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Choosing a "forever bass?"
- Thread starter keyofnight
- Start date
I've spent forever searching for forever basses. So far I've found several that I still have.
define "forever bass" please. i played one ax for ~20 years(?). in my world that's "forever".....maybe even "too long!"
but i'd choose a fretless PJ for you.
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,589
- 18,607
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- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Hey, I’m not flexing in this photo.I'll admit, that's pretty cool man. Also, nice flex.
I might or might not have douchey ones that I do
Well... like a lot of people here, I don't really have a "forever" bass. I do have a list of basses that I've wanted for a very long time. I finally managed to fill that list this Spring - after 30+ years. Why so long? Well, being left handed is often exactly the bummer you might imagine that it is... I usually have 2 basses and a guitar sitting out, next to my amp. A couple of my basses have spent several years there, but lately? I'm trying to give them all equal time...
I suppose you could consider the bass I've owned the longest, as my "forever bass"; although I've never thought of it that way. It's a '78 Fender P-Bass, with the optional "A" neck. I bought it from a fellow GI in 1988. It does fill a spot in my herd, so I've never had any intention of selling it. But, it's no more my "forever" bass, than any of the other basses that fill a spot in the herd. It's simply been there the longest...
So... to answer your specific questions;
1. I don't really have a "forever Bass". I have a herd of basses that I've always wanted - and don't intend to sell. And, I'd have a very hard time picking the one I'd keep, if I had to get rid of the rest. But, if I had to? It would probably be the '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. Not because it's a particular favorite; or a bass that I play a lot; or that it sounds wonderful. I'd pick it because... I simply couldn't replace it. In 5 decades of looking, it's the only left handed Gretsch bass that I've ever seen - that wasn't a conversion, or a custom bass from the 1950's. Everything else I could probably replace - if I lived long enough. But, not that Gretsch...
2. How did I choose "my forever bass"? I tend to agree with those that say that your "forever bass" chooses you.
3. If I were you, which bass would I pick? I'm a for real GI Brat, born in the early 1950s. I grew up all over the world, listening to - and liking - music from people you've likely never heard of. I also spent 24 years - Vietnam War thru Desert Storm - as a Combat Engineer. Trust me; my life, almost certainly, is nothing like yours. So, I have no idea how to "Be you". About all I can tell you is; play as many different basses as you can. There will be one that speaks to you, and that you won't want to put down. That bass is a good bet to be your "Forever Bass"...
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I have a forever bass, my forever bass. I searched for this bass for at least 5 years. 5 years of buying and selling, every bass that passed through my hands got me closer. I was always after the better example of the bass I love and want to play for the rest of my life. I found it last year.
In case you’re curious it is a 100% original one owner 1954 Blonde Fender Precision Bass - contoured (they started contouring about 1/2 way through 1954), I have the original case. I was the first person to take off the neck since the day it was built, and the pencil neck “10-54 T.G.”, Tadeo Gomez shaped the neck. I gig with this bass all the time.
In case you’re curious it is a 100% original one owner 1954 Blonde Fender Precision Bass - contoured (they started contouring about 1/2 way through 1954), I have the original case. I was the first person to take off the neck since the day it was built, and the pencil neck “10-54 T.G.”, Tadeo Gomez shaped the neck. I gig with this bass all the time.
I've bought and sold more basses than I'd like to say. Everyone of them was a FOREVER bass when I bought it.
Walked into a guitar shop in November 1988 & there hanging on the wall, was my forever bass a 1964 Hofner 500/1 Violin Bass for the asking price of £175. Almost 35 years later and all the twists & turns that life puts in your way it's still, my most prized possession many memories with this bass.
I can't consider any my forever bass, simply because with nerve damage to my neck spinal cord from radiation treatments for cancer years ago that's getting worse, I've had to change the bass I can play comfortably. I started on bass ukes 21" to 24" scale, acoustic and electric, but recently found that only a 21" scale Hofner knockoff is right for me. I also prefer flatwound strings and the ones that work best with that piezo bass is a nylon core version. Who knows what changes I will require in the future.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,634
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- John K Custom Basses
I have three:
my 1962 seafoam green p bass that i bought in 1975.
my 1968 Hofner beatle bass (bought in 1973:
and the one that i play the most, a short scale tele bass that i built in 2020:
my 1962 seafoam green p bass that i bought in 1975.
my 1968 Hofner beatle bass (bought in 1973:
and the one that i play the most, a short scale tele bass that i built in 2020:
No such thing as a "forever bass" for me.
I've been playing great basses since I started and each one has been better than the last.
I haven't bought a #1 bass in 8 years, but I'm looking forward to finding the next one.
I've been playing great basses since I started and each one has been better than the last.
I haven't bought a #1 bass in 8 years, but I'm looking forward to finding the next one.
