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What was your first bass guitar?

#3,741
Blue Dragon said:
Cool! My first was a Hagstrom too! "Futurama" This isn't mine of course, just an image I found but same model. Looks just like it except as I recall the vinyl on the back of mine was peeling more. In this case I remember it fondly but am NOT sorry I got rid of it. As OP said, the neck bow was so bad I could use it to shoot arrows. Funny, I went straight from this to a Rickenbacker 4001 (Rush fan doncha know back in the day.) Now THERES a bass I wish I still had! In fact, I don't think I'd ever heard the name Hagstrom again till last year when I hooked up with my current bandmates and the lead guitarist plays a Hagstrom. Guess they're still around, just out of the limelight.

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I always wanted one of those when I was a kid, friend had a 6 string red with the vinyl and I wanted the bass model. Glad I read the reviews here though:roflmao:. I hate skinny necks, in fact my 62 RI Jazz's neck is too damn skinny.
 
#3,747
JLT62 said:
My first real Bass was this (yes I still have it!)
1980 Ric 4003. (First year) Many modifications thru the year's. Lacquer off the fretboard, big Gibson frets, back of the neck sanded down and slightly reshaped. Duncan bridge pickup, cap removed, Switch for Series / Parallel. Mid 80's Black 'parts'.
One of the few Bass's I've ever bought new.
It was Feb 1981 and I was also looking at BC Rich Mockingbird's & they had 3 Gibson Flying V Bass's. Only reason I didn't get the V was because I couldn't play it sitting down. Hahaha.

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It would be a good case study to see what percentage of folks who started with a Ric, Musicman, or some of the other nicer "starter" basses on here continued on versus the rest of us folks who started with crap. Probably not a fair test, though, as if you are saving up for something like that you are taking it more seriously to begin with. I took nearly 30 years off after first playing on my POS starter bass.
 
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#3,749
Joe Ty said:
It would be a good case study to see what percentage of folks who started with a Ric, Musicman, or some of the other nicer "starter" basses on here continued on versus the rest of us folks who started with crap. Probably not a fair test, though, as if you are saving up for something like that you are taking it more seriously to begin with. I took nearly 30 years off after first playing on my POS starter bass.
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I actually started on a crappy Sears Silvertone 1490 (still have it for sentimental reasons). Had no thought of giving up playing. After a couple of years I replaced it with a used Fender Mustang that to me, made me feel like I had a MIA Precision. Never should have sold it. As a side note, around the time I bought that bass, a neighbor offered to sell me his worn out '65 Ford Mustang for $350. Body in good shape, but a ton of miles on it. I was almost 15 and crazy to start driving in seven or eight months. My Dad said it wasn't worth it....
 
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#3,754
MCF said:
...As a side note, around the time I bought that bass, a neighbor offered to sell me his worn out '65 Ford Mustang for $350. Body in good shape, but a ton of miles on it. I was almost 15 and crazy to start driving in seven or eight months. My Dad said it wasn't worth it....
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At the risk of taking this completely off the highway, in the mid-eighties I had a line on a 1969 (or 1970, can't remember) Lemans Sport Convertible (looked every bit as gnarly as it's big brother GTO) for $700. Body was clean as it was stored during Wisconsin winters. My dad vetoed the deal as it needed a new top. I can still picture it sitting in that guys garage like it was yesterday.

Edit: Now that I think about it, it's probably best I didn't end up with it. My first wife would have either destroyed it (as she did three of our cars) or gotten it in the divorce.
 
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#3,756
Joe Ty said:
At the risk of taking this completely off the highway, in the mid-eighties I had a line on a 1969 (or 1970, can't remember) Lemans Sport Convertible (looked every bit as gnarly as it's big brother GTO) for $700. Body was clean as it was stored during Wisconsin winters. My dad vetoed the deal as it needed a new top. I can still picture it sitting in that guys garage like it was yesterday.

Edit: Now that I think about it, it's probably best I didn't end up with it. My first wife would have either destroyed it (as she did three of our cars) or gotten it in the divorce.
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Dads can bring a kid down to earth. I'll say this about mine. He always supported my and my brother's music. Part of it was probably because between that and sports, he pretty much knew what we were up to. He didn't play a note on anything, but he always chipped in a bit of cash to help us out. He bought my first amp. And added a bit to help me get my second one. He's still like that, even though he doesn't need to.
 
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