What's your "Beater" bass?

[Gizmot]

Years ago, I learned that I don't enjoy playing "beaters" and it's been decades since I played or owned such animals. I only play pro quality instruments and I take good care of them, but I don't baby them. Nonetheless, if you take reasonable care and treat your instruments with respect, they'll look new for decades. The closest thing I have to a "beater" is my MusicMan Caprice

, but it still looks showroom clean - - no dings, scratches or fingerprints.

 

[robertusf]

One more Peavey beater for the thread..... Milestone II. I sold my first one on here many moons ago. Wound up buying another one about 7 years ago
I upgraded the pickup to Seymour Duncan Vintage P
Painted the pickguard matte black
I played many gigs with this as my Eb tuned bass. Sounds great with the fingers, also with a pick. Even recorded with it tuned down to Drop C
I always thought these basses played better than the Fender MIM precisions of the same era (late 90's?)
Total investment $150

 

[Flamingo21]

Here is my beaterest bass:

A Planet Bass! I love that!

 

[ahbass2500]

One more Peavey beater for the thread..... Milestone II. I sold my first one on here many moons ago. Wound up buying another one about 7 years ago
I upgraded the pickup to Seymour Duncan Vintage P
Painted the pickguard matte black
I played many gigs with this as my Eb tuned bass. Sounds great with the fingers, also with a pick. Even recorded with it tuned down to Drop C
I always thought these basses played better than the Fender MIM precisions of the same era (late 90's?)
Total investment $150

I started on a Milestone I and still have it. Parents bought it new for me in the 90s. I did not post it as my beater as I do not play it enough (one string too few for me), but agree they are really good basses that sell for nothing on the used market. Modded mine with Duncan Quarter Pounders, Ritter Passive wiring, and a Gotoh bridge.

 

[Element Zero]

This worked well for all manor of gigs.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I keep this beauty next to my chair in the tv room. It is/was a fine instrument but has been around the block:

View attachment 4130573 View attachment 4130572

Nice looking bass! How much does it weigh, and does it have a P-bass width string nut?

 

[alaskaleftybass]

This is a "beater bass" thread. I don't know why people feel the need to post their expensive equipment unless it's to show off.....

 

[P. Aaron]

My 2010 Precision & 2014 Dimension are my ‘beaters’. As in, I use them for gigs, rehearsals & practice and they are roughed up more than they look. They’re just my usual tools for the job. Pleased with both. I have others (who doesn’t on TB), these ones get the most highway miles.

 

[Doctor Morbius]

View attachment 4130386 Steinberger Spirit. Custom paint.

Tiki madness! Love it! I bet it can play surf very well.

 

[ahbass2500]

This is a "beater bass" thread. I don't know why people feel the need to post their expensive equipment unless it's to show off.....

While is agree to an extent, I think it is how some people view it. Some see beater as workhorse... some as a bass that is beat up... some as a cheap bass regardless of condition. I am sure there were also some that saw a thread with bass pics and thought “ooooo I have a bass pic”. (My Peavey Milestone post was one of these )

I posted my GV because it is the bass that I would not lose sleep over if it got beat up. That said, I am obsessive about taking care of my instruments. It is pretty much spotless despite being my bass with the most time on it and my go to bass for “riskier” environments.

 

[Killing Floor]

I think it’s this. I don’t think I’d care if a hobo made a leanto from it. But I still like it. You could sleep in the case.

 

[Andre678]

It was a plywood Silvertone P.

View attachment 4130526

Wow! I just want to say I love that pickguard. Can't say why I just really like it.

Not sure what I would call my beater bass. Probably my Short Scale Squier Jag, even though it is a fine instrument I love playing, it is probably my cheapest and most easily replaced...

 

[Johnny Fingers]

Fender P with a J neck.

 

[Zooberwerx]

This is a "beater bass" thread. I don't know why people feel the need to post their expensive equipment unless it's to show off.....

I'm having trouble discerning among "beater", "potentially subjected to abuse", or "sacrificial for survival". I guess any one of mine would suffice depending on the circumstances and my mood for the day. I get the jest, though: fights, drunks stumbling up on stage, etc.

Frankly, I / we never give much thought to instrument damage as we're more concerned with setting up a defensive perimeter on-stage...everything short of razor / concertina wire and claymores. Beside the sub enclosures (clustered & centered), we stack gear lockers, cases, the monitors (...another reason for not going IEM) and anything else suitable. It's reminiscent of the barricade scene in "Les Miz". If a fight or trouble ensues, the barrier will trip 'em up before they get anywhere near us and affords us the necessary time to launch a counter-offensive or escape.

Riis

 

[ELG60]

Man, you've beat that first bass so hard you've knocked the pickups plumb out of alignment.

Wut can I say . . . I'm hard on my instruments.

 

[coyote1]

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?

Anyone who brings a ‘beater’ to an audition is a fool. That is, unless your ‘beater’ stays in tune and sounds good.
And let’s remember that some bands won’t even give you an audition if you don’t bring a bass thatlooks like it has ‘mojo’ lol

 

[devnulljp]

Closest I have to a beater is a 1972 P(J)
Got it in a trade with the intention of flipping it, but I love it and it has become my #1
Original pickups were long gone, I replaced the horrible Duncans that were in it with Fralins and wired it with a 3-way Tele switch like a Tony Franklin.

 

[Danny O Danny]

I have three early 80's Ibanez Roadstar basses that are all somewhat beat up, but I love 'em. I like to think of them as "naturally relic'd". They all play like butter and sound great. I wouldn't feel the least bit ashamed to bring them to a gig or recording session. The most beater-ish is the white one, an '84 that has been rode hard over the last 36 years. The tort pickguard is relatively new though.

 

[westrock]

MIJ Precision Bass Lyte, my most played bass.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't believe in beater instruments. Anywhere I go, I watch my stuff.