What was the first so called "Bass" you owned

[newtonbassist]

In 1988 (high school) a friend convinced me there were too many guitar players and I should learn the bass. Conveniently he had a buddy who was looking to sell his "bass." It was a Mako bass, definitely short scale as I recall. An additional feature was you could hold it up to your face and yell into the pickup and hear your voice come out of the amp. I paid $15 for that beauty. I then got suckered into paying too much for a Memphis bass that had bad machine heads ("they'll only cost you about $5 to replace"). I finally bought a somewhat decent Washburn, set the Memphis on fire in my back yard and traded the Mako (which by then I had drawn a picture of Iron Maiden's Eddie on in black sharpie) to my drummer buddy who, for some reason (drugs?) loved that bass, for a half bottle of Smirnoff Vodka. I can't believe how LOW the low end instruments were back then.

 

[BLDavis]

Mine was a Teisco. I don't remember the model. It was sunburst and had a single pup and volume and tone controls. My parents bought it for about $50. I wish I sill had it.
B.

 

[bass12]

My first bass was an Artist. I’ve never been able to find out anything about it. Short scale - obviously designed as a kid’s starter bass. Most likely made in China. Awful in pretty much every way imaginable.

 

[buzzbass]

60s Gibson EBO

 

[WI Short Scaler]

My first bass was nice one. It was an Ibanez lawsuit Ric 4001 copy in fireglow. I bought it for $200 from a friend who needed some $$ and had a few basses.

It was a nice bass but MAN that thing was huge. I just remember it seemed as tall as my lowly 5'6" vertically challenged frame! I had it for a few years where I wasn't too serious about the whole bass thing. I sold it to a friend who loved it. He and I lost touch over the years and I heard now he's passed, I wonder if he still had it all these years later?

 

[stubborne]

I got a Kent jazz copy, natural finish with action about an inch high and weighed about 20lbs, because my bud told me to get it. We were 14 I think. Learned how to play in the garage with him, both of us plugged into his brother's Ampeg something or other.

 

[TBPlayerOC]

My first bass was a no name Jazz short scale that I got for a case of Rainier beer. My second bass was an Antares PJ.

 

[ZedLepp]

My first bass was a Kalamazoo KB-2.
Pickup sounded like ass and would be out of tune by the bridge of the song.

 

[Jason Stock]

My first bass was a "Series A" I got at a pawn shop in 1990. I don't think they sold them anywhere else but in Canada but I could be wrong.

 

[bassdude51]

My mom took me to a music store and I bought this bass with my paper route money (1968). A Swedish Hagstrom Bass. I wanted a Fender Jazz Bass so badly but I couldn't afford it. (photos from Reverb.com)

 

[Tanner5382]

Ibanez GSR200FM. Bought new in 2009. Blue, sort of purpleish burst. Looked nice and sounded good.

 

[pingvuiini]

Lefty Hondo P-Bass copy. POS, but good enough to learn on.

 

[basslayer]

Mine was a Team brand p bass purchased in the early 90's from Rondo's brick and mortar store on Union NJ. Still has the original strings.

 

[PrinceByTor]

My first bass was a black Squire Affinity P-Bass. Got it with a small amp in a “starter pack.” Looking back it was a good instrument for a learning bassist; In all the time I had it I don’t think I ever changed the strings. By the time I bought my 6-string Ibanez and traded it for a car stereo the chrome, nickel, or whatever plating on the outside of the strings had worn off and had revealed a coppery colored underneath.

 

[dune]

'74 Mustang in sunburst. Purchased in '78 and still have it. Played it for a year or so before picking up one of the first L-1000s.

 

[DRBP]

the first bass i played was a bass i borrowed for about 6 months. it was a Global jazz copy. definitely on the POS end of the spectrum... i worked hard mowing lawns and bought my first bass- a peavey T-40. still have it.

 

[bassmanrocke]

Japanese Pan Jazz copy, in pieces. Plywood body, chunky neck, two saddle bridge, and cheesy tuners. Upgraded the parts, but eventually traded it and some cash on a '61 Stack-knob. One of my wiser moves.

 

[Ken R]

Mine was a Teisco. I don't remember the model. It was sunburst and had a single pup and volume and tone controls. My parents bought it for about $50. I wish I sill had it.
B.

Mine too, but it was a Norma.

 

[BarqsBitMe]

My first bass was a 5 string Squire, I assume Affinity series but not totally sure, that my parents bought me for my 14th birthday in 2000. I'm sure it was quite terrible, but at the time I loved it because it looked just like (or close enough) to the 5 string Sadowsky basses Jason Newstead played (who I idolized at the time) and I loved it. The following year when my parents saw my interest in playing bass wasn't just a whim, they bought me a 5 string Ibanez BTB with a purple quilted finish that looked amazing and got me a lot of looks when I would bust it out in my jazz band class.

I've had a number of basses over the years of wildly different styles but the Fender jazz bass style will always hold a special place for me all because the person I spent years idolizing played them (albeit Sadowskys). One of these days when I am rich (because of course we will all be rich someday lol) I'd love to pick up a 5 string Sadowsky jazz bass so I can hold in my hands the same instrument my idol played. Then again, the idea of dropping $4000+ on a bass seems pretty absurd for someone like me who doesn't even do gigs or record...though I'd love to get into that someday. I've heard a kidney goes for around $70,000...so maybe that's an option =)

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

A Fender Bullet bass.