What was your first bass guitar?

[bjabass]

Came up in another thread, but I thought it would be interesting. It seems a lot of us have warm stories of our first... bass, sometimes with touches of 'the one that got away', and thought this would be interesting,..

I would guess the younger you are or the more recently you started playing, the likelier you are to have warm stories. I started playing in the late 60's when an 'entry level' bass was TRULY junk. Mine was a Heit violin bass....wouldn't make good fire wood.

 

[CTC564]

Brand new (I was 16) 1982Jetglo Rickenbacker 4001

 

[jscottmsc]

First bass was a Yamaha BB3000S 4 string p/j config...black with gold hardware...I donated this bass to our church and they use it in the spanish speaking ministry.

 

[Chef FourString]

Jet black 01' Squire P purchased in 01. I still got it too. Needs new pups and face plate but that thing has the best neck I've ever played. It's lasted soooo long. It use to be my work horse but my 50s Classic has taken its place.

Cheers

 

[RSNG]

I started playing bass on my brother's Silvertone Danelectro. Definitely an entry level bass; but it played really nice, and it sounded good. He still has it.

I saved $150 and bought a used early 60s Epiphone Rivoli. This is the same a Gibson EB2. For $200, I could have had a beautiful early 60s sunburst Fender Precision. But, that was a lot more money, that I didn't have. And, at the time, I thought the Epiphone was cooler. I still have it.

 

[viper4000]

Mine was a Martin Stinger 4 string P/J config with a hardcase. Bought it for $65.00 off some kid in college that was hurting for money. I think it has a particle wood body. Imagine that! It actually plays really well. Great action, thin jazz neck. The p-ups are questionable at this point. I kinda want to mod it: p-ups, tuners, bridge, pots, the works. But probably won't try a refinish, as I like the beat-up look of this little guy.

 

[Epitaph04]

Silver Ibanez SR305. Loved it when I had it. Even said I would never sell it...until I started to actually play (and plug in) other bass guitars.

Still the lightest and most comfortable bass I've owned so far, though.

 

[Slapstyle]

I had an Aria Pro II. Still have it actually, but I ruined it by trying to rip the frets out for a fretless conversion, and sanded the finish off of it and did all kinds of damage to it. It still plays, but it's pretty well destroyed. I keep it for sentiment.

 

[McBassHead]

@jjjk - I've just been looking at the L2000's. Pretty impressive.
@McBassHead - Do you still have it?

Unfortunately I don't, along with my 1971 Dan Armstrong and my 1973 Rickenbacker 4001. I was young and stupid. Can't believe I sold those basses back in the 70's

 

[woodyng]

After a couple of quick flings with a hofner galaxy and a fender p,my first bass that i briefly owned and loved was an early 70's neck-through Rickenbacker 4000,customised with a 2nd toaster neck pickup. It started a lfetime on-again,off-again love affair with Ric basses. Out of the multitude of basses i have owned over the years,that First Ric,as well as a Viellette-Citron 8 string are the 2 i wish i could get back,although i do own 3 really nice Ric's now.

 

[Captain Howdy]

1977 Ibanez Black Eagle.

Still have it, but the pickguard was missing when I got it. I wish I could find one.

 

[tgriley62]

This isn't the actual first bass I bought but, it is the exact same model. Bought for $75 in 1977 along with a $100 Gibson Thor amp.

 

[Scott549]

Ibanez Soundgear. Sort of a dark teal color. It served me well but I've become a Precision fan. It's kind of like being a white guy from the midwest with type O blood, but I can't help it.

 

[Corbeau]

My first bass was a black Yamaha bass. I can't remember the model number - RBX something? It was one of their entry-level basses. I bought it second hand for about $250, and initially I was drawn to its shape. The bass was okay - it was playable, but the action was pretty high and there was a lot of buzzing.

I messed the bass up a little when I decided to "customise" the guitar by sanding a slogan onto the back. I can't remember where I saw that, but I thought it would be a cool thing to do. I don't have the bass anymore - I sold it eventually because I thought playing bass wasn't for me, but now I'm back playing.

 

[funkmaru]

MIM Fender P bass I got at a pawn shop for $200. Like new. I was ecstatic when I found it. I just started learning bass and considered getting a Squier starter set. But first I decided to poke around some local stores and pawn shops just in case there was something worthwhile there, and sure enough I found a diamond in the rough.

 

[hsech]

I started off on an old Kay Bass. Early 60's or late 50's. The picture is me and the bass around 1961 or 1962.

 

[godofthunder59]

I started off on an old Kay Bass. Early 60's or late 50's. The picture is me and the bass around 1961 or 1962.

This picture is Awesome!

 

[godofthunder59]

My first bass was a Kingston MIJ POS jazz bass wanna be. Horrid would be to kind a word. My folks rented it for a couple of months to see if I would "stick with it" I did and they took me to the House Of Guitars to but my first bass on my 11th Birthday. Being a McCartney fan I had to have a Hofner unfortunate they were out of my parents price range. I can home with a Klira, made in the same town as Hofner and every bit as good. I still have it A few years ago I bought a Kingston of ebay out of nostalgia to complete my "early years" collection. Just as bad as I remember. My first Klira is the one on the right with the black Gibson pickups, I "improved" it years ago as a kid.

And the not so hot Kingston

 

[LowEZ]

Brand new 1982 Fender Bullet Deluxe. Not bad, not great, a friend of mine still has it. He's offered it back but I really have no use for it. I guess no warm and fuzzy memories there...

 

[pastorjamesc]

A late '70s Kramer. (Not photos of my actual bass, just its twin) don't have it any more.