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What was your first bass guitar?

#2,223
My first bass NEVER worked from the very first day I got it (2000). My cousin "let me have it" after he let it sit and rust from sea breeze in his closet for 5 years...It just crackled and hissed; not one note. It was a cheap $100 (if that much) bass with a P-Bass P/U, no pickguard and a sunburst finish, I think Biscayne Bass is what it said on the headstock (made in Florida? who knows). It was super easy to play but to hear what I was playing I'd sit on my wooden dresser (which was pretty beat up) and the bass would actually be amplified by the vibrations passing through the dresser. Did that for a year and a half (I'd already spent 2 years learning on my high school's Ibanez SR405 before getting this).

First "real" bass came in early 2002: '01 Fender Am. Dlx. 5 String J-Bass...great sound. I was really into Marcus Miller back then, can't ya tell? :hiding:

7523747202_d4aa9ee05b.jpg


Gave the non-working bass to a friend just before college (2004), sold the Fender during my first semester to pay for a Lakland 55-02 (Better B, tonally more versatile).
 
#2,225
For Christmas in 1974 I awoke to find an Epiphone EB-0 on a guitar stand under the tree. I was the happiest kid on the planet that morning. Of course I replaced it as soon as I became accomplished enough to realize it's limitations. I sure wish I'd kept it just as a keepsake though. I would enjoy having it just to look at once in a while.
 
#2,229
johndough247 said:
My first bass NEVER worked from the very first day I got it (2000). My cousin "let me have it" after he let it sit and rust from sea breeze in his closet for 5 years...It just crackled and hissed; not one note. It was a cheap $100 (if that much) bass with a P-Bass P/U, no pickguard and a sunburst finish, I think Biscayne Bass is what it said on the headstock (made in Florida? who knows). It was super easy to play but to hear what I was playing I'd sit on my wooden dresser (which was pretty beat up) and the bass would actually be amplified by the vibrations passing through the dresser. Did that for a year and a half (I'd already spent 2 years learning on my high school's Ibanez SR405 before getting this).
Click to expand...

Cool story! I was ampless for awhile when I had my Samick back in the day, but I still played it. Wish I knew the dresser trick! Then I bought a cheap Kustom 10 or 15w amp, so it was still like being ampless. lol
 
#2,231
I played guitar for thirteen years. I entered a battle of the bands years ago, but we needed a bass player. Being as I was the only one who understood anything other than power chords I was volunteered to play bass. I borrowed a squier five string from a local music shop where some friends worked. I have been playing bass ever since. I still have my squier but i rarely play it even though the neck is like butter.
 
#2,236
1st bass, 60's Japanese junk (Hiet)...2nd bass, 60's American junk (Gibson hollow body), 3rd bass, 70's Italian junk (Vox Spyder IV).

1st REAL bass, 72 Fender P......

I miss the Gibson for what it is worth in $$$ today...I miss the Vox because of the spindly skinny super fast neck...they both sounded like crap. (WHY did I keep buying hollow bodies?)

I really believe that if the P bass had not been stolen I might still only have one bass.
 
#2,237
Nothing special but My first bass was a fender squire cobalt blue j bass starter pack. When I first got it it sound ok but then I put a preamp in and now it is one of my favorite basses because the neck is thinner than all my other basses.
 
#2,238
My first bass was an early 70s Epiphone short scale; I think it was 32".

It had a Fender-type body, 2 pickups, one volume and one tone control, and a three way switch.

My parents gave it to me, and I believe it cost $109.00.

It was red, as in the picture below.

Link Removed

I didn't think I'd find a photo of it, but the internet is amazing.

Mike
 
#2,239
My first bass was a humble RBX370A. Which came to me from my drummer. It has made its way through the hands of each one of my bandmates, and is a special instrument. It's been given a nice set-up and I still enjoy it on occasions despite having moved on to bigger and better toys.
 
#2,240
Got my first bass back in '64, an old, very used Kent P-copy for $35.. Terrible neck bow, had to downtune to: -, E,A,D, using the floppy E mainly as a muted thumb-rest. After next getting my '65 Vox, the Kent was used in our "Who" set, until it got thrown off the stage with a bad landing, one too many times. Later sawed it into a teardrop shape and painted flourescent green! Still have what's left of it in a case. Need to hang it up on the wall sometime.
 

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