• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What did you do with your "beginner" bass?

Pick one and elaborate.

  • Got rid of it ASAP, and now regret it.

    Votes: 43 11.9%

  • Got rid of it ASAP, and haven't thought about it since.

    Votes: 80 22.2%

  • Got rid of it ASAP, and I'm glad I did.

    Votes: 44 12.2%

  • Still have it, and I still pay it regularly.

    Votes: 62 17.2%

  • Still have it, but it mostly collects dust.

    Votes: 83 23.0%

  • Wait--you have more than one bass?

    Votes: 2 0.6%

  • Carrots

    Votes: 47 13.0%
  • Total voters
    361
#21
Sold it on Facebook marketplace to a guy who was wanting to learn bass. Gave it to him cheap.

It was Gretsch Junior Jet. After six months or so of playing it, I went to a Guitar Center to try others out. I liked the Gretsch a lot for what it was, but I also figured out I don't like the glossy neck or the thin guitar-like neck.

It's hard to pick out what ergonomics work best until you have some idea how to play.
 
#23
It's an Ibanez GSR190. I got it for my 13th birthday. Somehow, I still have it 24 years later. The knobs all fell off at some point, but other than that, it's still in working order.

It was in one of those starter packs with a little 10 watt amp. The amp didn't survive for long, but the bass still gets played. It's super light weight, so my 7 year old loves to play it. He's learned how to play Chameleon, so he has to play that for his little brother and sister about 20 times a day. They love it! It's light enough that my 4 year old will even try his hand at it. It's been a solid bass, and I'll never part with it.

Screenshot_20250421_130238_Gallery.jpg
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: EliasA, Brandon Shea, Gopherbassist and 1 other person
#24
Greenman72 said:
What did you do with your first bass?
Click to expand...
my first EB (a nice ric, a fireglow): i always say that i sold it. maybe i did, but i might have used it for a trade at the music store where i bought it. IDK
Greenman72 said:
Are you happy with your decision?
Click to expand...
yes, very happy with my decision. i voted "got rid of it ASAP, and i'm glad i did." ASAP = 6 - 12 months (?), i can't remember how long i had it. it had frets and i wanted a different ax.
 
#25
I loaned it to a local teen who was friends with one of my college bandmates and was starting her own band with a group of buddies. They weren't half bad for beginners and even ended up playing a couple songs as an opener for one of my band's shows. It was cool to see the bass have a second life. Unfortunately I lost touch with her and her buddies and never found out what happened with the bass long-term.

It would be cool to see the bass again for nostalgia purposes, but I have no practical use for it -- it's a very cheap, right-handed P bass copy that I played upside down as a lefty, which is ergonomically awful -- and don't really need any more instruments at my house these days, so I'm content overall.
 
#27
It's a 1996 MIM fender P with EMGs and a Baddass bridge added. Played it throughout my teens, always kinda wishing it was a J but knowing it sounded pretty good anyway. After I sold it to the local guitar shop my mother went right out and bought it back, and it's still on the wall in her house today. I thought it was silly for a long time but now in my 40's I can really appreciate the sentiment. 💓
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deleted member 394512 and DeltaPhoenix
#30
Ric 4001. I modded it significantly over several years and it continued as my #1 for a few years as a full-time pro. Eventually I transitioned to 5 strings (Yamaha BB5000) and then 6 strings (Yamaha TRB6P). Now the Ric mostly stays in it's case. I try to play through my collection a couple of times a year.
 
#31
An unbranded tobacco burst P bass. I paid £40 in a second hand shop for it some time in the late 80's.

The neck was maple with thick varnish as was common at the time. There was also some kind or rattle on the truss rod and the nut needed replaced, so I never really played it once I had better options.

About 15 years ago I gave it a refurb. Nice aftermarket neck with rosewood fretboard, tort pickguard, bridge and neck covers, new pickup and a set of flats. Not an intentional Funk machine copy, but I was clearly aiming in that ballpark. Basically everything replaced except the body, which is a (too) solid bit of wood. I still don't play it much but its now a nice bass, that is very different to most of the basses I have, and it gets pulled out occasionally when I want something that authentically looks the part.
 
#32
Kenny056 said:
It's an Ibanez GSR190. I got it for my 13th birthday. Somehow, I still have it 24 years later. The knobs all fell off at some point, but other than that, it's still in working order.

It was in one of those starter packs with a little 10 watt amp. The amp didn't survive for long, but the bass still gets played. It's super light weight, so my 7 year old loves to play it. He's learned how to play Chameleon, so he has to play that for his little brother and sister about 20 times a day. They love it! It's light enough that my 4 year old will even try his hand at it. It's been a solid bass, and I'll never part with it.

View attachment 7208052
Click to expand...
I'll raise you a Ibby GIO 200.

I played guitar before bass so I just borrowed bass guitars from friends or a studio bass when I wanted to dink around. Bought the GIO on a whim at GC back in 2002 or so. Can't remember.

I filed the nut and it sets up pretty well. Never had to adjust relief, even when living in CA ,WA and AR. Never had sharp fret ends etc. Bridge PU sucks but gives decent tone from the P.

It sits in the corner in a gig bag. I may turn it into a BEAD.

Old GIO 200.jpg
 
  • Love
Reactions: Kenny056
#34
I've learned to play bass...twice (took a quite a while off from a wrist issue). My first bass was a Rick 4001 - that one I sold. Had a few others, and then stopped playing. When I restarted, there were a number of basses that I did mods on, until I eventually started building my own. During a rather long process of figuring out what I liked, I modded and made a lot of basses that were experiments - will I like this? Eventually, figured out what I really liked, and donated a bunch of basses. And then, just before the pandemic, I decided to make myself a 5 (long story). And then...I realized I did better if I always played the same physical platform. So I build a few more 5's, and donated all the 4's I had built.

My beginner basses get played - just not by me. There are a couple schools in my city in areas where the kids don't have parents that can pop for instruments, and a bunch of kids get to learn bass as a result - on my "beginner" basses (truth be told, most of those basses are quite nice). My musical career started with a couple violins - one my parents bought me, and a vintage one the neighbor gave me (100 years old counts as vintage, right?). Anyway, I'm just returning the favor a bit.

I'm not a complete saint - I haven't given away all my basses. I kept a few really nice ones.

Oh, there was another question - yes, I'm very happy with my decision(s) - having donated a decent number of basses, I've never regretted a single one.
 
Last edited:
#36
@Jugghaid My first bass was also a Peavey T-40, which was also stolen (1988), so I'm answering for the next one, a Peavey Patriot. I bought it in early 1988, and played it sporadically until around 1993. I was practicing law, getting married, etc., and I then didn't touch a bass for nine years.

When I returned to playing in 2002, I got rid of that Peavey within a year, mostly due to playability. But I now regret dumping it so quickly, because it would have been a perfect backup/beater bass, and once I learned how to do my own setups, I bet I could have gotten its playability dialed in. It sounded cool, and was a nice alternative to a Fender P.

I probably would have sold it eventually anyway because I've gotten fairly picky about basses, but it would have been worthwhile to keep for another few years.
 
#38
I still technically have mine, but it's been modded to hell because I failed to realize that I needed to practice, not obsess over random little variables. I had a chance to play my first bass's twin at a shop recently (2004 Fender Standard Jazz Bass, Midnight Wine finish), and honestly, it was great. Someone got a really nice deal on that one.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back