We ALL have that ONE bass...

[dalkowski]

Best job ever: I worked at a great music store in '80/81 (senior year of HS). Place had guitars and basses hanging from the ceiling like stalactites and amps piled ceiling-high and three-deep. Gear heaven, and I got to see and handle everything. I cycled through a Fender J of unknown vintage, a near-mint Fireglo 4001, and a Kramer DMZ 5000 which I kept for years afterward. I regret selling every one but when you're 17 the grass is always greener and you're stupid.

I regret NOT buying one of the first-ever G&L Wunkays or the LPB Precision Special that were in house simultaneously.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

... that we got when we were Young and dumb.

In My case... 3.

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.

I fit into BOTH categories. Before I embarrass Myself (and I will, PROMISE), let's hear YOUR story, see pics.
Live and LEARN. UGH!!!

I still got mine. GSR200 first bass, still rocks. Just de-fretted it a little while ago, and did a little Maintenance on it (first time I've done absolutely anything to it besides changing strings, including a set up, since I got it more than 16 years ago).

Still rocks.

 

[micguy]

Back in the 80s I sold my 1968 Ric 4001 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.....

Mine was a 78 fireglo (red). The only bass I had my first few years, played a lot of gigs on it, and sold it a few years in, when I got a Kramer with a whole lot more sustain. I had some regrets a few years ago - coming to this site uncorked that, and a couple of years ago, I picked up one in a store, knowing it was probably gonna hit my wallet. The thing hummed, buzzed, and clanked. A few minutes later, I put the bass down, and walked out. Turns out a 4001, now that I've played a lot of different basses, simply isn't my thing.

 

[micguy]

I still got mine. GSR200 first bass, still rocks. Just de-fretted it a little while ago, and did a little Maintenance on it (first time I've done absolutely anything to it besides changing strings, including a set up, since I got it more than 16 years ago).View attachment 3191825 View attachment 3191826
Still rocks.

Pretty cool how it survived all those stickers and come out the other side looking so...pristine.

 

[nilorius]

My first bass was Musima p-bass. At that moment i just started to learn the playing of bass and didn't knew much. A year or some later, i decided that i hate that p-type pickup sound and quickly sell it. Know after 20 years i have found the end allready some years ago with fretless Ibanez gwb1005.

 

[pappabass]

I had a perfect Fender MIM jazz with matching fender case. Never was out of tune. I had a last minute fill in at a church revival. I played the beat up bottom of the line active preamp Ibanez church bass. The next night I brought my "" jazz"" bass. It never could match the sound of the cheap Ibanez. So I kissed the perfect jazz good by. Wish i had that one back.....
But it made me realize how much better active preamp basses sound.

 

[jmlee]

When I decided to take up bass in about Grade 9 (basically because my brother was a guitar phenom and was sucking all the air out of the room when he played), my Dad went all on his own into the one local music store and came home with a Harmony H22 hollowbody that he'd bought for half-price on sale. This would have been about 1969-70. Regular price was $150 CDN (the Canadian dollar was pretty close to par in those days) and he paid $75. Since this bass was discontinued in 1968 in favour of the double-cutaway H22/1, it was probably being cleared out. Still, that was a lot of money for my family back then. The bass was short scale, had a great high-output DeArmond gold foil pickup, that crazy toilet handle tone switch, the bat wing pickguard and ridiculous guitar-sized tuners. I knew nothing of all this. For me it was my first bass! (Picture below isn't my bass.)

I played it for maybe 3 years with my first real bands, even playing my first big outdoor concert where the drummer fell backwards off a tall riser. Good times! Eventually, I hankered for something more. I then saw an ad in the paper (yes, that's how it worked back then) and bought my 1968 Fender P-bass used for $250. I played that thing as my only electric bass for 25 years and still have it (below circa mid-80's). The original bridge corroded away and I replaced it with a BadAss II back about 1980 or so. I count myself lucky to have stumbled onto this instrument as my first "real" bass. It served me so very well.

