What was your first bass guitar?

[Quilbert]

I had a 'karina' jazz bass copy, it was so long ago it was purchased using a different currency. I (my dad) paid £90 IRL (punts) for it. It was actually a decent bass but got batterend a bit along the way. All running repairs were carried out using non-luthier components. I remember it has a really heavy bridge and a string through body. Wehn I eventually purchased a Fender Jazz, I tried to do a Jaco job and make a lined fretless out of it. I made a complete mess of it. Pity.

 

[Stempelloos]

An Italian (Crucianelli) made Cougar bass with a warped neck and dodgy electronics, given to me by the previous owner who advised me to check the electronics.
I had to solder two loose wires on the neck-humbucker coil in a drop of tin and replace a switch to get it more or less functional.
The neck had a broken and re-glued headstock. I straightened that out a bit by loosening the truss rod and pushing the fingerboard for two weeks on a straight plate of marble with clamps.
It ended up painted like above, when a bandmate started to work on it in a frenzy, I had it standing in a studio we shared.

 

[Puma]

A white Peavey Patriot.

1983 Ibanez RoadsterII deluxe, Sunburst. I wish I still had it

 

[GMC]

My first bass was a Marlin Sidewinder in Metallic grey. She was a looker for sure and with the P/double jazz pickups...it was quite versatile but ultimately limited. I soon out great the instrument.

 

[BassHappy]

Old Kraftsman, by Kay - a cool $179 delivered to me in Indiana, from the Spiegel catalog out of Chicago in 1964. Included a two channel bass amp.

 

[petergales]

Ibanez Roadstar

 

[Thor2]

Early 80's CIJ Fender PJ. Black with no guard. Still have it and still play it out!

 

[shawshank72]

White on white Peavey Fury

 

[ChefKen]

1975 Jazz bass with Alembic Activators and a Bad Ass 2......Miss it dearly but not not as much as my youth!!!

 

[TheOxRocks]

Blue Kramer Striker bass I bought new in '86. When the neck bowed past the point where I couldn't stand it anymore - three years later, hey, what did I know? - I brought it to a guitar tech who tried to do a setup. The truss rod broke through the neck at the third fret. He put a new maple Precision neck on it, and I religiously followed the maintenance schedule thereafter. Later modded that bass with EMG pickups. Called it FrankenBass forevermore, until I finally sold it in 1997 for the first of several Ibanezes.

 

[5below]

Tell us what your very first bass guitar was. I'll start:

My first bass was a 1970s Univox Hi-Flyer (Sunburst) that looked exactly like this: Link Removed

Me too - although I had a different decal. Mine was from 1975.

 

[Mikey F]

Hondo P bass 1986

 

[Slevage]

Tell us what your very first bass guitar was. I'll start:

My first bass was a 1970s Univox Hi-Flyer (Sunburst) that looked exactly like this: Link Removed

I had the same bass (except a slightly newer version that had a UNIVOX decal on the head stock instead of the metal badge).
Before I took the plunge and bought the Hiflyer (for $115 out the door), my Dad rented me a hollow body (didn't have an amp) for 3 months to be sure I'd stick with it----that was 44 years ago.

 

[DavetheDude]

My first bass was a white Schecter Stiletto Deluxe 5 in 2011. Didn't last long, though, as I didn't play the 5th string at that time and it was a pain for my hand. I'm playing a 5er now haha

 

[static0verdrive]

I had this Mako before selling it to a coworker a year or two ago... I'd love to know when it's from - my best guess is late 80's.

mako P bass

• static0verdrive
• Feb 18, 2015
• 1

My beat up ol' first bass

 

[Sawido]

Mike Dirnt P-bass, the one that I still own

 

[marko57]

A late 70's/early 80's USA Fender P. Bought used for $350 in '82. Only mod I ever did to it was a mirrored pickguard. Traded it a few years ago. Still have a mid 80's MIJ P.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

A Danelectro short horn purchased new in 1963 for $45.00. Wish I still had it.

 

[Jack MN]

A $99 Rogue bass that i played through my guitar amp lol.

 

[Slapstyle]

Aria Pro II. Originally black. I sanded it down and painted it brown... not sure why. Also attempted to convert to a fretless. That didnt go well. It's toast now, but I still have it, because it was my first.