Need a "hippie" bass... suggestions?

[Floridabwoy]

^^^^^

You're all wrong haha
Go with an Epiphone Jack Casady or something like that.

I am in a "hippie" band and I play a fiesta red 50's precision. I don't think there is a quenticential "hippie" bass. Maybe a Guild Starfire like Lesh's "Godfather". Maybe an Epiphone Jack Cassady?

 

[Swerve]

Danelectro would fit the bill

 

[Staccato]

Midnight Blue MIM P has that 'Purple Haze'.
Your choice of volume/tone knobs.

 

[johnk_10]

IMO, the most common 'hippie' bass was either a Jazz Bass, or a P bass, with the finish stripped down to the wood, since that's what most of the hippies did back in the 60's, to make them look more 'earthy'. if you went that way, i would put a satin finish on it to protect it. they usually had rosewood fingerboards and tortoise guards (they used stripped sunburst basses).

 

[cuddlemonster]

I think my old Goya is pretty hippie lookin. and it sounds pretty old school too.

 

[Southpaw5]

Just make sure you don't wash it, and hide your money under its work shoes

 

[thombo]

anything that was suggested would work, and be a lot of fun...

if i were you, i'd throw an old gibson mudbucker flush against the neck, above the existing neck pup of your jazz. you're already comfortable with the bass, and it's a classic move that would give the bass a ton of versatility... it'd also save you a few clams.

 

[COBRARI]

Seeing Bob Mosley live with Moby Grape in San Francisco at the Winterland convinced me that a Fender Precision was the sound I wanted to emulate.

In all honesty, with the active/passive and amplification variations available today, you can "dial in" the 60's sound you want with
a ton of modern basses and contemporary amplifiers.

The Precision sound is so good. Can't go wrong in my opinion.

 

[Hoover]

Maybe a Guild Starfire like Lesh's "Godfather". Maybe an Epiphone Jack Cassady?

Ding-ding-ding! Winner winner chicken dinner!

Short-scale double-cutaway semi-hollow POS strung up with flats or nylon tapewound strings = archetypal hippie bass. Total flower-power sludge machine. Get yourself one of those basses, and grow your hair out long, and buy some beads
And then perhaps a leather band
To go around my head
Some feathers and bells
And a book of Indian lore
I will ask the Chamber Of Commerce
How to get to Haight Street
And smoke an awful lot of dope
I will wander around barefoot
I will have a psychedelic gleam in my eye at all times
I will love everyone
I will love the police as they kick the **** out of me on the street
I will sleep...
I will, I will go to a house
That's, that's what I will do
I will go to a house
Where there's a rock roll band
'Cause the groups all live together
And I will join a rock & roll band
I will be their road manager
And I will stay there with them
And I will get the crabs
But I won't care

 

[ghiadub]

For that psychedellic sound, I would go with a hollowbody bass with a darkstar pickup and some flats.
Then play it with a pick.

IIRC you can pick up those ibanez hollowbodies for cheap and mod it.

Oh, and don't take the brown acid!

 

[johnk_10]

yeah, that goya looks hippie. alot of guys sanded down their fenders and stained them with walnut stain. i think that i should know, at 56 years old, i'm still a hippie,

they kinda looked like this one:

 

[A-Step-Towards]

Smoke alot of weed around it for that authentic smell, dont shower and play shirtless.

 

[mark107]

I've been asked to play in a 60's - 70's hippie-type band (ala Cream, Yardbirds, Hendrix, Zombies) kinda "acid rock". The thing is that the band wants to really get the "psychodelic" vibe, and I only have mostly modern type basses... so, I need some suggestions - cheaper is better - definitely no more than $700, 4 string, fretted.
Another thought is to modify my Squier Jazz with some interesting graphics. Any suggestions?

It's a frame of mind, not a bass.

 

[AgIdoc]

+1... the SG shape or the standard Strat shape would probably be the best look.... tie some scarves on the headstock and you're good to go

+2 SG

 

[MooseKnuckle]

Squire 50's P-bass

 

[WaskoDS]

Guild Starfire with Darkstars?

 

[king_biscuit]

Find a nice pre CBS Fender, strip the finish, rout for additional pickups, and don't bath before a gig

 

[duke2004]

Just turn the treble down on your modern basses or put on a set of flats. If you are really in a hippy band with hippy audience, then noticing what kind of bass is being held is the last thing most people will be doing

 

[Passinwind]

Real hippies go on tour and sell tie-dyed T's in the parking lot, then buy an Alembic. Hope this helps...

 

[Bassman8416]

Sunburst Jazz with tort guard and rosewood board.

+1