Newbie saying hi

[Beedster]

Well, sorta newbie, I've been using TB as a resourse for several years, and really have no idea why it's taken me so long to register. I've been a member of Basschat in the UK for a few years and regularly post there.

Anyway, I've been playing since 1979, first bass was a Westone Thunder, most recent acquisition is a '64 Precision dated the month of my birth (June '64), and for which I've been searching for well over 5 years. Bass-wise I've owned many Precisions (still my go-to instrument), a few Jazzes (never quite gelled with them, still have a fretless), a few 'rays (love-hate relationship), two Modulus Fleas (great basses but something's missing), a Modulus Sonic Hammer (a monster), a Bongo HS (great but couldn't live with the looks), a fretless Ric (still have it but not sure if I'm gonna keep it), a Status (not my thing at all), and various others.

Musically I'm playing in a relatively new originals blues/country band, essentially the vehicle for a pretty talented singer/songwriter, but good music and a sense of momentum.

Looking forward to talking to you guys

Chris

 

[Staccato]

Chris, Welcome! How is that '64 working out?

 

[Beedster]

Chris, Welcome! How is that '64 working out?

Hi mate
Thanks for the welcome. The '64 is, well, how do I say it without being rude, ****ing awesome! I've something of a reputation for buying a bass, playing it for anything between a week (a Status with which I most certainly did not get on), and a year (current fretless Jazz), and moving on. Much as it amuses the band it has become something of a liability as I feel I never really get to know a bass. So, the '64, which started as a bit of a dream, became reality when I realised that, with the significance and apparent rarity of the date (June '64), and for what it was going to cost, it was going to have to stay with me, and possibly be passed on when my time's up. So, I guess my perceptions are biased by this somewhat (i.e., I've gotta like it), but I can say hand on heart that it is everything I expected a pre-CBS to be. I've owned around 20 Fender Precisions - a '73, '75, '77 fretless, '78, '79, '81, '82 Fullerton '57 Reissue, CS 40th Anniversary, and several more recent MIAs and MIJs - and a few non-Fenders also (e.g., Sadowsky), and none have the sweet and honest tone of this bass. Having said that, the difference in natural tone of each string seems more noticable, that is, with the current strings, a E flat played at the 11th fret on the E sounds different to the same note played on the 6th and 1st frets of the A and D strings respectively, more so than on any other bass I've owned. This may be a function of the current strings (La Bella flats), but it certainly gives each string a unique tone with the tone control wide open which becomes less obvious when the tone's rolled off a little. I'm not really sure whether this is a good thing (more tonal options) or a bad thing (slight discontinuity in tone when playing across all strings), but either way, I'm getting used to it and liking it more each time I play (it may of course be that I simply notice it more on this bass than on previous instruments).
Gigged it for the first time last week and most of the responses from the crowd related to the colour (mostly girls I have to say, but it is Lake Placid Blue after all), but I felt it was the first gig of the rest of my life if that makes sense?
Apologies for the overlong and carried-away response, 'll keep you posted on progress!
Chris