I have my first bass and a travel bass, which I take to school and lessons. My first bass was actually more of an investment, and to me, plays a little better. One day, once I get a truly superior instrument, it will be a project. Defret, refin, upgrade electronics, you know. It's still in playable condition, get's an alright action, and can sound awesome with a fresh set of strings. Don't let it go to waste if it's still useful.
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What did you do with your first bass?
- Thread starter Matthew_84
- Start date
Covered it with skateboarding stickers, colored most of the headstock black with a permanent marker, then made it a fretless and sold it.
Man, I wonder what it sounds like today. It was one of those Squier starter packs. I would probably play it right now if I had it. I'd probably refinish it, too.
Man, I wonder what it sounds like today. It was one of those Squier starter packs. I would probably play it right now if I had it. I'd probably refinish it, too.
I took mine 100% apart and put it back together. I tweaked the neck up and down and then rewired it a few different ways. I generally used it to figure out how basses work
I gave my first bass to a 10 year old kid who lost his dad when he was 6.
It was a Lyon made by Washburn that I got from Target.
It was a Lyon made by Washburn that I got from Target.
I'm really not certain what became of my first one. I think I left it at a friends house, we had grand plans to turn it into a fretless and do some crazy pickup experiments but never got around to it. I owned a 4001 and a Hofner 500/1 by then and it was left behind when I moved out of state. I always regretted losing track of it and yes I'm somewhat sentimental about my basses.
It looked a lot like this bass, though it had no name anywhere on it a few people back then told me it was a Crestwood. If anyone comes across one like this please give me a heads up.
It looked a lot like this bass, though it had no name anywhere on it a few people back then told me it was a Crestwood. If anyone comes across one like this please give me a heads up.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
For the love of God, I can't remember (I do know it was a Hondo, and the year was 1981 or thereabouts)
I've still got my Jazz copy. It's in my roof. It's a different colour, different pick ups (EMG's) a chunk cut off the headstock as it didn't fit the case I bought. I played it for many years. The action is so high I think a lot of people wouldn't play it but I think that's just added to my hand strength. As a teenager when I bought it I had already decided to change the pick ups but only being on a paperboy wage I had to buy and fit one, carry on gigging, save up for
months to buy the second. Good times. Keep them frequencies low people!
months to buy the second. Good times. Keep them frequencies low people!
The least expensive Yamaha P- type from around 1988-9, I traded it plus $100 for a Ludwig Octa-plus kit with stands in a nice wood finish, in 1991.....a good deal for the Godfather 
I just pulled the pickups out of my Ibanez EX p/j, bought a Duncan QP p-pickup and ordered new pots and a new bridge. Currently hunting for a Duncan QP J bridge pickup. Will be my first rewire on a bass. About a week ago I had relegated my first bass to forever live in the gig bag only to be shown as "the first bass I ever bought". The Duncan pickup showed up in the classifieds and off I went. I must be nuts as I just bought a bunch of parts to make a Franken-P. Such is the nature of our "habit" and the reason we're all here I gather. 
My first bass (whoa, must have been 20 years ago) was a pink Chandler PJ, a nice, good quality bass with EMGs. It ended up flat black with a Warmoth 8-string neck, and I used the 4-string neck to build a Franken-Precision bass. These two are my main basses to this day.
Still have the Peavey Rudy Sarzo 1989. Sent to Michael Dolan for a defret several years ago and added Aguilar OBP-3. She is a keeper.....I don't plan on ever getting rid of it.
Mine was a JC Penny catalog purchase - a clear finish P copy - I recieved for xmas. Some months later, I traded it for a Segovia Jazz copy whose neck quickly turned into a pretzel during a jam session when the guitarist 'retuned' my bass three steps higher...
Good news is I worked my butt off that summer and bought a brand new Rickenbacker 4001 in fire glow (this was 1978).
Lesson learned: NEVER LET THE GUITARIST TUNE YOUR BASS!
Good news is I worked my butt off that summer and bought a brand new Rickenbacker 4001 in fire glow (this was 1978).Lesson learned: NEVER LET THE GUITARIST TUNE YOUR BASS!
My first bass was a mid-60's Fender P-Bass. I traded it for a mid-60's Hofner, which I later traded back for another mid-60's Fender P-Bass 
Yeah...it was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away 
Yeah...it was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away 
Gave my Samick Sam Goody P bass pack away for my Foundation best thing I ever did love my Foundy!
I grew up playing on my Jr.High school's bass. I had to turn it in at the end of every school year so every summer I was without a bass. I didn't get my own bass until I was a freshmen in high school maybe even my sophomore year. My grandparents saved up money in a mason jar. I think it was $350. I really wanted a 5 string. I bought a Rogue 5 string bass pj set up. I took that thing everywhere. I had it for a long time. My shady guitar player stole it from me and blamed his brother. He gave me $50.00 for my loss. Believe it or not that was a great bass.
