Did anyone sell their first ever bass?

[Ric5]

I didn't sell my first bass. It was a Hofner copy. It got damaged in a car accident so I glued and screwed it back together and then smashed it on stage during a Grand Funk Railroad song.

Then I gave the pieces to the auidence.

Ahhh the 70s ...

 

[two fingers]

Yep. I'm pretty sure most of us did it. no regrets on mine. It was AWFUL. However, there are SEVERAL since then I would love to have back.

 

[mtb777]

Wish I hadn't sold either of my first 2 basses. After borrowing a late 60's Telecaster and a '72 P-Bass, I picked up a Gibson EB like JackBruce played and then after that a friend picked up a nicer long scale EB-3L, I bought a used mint '63 bound and blocked Jazz Bass after I realized I didn't care for the P-Bass. After I got that bass my buddy sold his EB-3L, he picked up a wide neck '62 CAR P with the matching headstock. I wish I had both of those. I went with 4 different Fretless P-Basses after that.

 

[CTC564]

I'd give almost anything to have my first TWO back...an 80 Rickenbacker 4001 in Jetglo and a 88 Spector NS-2

 

[Draculea]

I traded mine plus added some cash to get my second bass thirteen years ago (which I still keep, but can't play it due to the badly warped neck) It was a P style black Samick, with black guard, and pointy headstock (didn't like the latter, not even one bit even though I tried).

 

[Passinwind]

My first one was given to me, and I gave it away perfectly happily a couple of years later since it was utter junk.

My first nice one was a Gibson EB-O. Sold it a few years later and never looked back. Next one was the first I bought brand new, in 1977. Still have it, but selling it wouldn't break my heart really.

 

[Psychbunny]

My first bass was a new "Global" Japanese bass bought from Montgomery Wards in 1979. It was sunburst and had a bridge cover. In 1984 a roommate gave me an Aria that was Grabber/ripper shaped. In 1985 I gave the Global to my then bother in law who quickly became a better bassist than I was at the time. He had a gig at Notre Dame and I leant him my Aria for the gig. He smashed the Global on stage which I did not know about until he returned the Aria with a missing saddle. I told him that he was responsible for fixing the bridge. A few weeks later he told me that he replaced the bridge. I went to pick it up only to find out he replaced the bridge with the Global's fender style bent metal bridge. I complained about the bridge not being even close to the original and that is when he opened the case to the Global and showed me what used to be my first bass.

So, I did not sell my first or second bass but wish that I would have. For years I played a "Stinger" PJ imported by Martin. I went through a dean, a fender J and a Godin over the past two years and now have Two Gibson's a Flying V and an SG.

I guarantee that I would buy that crappy Global again if I saw one (I have seen one but it was labeled as an "Ideal" and even though I know it is the same bass I am only nostalgic for an exact copy.

 

[Vince Klortho]

Mine was an absolutely horrible, no-name bass I got in 1975. I had it for about a month until I realized its wretchedness and traded it in on a Hagstrom 8-string bass that I still have today.

 

[Scott in Dallas]

My bought-with-a-year-of-lunch-money Peavey Fury is hanging on the wall by me as I type this.

 

[Shardik]

My bass playing life is actually very much split in two. In my first bass playing life (my teens) I didn't really own a bass. I borrowed one. I never got really good, since I only rehearsed with the band and never at home. Since I didn't own it, I obviously haven't kept it.

Fast forward 2 decades to my current bass playing life, I bought my first bass used on the internet. It is a Cort Artisan C4 Limited edition (2004). I hadn't seen much use (studio bass), and I got it at less than half of new price. I looks good, has a great balance and I totally fell in love with the wenge neck and I think the electronics are quite versatile. I have upgraded from the pretty good Ritter gig bag that followed it to a SKB Soft Case for better protection. To this day it is my main bass, and given my limited budgets, I don't see myself getting a better bass soon (unless an Ibanez SR500 comes up for sale at a very reasonable price. )

 

[delta7fred]

I made my first bass in woodwork class in about 1967. It was a short scale boat anchor with an action you could drive a bus under but every time I see a thread like this I regret selling it.

Knowing what I know now I could make it into a half decent instrument but at the time neither the teacher or I knew anything about guitars and we made some fundamental mistakes on it.

