How did you end up with your current workhorse?

[songwriter21]

I needed a second bass for multiple bands, and/or as a backup to my US Cirrus bolt-on. I wanted nothing less than an American or Japanese-made bass, quartersawn or multi-piece neck, 21-24 frets, and not a stupid amount of money. That criteria had me land a Yamaha BBP35. It's an amazing instrument for the money, and on par with boutiques, imo.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

My first bass was a lawsuit copy of a Rickenbacher in firemist, made by Ibanez. It was a find playing bass and I liked it but I always thought it was a monster in size. I played it through college in the late 80's and once I was out and working I sold it to a friend and got an Ibanez with active pups. That was more comfortable but I still thought it felt too big overall.

Keep in mind this was the mid 90's and internet access and home computers weren't universal like now. I lucked into my Fender Musicmaster completely by accident. Some friends of ours bought an old hobby farm and the Musicmaster was found in the barn, in a loft, in the old chipboard case. It was pretty much exposed to the elements so lucky that even that crap case was there. They gave it to me for free. I was blown away, a short scale? What the heck is that?

So I stuck a bunch of time in new pots, shined up the chrome and stripped off the peeling paint. I think it was originally black, but it was faded and coming off in big flakes. It was repainted in a blue color. I replaced the pickguard in white and had a great bass. It has since been airbrushed by my son when he was in high school, it's in my avatar. It's been my primary bass since I got it up and running. Never looking back to a long scale, at 5'6" tall this is the perfect size for me. I've since added a Squier MM and Squier Bronco to complete my stable.

 

[GIBrat51]

I learned to play bass in 1969 - on a '68 Rick 4001, like this one - but left handed. In the Air Force, in the early '70s, I was the sound guy/roadie/substitute bass player in a GI band in Panama. But, I didn't have a bass; I played the regular bassist's right handed one. Which was not easy, either... After that, Fate and the nature of my job/assignments left me no time for basses or bands. Until 1989, when I bought my first bass - a friend's '78 P-Bass. But, still no time/opportunity for bands. I retired in '92 (just from the Air Force; ex-enlisted people still have to work to eat), but my new job's erratic hours left no time for bands. So, I just contented myself with being a bedroom player - and I still am. Around 1998, I made a list of basses I wanted, and - a Rick was on top of that list. I'd loved my friend's 4001 from the moment I picked it up... But, Rick stopped making lefties in '96; they were very scarce, and it was a brutal seller's market. But, when this one
came along? I winced a little; sucked it up, and bought it. Came to me apparently unplayed, too. But, it turns out that '01 COY (Desert Gold) Ricks are pretty scarce; Desert Gold 4003's are very scarce; and, lefty Desert Gold 4003s (or, for that matter, a lefty Desert Gold anything)? There's a good chance this is the only one. And, an unplayed, one-of-a-kind bass wasn't really what I wanted. I do play it, but... not a lot; and I'm very careful with it when I do. But, I didn't want a Closet Queen; I wanted one to play... Luckily for me, a few months later,
this '73 4001 came along. It was still a seller's market, and lefty 4001's are scarce, even at the best of times. You don't want to know how much it cost me; I'll just say - more than my used Alembic did, and leave it at that... It's a beat up, road worn old thing, that's had the snot played out of it. Chicago Music Exchange said that it had been converted to a righty and back - Twice - before I got it. But, with new strings; a new brass nut (hey, '70s Rick's gotta have a brass nut); and a set up? Ooohhh, does it play and sound nice. Fit's me like a glove, too. THIS is the bass (out of 23) that lives next to my rig... nothing (except the 4003 - maybe) comes close to my 4001.

 

[Dave Campbell]

My Jazz mutt is my current workhorse.
2005 Am Std neck, which I had used on another bass many years ago, I think I bought that neck here on TB - so long ago it's hard to remember now.
Quarter Pounder pickups, Sandberg bridge, Gibson reflector knobs, and a new Squier Ocean Blue metallic body. This is how insane I am... I bought the Squier Affinity jazz just for the body, still have the neck and electronics, I specifically wanted that color. And it's beautiful in person.
I had the bass professionally assembled and set up, and it plays like a dream. Nice low action. I might swap out the pickups, though, with a pair of Aeros I just acquired.

