We ALL have that ONE bass...

[40Hz]

I’ve told this story before but here goes anyway.

Back in my not totally misspent youth I got into the whole progrock thing. ELP was my favorite because I loved what Greg Lake was doing with the bass in that band and in King Crimson earlier.

Then along came ELP’s Brain Salad Surgery album and I was floored by the bass tone he was getting plus the fact you could clearly hear every single note he was playing.

Then that same year, in a Guitar Player interview in the September 1974 issue, there was this:

Still another change for Greg is to Gibson after many years of keeping company with the Fender Jazz Bass. A new prototype model distributed by Gibson called "The Ripper," Lake's instrument embodies more powerful pickups than the standard bass humbuckings, as well as a mid-range choke to wring greaters highs from the instrument. Greg feels it is the most "reliable and accurate" instrument on the market. He likes a bass that is electronically well-designed with an absolutely precise neck in perfect tune all the way up to the 22nd fret of the low E string. He also prefers for nothing to be heard resonating in sympathy with a particular note; that is, the bottom E string is of the same intensity as the high G. Lake feels the main feature of his instrument is its capacity to produce four entirely different sounds.

Those were words of wisdom to me. So I tried out a Ripper first chance I got (not an easy thing to do back in the days of mom&pop guitar shops an prior to GC’s liberal willingness to let people actually touch the instruments) and discovered what the interview said was true. So I bought one as soon as I could save up enough to get one. Which I did in April of 74.

That was my very own first bass. (Prior to that I played a borrowed JB my cousin loaned me so I could play in his band since I was primarily an upright player at that point.) And it remains my main bass to this day. As long as I can still play it I’ll be keeping it.

It was not babied. But it was well cared for since I don’t believe in abusing musical instruments. And although it does have the inevitable wear any instrument that’s been played will eventually acquire, it’s still in very good shape for an instrument that was regularly played and roaded for over 40 years.

We’re a team that bass and me.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

I once traded a Walter woods head for $25 towards a Mexican p bass. Being 16 and naive gets you severely ripped off sometimes the internet want was it was back then to look such things up. Not a bass but man was that stupid of me. “Old junk” in retrospect was worth more than that bass a couple of times over. The bass was fine but unremarkable. I recently got the bass that I regretted selling back, so there’s that!

 

[interp]

In the early 90’s I bought a 1958 Precision with the finish stripped off, everything else original. Paid $1200 for it and put $300 into a professional refin. Played it for 4-5 years and then traded it straight up for a Lakland 55-94.

I regret that. On the other hand, I now own a Fender Roadworn P that plays and sounds every bit as good as the ‘58. $750

(I’ll post pics when I find them.)

 

[Spidey2112]

We either did something dumb, like... letting it go for a stupid reason.
Or, still have it, and wish that we had taken better care of it.

Are we talking about basses, or relationships?

 

[Spidey2112]

Thanks to God my wife is doing better...

All that matters... tell her to keep up the great work!

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

In 30 years, this Alembic Series I is the only bass I have sellers remorse over (I sold back in 1989).......and Im not really sure that, if I ever got it back, that I wouldn't part with it again after a revisit and rediscovering the things that I didnt like that made me sell it in the first place

View attachment 3191699

Not sure which is sexier... the epic hair, eyebrows, rick astley coat, plunging neckline, or the bass.

 

[HaveBlue]

1990. Me, twelve years old at the time, pulled (what back then felt as) the shortest straw and took up bass to start a band with drummer and guitar player friends. The local music shop sold me an Ibanez CTB plywood bass and gave me a Fender Jazz Bass Special to bridge the delivery time. I think it sucked: what good can a black bass with exposed pole pieces and ******** looking big headstock and tuners be? I was happy to let it go when my midnight blue Ibanez came in.

Only after I started playing bass again after a 16 year hiatus I realized how good the Jazz Bass Special was compared to the plywood bass (which, fortunately, by then was long gone and replaced with what I consider my first quality bass).

The funny thing is that the son of the man who eventually bought the JBS from the local shop is a close friend of my brother. His dad never let it go (nor is he intending to do so in the foreseeable future). And that's what I've should have done, too.

 

[dpaul]

All that matters... tell her to keep up the great work!

Absolutely, basses can be replaced, people can’t.

 

[P. Aaron]

Sold off a ‘68 Fender Paisley Telecaster for about $500.00.

 

[Rib 13]

Not sure which is sexier... the epic hair, eyebrows, rick astley coat, plunging neckline, or the bass.