 

[Josh Thatguy]

Mine was an elcheapo red&white P-bass copy that remided me of candy canes (and I HATE xmas) with action so high I would've gotten disabling tendonitis by now if I hadn't sold it. Painted it flat black and green with Peter Steele somewhere back on the East Coast during a Type O tour in the mid-90s and he signed the green pickguard in orange paint pen "Josh, thanks for painting my basses for me." I wore most of that off while playing it the next year, but sold it sometime around '98 and started buying "real" basses.
Now that Peter's dead, some goth chick would probably give me her firstborn plus the breastmilk for that pickguard.

 

[Munjibunga]

My first bass was a 1965 Fender Precision Bass. I bought it for $350 (including Bassman 50 amp and 212 cab) from the original owner in 1977. It was in new condition. I hated it. It got stolen, but if I still had it I'd sell it and buy a couple nice modern basses.

 

[MazingerZ]

Yep. Sold my washburn T12 to a friend who was trying to learn bass; I already had my main bass at the time. Alas, he did not have the patience to study bass and he gave it to his nephew who I understand also does not know until now how to play the bass.

 

[Stumbo]

Yeah, I sold my first bass. It was a crappy Asian 1950s-P knockoff that I bought for $200 bucks or so when I was 14 in 1971. Hanging next to it in the store at the time was a used Hofner violin bass that I could have bought for the same money. I chose poorly.

I think I bought that Hofner bass or one just like it. Short scale, thin neck, powerful pickups, dead flats, near mint condition. Played it for several years. Didn't like the neck dive. Didn't realize how powerful the pickups were until I sold it.

I sold it through a music store and the purchased a new Gibson EB3. Took it back a week later. Cost me $50 bucks. That was fine because I didn't care for the HB tone. I then found out my English professor was in a band and playing bass. While talking to him he offered me his barely used '64 Fender Jazz Bass (white/tort) for $150. I really enjoyed playing the Jazz through my Sunn 2000s and the Sunn 2x15 JBL D140 cab. Sold the bass years later when I took time off. Traded the Sunn for an Ampeg(don't know model #) with JBL D130's to use with a Fender Rhodes pianor.

Sure I wish I could have kept them but the sales/trades funded the next bass and other things. The trade for the Ampeg got me into a great Latin/R&B band and I used it along with a Hammond M3/Leslie.

The Hofner can be seen in my avatar. Here's kind of a washed out pic of the Jazz.

 

[oysteivi]

My first bass was an MIA Fender P, sunburst with maple fretboard. Never considered selling it.

Should probably buy a tort pickguard to complete the cliché.. ;-)

 

[vbchaos]

Yes
My first bass was a Squier jazzbass, 4 string. Sold it for a five-string Washburn because I wanted 5 Strings.

I still miss that little thing! My bass teacher back in the time played stupid-expensive Yamaha TRBs with piezo bridge pickups but was a huge fan of the squier!!

I must have one, again!! Luckily, Squier has a new 5String J and P series!!

 

[jelwood]

Get this. My first bass I bought at the local guitar shop. Stupid Affinity series p bass. It came with a pretty beat up hard case that was meant for a jazz. My cat actually barfed in that case once. As I was walking out of the store the handle to the case broke, as in tore. The owner told me tough luck but the guy who actually sold me the bass got me a nice new leather handle-in hopes that I would be a returning customer (I never suspected in coming years I would buy a ric and ray from them). I knew nothing about basses or instrument care, so I cleaned the fretboard with Spic n Spam - Cinch or whatever that stuff is (might have used simple green). Laughable. The fretboard was totally dried out. There was a buzz on the first fret of the E that you couldn't get rid of unless the action was hand cramping high. Pickguard was all cracked, screws rusty etc. Piece of firewood. I sold it to some professor at the local university. They were in an EE lab and they were going to use an o-scope on it, I think. Shoulda seen those nerds get all excited when I showed up with their new toy.

 

[Kmonk]

My first bass was a Washburn B20 which I purchased new in 1979. I quickly realized that I didn't like it and traded it toward a 1974 Precision which at that time was selling for $245.

 

[GG7]

Did anyone have this experience? I mean, better a music store where they care for used instruments than some crappy pawn shop..

Of course I sold my first bass! And nearly a dozen other vintage guitars that I still kick myself over to this day! I never had a problem buying from Pawn Shops. Bought my 68 Les Paul Gold Top from a pawn shop for $500.00 back in 1981.

My first ever bass was a 1961 Gibson SG Short Scale in Cherry Mahogany aka EB0. Bought it and the matching Les Paul Jr. from the original owner.

I haven't been able to locate any of the photos I took of the bass, but I did find this photo of the Les Paul Jr. that basically looks identical to what the bass looked like.

Here is a photo of the Gold Top taken in 1981, a few days after I brought it home from the Pawn Shop.