Went from anything but Fender to exclusively Fender.
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how has your taste in basses changed?
- Thread starter pcake
- Start date
There has been an evolution of sorts but things have stayed more the same rather than changed all that much over many years. 1976 I started electric bass with a terrible Gibson EB0, that bass turned out to have been stolen, got my $50 bucks back from the dude and bought a Hagstrom F400N Red aka HIIBN Red bass that I absolutely loved. Was convinced I needed a long scale bass so traded that for an Aria ProII lawsuit copy of a Ripper in Sunburst. In 1978 I was gifted a Pan Alembic copy of a Jazz Bass that was converted fretless. Then in 1979 I was fortunate to purchase the "Unknown Blonde" a 1966 Fender Precision Bass that would stay with me for all my travels until she was retired in 1992. I traded the Ripper copy for a Gibson RD Artist that I kept until 1982 when i got my constant companion Carvin LB50 Koa Stereo bass.
Since then have been national and world travels and truck load of basses owned, loaned, borrowed and played. I have worked for several music stores, repair shops and an instrument manufacturer. Brands from Aria, Alembic to Yamaha. Most of the instruments I own are Made In America Carvin and Peaveys, a few well made imports and a couple of rarities or one offs.
My preference is for passive electronics but I do like to have choices.
Since then have been national and world travels and truck load of basses owned, loaned, borrowed and played. I have worked for several music stores, repair shops and an instrument manufacturer. Brands from Aria, Alembic to Yamaha. Most of the instruments I own are Made In America Carvin and Peaveys, a few well made imports and a couple of rarities or one offs.
My preference is for passive electronics but I do like to have choices.
Started on the P. then farted around with other basses for decades. Now I'm back to the simple effective Precisions. And yes, In my experience VM and CV Squiers (post setup and pickup replacements and strings of choice) are every bit as good as Fenders made in anywhere.
Nope.
Westone still my main bass. Best construction, best feel. A sound all its own.
Still like Rickenbackers. Best sound.
Still meh on Fenders, though I like my Squier Jaguar PJ for the variety it brings and for when the P sound is called for.
Westone still my main bass. Best construction, best feel. A sound all its own.
Still like Rickenbackers. Best sound.
Still meh on Fenders, though I like my Squier Jaguar PJ for the variety it brings and for when the P sound is called for.
All these years and many basses later, I returned home to where it all began for me. 
Started with a PBass. Then went Rickenbacker for about 35 years. Now back to Fender. But ALWAYS Ampeg !!
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After 40 years of playing, the biggest change took place a year ago. I took a chance on a 32" scale Jazz bass and now I'm convinced it's the perfect bass for me and I'm starting to plan about getting rid of my old 34" scale basses. I've got a couple of Warmoth basses in the planning stages and can't wait to get started building later this year.
Started with a Precision bass around 1980. Thought that was the bass for the world for decades to come. Around the new millennial, I started to shift to EBMM hum buckers, and now 5-string and soapbars.
For amps, I had a heavy Peavey and loved Ampegs when provided. Now my tastes in amps have more to do with weight than anything else. My Markbass fits that category and what I do today (more clean).
My thoughts for some dirt and grind, I'd use a pedal. So far, none that I tried has grown on me. I have no tried the usual pre-amp/DIs like Sansamp. Probably should.
I still think the most versatile sound without a bunch of pedals and fancy multi-voicing amps is a Precision with Boomers through an Ampeg.
For amps, I had a heavy Peavey and loved Ampegs when provided. Now my tastes in amps have more to do with weight than anything else. My Markbass fits that category and what I do today (more clean).
My thoughts for some dirt and grind, I'd use a pedal. So far, none that I tried has grown on me. I have no tried the usual pre-amp/DIs like Sansamp. Probably should.
I still think the most versatile sound without a bunch of pedals and fancy multi-voicing amps is a Precision with Boomers through an Ampeg.
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Started off as a T-bird guy in 1997, saw Novoselic play one and it had so much more bottom end and balls than anything out there at the time. After a while I kept hitting 'reliability roadblocks' we played live twice a week and practiced 3 times a week. It was a bit too intense for it and I didn't have anyone who knew how to take care of it.
Eventually I put enough money aside for a P-Bass, got myself a nice silver sparkle one, it played like a dream but didn't have the balls off the Bird. Went to a Warwick Rockbass which seemed like a good place to be, sold the P-Bass and put the bird away. The Warwick was great but was a five string, never could get the action right on it. In 2008 they upgraded P-Basses, sold my P-Bass and Warwick and got a new P-Bass and a better amp.
Abandoned the bass completely until I got a friend who runs a 'video game - sound track' studio, needed some bass centered tracks, got a Rickenbacker 4003 and got my 2008 P-Bass back ... I thought I had things figured but ... when the gas starts ... I wanted a Jazzbass type instrument so I got a Sandberg, than I wanted a shortscale because I don't have spaghetti fingers so I got a JMJ ... then I liked that and got a Hofner ... then ...