You forgot 'dangly earring that doubles as a fishing lure'

 

[Medicine Man]

Never sold a bass, but I have a bunch on permanent loan to friends and relatives and their kids. In theory they're not gone.

 

[bearfoot]

My first bass was an ABG , and I have regretted trading it in on my first solidbody , 34" bass.
I still play the latter, but you all know how it goes with trade-ins. Never a good deal to be had that way.

Looked liked this one. Quite striking with bronze strings, and a mix of microphone and pickup made a gorgeous recorded tone.

 

[40Hz]

My wife was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the spring, I sold the bass to help out with the bills. Thanks to God my wife is doing better, but losing that bass still haunts me

This is just me shaking your hand.

You’re a good man @dpaul.

 

[klejst]

My 1998 MIM white on white with rosewood Fender Precision Standard. Years ago I needed the fast cash more at the time so had to let it go...I'd pay double what I sold it for to get it back now. It played and sounded like no other MIM Fender P I have played or heard since.

 

[user362432]

I have always been jerk. Way back in 70's, it was difficult to get anything in (then) my country. So, after years playing on borrowed instruments and practicing on acoustic guitar, I managed to talk guy to sell me his J bass copy for 300DM (Aria, Kasuga, whatever was the brand, someone stripped the brand).
It had some weird flatwound strings, absolutely uneven across the strings and all kind of bad stuff stuff. As I like to turn around every screw I can see, I started messing around.
In that time I was completely into jazz rock (Return to forever and Weather report) as well as Crusaders and that kind of stuff, even I played with the band classic rock. That "plywood" just did not work for any of that stuff.
Now, I know, I was trying impossible. But, back then I hated that thing. It took me 3 months to get from London Rotosound 66 strings. It was big change. But, I was unhappy even with a new strings.
Good thing was - we played 3 times/week some place, which generated nice amount of money. Roger Glover was on Machine Head parading with Rickenbacker, Glen Hughes was on the cover of Made in Europe with Rickenbacker. If I had seen what Jaco played, I would, probably try to stick with J. But, I did not. I hated that J so much, I stopped practicing, stopped messing around. Could not stand it.
My next step was obvious. I saved every dime and when I had enough, I went to my first and only shopping trip to London... Walked in particular store (I can't remember the name of it):
- Do you have Rickenbacker bass?
- Yes, we do?
- What color is?
- It is black.
Good, like Glover. Cool.
I payed, walk from the store and went to bus station in the clouds.
To make long story short. When I went back and tried all tricks I knew (what was not very much). Damn thing was even worst than that J. Intonation was bad, neck was bowed (I tried to "fix" it, but made things just worst). After every gig my right hand was numb. I cut and hit myself million times by different stupid metal parts, which are on the way to strings, Sound was equally uneven across the strings (like that Japanese J).
My music taste was changing from soul-jazzy Crusaders to more funk stuff, Disco came fast. I was so frustrated. I went to see Weather report in 1979.
I sold every piece of equipment I had and quit playing all together for more than 20 years. I was so disappointed in my playing after seeing Jaco, I could not stand seeing myself with guitar around neck. Classic rock was dead. My buddies went to play folk crap just to survive. Some of them gave up. A few went to do some jazz, without success. I went to listen to classic and modern jazz, later on to switch to more pop things and I was completely unaware of the rock music from beginning of 1980 onward.
I don't regret anything.
That J copy had a great wood. With better electronics, it would be good instrument. Thanks to it, I never went to become professional musician, thank God! I would be hungry today.
Rickenbacker was terrible mistake. It was unplayable instrument, which did not have capacity to sound like anything I had in my mind.
Now, I know. That's why I have 8 different guitars now.
I had never tried to play anything that Jaco played out of respect. Jaco is jaco, I cannot be Jaco, I don't need to waste my time trying to sound like Jaco. It's over.
I also discovered in a meantime, I have P sound in my head. And that's my "youth" story.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

You forgot 'dangly earring that doubles as a fishing lure'

i had the same one! were we in a band together?

 

[lz4005]

Nope. I still have them all and they're still in great shape.

 

[Ostie]

Back in the 80s I sold my 1968 Ric 4003 with "Ric-o-sound". While I wouldn't have used it for gigging over the years, it was just a cool old bass and I've always regretted it. It was the purple color with checkerboard binding. I still miss you, Ricky.....

 

[DanAdams]

I would like my High School pre Ernie Ball Sabre back... but not for the +$3k prices I see.

 

[baileyboy]

Every bass bought and sold was part of the learning experience to become owner of a phenomenal sounding '74 Precision, my current go-to bass, so no regrets.