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What was your dream bass when you first started playing?

#101
I started taking lessons in 1993 or 1994 at ages 15/16. I didn't know what GAS was until I bought a copy of Bass Player magazine and saw Warwicks on the inside back cover. When I started playing a 5-string I immediately fell for the Warwick Fortress MasterMan.

Cut to 2005- I bought a preowned '97 Corvette Standard 4-string from a TalkBasser and it's all the bass I've ever wanted or needed.

However, part of me still wants a Fortress MasterMan 5 because the Fortress is my favorite Warwick body shape.

But before I even started playing, a clerk at a music store saw me checking out the basses and gave me an Ibanez catalog that I wore absolutely thin. I wanted my first bass to be a burgundy red Ibanez EXB404 and it was. The tone was awesome and the reason I love maple bodied basses. Heck, when I traded it up for a 5-string (which had an alder body) it was seeing the Fortress MasterMan made out of flame maple that really made me want it because I wanted a maple bodied bass again.

Never had another maple bass. I've had 2 alder basses (and thanks to those I'm not too fond of alder), an agathis bass (that actually had decent tone), and my bubinga Corvette.
 
#102
As i started out as a Iron Maiden fan, and loving Steve Harris tone, what i wanted the most was a flatwounded 70's P bass.. and later Phil Lynott didnt exactly help on that case..

Well, now i have one, it only took 2 jazz basses(one copy and a Geddy), Jackson KBX, one Japan P bass reissue, one status 5er, A vintage Ibanez roadster, G&L L2000 and Warwick Streamer, but now i have it... :D (i am not counting my other bass, as it dont have anything with the line to do :p)
 
#104
I started out with an Ibanez Blazer, but lusted after a Steinberger as it appealed strongly to the engineer in me and some of the bands I like at the time were using them and it was all over the magazines. I finally bought one, new, but sold it a while later during a bout of poverty. Always regretted it. I had a Hohner B2A Steinberger clone in the interim (still do), but last year I bought another XL2 and I doubt I'll ever sell this one. Fits me like a glove.

I also bought an Alembic Distillate around the same time, and sold it around the same time as the first Steinie, for the same reason. Two years ago, I finally got a Series 1 to replace it.

To complete the nostalgia trip, I recently ran across a Blazer in near mint condition for a song, so I picked that up too. This one's better than the first as it's plain ash, not that horrible tobacco burst like my first one.
 
#105
Easy question...an Alembic! Back when I first started playing, there was no question that Alembics were the Roll Royce of bass guitars (I still feel that way). And you didn't have all the high end builders you have today. After seeing Stanley playing one and later Mark King among others, I knew one day.....

Well when I was on the road back in the late 80's - early 90's. I finally got my dream bass. Had a Alembic Distillate 5-String built for me....with a beautiful Coco Bolo top and of course...LEDs in the neck. It was my main bass for over 16 years.

kbgrin.jpg
 
#107
My dream bass when I started off was a Gibson EB3.
Jim Lea from Slade had one and he was the most impressive player of his time for me. My first bass was an EB-0 copy.

I never ended up with an EB-3 - I've never even picked one up.

I've had half the other basses in the world, but moved away from the EB-3. Probably because he stopped using one and went onto his John Birch instead.
 
#114
Alembic Exploiter. In those days I wasn't hip to the various electronics packages, but I loved the shape and the tone. I've got a Spoiler/Exploiter now, and it's plenty flexible without all the gadgetry of the Series basses. I'm constantly torn between sticking with it as my main bass - it sounds excruciatingly awesome but has a big neck and I can't get the action as low as I'd like - or switching over to my Tobias which practically plays itself but sounds 235% different.
 
#115
I began playing in 1987 and bought my first copy of "Guitarist" magazine with Steven Ritenour on the cover.

I opened it and saw this fantastic trans red 5 string and it instantly became my dream bass.

It was the first of the Musicman Stingray 5 strings. It wasn't until 1999 that I was able to afford one. By that time my 'Flea' phase was just beginning so instead of the trans red it was an all black affair.

the other one was a Warwick Thumb 6 string. I can vaguely remember having a Warwick poster in my bedroom when I was a youngster with a picture of Jimmy earl and this huge behemoth with 6 strings.

Anything that big had to have a huge sound.

I've just bought myself a 5 string Thumb NT as I've had a couple of sixers before and I just don't need that extra string.
 
#116
Since I first started playing back in 1977 I've always wanted a Ric 4001(4003 now). Being a lefty I've never even handled one. Furthermore, I will state that I absolutely hate Lefty Rics with righthanded neck and am still offended that they use righthanded fretboards on lefty necks! However, someday soon I will find a good used one and finally own my dream bass.

Like ClassicJazz stated, back in the day Alembic was the absolute Crem de la crem of bass guitars. As a budding young bassplayer, I often fantasized that when I finally became a "Big Rock Star":rolleyes: I would play Alembics!

Alas!:crying:
 

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