Back in the late 70's when I was in Jr. High. I bought my 1st bass from Music Unlimited. This place would be a hot spot for musicians today! Any way, I picked up a copy of a copy of a copy of a Fender Jazz Bass for $35.00. One thing it wasn't was a copy of was a P.O.S!! Action was 2 inches above the fretboard. Neck had to be adjusted twice a month. Stayed in tune for maybe a hour! As much as I hated it, I believe it made me a better player. Anyone have similar stories?
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Was your 1st bass a P.O.S?
- Thread starter SteffanB
- Start date
Sure was. A 70's copy of an EB; it was a "Mann". Action was so terrible that I forced myself to learn to work on guitars. It had a three post Gibson style bridge that had been raised up super high and I was able to get it playable with some work and time. I had a 70s Peavey amp with a pair of Acoustic horn cabs and it was thunder. So much so that I was able to trade the entire rig for an old SVT and 810 that I played for years with several others. That old Mann started it all, so even though it was a POS, it sparked a fire. 
Hell yes!! Btw, acoustic horn cabs was the sh*t! Own 2 4×10 till 2002!! 70's Peavey amps was the go to amps!! Thank goodness GK came out in the 80's!!Sure was. A 70's copy of an EB; it was a "Mann". Action was so terrible that I forced myself to learn to work on guitars. It had a three post Gibson style bridge that had been raised up super high and I was able to get it playable with some work and time. I had a 70s Peavey amp with a pair of Acoustic horn cabs and it was thunder. So much so that I was able to trade the entire rig for an old SVT and 810 that I played for years with several others. That old Mann started it all, so even though it was a POS, it sparked a fire.
Dear lord yes.
My POS was one of these, a pawn shop Tiesco Domino Vox-knockoff (mine was brown, not turquoise like this one):
This was the '90s when everything cool was pointy and metallic and here I was with this relic.
Now, maybe, at some point it was a good or even viable bass, but:
- I had no idea how to play
- I had no idea how to set it up
- The action was sky high
- the pickups were slammed so there was barely any output
- It neck dove so hard you could drive nails with it. The damn thing was like playing an oil derrick
Somehow I went from this to a Yamaha fretless that proceeded to teach me more bad habits, but at least that was a quality and functioning instrument.
My POS was one of these, a pawn shop Tiesco Domino Vox-knockoff (mine was brown, not turquoise like this one):
This was the '90s when everything cool was pointy and metallic and here I was with this relic.
Now, maybe, at some point it was a good or even viable bass, but:
- I had no idea how to play
- I had no idea how to set it up
- The action was sky high
- the pickups were slammed so there was barely any output
- It neck dove so hard you could drive nails with it. The damn thing was like playing an oil derrick
Somehow I went from this to a Yamaha fretless that proceeded to teach me more bad habits, but at least that was a quality and functioning instrument.
No. Very nice Dean Hillsboro Single.
Wish I still had it.
Never owned a bad bass.
(I've only owned 30 or so, though.)
Wish I still had it.
Never owned a bad bass.
(I've only owned 30 or so, though.)
1st bass that was mine (gift from my dad) is an awesome bass, a 96 Mij Fender P. I still have and will never sell it.
The first bass guitar that I played in school and used for a month or two was some cheapo thing that wasn't a total pile but compared to a new P bass it was trash. But it was good enough to get me hooked on bass!
The first bass guitar that I played in school and used for a month or two was some cheapo thing that wasn't a total pile but compared to a new P bass it was trash. But it was good enough to get me hooked on bass!
Exactly! The drive to play. The drive to get better at something you love. If anything it makes you a better player! I often wonder if my divorced parents battled it out to see who can buy me the better bass if I would still have the drive.
