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Ever return to your first flame? I have.
- Thread starter buldog5151bass
- Start date
My first flame was a Kay KB-2 purchased by my dad for my mom in '72. My ex-wife gave it to a pill-head for helping her move, who then took it around trying to pawn it for $10. I turned on the heat with the aid of the police and succeeded only in forcing the disappearance of the bass. (I'm sure it's long since burned by now.) The bass played like crap and would have served a better purpose as a boat oar than a bass. The action was horrid, the controls were sketchy, the bridge was garbage and it sounded like crap. But I loved her for sentimental reasons and because she was my first.
After several years of attempting to relocate said bass, I decided to buy one like it. Last year I purchased a 1968 KB-2 on Reverb. She sat alone and stock for quite some time. I then decided around a month ago that, since she wasn't my mom's first bass, I didn't need to bother with keeping her all original. I put a Badass II on her, shimmed the neck, lined the control cavity and pickguard with copper foil and wired all new pots, caps and switches. I left the original pickups. She is now my favorite player. I fell in love all over again.
After several years of attempting to relocate said bass, I decided to buy one like it. Last year I purchased a 1968 KB-2 on Reverb. She sat alone and stock for quite some time. I then decided around a month ago that, since she wasn't my mom's first bass, I didn't need to bother with keeping her all original. I put a Badass II on her, shimmed the neck, lined the control cavity and pickguard with copper foil and wired all new pots, caps and switches. I left the original pickups. She is now my favorite player. I fell in love all over again.
Not my first flame but one of the best "players" I've ever encountered. It's a heavy 24 fret early 80's issue Ibanez Roadstar which I sold to a diminutive jr. high girl after I had bought a nice G&L L2000. She took it seriously and took lessons and such but alas the bass proved to be too much for her size and weight-wise. I was quite happy to get it back and she accepted a trade deal for a nice 35mm camera. Way back when film was still used.
I've still got it but needs electronics work and a new tuning key. Slaps and fingers SO EASY.
I've still got it but needs electronics work and a new tuning key. Slaps and fingers SO EASY.
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I actually bought my first 3 basses for a second time. Not the originals, but the same ones. Trust me, my first ones were not an easy find. A 1975 Aria A-200, a 1982 Peavey T-20FL and a 1978 Washburn SB-40.. However, by my 4th bass I got it right. Bought my 1982 Hondo 1181 Longhorn brand new in 1982. Still have it.
Funny I spoke about it on a different post today
long gone 60's Norma brand bass MIJ
like this one
long gone 60's Norma brand bass MIJ
like this one
Oh, hell yes!!
Me with my Sekova Vulcan in the Summer of 65:
You can't see my 1965 B-15N, but it's there.
Sold the Vulcan in 71 and bought a 1970 Gibson EBO. Sold the Gibson and B-15N around 1979 (I had stopped playing).
Started playing (as a hobby) around 12 years ago and have purchased my basses & amps. Picked up a B-200R about 3 years ago for a great price. Finally got my Vulcan (not the original, but identical in every way) about 9 months ago:
A month or two ago I was revisiting a tune my old band played (Pride of Man, Quicksilver Messenger Service), and I tried it with each one of my basses. I couldn't believe that the Vulcan sounded the best! Probably because it was the tone I heard all those years ago. Nonetheless, it's got great tone. Now, if I could do something about the neck dive.
Me with my Sekova Vulcan in the Summer of 65:
You can't see my 1965 B-15N, but it's there.
Sold the Vulcan in 71 and bought a 1970 Gibson EBO. Sold the Gibson and B-15N around 1979 (I had stopped playing).
Started playing (as a hobby) around 12 years ago and have purchased my basses & amps. Picked up a B-200R about 3 years ago for a great price. Finally got my Vulcan (not the original, but identical in every way) about 9 months ago:
A month or two ago I was revisiting a tune my old band played (Pride of Man, Quicksilver Messenger Service), and I tried it with each one of my basses. I couldn't believe that the Vulcan sounded the best! Probably because it was the tone I heard all those years ago. Nonetheless, it's got great tone. Now, if I could do something about the neck dive.
A Hondo was my first flame. P-style Lefty All-Star, black w/black pickguard and a maple fretboard. At the time no one informed me that you could adjust the action. You could have driven a truck between the strings and neck. I'd actually like to stumble across it again some day.
The first bass I bought was a 1973 Aria Beatle Bass. I sold it a couple of years later. I just purchased an Apollo Beatle Bass in the same finish with a scroll headstock here on TB. Although not exactly the same, it will be so close, I won't be able to tell the difference.
I did, sort of, by recently buying a 3TSB American Std. P w/ a maple neck/FB. My first really desirable bass was a '72 w/ a one-piece maple neck. I got that one when I was 15 (used, for $200). I hope it still survives somewhere. It was pretty nifty.
I played an EBMM Sterling for 20 years. It is currently for sale in TB classifieds and also listed elsewhere. It hasn't sold yet but I do enjoy playing it at home every once in a while. I have a nice precision that gets most of the play time these days and for about 18 months I was only playing my Rick but it is good to play the bass you grew up with every so often. Obviously I haven't returned to it full time but it is a good bass. I will miss her.
