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What was your first bass guitar?

My first was this Columbus P clone that I acquired 20 years ago from someone I was at school with:

columbussm.jpg

mmm, tasty

Now that I've moved on to the likes of Stingrays and TRBs I think it plays like a pig: the neck's about as refined a tree-trunk and is covered with about the stickiest varnish available for that "extra slow" action, and I dunno what's the deal with the paint job. But back then it was actually really nice to play compared to the other budget crap in the early to mid '80s; at least it didn't give you splinters. And it does have a nice aggressive tone.

I still love Ps to this day, although things have so far conspired to stop me getting a real one. Maybe one year. I'll still be keeping the Columbus for sentimental reasons, though!

Chris.
 
A very used 4003 Rickenbacker, bought in 1987, because I was such a Rush fan then, and wanted Geddy's bass. Still have it, though when I got it, it looked like it was set up by Larry, Moe and Curly. (I didn't know better at the time). Still have it -- can't get rid of my first love. ;)
 
Mine was a Kramer Pioneer (II? not sure) that I got for $75. It was sweet. Cream body, maple fretboard, gold hardware. P/JJ pickups. Sounded better than a Fender I later bought.

Marshall
 
Biscayne one, I don't think theres one wood part in it. It's still hanging around with dead electronics. I ripped the frets out of the neck a few years ago jsut for fun, I never heard it threw and amp though, it's nto work it to fix the pups. I got it when I was in fourth grade. damn, I loved that thing so much. I don't think I'll ever get rid of it, even though it will never work again.
 
Back when I was a broke college student who played in a punk rock band, I had a crappy burgundy red Asian EB (or is it SG?) clone. Short scale, two pups soldered in series directly to the jack and five holes where the knobs used to be. That was almost 15 years ago.

Now I am broke sailor moonlighting as a college student who plays in the bedroom and has a few nicer pieces.
 
Ibanez SR400, it was black, active electronics.

Now, it's still black, has a cream colored 1976 Dimarzio Model P, series/parallel switch, volume, and three empty holes. I sold the original electronics to another TBer and the top 8 frets have also been scalloped for my bending pleasure.
 
My first bass was a used Univox Beatle bass copy I got in '68

First Fender was a '74 P I bought out of the back of a van for $200 in '80. Still have it. Modified it to be a full PJ (like the UrgeBass config) with Duncan 1/4lbs.pups and stacked vol/tone knobbers. Lots of history together!
 
It was 1982. The bass player in my band had a Peavey T-40 that he muddily stomped through songs playing the root and that was it. I had played my school's 72 P-Bass a lot and knew what I wanted to hear - and it wasn't that. I knew the bass was a much more vibrant instrument than that, and he missed half of the rehearsals because of his girlfriend. So I quit guitar (I was the lead guitarist) and handed that role to my friend that played rhythm guitar. I said "I'm letting him (the bass player) go... I'm the bass player now.".

I was into Geddy Lee and Chris Squire, so I bought a second-hand Ibanez Rick copy, sunburst with a white pickguard and truss rod cover.

I took off the pickguard and spray painted it (the pickguard)black, and then took off the truss rod cover and with Testor's model paint reversed the colors so it was white on black, then restrung it with Rotosound Superwounds.

That, plugged in to a bassman 50 on the treble side with a Boss octave divider, and I was off and running in a trio.... Dang, I miss that bass!

Just as a side note my second bass was a HondoII Longhorn copy with P bass Pups that I strung with those Thick black Plastic wound strings that rotosound made to be the total oppisite of The Ibanez :hmm:
 

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