What's your "Beater" bass?

[wraub]

In another thread, I saw this- "And oh yeah, no more beaters: Nothing says 'I'm not serious' than a crappy instrument. And it doesn't have to be expensive, but if it's noisy, won't stay in tune, and you're constantly nursing it along, it's REAL easy for a band to say 'what's that other guy's number?'."

Is this your beater? Mine was not expensive to me (but sure would be to replace), is well maintained, not noisy, stays in tune, has a lot of aftermarket under the pickguard and doesn't need nursing, but it's my beater because it's already been refinned and it's got scars and dents all over it. It looks a mess, but it's clean, plays great and sounds great too. I just don't mind too much if it gets another scratch.
Obviously, beaters vary.

What's your "beater" bass?

 

[ELG60]

 

[StereoPlayer]

Well, it’s not a cheap beater, but it’s the one I would take anywhere and have. It doesn’t owe me a thing.
71 Fender neck, 82(heavy modded) Schecter p/j
Wired stereo. Joe Bardens presently, the original tapped p/u’s going back in soon. The P p/u is being repaired.
It’s my beater...

 

[Doctor Morbius]

Short scale Squier Jag. It happens to be one of my best players also.

 

[jd56hawk]

I guess it would have to be this since I've been told it's nothing but a $1,000 parts bass, and questionable parts at that.
Okay, I only paid $550 for it, but...

 

[Jefenator]

For a long time it was the same as my favorite: the parts J. Mostly by virtue of having the least amount of money tied up in it. It was even the "loaner" for the band where I play drums and the bass player didn't have an axe of his own. (He'd always put his stool too close to the drum kit then bump in to my cymbals with the body and I'm like: Dude ***!! It's a bit of a screwy arrangement but on the up side, they let me play drums...)
If that loaner scenario ever comes up again, I have a beat up old Musicmaster the bass player can use.
My new "leave in the car" axe is an old Yamaha BBG5. It's worth very little but it can cover a casual gig, no problem. (...except I have it strung up in 5ths at the moment - so I guess it's currently tied up on experimental duty.)

 

[JIO]

'68 Sivertone 1443 Hornet - not a crappy instrument

 

[Ricky Rioli]

What Is Your "Beater" Bass? (Oct 2020)

 

[JRA]

In another thread, I saw this- "And oh yeah, no more beaters.....

yeah i didn't agree with what i thought he meant either, but unless "beater" is defined = we're all going to respond differently, right? e.g., my beater is a great-playing ax --- but it's the one i'd feel the least (not zero!) remorse/sadness/frustration if lost/stolen/damaged. whereas J Wilson seemed to be describing a piece-of- as a "beater." i doubt if he would consider any of the posted axes as a "beater." we'll see....

 

[bobba66]

Yammy BBN-5. Natural with the J-style p/u's.

 

[The Petro]

My CT1B. Paid $325 for it back in 92-93.
Honestly i only have 2 basses right now. Looking for an upgrade when i can swing it.

 

[twinjet]

In another thread, I saw this- "And oh yeah, no more beaters: Nothing says 'I'm not serious' than a crappy instrument. And it doesn't have to be expensive, but if it's noisy, won't stay in tune, and you're constantly nursing it along, it's REAL easy for a band to say 'what's that other guy's number?'."

Is this your beater? Mine was not expensive to me (but sure would be to replace), is well maintained, not noisy, stays in tune, has a lot of aftermarket under the pickguard and doesn't need nursing, but it's my beater because it's already been refinned and it's got scars and dents all over it. It looks a mess, but it's clean, plays great and sounds great too. I just don't mind too much if it gets another scratch.
Obviously, beaters vary.

What's your "beater" bass?

I suppose my '89 L-2000. My kids have drooled on it, hit it with things and more. And it turns 32 this year. Remarkable condition even before I got it five years ago, in spite of a few dings and scratches.

 

[4SG]

1989 USA Peavey Foundation. Bought for $100 on Craigslist. Dinged, dented, scratched, paint cracked in spots and worn off in others. Sounds and plays fantastic.

 

[lermgalieu]

Love this bass, but wouldn’t be the end of the world if it got scratched and kicked and beaten. Because it already has and it still looks and plays great. 1996 MIM P.

 

[scuzzy]

One of these.... USA Peavey fury with EMG geezer or my epiphone classic vi pro. Both play and sound really good.

 

[bmusic]

This one, I guess—sold to me by Norman’s as a vintage BB, but now more likely a reissue, it turns out. I ditched the pickguard, which was disintegrating, and painted side dots with my daughter’s nail polish. Can’t say I love playing it, but I can’t really get rid of it, either, because

a) I would definitely take a sizable loss on it, and
b) then what else would I put up there?

 

[Bassist4Eris]

I bought this one because it's under 8lbs, and a PJ 5-string= versatility. In other words, perhaps the perfect bass for those long cover gigs. The only problem being that I no longer do those gigs. But the <$250 price tag means this is the bass I bring to "sketchy" situations.

 

[brushfirewolf]

$80 '96 squier P bass that I chipped [most of] the finish off of with a chisel and then spray painted vintage white. Has a new bridge, nut, and pickups and pots from a player p.

 

[BurningSkies]

My Dingwall NG3...bought as a no-risk road bass and it's lived up to it. It was a bass I could leave at the venue for dinner call if there wasn't in-club hospitality, let others pick up and try out, and not worry if it got knocked or scratched or dinged along the way. The body finish has been exceedingly resilient with no real marks but I've also worn through the finish on the pickguard where my thumb rests too. It was my intentional 'sacrificial lamb' for life in a van:

A few years of just hard playing and the fretboard looks like this. People have assumed it's just dirt, it's not...I've just worn through the finish. The back of one of my other Dingwalls has similar wear on the back of the neck, but not the fretboard:

 

[sedan_dad]

Steinberger Spirit. Custom paint.