The only constant is change....forever is a long time. I have been playing for 20 years. I have bought/tried/enjoyed and flipped a financially foolish and thoroughly enjoyable number of basses. I started on 4s and then switched to only 5s after 5 years....passed through a fanned fret frenzy.....then about a month ago experimented with BEAD 4 tuning which has stimulated me to change up some lines and think just a bit differently. My longest "tenured" bass is a 98 Fender Am J5 Deluxe that I've had for 12 years. I still love it, and it might be hard to replace, but it's not currently my fave. As long as it's 34" and 18 or 19mm spacing with medium low action and < 9lbs, most basses will "work" for me (no T-Birds, Rics or minuscule bodies like Spectors or SteinB's though). Switching from a bass with flats to one with rounds, between axes with very different pups, or even from a dark wood "coffee table" to a bright trans orange finish can help pull me out of a creative rut and bump my enthusiasm a bit. And then there's the fact that the guys I love to play with have their own ideas about which of my basses sounds the best. Like it or not, one of them feels most "at home" when I bring the Fender. He'll never complain if I play another, but I know what makes him groove the most. I could piss and moan that I'll play what I want, but if I am honest with myself I'll admit that if he showed up with a neon gloss, pointy-contoured guitar and asked my opinion, I wouldn't hesitate to tell him to bring back the Telly 
The human brain is a vastly complicated and imperfect machine.
The human brain is a vastly complicated and imperfect machine.
If I had to start all over, I'd go with Reverend...when it comes to a cross between vintage and modern, they've got it down, not to mention, they definitely know how to make a bass sound special!
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I think I'm on a constant search for the elusive combination of sound, feel, and reliability. I don’t have “a” forever bass. I have a forever split coil P bass. It’s a black Player series that has the perfect neck for me. I’ve replaced the tuners with Hipshot lightweight tuners, changed the pick guard from white to black, changed the pu to the EMG Geezer, and it’s the perfect split coil P bass for me.
I have a forever J bass that I love the sound of, but the truss rod is close to maxed out. I may need to replace the neck with a Player P bass neck.
My most recent purchase is a 2012 Gibson Thunderbird. I’d been scared by the rumors of weight and neck dive, but this bass is 8.5 pounds and has zero neck dive. I replaced the 3-point bridge with a Babicz, lengthened the strap which was set up for a different bass, and it’s fantastic. OMG, it’s the sound I’ve been looking for without knowing how to get it.
I have a forever J bass that I love the sound of, but the truss rod is close to maxed out. I may need to replace the neck with a Player P bass neck.
My most recent purchase is a 2012 Gibson Thunderbird. I’d been scared by the rumors of weight and neck dive, but this bass is 8.5 pounds and has zero neck dive. I replaced the 3-point bridge with a Babicz, lengthened the strap which was set up for a different bass, and it’s fantastic. OMG, it’s the sound I’ve been looking for without knowing how to get it.
I'm enjoying those who have found their "forever" bass... This is mine.
Damn, that's a nice looking lefty! I'm just getting into these 23" scale basses myself with a fretless Goldtone ME-Bass. I hate the rubber strings so I put the Goldtone LaBella flats on it and I am much happier with it's sound and feel.
My forever chose me by virtue of its having been a thoughtful gift from a now deceased relative, with sentiment attached.
The one I choose myself eventually will be the one that most moves me emotionally when I hear it recorded, holds its setup, while also conforming to my ergonomics. So far, that's a custom built Cazpar.
The one I choose myself eventually will be the one that most moves me emotionally when I hear it recorded, holds its setup, while also conforming to my ergonomics. So far, that's a custom built Cazpar.
For me, I just ended up winning the lottery. Bought a 2011 AmStand Fender J off Ebay. Didn't know what I wanted. Couldn't figure out if I liked the tone, or really differentiate as far as what I liked/didn't like. Got it, and didn't really like it compared to my Ibanez SR700. Then I got bad news about the SR700's neck twisting/warping and was broke from 1100 on the J Bass. I wanted to keep playing so I kept practicing on it. Didn't take long, fell in love hard with it. Had a chance to get another like my SR700 and passed on it. Did my first gig and almost every show after that, save for maybe half to a full dozen, on that J. It's the only one that doesn't live in it's case. I put every ding and sticker that it has on it honestly.
It has outlasted a custom shop G&L SB-1, multiple other J's, P Basses, and others over the years that were all bought and sold after getting the J. Try as I did to something better, I couldn't. Even 2 AVRI '62's (one of which I still have), and both my Ric's ('77 4001 and '05 4003) did not beat out my stock '11 Jazz. Unfortunately, I think it's not just about an instrument model, or a brand, or a particular spec. I think it's ultimately the individual instrument and you. That's not something that you can get looking at schematics of online, or (In my opinion) in a quick demo at a shop. Maybe for some, but for me it took a little time to warm up.
It has outlasted a custom shop G&L SB-1, multiple other J's, P Basses, and others over the years that were all bought and sold after getting the J. Try as I did to something better, I couldn't. Even 2 AVRI '62's (one of which I still have), and both my Ric's ('77 4001 and '05 4003) did not beat out my stock '11 Jazz. Unfortunately, I think it's not just about an instrument model, or a brand, or a particular spec. I think it's ultimately the individual instrument and you. That's not something that you can get looking at schematics of online, or (In my opinion) in a quick demo at a shop. Maybe for some, but for me it took a little time to warm up.
