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first bass to give you GAS?

There was a white Ric at the old GC in Santa Ana, Ca and a white/cream SR4 in a shop in Ojai, Ca back in the mid '80's that were way out of reach economically at the time, but WOW, those were the knee's bees. I stepped through about 15 basses through the years before I finally got my first SR4 and just recently got my first Ric. That is why I went CRAZY when I saw that the '05 LE MM was in buttercream. I was on the phone to BNW immediately.
 
Waking a zombie because the holidays reminded me of my first case of GAS:

It was the early/mid 80s. I was a baby DB player, 11 or 12, who'd just found out about the BG and assumed (in error) that having one would impress girls. Opened up either the Sears or JC Penney holiday catalog, and there it was: the Cort B2 headless. Black. Sleek. Futuristic. Pure 80s. I had to have it.

Of course, my parents didn't get the memo, and I ended up with a used jazz bass copy, natural finish, blocked board, pure 70s. I'm sure that's why the girls weren't impressed. :laugh:

I'm not actively searching for one, but if I ever stumble on a black B2 in a pawn shop, you'd better believe it's coming home with me.
 
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Thanks to @JTNuney for reviving this thread I never new existed!

Back in 2011, I had just turned forty and, as a birthday gift to myself, I finally gave in to my years-long urge to try my hand at bass guitar. After some research, I found one that didn't cost a fortune AND looked cool as all get-out; a Squier Standard Precision Bass Special!

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Unfortunately, this model and finish had been discontinued around 2008 or 2009, so finding it was practically impossible. So, after stumbling across a great deal on a similar, but even cooler, Fender Aerodyne. Despite the cracks and chips, I took the plunge. Fortunately, the "mojo" was purely cosmetic. One pro-setup and new strings later and I was off to the races!

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But, GAS being what it is, I still hungered for that P-Bass Special. To make a long story short, I found what I was looking for after six months of diligent scouring of the Internet…then went even further to assemble "The Three Amigos"!

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Sadly, that "band" has since broken up, but I still have fond memories of that trio…as well as the VW Jetta that, in a stroke of pure coincidence, had the same finish! (I miss those instruments, but damn, I miss that VW Jetta TDI even more! :banghead:)
 
Of course i remember my first G.a.s. attack in early 2003, a 12 y.o. myself walk on the street and look that nice gray finish and modern design in a music store, the yamaha RBX775A, my first G.A.S. attack:
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20 years later bought that same bass But life changes and that bass didn't suit my actual needs, so I sold it this year but i heal that g.a.s. attack from my teenager years
 
beat up ric 4001 in steves music montreal, circa 2000 or so. i was on love. my dad convinced me out of it and to get a new fender. i followed his advice and tried to get the one oerfect vass on paper. and on oaper it provably was. but i sold that stu hamm urge 2 bass, got a 4003, never looked back. but man i should have got that old mapleglo!
 
My bass teacher's '69-'70 Fireglo 4001. He sold it to me for $275 in 1972. Checkered binding, crushed glass slash inlays, shiny bubinga fretboard, Ric-o-sound output, and a non-horseshoe pickup. After owning it for a while I realized I only like how it looked. Sold it for $325 to a guy who claimed he gathered 4001's to take to England to resell at a nice profit. The only rock bass as hot as a Ric 4001 was a reverse T-bird in those days. I've never had a more twitchy, unresponsive bass. Of course, using Roto Swing bass strings on it probably didn't help matters. :woot:
 
My very first GAS reaction was seeing this ad in a magazine. I then saw one for sale at a nearby guitar store high up on the wall but in the blue finish. I went absolutely into crazy obsession mode for weeks and weeks. Unfortunately the price tag was the reality check smacked across my face when I asked the employee what it cost and if I could try it out. Needless to say, I never got the chance to own one and the shop would not let me try it out unless I was serious about purchasing it. :crying:

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I got a Yamaha catalog in the early 80's that had this in the pages . . .

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BB2000's. Somebody spoke and I went into a dream . . . . The imprint was so strong over the intervening years I owned a BB400, 2-1200's, a 2000, a 3000, and all three versions of the 5000. CHRONIC gas. It was worth it, they were all wonderful in their day.
At the same time, I'd already seen this in an Alembic catalog:
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The classic Alembic Series One Point. This was just an impossibility, this was so far past anything I had any experience with, it may as well have been the Starship Enterprise. This image was burned in somewhere in memory. I never saw one in person, never played one until the used Spoiler Five I bought that was a rare Spoiler in this shape with the Omega Cutout. It was worth the wait, some 20 years later.