 

[rtslinger]

I was telling my wife how I came to be a massive StingRay fanboy and player and thought it might be cool to see from you all how you ended up playing your current "workhorse" or favorite bass?

Not that any of you asked, but here's how I ended up playing 'Rays.

I was 17 and and bought a POS Samick bass at a pawn shop (I don't remember if it was a P or J style). It sort of worked for about 6 months. In that time I picked up some bass instruction books and worked through them, and joining my high school's jazz band.

In the jazz band, the intonation and staying in tune problems of my Samick proved to be too much, even after a setup, so the conductor had me use the school's MIM Fender Jazz bass.

My Samick was relegated to a corner of my room, never to leave the cheap gig bag I had it in again.

I was allowed to take the MIM J bass home over the summer between junior and senior year so I could build up my chops. I also started to jam with some friends and learn how the bass functioned in the mix with a band--in jazz band, I was just playing the notes; there was no feeling in my playing.

During that summer, I found out Les Claypool used Carl Thompson basses for hiw work with Primus. I loved his sound with Primus and desperately wanted a CT of my own (I had no idea how to get one, hell, I thought I could go to Guitar Center and grab one off the shelf. That's how naive I was at the time) so I could sound just like Claypool.

Turns out, GC doesn't stock CT basses (again, I was jsut starting and had no idea what I was doing), but they did have a bass that looked similar to a CT, or at least close enough that I fell in love with it on sight--the Rickenbacker 4003.

So I got a jetglo Ric and played with my band friends. About a week later, the neck became horribly bowed, and I had no idea why or how it happened. I took it in for a trussrod fix, but even that couldn't save it. GC gave me a refund for the bass and I was back looking for a bass that would be a step up from my MIM Jazz bass.

I found a Warwick Corvette and went with it. Except it was fretless, and since I had some experience with an upright bass, I thought I could handle it.

Nope.

I had bitten off more than I could chew, so I took the Warwick back within the return window. I had missed the refund window, which was fine since I was going to get another bass, and the sales person I ran into asked me about the basses I had played thus far. I retold the previous story to him and he pointed me in the direction of an obnoxious orange bass. He said this guy named Flea used a bass like this, and that maybe this might be a good route to take. And, if I didn't like it, I could always return it and try to find another one.

So I tried out that orange bass with an SVT head.

I was in love. That sound...I can still hear it more than 20 years later.

That bass followed me home. It was a StingRay and I was hooked.

I ended up selling that bass when I went into the USMC 4 years later.

Two years into my USMC enlistment, while deployed to Iraq, I decided to order a StingRay 5. At the time (2005) nu-metal was a thing and I was into it, and thought the extended range would be a benefit more than anything else, so I pulled the trigger.

Turns out Musician's Friend ships to APOs, and about a week after ordering my bass, it was delivered to my office in the middle of the An Anbar Province of western Iraq.

I had to sell that bass a few year later due to moving across the country after my medical discharge from the USMC, and took a little break from bass.

Eventually, I got the urge to play again and found a red StingRay 5 with black pickguard, and bought it.

That's my current workhorse. I tried out an Adam Clayton Signature Jazz bass in the Sherwood Green when they came out, but the neck profile wasn't something that worked for me.

So here I am, a StingRay player and I couldn't be happier.

Well, I will be happier once I pick up that Rickenbacker 4003S/5 I fell in love with last weekend.

Okay my fave was and still is my 1975 Gibson Ripper, The first time I laid eyes on one Gene Simmons of Kiss had one on a stand on stage, he didn't play it that show, but my brain was feverishly trying to figure out the what the heck I was looking at. I got to see him use it live in MSG and it was so cool looking and the growl was like nothing I'd heard before! So I set my sights on that goal and busted my hump to I could afford one. Really wanted the ebony one but settle on the natural. This bass and I have seen a ton of stuff together in our 45 years

1975

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