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What is your "giant killer" bass?....

Since many folks are posting basses that can be a bit pricey, I'll post my favorite. This is a vintage bass, but it only cost me 1170 USD. Only one pickup works, and these pickups are actually single coil. Love the tone from this bass! It kills!
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I've owned it for well over 10 years now, so yes, but I wouldnt be the first one volunteering to do so. Only a small percentage of the players out there, ever become obsessed with the allure of the wicked shapes... and with good reason. Many of those basses ONLY looked cool...

Ever since I was little, I loved the BC Riches and the likes, but I learned fast that most were built terribly and sounded anemic. However, this bass was well thought out, and all of that mahogany gives it a very woody/ warm tone, yet the pup design, electronics, and placement, give it punch like I've never heard.

It's the only non USA Fender or G&L that I own, and it has it's place. It has a spine tingling tone, to match it's vibe.
 
jay turser beatle bass with flats on it...

i think i've got $200 invested in it.

sounds huge and seriously as good as any beatle bass i've played.

has been chosen to bring to gigs over many multi-thousand dollar basses many times over the years. that with a VT bass and a pick, you really can't beat it for what it is.
 
Another Peavey vote here for my 1986 Foundation, I love this bass and hand on heart I wish I'd bought one of these 80's versions back in the 80's/90's. I wouldn't have bothered buying the various brands of Jazz basses I've had over the years. The build quality of these 80's gems is great and the Super Ferrite pickups still hold up today. No wonder there are a few Foundations & Peavey basses in this thread.:thumbsup::cool:
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Ok, so you've got a few high-end basses and there's nothing wrong with them. You dig the tone, how they play and they're worth every penny you paid....... Then you've got this lesser, maybe even crappy bass that might be the red-headed stepchild of anyone else's bass collection but you love it. You can't put your finger on exactly why but you can't put it down and it gets a disproportionate amount of play compared to your more expensive instruments. I want to see the basses that hit way over their weight in your collection. The uglier the better. If you understand why the particular bass is so special, please elaborate. I submit my Ibanez TMB310. Definitely on the cheaper end of the scale but that bass has a thump that none of the others have and the neck is super-comfortable. More often than not, I find myself grabbing for that one over the others. So, what's your underdog bass??View attachment 3968826
For me it would be the first bass I ever owned from the age of 12. I've had it for almost 30 years and recently put some missing parts back on and strung her up with some TIs and a good set up. I haven't played it in probably 25 years and it actually to my surprise plays amazing and sounds good too. I don't remember it playing this well as a kid but I guess a good setup and strings went a long way. It's a crappy squier from the late 80s but it plays just as well as my custom shop and real 63 P. I grab it and play it more than I thought I would. And it has a lot of sentimental value for me also.
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hmmm .... well, have to say that all my "higher end" basses (2 Fender Roscoe Beck IV's and a Lull M4V) are just all around better than my lesser (but still fine) basses (MIM Jazz Deluxe, '51 P MIJ reissue).

so, I guess I don't really have any cheap "giant killers"
 
Ok, so you've got a few high-end basses and there's nothing wrong with them. You dig the tone, how they play and they're worth every penny you paid....... Then you've got this lesser, maybe even crappy bass that might be the red-headed stepchild of anyone else's bass collection but you love it. You can't put your finger on exactly why but you can't put it down and it gets a disproportionate amount of play compared to your more expensive instruments. I want to see the basses that hit way over their weight in your collection. The uglier the better. If you understand why the particular bass is so special, please elaborate. I submit my Ibanez TMB310. Definitely on the cheaper end of the scale but that bass has a thump that none of the others have and the neck is super-comfortable. More often than not, I find myself grabbing for that one over the others. So, what's your underdog bass??View attachment 3968826
The one in the middle:
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My '76 Musicmaster Bass...or my parts P that I inherited from my dad when he died. The latter has an MIJ body, AVRI neck, and Duncan pickup.

Thing is, the parts P is now back to being parts. After playing it as my primary for 10 years, I replaced it with an AV '58. Then I stole the parts P's neck for my Jaguar Bass assembly that I'm working on. The plan is to strip and refin the parts P's body, as the base for a vintage correct slab board build.
 
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I like this one here a lot ... it is a parts bass

maybe $500 or so in parts ... it is crazy light and sounds good ... 5 strings on a 4 string neck

it has a schaller bridge, an Audere 4 band preamp, and seymour duncan pickups. The body is maple, the pickups are in the Rickenbacker positions.

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