My 1st real bass was a Hagstrom like the one below but in white. It was stolen.
Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
What was your first bass guitar?
- Thread starter the region
- Start date
-
- Tags
- first bass old real
Similar story to OP, & thanks for the reminder of the options. There were few. Cheap basses were around but they sounded cheap too.
I played a Japanese POS for a year before I saved enough for a down payment on a 72 P. The owner of Hawthorne Music, yup home of The Beach Boys, agreed to finance my purchase, along with a 18 inch reverse cab and 300 watt head.
I loved that bass
I played a Japanese POS for a year before I saved enough for a down payment on a 72 P. The owner of Hawthorne Music, yup home of The Beach Boys, agreed to finance my purchase, along with a 18 inch reverse cab and 300 watt head.
I loved that bass
I was lucky, my (now) brother-in-law let me use his early seventies P for my first five or so years, I guess starting in '78. Then I bought a very worn EB-0 and played that a while before getting a new Heartfield which I still have. The Gibson is long gone and he still has that P (which I do not miss - big neck on that sucka).
Hey, that was my second bass, first real bass!!
I bought a Realistic beetle bass copy that didn't work through an amp (i didn't have one,anyway).
I played around on it for a few months ,and could hear the sound enough to tell what was happening.
From there i bought a solidbody hofner that was nice enough,but the short scale just didn't suit me.
A friend sold me a beat up Precision,but i didn't much care for it,either.
The bass i consider to be the one that made me want to carry on with my efforts was a late 60's/early 70's JG Rickenbacker 4000 that had been modded with a black pickguard and 2nd pickup. I only had that bass for a few monthes,but it made the impression i needed.
(That was in the early70's,and i still prefer Ricks to this day.)
I do have a Fender P and a J,too.....
I played around on it for a few months ,and could hear the sound enough to tell what was happening.
From there i bought a solidbody hofner that was nice enough,but the short scale just didn't suit me.
A friend sold me a beat up Precision,but i didn't much care for it,either.
The bass i consider to be the one that made me want to carry on with my efforts was a late 60's/early 70's JG Rickenbacker 4000 that had been modded with a black pickguard and 2nd pickup. I only had that bass for a few monthes,but it made the impression i needed.
(That was in the early70's,and i still prefer Ricks to this day.)
I do have a Fender P and a J,too.....
Attachments
72 Pbass , still have it . I traded a Nikon F2 with an 85/1.8 lens for it .
Played a great Japanese P-bass but felt I should get a Fender. Mid 80's I had the cash so went shopping.
No way I was paying £600 for any of the ones I tried. Bought a Wal for £500 instead.
No way I was paying £600 for any of the ones I tried. Bought a Wal for £500 instead.
Pics of my first real bass have been posted on every applicable thread on TB lol. But the story hasn't. My dad took me to the only music store in our small town. The store owner...Mr Cunningham...had 2 basses, both new,Fender P bass and a Gibson G3. I was a huge KISS fan so of course went for the Gene bass. I wish I knew what dad paid for it, it's a '79 and this was in '80. I still have it, love it and play it often.
I count my first REAL bass as my Hohner B Bass V, which I still have. Bought in 1994, senior year of high school with $ saved from my summer job developing photos to replace an Aria Pro II rocking ~1-inch action. I used it all through college, and it's still a pretty great bass, even if it's been eclipsed many times over in quality by others I've taken in.
First bass was a beat up 70's P-bass I bought in 1976 for $150.00
Got my first bass in '67. It was a late 50's Precision.
Just to show stupid I was, I traded it for a new Epi in '71 because the Precision was "old".
I just might be the single biggest moron in the history of TB.
BTW, my next bass was a new '75 Jazz bass that I still have. It was far better built and plays far than the pre-CBS Precision I had.
Just to show stupid I was, I traded it for a new Epi in '71 because the Precision was "old".
I just might be the single biggest moron in the history of TB.
BTW, my next bass was a new '75 Jazz bass that I still have. It was far better built and plays far than the pre-CBS Precision I had.
Started on a POS guitar with the action so high and thick strings that I recut the nut and made it into a four stringer. Not much bass but it served it's purpose(learning). I even sanded of the sunburst and painted it metallic light blue.
Then along came a no name short scale Red/black sunburst violin hollow body.
Somewhere along the way I found a almost new, dual pickup Hagstrom that had weak pickups and didn't last long.
Still not done with violin hollow bodies, I was lucky to pick up a real '63 Hofner in prime condition with a case. That was my gigging base for a few years until neck-dive got the better of me.
Came across a white/tort(of course) '64 Fender Jazz and made the change. That was my main axe for a long time.
Too bad they are all history to me. Great times, great gigs and forever memories.
Still, not too long ago I picked up an Ibanez Musician 924ds active P/J that fills the bill for everything I do now. Dead half-rounds with palm muting, plucking or picking, go a long ways to copping a lot of different tones.
Then along came a no name short scale Red/black sunburst violin hollow body.
Somewhere along the way I found a almost new, dual pickup Hagstrom that had weak pickups and didn't last long.
Still not done with violin hollow bodies, I was lucky to pick up a real '63 Hofner in prime condition with a case. That was my gigging base for a few years until neck-dive got the better of me.
Came across a white/tort(of course) '64 Fender Jazz and made the change. That was my main axe for a long time.
Too bad they are all history to me. Great times, great gigs and forever memories.
Still, not too long ago I picked up an Ibanez Musician 924ds active P/J that fills the bill for everything I do now. Dead half-rounds with palm muting, plucking or picking, go a long ways to copping a lot of different tones.
Last edited:
That's easy - this '78 P-Bass. Bought it in '88, and, of course, I still have it. I started playing in 1968, on a friend's lefty 4001 Rickenbacker. For one reason or another, I never had the opportunity (or, frankly, the desire) to have one of my own, until I bought the Fender from a friend. Now, 19 basses later...
First real bass was a 62P (still own it), got it in a trade with a Hofner Senator in about 1968.
Started out with a short scale SG copy that I made in woodwork class. It looked the part but was unplayable past the 7th fret but it was good enough to get me started playing.
Sold that and bought a Japanese P bass copy, used that until I snapped the truss rod.
Briefly had a Hofner Senator short scale semi acoustic with flats, I hated it. I couldn't trade it fast enough against the 62P which I absolutely loved (and still do).
You could say that the Hofner was a real bass but at the time I would have disagreed, it was the exact opposite of what I wanted from a bass.
Started out with a short scale SG copy that I made in woodwork class. It looked the part but was unplayable past the 7th fret but it was good enough to get me started playing.
Sold that and bought a Japanese P bass copy, used that until I snapped the truss rod.
Briefly had a Hofner Senator short scale semi acoustic with flats, I hated it. I couldn't trade it fast enough against the 62P which I absolutely loved (and still do).
You could say that the Hofner was a real bass but at the time I would have disagreed, it was the exact opposite of what I wanted from a bass.
Epiphone EB-3 when I was around 12 or 13. This would've been around 2006-ish. Wish I never sold it...
Last edited:
My first bass was a gift, but not a very good bass. It was a Teisco from -63. Still got it.
So to fix that I worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant. Mom lent me whatever was missing and I bought my first bass. I still have it and it is a real beut. Plays well, sounds great.
So to fix that I worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant. Mom lent me whatever was missing and I bought my first bass. I still have it and it is a real beut. Plays well, sounds great.
Early 80's Cort Slammer. Three quarter scale. Lent it out to a buddy after college and never saw it again in one piece.
