasons (weight, neck width, string spacing, active, VVT) I gravitated away from my others until I only reached for one of these,
then bought the second to have two for gigging. At my age, if I don't change my mind soon, this may be it.
then bought the second to have two for gigging. At my age, if I don't change my mind soon, this may be it.
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Yeah, I'm not sure why that is. It might be that buying/selling basses is its own passion, so the idea of settling on one might run counter to that passion. That's fine. I really don't like buying and selling things—that's not my passion at all, really.
Interesting! I have this attachment with my modular synthesizer. But that took years to plan and assemble, so you could see why I'd be attached.
I have, but I'm afraid I can't afford that right now. I'm also pretty sure I'd get analysis paralysis.
The bass I recently bought is meant to be my forever bass. I'm just a hobbyist these days and only recently got back into the instrument and my new schecter hellraiser is the best feeling bass I've ever played. With the all the tonal options it gives me and my play style and needs, I see no need to ever buy another
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Pedulla Buzz. Built in 1982, purchased second hand by me in 1990.
I have a couple of times throughout the years considered selling and replacing it with something else, but the thought that anything else I could replace it with for the same money would feel and/or sound inferior to me keeps me from saying goodbye to it.
I guess this bass has chosen me.
I have a couple of times throughout the years considered selling and replacing it with something else, but the thought that anything else I could replace it with for the same money would feel and/or sound inferior to me keeps me from saying goodbye to it.
I guess this bass has chosen me.
Interesting concept. I feel so much of a “forever bass” more comes from the stories around it and the eventual sentimentality you connect it to. The two instruments I’ve had for over a decade now I didn’t think they would be a forever instrument at the time. But when I think about them (as this post made me do) I realized they mean a lot to me and still play great. I can’t imagine myself parting with them.
In other words I don’t think we choose a forever bass so much as a bass becomes one.
In other words I don’t think we choose a forever bass so much as a bass becomes one.
For me, my forever bass is the Yamaha BB734A-DCS because of the looks and functionality.
For you, I suggest going with the BBP35.
I'm still fairly new to playing so this has been a fascinating thread. I've kind of learned to look at my basses as tools. Having one seems to be like having just a hammer in your toolbox.
My forever bass is my ‘96 L2500. For the first 10-12 years that I’ve owned it, I didn’t treat it as such. There was a point in time, around 2002-2003, where I was going to sell it to my brother for $1000. He gave me $500 and promised the other half when he had it, and took the bass. About 9-12 months later, I wanted it back and returned his $500. He said my decision helped him out financially - he really needed that $500 and never had any plans on giving me the other half anyway…
But I didn’t realize that it was “special” in any way until around 2006, when I started researching it. “Special” meaning that it is one-of-a-kind in a few ways. One, being that it is of the first-run L2500’s with the 4+1 headstock (like the Kiloton5 and JB5 have today). It is also an “L2500 Custom” model that has an Alder body with bookmatched Ash top, natural body edge binding and no contours on the top. I haven’t concluded how many regular or Custom L2500’s have been produced in ‘96-‘97, but I’m guessing maybe 100? There are about 50 or so on the G&L registry. In mid-‘97 G&L changed to the 3+2 headstock and sculpted the body to be smaller. The original ‘96’s are big, honkin’ and heavy (and the neck is a bonafide baseball bat)…!
The other thing that sets this bass apart is that the neck is 4-piece, quarter-sawn flame maple. I have never seen a neck like this from G&L on any other instrument. I’ve seen a 3-piece plain maple.
So in essence, this bass is indeed one of a kind and irreplaceable.
I just wish I figured that out before I installed a 4th toggle switch for inner/outer coil switching in Single Coil mode…oh well…
This is the best sounding bass I own…maybe not the most comfortable, but best sounding for sure.
I have considered getting rid of all the others and purchasing an L2500 Fretless, and be content forever.
This bass chose me…
But I didn’t realize that it was “special” in any way until around 2006, when I started researching it. “Special” meaning that it is one-of-a-kind in a few ways. One, being that it is of the first-run L2500’s with the 4+1 headstock (like the Kiloton5 and JB5 have today). It is also an “L2500 Custom” model that has an Alder body with bookmatched Ash top, natural body edge binding and no contours on the top. I haven’t concluded how many regular or Custom L2500’s have been produced in ‘96-‘97, but I’m guessing maybe 100? There are about 50 or so on the G&L registry. In mid-‘97 G&L changed to the 3+2 headstock and sculpted the body to be smaller. The original ‘96’s are big, honkin’ and heavy (and the neck is a bonafide baseball bat)…!
The other thing that sets this bass apart is that the neck is 4-piece, quarter-sawn flame maple. I have never seen a neck like this from G&L on any other instrument. I’ve seen a 3-piece plain maple.
So in essence, this bass is indeed one of a kind and irreplaceable.
I just wish I figured that out before I installed a 4th toggle switch for inner/outer coil switching in Single Coil mode…oh well…
This is the best sounding bass I own…maybe not the most comfortable, but best sounding for sure.
I have considered getting rid of all the others and purchasing an L2500 Fretless, and be content forever.
This bass chose me…
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Having a forever bass doesn’t limit one to owning only that bass.
And you have plenty of time for finding a forever bass or it finding you, if you be are even inclined to.
No rush….
If I had to choose one at this point I guess it would be my Lull M5V. I had no intention of buying a bass when I tried it out at the shop. But after an hour or so I knew I was going to have to buy it. I figured it would serve as a nice backup bass. Well, gradually that backup became my primary bass and I now have more gigs logged on that instrument than on any other that I’ve owned. It’s a fantastic instrument.
I've had what I thought was my forever bass, until it wasn't. I sometime wish I hadn't let it go, but, it's gone. I now have a bass that will be with me for a long while (I'm pretty sure), that does everything I need. I still have G.A.S., but, it's pretty under control.
I agree with this, but I think this is precisely why it's possible to choose the bass that becomes your forever bass. We do the best to find the instrument that fits our needs, but that's only just part of the story. The rest of the story comes from pouring our time, sweat, and mistakes into it. The rest of the story comes from the music we make with it. In some ways, the bass doesn't matter, but in some ways it really does. Like, which bass(es) do you want there with you through the good times and the bad?
My custom D-Huff jazz bass is my forever bass. Spec'd it out, has my son's name on the 12th fret and his birthday is the serial number. Besides those sentimental attributes, the bass plays amazing and is always my go to. A close second is the Fender Custom Shop 58' Precision bass that took me probably a decade to decide on.
