My first bass, an MIM Fender Precision, was great.
My playing, however, was terrible.
I was a punk and didn't care.
My playing, however, was terrible.
I was a punk and didn't care.
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How bad (or good) was your first bass?
- Thread starter CochinoBass
- Start date
So many great stories! 
On several levels, I really lucked out with my first bass...a CIJ Export Edition Fender Aerodyne!
When I was pushing forty, I decided to give learning bass a shot. Unfortunately, the relatively inexpensive Squier model I was searching for had been discontinued and could not be found. But, thanks to the dark magics of The Internet, I stumbled upon this used Aerodyne on the website for a chain of Deep South pawn shops.
First stroke of luck...it was only $376 shipped!
Second stroke...a guy at the local, mom & pop chain took it in for a professional setup AND started me off with .100-gauge D'Addario Chromes, which were very kind to my beginner's fingers.
Third stroke...any anxiety I had over my purchase was quickly soothed away while I was hunting for accessories at two, nearby music stores. Both times I entered with my 'Dyne in hand, an employee stopped in their tracks and exclaimed something like, "Is that an Aerodyne?! Sweet!"
One pro-setup, new strings and a dose of polish/fretboard oil, my dusty, fingerprint-encrusted Aerodyne was ready to usher me into a new chapter of my life...and looking pretty damn cool while doing it.
(For the record, it's the 'Dyne that looks cool. Me? I'm a bit of a mess!
)
On several levels, I really lucked out with my first bass...a CIJ Export Edition Fender Aerodyne!
When I was pushing forty, I decided to give learning bass a shot. Unfortunately, the relatively inexpensive Squier model I was searching for had been discontinued and could not be found. But, thanks to the dark magics of The Internet, I stumbled upon this used Aerodyne on the website for a chain of Deep South pawn shops.
First stroke of luck...it was only $376 shipped!
Second stroke...a guy at the local, mom & pop chain took it in for a professional setup AND started me off with .100-gauge D'Addario Chromes, which were very kind to my beginner's fingers.
Third stroke...any anxiety I had over my purchase was quickly soothed away while I was hunting for accessories at two, nearby music stores. Both times I entered with my 'Dyne in hand, an employee stopped in their tracks and exclaimed something like, "Is that an Aerodyne?! Sweet!"
One pro-setup, new strings and a dose of polish/fretboard oil, my dusty, fingerprint-encrusted Aerodyne was ready to usher me into a new chapter of my life...and looking pretty damn cool while doing it.
(For the record, it's the 'Dyne that looks cool. Me? I'm a bit of a mess!
)
On the one hand I understand the sentiment, but on the other hand, if you are in a position to aquire a Ric I think you should do so. There are no skill-based rites of passage and it sounds like you have an affinity with the Ric, so...
I started at 11 on a Hofner from church.
At 13 I bought one of these:
Then at 16 I bought this:
I turned the Cardinal into a fretless.
At 13 I bought one of these:
Then at 16 I bought this:
I turned the Cardinal into a fretless.
I don't think I properly used my first bass enough to pass judgement on it's overall usability. While the jazz bass copy I bought afterwards was a step down in quality it was a step in the right direction going long scale.
For the sake of this thread my first bass was a Hofner HCT-500/2-BK. No pictures unfortunately as the only shot I took of it along with my Fender Bassman 115 combo was likely deleted long ago by the acquaintance I sent it to via text.
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For the sake of this thread my first bass was a Hofner HCT-500/2-BK. No pictures unfortunately as the only shot I took of it along with my Fender Bassman 115 combo was likely deleted long ago by the acquaintance I sent it to via text.
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Satellite Jazz Bass from 1980-something. I was 12 years old, it was not new but probably played once and then went under a bed until my dad parted with $20 for it. It was cosmetically flawless, but had an action you could drive a truck under, had horrible tapewounds, a plywood body, and the neck had more relief than a major Red Cross operation.
My dad fixed the set up for me, and I played that thing for a long time. Yeah, it was horrible, but it was mine and I loved it and honestly I wish I still had it.
My dad fixed the set up for me, and I played that thing for a long time. Yeah, it was horrible, but it was mine and I loved it and honestly I wish I still had it.
I started with a Chinese Ibanez "Poverty Special" GSR100EX.
Low cost, 4 string, lightweight, volume, tone, single MM style pick up and a 2 piece neck (cut at 45° just below the headstock)... including strap and gig bag for under $450 AU...rock on!!!
I knew nothing about bass guitar, tone, how to play etc etc but everybody said it sounded great. It was easy to play, to wear and lasted me several years until I sold it for $100 to a single mum for her sons Christmas present.
Would I have one again?
I don't need any more basses but I'd like to have one simply to modify and mess about with.
Low cost, 4 string, lightweight, volume, tone, single MM style pick up and a 2 piece neck (cut at 45° just below the headstock)... including strap and gig bag for under $450 AU...rock on!!!
I knew nothing about bass guitar, tone, how to play etc etc but everybody said it sounded great. It was easy to play, to wear and lasted me several years until I sold it for $100 to a single mum for her sons Christmas present.
Would I have one again?
I don't need any more basses but I'd like to have one simply to modify and mess about with.
I've not read all replies, or done any actual counting, but the number of folks talking about their first bass being a Jazz copy is, empirically at least, jumping from the page. So much for the ubiquity of the Precision.
My first was a borrowed Vantage with a single P pickup. The first bass I bought was a new 99 Ibanez SR200 or 250. Both were actually pretty good basses.
So everyone starts on a Jazz and 50% subsequently shift over to a P once they've worked out what they like, right?
My first bass was a TRBX. I quickly learnt I didn't want its active EQ or humbuckers or the sound of two distant pickups blended together. All the choice of the TRBX proves is that when I was shopping I didn't have a clue.
I actually prefer the splatter looking one, with the extra wall hook holder hole.
I have no recollection of what happened to the electronics. The bridge pickup was already gone when I got it I remember that it sounded pretty good and I have read that this Goya GX-23 came with Dimarzio pickups, so maybe I sold them? I wish I could remember more about how I got it and what I did after I got something better.
So many great stories, I'm glad I asked this question.
My first bass was a Gibson Grabber, in natural. It was better than a starter instrument by a mile, but I'm not nostalgic about it.
I got my first bass for my 16th birthday. It was a brand called Regal from the Sears catalogue. I'd never played a bass before, I'd been borrowing a friends guitar just to learn some basics. So I didn't know how it was supposed to feel or play. It was a black P copy with a white pickguard. After getting my 2nd bass, a Squier HM, I realized how bad it was. The neck was huge. It was like a baseball bat. The volume from the pickup was low and kind of thin sounding. I ended up selling it to a friend for $50, and I feel like he overpaid.
