Oldest Bass you got?

[boombloom]

1870's German flatback pawnshop purchase.......

 

[Gervais Cote]

I'll trade it for your Drambuie bass.

Keep yours and buy one of my Drambuie : problems solved !

 

[Gervais Cote]

My 1960 Fender Jazz

View attachment 7060355

Goodness ! A timeless beauty.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Put this together about 1983. If I recall, the jazz body is a '73, the P neck is a '76 ((or is it the other way around)?

 

[Hot Rats]

Keep yours and buy one of my Drambuie : problems solved !

interesting.....

 

[Moving Pictures]

I’ve had this since 1979. I bought it used.

 

[urkel3000]

1984

 

[ac100X]

VOX Symphonic (looks like another bass I've seen, but this ones better because it has two pickups). The guy I bought it from said it was a 62.
Did I hear someone shout - Rick had one in the DC5 ?
(only old people will get this)

 

[ToddB1963]

I wander why Yamaha no longer makes those lovely p basses with a single set of pickups ? Is it part of that famous law suit story ?

New or used, I would grab one anyway without hesitation, those instruments are built to last forever.

Gervais, thanks for your interest.

The lawsuit itself was more applicable to Ibanez/Gibson, and the fact that Ibanez were making exact copies of the Gibson Les Paul - including the 'open-book' headstock. In mid-1977 Norlin (Gibson's parent company) Issued Ibanez USA with a letter of copyright infringement. Ibanez circumvented the lawsuit by designing their own headstock and the issue was settled out of court.

Regarding Yamaha, one can only speculate as to the effect this might have on their own practice of copying Fender instruments. Up until 1977 they were making exact copies of Precision basses (Pulsar) and then in '77 began making the SB jazz bass and the BB reverse P bass. To what extent this change was prompted by the Gibson/Ibanez 'lawsuit' I can't say, but I'm sure Yamaha could see the writing on the wall and thus decided it was sensible to design and build instruments that were 100% their own. I'm glad they did because their instruments are held in extremely high regard.

Yes, they are certainly built to last. If you can source a good BB800 (or any vintage BB for that matter) that has not been abused, get it. This one was in almost mint condition when I purchased it and is much more solidly built than my CS '59 Precision. It has a better neck and is a more comfortable to play. It is also quite a lot heavier. Don't expect classic Fender P tone though, the tone is different. It is still in that 'P' ballpark, but more even with more extended highs and lows - big and open - not quite as mid-forward as the Fender P bass. Great rock bass IMO. It is a very workmanlike bass with a distinctly Japanese look/feel (that pickguard ) and sounds magnificent in a mix. Good Luck.

Some more pics FYI

 

[Drredplate]

1978

 

[retslock]

View attachment 7059955
This is the 1936 H Tutmarc Bass- Apparently the first ever Electric bass. What is the oldest bass you got? who can get closest to that? I can only go back to my 1986 Vintage precision Bass.

1973 for me. It was my first decent bass, a Precision that I bought in '74. It served me well for many years. It doesn't see much action anymore but I won't part with it. It's been modified a bit and doesn't fit the collectible requirements.

 

[ajkula66]

My '69 Gibson EB-3

My son now owns what used to be the oldest bass in my collection, a '63 EB-0. It's forty years older than him.

 

[mikeswals]

My oldests:
64 burst, 65 red, 78 ray.

 

[mikeswals]

BTW. I've played the '36 Tutmarc!

 

[tangentmusic]

1977 SD Curlee
Bought it brand new that summer.
Just graduated high school.
It was the first thing I ever financed.
Still have it

 

[bwildt]

Mid-60's? Kent (by Teisco). 25-1/4 inch scale. It actually plays pretty well after repositioning the bridge forward about 1/4 inch and angling it.

 

[Formula73]

1974-75? Idk no serial.

 

[ELG60]

1964 JB which I purchased sometime in the early 80's:

 

[2saddleslab]

NOV-7-51 body, 11-55 neck.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/diary-of-a-1951-fender-bass.1403561/#post-22656697

 

[bassdude51]

I have a 1953 Precision. I think one or both of my DBs are older but they are fiendishly difficult to date.

Ya gotta show us your 1953 P!!!!!