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First Impressions

#2
My first bass was a Japanese bass, circa late '60's early '70's, that was vaguely like a Jazz bass. I used to jam to MTV with it back in '81 - '82. I had that for a while. I really identified with it big time. When I put my first set of new strings on it, it blew me a way that it could sound vaguely snappy and bright like Geddy Lee, Adam Clayton or John Taylor. I learned a lot on there. But the first quality bass I had was an amazing Yamaha BB300, black, that I got for Xmas when I was 16. It was a revelation. It felt so pure, so effective.

Right now, the most versatile go-to bass I have is a P-Bass custom shop Pino Palladino in Oly white...heavily relic'ed at first back in 2005 when I ordered it, now far more so. The only instrument to spend two years each touring with Beck and NIN. It's awesome.

Best,
JMJ
 
#3
Wow! My first bass was a Peavey Fury, white with a black PG that my parents got me for Christmas with...a guitar practice amp when I was 12. I remember really liking the neck quite a bit. My first 'higher' level bass was likewise a Yamaha BB300. It was a sort of metallic red. I loved the sound of that bass! My go to bass for nearly a decade was a Warwick Corvette. Bubinga, ovankgol and wenge with a passive mec j-bass configuration. I had a set of nylon-coated black fender tapewounds on it that sounded amazing.

Thanks for the response JmJ!

Best,

Ben
 
#4
It's a little hard to say which was my first bass, since I came it from being a guitarist. My best friend and I wanted to start a band (we knew guitar), so I learned bass and drums and taught my brother bass (and his brother drums). That bass was a MIJ Jazz Bass knockoff - can't even remember the name. Purchase from the venerable Sam Goody back when they sold instruments.

My own first was a Fender Stu Hamm "Urge" model - I picked it up in the mid 90's because it was small and I thought as a guitarist it would be perfect (and after my brother's hand-me-down ginormous Guild B-301 I wanted something small) (I was not a Stu Hamm fan or anything). It was great and I only recently sold it. Wonderful neck, very full (active) sound.

I barely have one bass now (see all my posts about the '73 P bass here and elsewhere on the board) so I guess I'd have to say that's the most versatile! I play whatever I want on it and it sounds great!
 
#5
My first bass was an Aria SG copy. It was awful -- super high action, bad intonation, and a dull sound. My first real bass was an Ibanez Roadstar (p-bass style, although I later added a J bridge pickup) that I got as an early birthday present when I was 15 . I still have it, but don't play it often. For some reason, it's REALLY bassy, so it's hard to make sound good. At the time, it was the bees knees, and many a Police, Level 42, and Tears for Fears song were played on it.

I had three more uninspiring basses (well, at the time I liked them, but in retrospect, they were pretty awful) until getting an American standard Jazz bass about ten years ago. It's kind of odd that I had been playing bass since 1984, but didn't have a good bass that I really connected with until 2001. But it was worth the wait. That's a fantastic bass, and although it, along with my fretless jazz and my p-bass get equal playing time around the house and on recordings, the Jazz is what I play on most gigs.
 
#6
My first bass was a P rip-off by a company called Regal. I put stickers all over it and a girl wrote her phone number. A few years later when I upgraded I defretted the bass. It turned out the best it could for a quick DYI job as a teen. My friends dug it so much they asked me to defret their firsts. One time I even spilled polyutherane in a friend's garage doing one!

The first I connected with was my Zon Sonus 5 strung up tenor. I was 17 and worked all summer to save for it before going off to school. I got really into voicings and all kinds of modern playing. Later I finally got a grip on pocket. Backwards learning, sigh. It's the only 5r that gets a lot of play.

My most versatile bass right now is a 97 american P olympic white with a mint green guard strung up with TIs named Vera Jean. I have a Hofner 58 RI which inspires me a lot too.
 
#7
first bass: 1964 framus stratostar. didn't appreciate it at the time but i wish i still had it.

first bass i connected with: still waiting ;) my first good bass was a 76 precision, but over the years i modded it a lot because i was never quite happy with it. i just recently got a new neck for it because i trashed the old one over the years, but i'm still not entirely connecting with it. maybe i should give up on it ;)

current go-to bass: believe it or not, it's a p lyte with duncan quarter pounders. like i said, i'm trying to make my modded 76 precision my go-to bass again, but the truth is i enjoy playing the p lyte more...maybe because it's a lot lighter and has a really thin and fast neck.
 
