A green Univox violin shaped Beetle bass. I paid $90 and it played pretty well and recorded very well but the violin shape dug into my ribs. Like most people, I'd like to get another one just because there's nothing like your first.
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What was your first bass guitar?
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- first bass old real
1978 Fender Musicmaster short scale. Black with a rosewood board. Played it for about a year and bought an Ibanez Rick copy with a bolt on neck.
Still miss that old Musicmaster.
Still miss that old Musicmaster.
Add me to the "Memphis" group. Except my "P-bass" was 3TS, tort PG and some weird semi-microphonic humbucker that looked nothing like a real P pickup. For the life of me I cant remember if the fretboard was maple or rosewood!
I bought it brand-new in late 1979 for about $80 (+/-). Got my first amp a couple of months later in early 80 for about $75- I think it was a Univox but I cant say for sure.
I got rid of the bass in about 82 or 83. I traded it toward a Kramer Duke. Didnt get my first "real" bass until sometime in 84 when I traded the Duke toward a T-40.
Its funny, I'm usually VERY sentimental about stuff like this (still have my first real baseball glove from 1973) but I do not miss that bass in the least!
My first bass was a gem of a bass... no wait, it was a Gem bass! Thank you Scott V. for selling it to me my freshman year in college for $20 which included all the lessons I wanted thru that semester. I still have it, but it needs work (its somewhat unamplifiable at present).
My first bass was an 80's Ibanez Roadstar.
I remember a few distinctive things about it. To me, it weighed a ton. It had two soapbar pickups, but each had 16 adjustable pole pieces. It's bolt on neck was white like the body, but had slightly yellowed evenly over the entire neck. The body was still a true white.
Back in the 80's, comfort and tone were not my first priority. It was about the amount of cash I could save up working over the summer, and what was available from the used market in the local newspaper.
Also, Peavey combos were the best bang for the buck then.
I remember a few distinctive things about it. To me, it weighed a ton. It had two soapbar pickups, but each had 16 adjustable pole pieces. It's bolt on neck was white like the body, but had slightly yellowed evenly over the entire neck. The body was still a true white.
Back in the 80's, comfort and tone were not my first priority. It was about the amount of cash I could save up working over the summer, and what was available from the used market in the local newspaper.
Also, Peavey combos were the best bang for the buck then.
1984? BC Rich Eagle - NJ Series in black, natch! 24 Fret RW, crazy fast neck
Wish I still had that one, pawned it for about $100 in '91.
Missed it so much I bought another one maybe 2 years ago, this time turquoise.
Now that I think about it, I should post a photo in that Crazy Eighties Bass thread.
Wish I still had that one, pawned it for about $100 in '91.
Missed it so much I bought another one maybe 2 years ago, this time turquoise.
Now that I think about it, I should post a photo in that Crazy Eighties Bass thread.
Ibanez SR400. Got it at a pawn shop for $200 about ten years ago. All I remember about it was it's sparkly purple finish. My memory is garbage.
a natural Peavey Patriot with a single soapbar, which is apparently not all that common. got it for Christmas in 1986 along with a peavey practice amp (my oldest son has the amp right now). never really liked that bass. unlike some here, I don't wish I still had it (unless its worth something, which I don't think it is). i did play the heck out of it tho. I traded it in to the mom & pop store last year for my Squier DAJV that I love & play constantly. I don't miss the Patriot
1972 Fender P-bass...it is still my main bass. It was the very first "big" purchase with my own money so it meant alot to me...still does. I have a bass like Steve Harris...that was my dream...now if only I could play that way
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,060
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- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
Mine was a Klira bought in '71! I still have it, it is a old dear friend. It's the one on the left "improved" with Gibson SB450 pickups.
Yamaha BB300 purchased new in 1991.
Not mine but it looked like this:
I still have it, though it's unrecognizable these days. It was a long running experiment in "upgrade".
Pearly white paint was stripped off.
Pickups were replaced with an active Alembic PA/E1 set.
Bridge was replaced with an original Badass I. Not a II or III, a first gen Badass designed for new construction. So tall I couldn't get the action low enough to be anywhere near playable. Since it never occurred to me to shim the neck I routed a pocket in the body to set the bridge into.
At this point it was nearly perfect. My guitarist described it (positively) as "The sound of god farting."
Of course being young and stupid it got updated further. A gizmotron and was bolted to the front, followed by thumbrests in various locations, then all of the above removed, leaving it full of holes.
I went off into the standard path that basses needed more "flexibility", more knobs, more tones. I've owned Alembic, Fender Jazz of American and 90's MIJ origin, 60's era gibsons. I've seriously evaluated Pre-Gibson Tobias and Pre-Cort Curbow basses, as well as Chapman Sticks. All because I had to have "flexibility".
Then I realized the simple truth of "freedom from choice" and came back to the P-Bass. Currently playing an Affinity P that's been upgraded to quality hardware.
The BB300 was my first and it's about to be my main AGAIN. I'm repainting it, probably ReRanch "Gorilla Vanilla." I simply need to figure out how to re-fret my awkward de-fret job I did in anger years ago.
After everything I've touched over the years, it's still the best, most comfortable bass I've ever played.
Not mine but it looked like this:
I still have it, though it's unrecognizable these days. It was a long running experiment in "upgrade".
Pearly white paint was stripped off.
Pickups were replaced with an active Alembic PA/E1 set.
Bridge was replaced with an original Badass I. Not a II or III, a first gen Badass designed for new construction. So tall I couldn't get the action low enough to be anywhere near playable. Since it never occurred to me to shim the neck I routed a pocket in the body to set the bridge into.
At this point it was nearly perfect. My guitarist described it (positively) as "The sound of god farting."
Of course being young and stupid it got updated further. A gizmotron and was bolted to the front, followed by thumbrests in various locations, then all of the above removed, leaving it full of holes.
I went off into the standard path that basses needed more "flexibility", more knobs, more tones. I've owned Alembic, Fender Jazz of American and 90's MIJ origin, 60's era gibsons. I've seriously evaluated Pre-Gibson Tobias and Pre-Cort Curbow basses, as well as Chapman Sticks. All because I had to have "flexibility".
Then I realized the simple truth of "freedom from choice" and came back to the P-Bass. Currently playing an Affinity P that's been upgraded to quality hardware.
The BB300 was my first and it's about to be my main AGAIN. I'm repainting it, probably ReRanch "Gorilla Vanilla." I simply need to figure out how to re-fret my awkward de-fret job I did in anger years ago.
After everything I've touched over the years, it's still the best, most comfortable bass I've ever played.
The legendary Peavey T-40. I loved all 27 pounds of it 
.
It was special not just because it was my first, but because I paid for it when I was 15 with money I earned...and even better, I bought directly against my parents' wishes. I learned a lot from that experience.
.It was special not just because it was my first, but because I paid for it when I was 15 with money I earned...and even better, I bought directly against my parents' wishes. I learned a lot from that experience.