My first bass was a Kramer Striker. pretty much garbage. Got dismantled after I sold it to the neighbor kid.
Second bass was a Cort Curbow. Not bad, but nothing I'd want to go back to.
My third bass, however, was an early Lakland Skyline JO. Her, I'd love to have back.
Second bass was a Cort Curbow. Not bad, but nothing I'd want to go back to.
My third bass, however, was an early Lakland Skyline JO. Her, I'd love to have back.
My 1st Series A (fender copy with a pointy headstock), heavily modded and currently unplayable and rusty is still lying somewhere in my basement. It needs new tuners, bridge, pick-ups, and a paint job since my mom tried mod podge on it a decade ago.
I did not like my first bass at all. It was a cheap J copy with rosewood fingerboard, black body and tort guard.
I was 14 and this was the only bass that was sold in my reach, so it was this one or nothing.
It played ok, and once i switched the bridge PU to a Seymore Duncan, it sounded well enough for what i was doing with it. I had it for two years until i had enough money to buy a real bass. I wanted a Carvin. After spending a lot of time and thought on what i wanted them to build me, i went into their store and instantly fell for a bass that was sitting on top of a stack of cabs, in the corner of the room, right under the ceiling, commanding the entire shop.
I talked to the guys and it turned out that bass arrived that very morning and was just unboxed, but not yet set up.
I made them set it up right now, played it, plugged it into an amp and played more. My eyes, hands and ears were convinced.
I left the store with that bass. Nice catch, since i was expecting a 8-10 weeks waiting period.
Also, since it arrived with a minor finish flaw and a small ding, i haggled them down to a very attractive price.
This bass has been my main instrument and fended off any kind of GAS for 17 years. Then it hit me hard and i bought some stuff in rapid succession. Another Bass, heads, cabs, pedals, more pedals, another bass, more pedals, another cab, more pedals, another bass.
The Carvin was in bad shape by then, sitting in the corner, unreliable, unused and unregarded. The dirty old one amongst all the shiny new toys. That had to change.
I replaced the broken battery compartment, cleaned the pots, took off the strings and gave it a proper cleaning. The battery compartment was held in place by duct tape for years, the strips replaced when they would not hold it any more. The rear was a mess. The fingerboard was more covered in, well i expect that has to be mostly me, in form of fingerboard grime, than actual wood showing. And it was thirsty - the rosewood took nearly as much oil as the wenge board of my other bass does. A fresh 1/4" jack and a set of elixirs and i was impressed with how good and how new the bass looked. And felt. And sounded. It is the bass i spent the most time with, by far, and it's always a great feeling to take it up and see how the muscle memory works. All my other basses have much wider stringspacing. One's a six string and the other has fanned frets. But no matter what i played, i can pick up the Carvin and feel like home. This is the one bass i cannot sell, trade or give away. And for the last couple of weeks, it is the only bass i played with, i'm hugely enjoying this one right now and can say that it is my favorite bass for the moment.
I was 14 and this was the only bass that was sold in my reach, so it was this one or nothing.
It played ok, and once i switched the bridge PU to a Seymore Duncan, it sounded well enough for what i was doing with it. I had it for two years until i had enough money to buy a real bass. I wanted a Carvin. After spending a lot of time and thought on what i wanted them to build me, i went into their store and instantly fell for a bass that was sitting on top of a stack of cabs, in the corner of the room, right under the ceiling, commanding the entire shop.
I talked to the guys and it turned out that bass arrived that very morning and was just unboxed, but not yet set up.
I made them set it up right now, played it, plugged it into an amp and played more. My eyes, hands and ears were convinced.
I left the store with that bass. Nice catch, since i was expecting a 8-10 weeks waiting period.
Also, since it arrived with a minor finish flaw and a small ding, i haggled them down to a very attractive price.
This bass has been my main instrument and fended off any kind of GAS for 17 years. Then it hit me hard and i bought some stuff in rapid succession. Another Bass, heads, cabs, pedals, more pedals, another bass, more pedals, another cab, more pedals, another bass.
The Carvin was in bad shape by then, sitting in the corner, unreliable, unused and unregarded. The dirty old one amongst all the shiny new toys. That had to change.
I replaced the broken battery compartment, cleaned the pots, took off the strings and gave it a proper cleaning. The battery compartment was held in place by duct tape for years, the strips replaced when they would not hold it any more. The rear was a mess. The fingerboard was more covered in, well i expect that has to be mostly me, in form of fingerboard grime, than actual wood showing. And it was thirsty - the rosewood took nearly as much oil as the wenge board of my other bass does. A fresh 1/4" jack and a set of elixirs and i was impressed with how good and how new the bass looked. And felt. And sounded. It is the bass i spent the most time with, by far, and it's always a great feeling to take it up and see how the muscle memory works. All my other basses have much wider stringspacing. One's a six string and the other has fanned frets. But no matter what i played, i can pick up the Carvin and feel like home. This is the one bass i cannot sell, trade or give away. And for the last couple of weeks, it is the only bass i played with, i'm hugely enjoying this one right now and can say that it is my favorite bass for the moment.
I picked up the Lull tonight. She's light, and feels good, but is not the same. Next 4 hour gig will probably use it because of the weight.