What became of the Harmony? Well, I confess that I drilled two more tuner holes and converted it into a 6-string guitar. I sold it to somebody who apparently didn't mind the rather long scale. I wish I had it now and have looked at the reissue, but it's just not the same.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

Mine wasnt a bass, but a guitar. My folks got me a Squier Bullet for Christmas 1984 when I was a senior in high school. It was a really nice little guitar, black with white pickguard, three single coils and a nice Tele style maple neck. I played it (badly) for about five years, and got another guitar that I ended up playing (badly too) a lot more. I traded away the Bullet for a pedal. The guy I traded it to hacked out the pickup cavity and put three humbuckers and an aluminium pickguard on it and turned it into a feedback machine, basically ruining it.

That was dumb. I wish I still had it now. It was my very first.

BnB

 

[dpaul]

This is just me shaking your hand.

You’re a good man @dpaul.

Thank you my friend, shaking your hand back

 

[Altitude]

It was 1984.

I played bass and cello in the school orchestra, had never touched an electric bass.

Some buddies put together a band to play a set at the school talent show. They asked me if I wanted to be the bass player. But I needed an electric bass. My parents were willing.

I chose one of these. A red Ibanez Destroyer:

We played the talent show. Our setlist was:

• Endless Love (Lionel Richie & Diana Ross)
• Against All Odds (Phil Collins)
• Purple Rain (Prince)

There could not possibly have been a worse fit between the gig and the instrument I brought to it. I looked ridiculous and I have proof.

It would be fun if I had the bass now. I sold it in high school, and later saw it pop up used at one of the music stores in Austin when I was in college.

I think of this story when I question the judgment that my 15 year old daughter shows, because I'm just about that age in these pictures. Most of it is a tempest in a teapot.

 

[Element Zero]

Sorry, I fit neither category.

Same

 

[Altitude]

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.

View attachment 3191766

I also had one like that which I should not have sold. Mine was white; pretty much a Duff before that was a thing. I got mine in 1986.

 

[macmanlou]

In '72 I bought my first bass, a used Gibson EB2D, for $150 at a pawn shop in DC. I sold it about 6 months later for the same money. They are worth considerably more now.

 

[jasonrp]

Around 93 I could've bought an ALCOA for $500. It needed restoration and I didn't play upright at the time but when I think about what they are worth now....

 

[rohi]

I had a limited edition Blue Boy Rickenbacker from 2004 that I begrudgingly had to sell for rent one year... I will never forgive myself for that.

However, I use it as a good learning experience-- every time I consider parting with gear, I think of Ol' Blue. If I absolutely MUST sell something, I like to "keep it in the family"-- either my old man, someone from one of the bands, or just a buddy. I like to be able to keep tabs on gear once its out of my hands.

 

[rtslinger]

I was offered the upright I learned on in school when the place was getting shutdown, but I decline the offer. I wish I would have accepted it even though it was painted a horrid green with a yellow headstock (school colors) I was really the only one who chose to play bass back then so it really was mine in a sense. Yeah that's it.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Sold my first Fretless, Ibanez Musician. But... it was super heavy, caused me pain, and I’d rarely touched it in 10 years. Miss it but wouldn’t want it back.

 

[Din Of Win]

Technically my first bass was a Harmony P bass that an uncle let me borrow. But i consider my 'real' first bass to be my '95 Ibanez ATK300, that i bought for myself.

It's now over 20 years later and i still have it! Quite a few basses have come and gone in the meantime. But, i have a sweet spot for this bass and I've never been able to let it go. It only really saw heavy use in one band over a 4 year period, from 2002-2006. Since then my bass choices have become pretty focused... and unfortunately that focus is not what this Ibby can do.

Even though it doesn't see much use, it has a lot of memories and nostalgia wrapped up in it, and it's staying with me.

From 2004-ish

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

Not too good at getting rid of anything these days.
Here is just a family Photo of only my Spectors:

But the one that got away was a 1959 Gibson EB0 (before they even shaped the body). I had used it on loan from the Guitar Player's Dad. Probably for a little over a year. I tried to buy it (even when I was a kid), but he never would sell it. And finally I had to give her back. After looking on line, only 123 of these were ever made. Had no idea at the time she was in my possession.

 

[lermgalieu]

Nope - good riddance to everything I've gotten rid of.