What’s your oldest bass?

[Jeff Scott]

Thats a beauty for sure and in great condition. But not mine. Mine was black. The shape made the transition to a Ric much easier IMO.

The string spacing is the same, and the pickup is in the same location (accounting for the slight differences in scale length between the Guild and a Rick) as the bridge pickup is on a Rick. It's a great sounding bass, that Guild is.

My oldest bass is an inherited 1697 Gibson EB-2.

Wow! A Ming Dynasty bass! Was it made in China?

I own two 1954 Fender P-basses, 1963 P-Bass, 1966 Jazz Bass and a 1966 P-Bass. I am not worthy… there you goView attachment 5195175View attachment 5195176View attachment 5195177View attachment 5195178View attachment 5195179View attachment 5195180View attachment 5195181

The Jazz Bass had blocks & binding in 1966?

 

[PBandJazzBass]

C. 1920

 

[Taustin Powers]

Warwick Streamer Stage I. Bought new in 2000. Played many gigs with it, this bass has some stories to tell.

I also have a 1994 Thumb BO, but that one I bought used many years later.

 

[Leigh Semmens]

My oldest is the Taurus T25 I bought new around 2011

 

[Acoop]

Used, my 66 P-bass I bought 51 years ago.
New, my 82 JV J-bass I bought 40-years ago.

 

[SteveCS]

Oldest bought 2nd hand is 1980 Eko BX-7 acquired ~1987/8

Oldest (and only ever) 'new to me' is a 10-string Chapman Stick in white oak, made and bought in 1990.

 

[PiquetBass]

Bought new in 1987, still gigging with it.

Aria Pro II XRB.

 

[Stempelloos]

The oldest bass I had, and also my first bass, technically the one I have the longest, was a 1964 Crucianelli Cougar hollowobody. Which is now in parts and used as a donor for other projects. Next is a 1965 Crucianelli Cougar bass (probably an Élite), very near to a restored/modified Dynacord Thin Body Bass which is from around 1967.

Then an Ibanez 2354B (EB3 copy) from the mid seventies.

After that I guess the Hohner B2A FL from the eighties.

Followed by I guess the Höfner Cavern '61 which is one of the first re-issues from the nineties. The Rok Axe USA Performer fretless is also from the nineties.
I guess the Samick SAKB Fretless 5-string has a similar age, maybe a bit younger.

I never planned to have an arsenal and for decades I only had 1 main bass and a spare, often a loan or given as management. But ended up with quite a few after I started buying basses and bass projects after my main bass got stolen.
Probably as some sort of compensation.

 

[Basvarken]

The oldest bass I owned was the 1964 Epiphone Newport.

When I bought it, it looked like this.

I brought it back to a more appropriate look. But I kept the extra pickup, since it was very useful.
After the restoration it looked liked this:

Sold it a couple of years ago.



The oldest bass in my posession now is the 1968 Gibson Les Paul Bass Prototype

 

[Dave W]

My oldest is my 1978 Stingray. I bought it used and it shows, it's very road worn and I love it.
The next is my Fender Jazz Bass Special, I think it's from 1987 IIRC?

Most of mine are over 10 years old at this point and most of them have been in my possession for over 10 years. I don't think I bought any of them new, I usually like to go used.

 

[Nekomata]

1975 (but still in its maiden year with me):

Spotted it in the local/regional classifieds. The price was reasonable, especially in light of the recent 'vintage rage' and... much to my suprise, this Ibby 2388B/DX is in rather good condition.

 

[RoadieP]

Old 2nd hand deal, cheap Encore P bass from high school in the late 90s. It lives at my buddy's house currently

 

[Chickenwheels]

…also the newest Precision I've used, and longest.
'75

 

[Snaxster]

The one you've had the longest?...

Tell us your stories…

From Show us the Oldest Bass in Your Inventory:

His name is Methuselah. He lives in my bathtub.


View attachment 3830123

 

[jamro217]

1968 Fender Precision. Sunburst/rosewood/TORT equipped with TI flats.

Or possibly a Prestige violin bass (still has the original strings and hang tags. Must have spent the last half century in a wormhole.) Can't be sure of the date on that one.

 

[Toby East]

Fender Japan E-Series PB-57. I picked it up about 18/19 years ago. I have better basses… but this one writes the songs.

 

[Mostyn]

1963 Hofner

 

[GregT]

My 4/4 German flatback double bass is over 100 years old now. It was used on a few songs on the Angry Samoan's album STP not LSD in the 70s and you can hear it on the song Feet on the Ground on YouTube. It also spent some of its early life as a Hollywood movie prop and was in The Three Stooges movie Disorderly in the Court and other movies.

 

[Paul New]

Eh, forgot my Kay C1, from 1951.

 

[neddyrow]

Had to get a birth year bass and the best one for me was 1977 Yamaha SB1200