83 Fender Japan Jazz
E Series
Still own it
Not a POS by any means
E Series
Still own it
Not a POS by any means
some may say it's so, no doubt, but one of the better basses ever made in other opinions. my '65 dot neck Fender BASS V with factory flats is all built-in Motown glory, but oversized and un-natural having a high C being made for studio pros to blindly play charts in mid position. pump that into a vintage tuber of choice thru a pair of JBL'd VOT cabs and you knew you were in TONE town. what's not to love?
My first bass started as a no name Strat-like guitar that I drilled every other tuning post out and put black tapewounds on it. It wasn't the best sounding thing, but served me well until I got an Aspen Jazz copy (oh boy), complete with a baseball bat for a neck. Still have the tort pickguard from it, for some reason.
Yup
Mine was kind of like one of these on the bottom right of the page.
Got it in a consignment shop with a crappy little amp.
I broke a a string and stripped a tuning machine the first time trying to tune It to a piano.
It got me through and had it long enough to realize that I wanted to play.
Mine was kind of like one of these on the bottom right of the page.
Got it in a consignment shop with a crappy little amp.
I broke a a string and stripped a tuning machine the first time trying to tune It to a piano.
It got me through and had it long enough to realize that I wanted to play.
My first 'loaner' bass was a shortscale version of the Sears bass above ^^ , and it was a POS...
My first 'purchased' bass was a no-name japanese Beatle bass copy, and was actually very playable. It served as modding platform for my early years : home made active preamp, then turfed the body and made a solid mahogany body for it, added mailorder Carvin hardware, schaller tuners, schaller humbucker... and eventually equipped it with the very first EMG pickups imported into western Canada (circa 1978). Gigged that bass for a couple of years until I got my Rickenbacker 3000!
My first 'purchased' bass was a no-name japanese Beatle bass copy, and was actually very playable. It served as modding platform for my early years : home made active preamp, then turfed the body and made a solid mahogany body for it, added mailorder Carvin hardware, schaller tuners, schaller humbucker... and eventually equipped it with the very first EMG pickups imported into western Canada (circa 1978). Gigged that bass for a couple of years until I got my Rickenbacker 3000!
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Mine was an Ibanez soundgear SR400 that I realize now was a perfectly fine instrument.
The first bass I ever acquired was a Hofner-style bass. The action was way too high, and the neck dive & lack of a body made it unplayable sitting down. I don't even know whatever happened to it, I certainly didn't learn how to play bass on it.
My real first bass was an Epiphone semi-hollow ES335-style bass. I learned to play on it, and I did performances with it. It never quite got the sound I wanted, but I wish I still had it.
My real first bass was an Epiphone semi-hollow ES335-style bass. I learned to play on it, and I did performances with it. It never quite got the sound I wanted, but I wish I still had it.
My first bass was a MIJ copy of an EB-3. I outgrew this quickly. I was at a party and the bass player in the band at the party was playing a Moserite Ventures bass and it sounded great. During a break he let me play it and I really liked it but I had no idea how I would ever find one. I eventually found one but it was a dog. I could never get it to sound like the one I played at the party. I eventually got a Ric 4001 and that bass made me a much better player.
I was in my mid 20's and working day jobs in the 70's. I looked around at all the 'green stamp catalog' basses (all those damned Teiscos and God-Know-what other plywood sleds) and just said 'No'. I am no fan (then or now) of someone starting to learn an instrument on a sled. So the first bass I ever bought was a Gibson Ripper (these were new axes in the stores back then), it didn't pick up my local Top-40 AM station, stayed in tune, and sounded great. Later, I almost broke even when it was time for it to go. No complaints.
When you're new on any instrument, you're all thumbs, and don't know up from down, the LAST thing you need is for a POS axe to make you feel even worse as it's just impossible to play and the tone is hardly encouraging. To hell with that !
When you're new on any instrument, you're all thumbs, and don't know up from down, the LAST thing you need is for a POS axe to make you feel even worse as it's just impossible to play and the tone is hardly encouraging. To hell with that !
No. My first bass was an Epiphone Newport. I wish I sill had it.
