What was your first bass guitar?

[CryingBass]

What did Sears sell in the early 70's? Silvertone?
From what little memory I have of that time, I think that's it!

 

[Anachronism]

Fender MiM jazz. Kept it for well over a decade, but I'm now settled with my 4003 and 4004.

 

[Tom Howland]

Used 1966 Gibson EBO with varitone switch.

 

[fretter]

My first bass was a vintage Fender Precision (still affordable in the early 90s). I'd been playing guitar for 5 years. When I switched to bass, I wasn't going to start at the bottom.

 

[kittywithabanjo]

Mann P bass copy here

 

[Drummerboy2]

Not sure if there was already a thread on this, but couldn't find it by searching.

What was your first bass, whether inherited or bought.

I thought I'd ask as i decided to dig out my first bass and then decided to look into the make as I had no idea where it came from.
Turns out mine is a Musima Action Bass. made in East Germany during the Soviet Era
Will get pics up soon of it. (Attached a pic of one thats in good condition)
Its all kinds of crap...but did the job back in the day. Fender copy. Quality for everything was probably very dubious

My first bass was an Aria Pro II white Pearl. it had an ok sound but was not a good playing bass.

 

[Macho McHorse]

Mine was a no name P-bass that I found on the side of the road with "free take me" drawn on it. It was half paint-stripped, repainted with white house paint and frets pulled out Jaco style and filled with putty. It's what made me quit drum lessons and take up bass lessons. It sounded like s#*%

 

[Bassworship1]

The first real bass I ever bought was a brand new 2007 Music Man Stingray 5HH from Guitar Center. It was a killer bass that a gigged regularly for years. That bass was so smooth to play.

 

[Mosstone]

View attachment 946438

This one. Lo-Hz, we have the same exact sequence of bass events. I've never seen myself in the same room as you...coincidence?

Heheh. Were from alternate realities. Timelines converging... Not a good sign.

Must get back to the portal!

 

[Camarillo]

My first bass was an Epiphone Thunderbird. I liked the look and it was cheap, but playability was another thing. The action was way to high and the neck diving was terrible (Chinese versions had strap button on the wrong position). And it was heavy. I hated it. Then I jumped on a Mexican Jass Bass that changed my world. Sold the thunderbird without regrets. It was my first bass, not my first instrument, so...it went to a thrash, metal, doom whatever bassist who was intended to tune it in drop C and use it as backup bass do a tour in Northern Europe.

 

[cdlynch]

'90 Cort PB-1L, heavily modified since then, way better than its price tag. Here's its glamour shot from when it tried to get into a nudie mag:

 

[Rayjay]

80's Hondo P-bass. Red sparkle with white pickup covers. Should have never sold it.

Last year ironically I bought a Fender P-bass, in metallic Candy Cola Red and with white pickup covers. Full circle there.

 

[Matthew Fisher]

Ibanez Roadstar II, purchased new from Dietze Music in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1984 or 85. It was probably from the Standard series, as I didn't have a whole lot of cash.

It was actually a pretty nice bass, despite the anatomically correct headstock. I used it during my time as bassist for the Go-Batz, a local band. Our big thrill was to open for The Fall.

Our singer, Lori Allison, later went on to sing for New Brass Guns and The Millions, while I ... eventually got over my crush on her. I trust you'll understand what the problem was after seeing and hearing the video below.



The 80s were a funny time. Singers like Natalie Merchant got to dance around and be themselves, and the guys in the band all looked like they were pinching an angry loaf. Must have been the click tracks.

Oh, right, you wanted to see my first bass. Here's the page from the 1984 Ibanez catalog. It was black. Not bad at all for a first bass. I'd get one again.

 

[devnulljp]

First was a borrowed Peavey T40, then a borrowed no-name MIJ ... thing. That got me into a band, so I bought a Tokai new on a monthly payment plan. It was a sort of a PBass but with a bound body w/ a flamy maple cap. Quite pretty, but I replaced it a few years later with an Aria ProII SB700 that I still consider to be my first real bass.

Tokai looked like this only cherry sunburst

This is the only pic I have of the Aria as it was stolen a long time ago.

 

[someguyfromNC]

Squier Vintage Modern Jazz. Stayed in tune and built just as solid as my nicest stingrays and MIA jazz basses. Cost me 175 on craigslist. Wish I still had it.

 

[5blackactual]

Hi all. My first bass was a 3/4 Arco Bass made by Animato, Brisbane, Australia. I had it courier coach delivered by Greyhound, as I was living up north in Cairns. I played it a bit, inspired by various pieces that I kept hearing after they had played. I sold it in great condition, almost new, to a Cairns school as a new bass was required. Since then I have owned numerous types of basses, trying them out. Electric, acoustic etc.. ATM I have a black shiny 6 string Washburn fretless bass. Heavy!

Washburn 6 String Fretless

• 5blackactual
• Sep 10, 2016
• 6-string fretless washburn

 

[KohanMike]

Since I've only been playing bass for about 2 years, I haven't put out to pasture my first, it's a Gold Tone GT MicroBass 23" scale acoustic that I bought when the leader of my uke group asked if anyone would volunteer to learn bass to fill in our sound. I'm now up to 10 basses that I rotate, but most often practice and gig with the GT. I replaced the strings with Road Toad Pahoehoe poly and the Belcat preamp with a Joyo.

 

[GazzBass]

Similar to this:
View attachment 946357

Me too. Bought it in February 1980. You could drive a bus under the string action and sing into the pickups lol Kids these days don't know they're born I tell ya.

 

[AcadianBassman]

My first bass was a copy of a p-bass by Mako. I got it for my fourteenth birthday after bugging my parents incessantly for a few months. It was white with a Peavey sticker on it. I added a few paintings and a sticker from a pack of rock cards. I still have it but it's been stripped of electronics. I keep meaning to refinish it and put it back together but I've moved on to a fiver and I'm in no rush. Sorry for the collage - I had no actual pics of the bass its self but here's me with it pre-gig (upper left), gig (lower left), and practice (large, right). Sorry about the quality, it was back in '91 after all, digital wasn't available yet

 

[Miker1627]

Heheh. Were from alternate realities. Timelines converging... Not a good sign.

Must get back to the portal!

I'm the one with the goatee