#11
My first bass was a beat up, third-hand piece of junk, (heck it might be a collector's item for all I know) but it was the only one I could lay my hands on as I grew up in the boonies well before the advent of the internet - I was 15 and really had no idea what a "good" bass was. I played a friend's Washburn and then a used Yamaha for a while after that.

My first real bass was an Ibanez 727 that I bought back in '89 or so and I liked it so much that I bought a second one a year later and customized it...sadly, both are gone now as I don't play 4 strings anymore.

My go to bass is a Skjold PSD '92 Offset 5 string. Incredibly versatile, playable and it is beautiful to the eye and ear. It is so impressive, that Pete is currently building a custom bass for me.
I also love my USA Cirrus 5-ers...a very different feel from the Skjold, but they sound great and are fantastic players.
 
#12
My first was a Montgomery Wards bass, that I'm certain was quite horrible, but I didn't care!
Next bass, also my first good bass was a '75 Ric 4001, black.
Wish I still had it.
These days the go-to revolves between my US Glaub with SD custom-shop PUs, JJ Longhorn, or Geddy(with DiMarzio Model Js). Frankly if I had to pick just one of those I'd be hard pressed!
 
#14
OK, I'll go. My first bass was a late '60s Vox Cougar hollowbody, bought in 1982 for $175 (I believe) at Music Arts Enterprises on Davie Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale. (They're still on that street, about a mile away.) It was the summer after my freshman year at UF (University of Florida) and my best friend, who also went there, had gotten an Ibanez guitar a couple months before. Honestly, I bought it because it looked cool, the price was right and there were very few places to shop for basses at the time. We set out to learn some Ramones and early Clash.

I still have that bass, but the neck resembles a ski jump now.:atoz: It's going to hang on the wall in our second bedroom when my girlfriend and I get a place this fall.

I really connected at the time with my second bass, an Ibanez P copy (couldn't afford a Fender) bought new in 1985. I loved the sustain of the solid body, the tone (though it sounds muddy now compared to my Fender P, and it's much heavier) and the feel of the neck. Played the hell out of that for 4 years before taking a long break from playing. I still have it, but it's in retirement.

Now, it's a toss-up between my US Lakland Glaub w/Dark Star (light, resonant, incredible neck that was originally made for Adam Clayton) and the 1983 Fender '57 reissue (also light and resonant, though the 1.75" neck feels a little wide) I bought after joining TB when i started playing again.
 
#15
Hi,
I would like to know your opinion about a preamp(Analogic), affordable, good and portable.
It is to use through the amps that don't give me the sound I desire, however, is important to keep the original sound, I mean, a litlle more fat or middle range is ok, but it is still my bass. I had one that changed completly, it seemed another bass.

Thanks.
 
#17
I love the fact that the majority of the first basses listed here are low end and/or Japanese and/or some little-known brand. I really do think that (like with most things) you're going to better at something if you have to work for it; and starting out on some of the basses listed here (like my crappy SG copy) sure make you work for it. And, of course, when you do finally get a decent bass, you appreciate it more.
 
#18
My first was a jack cassidy type semi-hollow body Baldwin with about 5 frets missing in random spots. I had never played anything before, thus having nothing to compare it to I thought the missing frets were normal. I was walking home with it strapped to my back one day from a friends house, only about 3 blocks away, and some car full of dudes yelled "Hey, play me a song country boy!" I told my folks about it and they still make fun of me about it.
 
#20
jonathanhughes said:
I love the fact that the majority of the first basses listed here are low end and/or Japanese and/or some little-known brand. I really do think that (like with most things) you're going to better at something if you have to work for it; and starting out on some of the basses listed here (like my crappy SG copy) sure make you work for it. And, of course, when you do finally get a decent bass, you appreciate it more.
Click to expand...

And then there's the irony of now, after many excellent axes from vintage to boutique, I appreciate crappy budget and pawn-shop ones more than ever!
(but that's just from a recording aspect--looking for "quirks". Live, give me a solid "serious" bass every time:)
 

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