Well then I got Sadowsky gas ... and now I have too many Basses ...
Eventually I put enough money aside for a P-Bass, got myself a nice silver sparkle one, it played like a dream but didn't have the balls off the Bird. Went to a Warwick Rockbass which seemed like a good place to be, sold the P-Bass and put the bird away. The Warwick was great but was a five string, never could get the action right on it. In 2008 they upgraded P-Basses, sold my P-Bass and Warwick and got a new P-Bass and a better amp.
Abandoned the bass completely until I got a friend who runs a 'video game - sound track' studio, needed some bass centered tracks, got a Rickenbacker 4003 and got my 2008 P-Bass back ... I thought I had things figured but ... when the gas starts ... I wanted a Jazzbass type instrument so I got a Sandberg, than I wanted a shortscale because I don't have spaghetti fingers so I got a JMJ ... then I liked that and got a Hofner ... then ...
Well then I got Sadowsky gas ... and now I have too many Basses ...
Since 1980
Pbass - Sting and Police were teaching me to play
Ken Smith - Patitucci had a tone and style that was like nothing I had heard
(Enter some variety - MMStingray 5 just because, Ricky 4003 for Geddy nostalgia, 78 Jazz to match my P)
Sadowsky - because, well, duh.
Full circle - playing my 78 P more.
Waiting for my Valenti PJ.
Pbass - Sting and Police were teaching me to play
Ken Smith - Patitucci had a tone and style that was like nothing I had heard
(Enter some variety - MMStingray 5 just because, Ricky 4003 for Geddy nostalgia, 78 Jazz to match my P)
Sadowsky - because, well, duh.
Full circle - playing my 78 P more.
Waiting for my Valenti PJ.
Mainly I now appreciate the advantages of onboard pre-amps. And I love my Ibanez Volo and my MTD Heir, neither of which I'd ever heard of before. Oh, and a properly outfitted ABG can be a fine thing. Finally, give me a high C string for those special moments...
My taste in basses changed when I had to trash/take a complete loss on a boutique prestigious name brand bass that I paid over $4k for new in the early 2000’s due to neck warpage after only a year of in home use (never gigged). Had multiple wood neck basses from the best builders/manufacturers at that time (both bolt on & neck thru) but began to notice a common denominator: all required periodic neck maintenance/truss rod adjustment even though none were gigged/none left my air conditioned climate controlled year round home (was living in Dallas, Tx at that time) and all were meticulously cared for??? Consulted with my music teacher/mentor who advised checking out a Modulus. End of issue !!! Eventually sold converted all to Modulus basses with carbon fiber necks and wooden fingerboards (the best of both worlds!). It’s been “set it and forget it” as far as any neck adjustments since then, continuing that way to present. Have moved multiple times from cold to warm to tropical locales but the one constant has been Modulus neck stability. All still sound as good as the day I bought them; notes on the 24 fret wooden fingerboard ring true, stays in tune, no shifting whatsoever. This is what bass sound, playability, and ownership should be.
In a nut shell : From “expensive “ to inexpensive. If Squire makes a 5 er fretless .. I’ll Buy one!! Would be hundreds less than others and thousands less than boutiques
I don't think my "taste in basses" has changed as much as my ear which is evolving. I guess I'm too new in the game. I'm (only) starting to know what I like and what sounds good in some (not all) situations.
The one thing I can say, that probably isn't taste as much as adaptation, is that I tend to prefer 5 string basses. I have my one HIGHLY MODIFIED, modified VM Squier Jazz4 which may be the only 4 string I'll ever own going forward.
The one thing I can say, that probably isn't taste as much as adaptation, is that I tend to prefer 5 string basses. I have my one HIGHLY MODIFIED, modified VM Squier Jazz4 which may be the only 4 string I'll ever own going forward.
Went quickly through a boutique stage which, however, allowed me to get acquainted with the very good instruments made by Elrick, and, after that, steadily pursuing the Fender vintage tone comfort zone.
However, the next bass I’ll buy (hopefully, it will be the last one), will be an Elrick Icon, boutique and vintage inspired design mixed together.
However, the next bass I’ll buy (hopefully, it will be the last one), will be an Elrick Icon, boutique and vintage inspired design mixed together.
My tastes haven't changed much. I can just afford better (and a few more) basses than when I was 24 and broke. 
The biggest difference is that I used to play D standard tuning, and now use a 5 string bass most of the time.
The biggest difference is that I used to play D standard tuning, and now use a 5 string bass most of the time.
Back in you younger days I was all about spending money, having a big arsenal and getting boutique type basses. Today I have a Peavey TL-Five and a MIM Fender Deluxe Jazz V. Current bass value for everything now is about $1k and back in the day maybe had around $15k in my heyday.
My preferences are pretty much the same. Although Jazz Basses were my original GAS inducer, I am definitely in the "P" camp. I hold on to a J build from 2008, only because if I should let it go I will be shopping for a proper Jazz Bass, and I sure don't need that diversion!
