What's your one true "Forever Bass"?

[bassdude51]

I bought this just about 3 years ago. And it is my "forever bass". It's "high mileage". Paid it's dues many times over (by someone else). Lost of scars but better than 90% functional.

February/March 1953 Precision Bass. 100% all original, pots, pickup and all.

 

[Marc DLarosa]

I'll say it again, and Again, and AGain, AGAin, and AGAIn, and AGAIN...

 

[Muziekschuur]

If life is a learning experience... you will never know.

 

[Muziekschuur]

If life is a learning experience... you will never know.

 

[Adjectives]

View attachment 3605984 Just received this recently. Haven't put it down yet.

I like that look a LOT. Awesome relic!

 

[Adjectives]

Whatever has fresh strings

I'd posit 4 decade old flats have their own character =)

 

[Adjectives]

it is hard to pick one

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Damn, I'd say so! Nice collection.

 

[mapleglo]

Forgive my derail. First one I've seen in the wild. What's the string spacing like? How's the B string?

I actually have two.

String spacing:

And the B string is great, on both of them.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

This Muckelroy

 

[Matt R.]

I like that look a LOT. Awesome relic!

Thanks man! I'm so happy with everything about this one.

 

[IamGroot]

Which would you pick out of all of you had to?

The redhead.

 

[Freight Train]

My 1968 type I Telecaster, which I bought in 1969 at age 16. It has been a steady gigging bass and just from memory it has served me in bands playing 60's rock, blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, jazz/fusion, classic rock, prog rock, avant-garde and now back to blues. Completely stock, except for the StrapLocks. No pedals required (other than the prog rock and avant-garde bands, but that was for fx, not to milk a good sound from the bass), it has the sound. Plug it straight into a quality amp and there it is.

 

[Rayjay]

No such thing as a "one true forever bass" for me. First, I play a wide variety of music and I like to have an appropriate instrument for the job. I prefer a P 4 string with flats, but some music I play practically requires a low B or fresh roundwounds. Fretless sounds great on certain gigs so I keep one of those around. Plus I get certain gigs that require DB, like straight ahead jazz and an old time country gig like I have tonight. But I don't see myself ever getting rid of these basses:

1996 EBMM Sterling. Owned since new. Not only do these have the best necks ever, I've been through a lot of memories and crazy times with it. It was my only bass for much of that time, before I could afford a stable. My grandmother bought it for me when I was 19 and made me promise to never get any tattoos

Here is my best sounding bass. 2009 American Standard. Tone that crushes other basses. I've brought it and a few other basses to every recent recording session and this one always beats the others. This is my most requested bass to bring as well. With old TI flats that will likely stay on forever.

Also my Callowhill MPB5. (Mini Precision Bass- these are 30" scale). Tim was a close friend of mine. He was a super-human artist and guitar player. We met at music school; we were both getting our BA degrees in jazz studies, and became roommates and lived together for many years. Tim being the procrastinator he was, this bass was in the works for a while and I finally received it about 3 months before he suddenly died. Never getting rid of this one- I don't even like people working on it!

I own about 10 basses right now, and I'm pretty happy with all of them. Different in their own personal ways, and all are killer and look awesome. Which brings me to a conclusion I've recently come to: if you're going to build up a stable, don't buy amazing playing super attractive instruments; buy crappy stuff you're not attached to- as in, I'm not really into these basses, could never see myself playing something that looks like that, oh there it is at my local music store, hmm it plays better than I thought and it doesn't look as ugly in person and the price isn't too bad, I think I'll buy it...that way you won't end up with too many basses all of which you can't bring yourself to sell!

 

[elkkid2]

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I've heard these were pretty good...can't find one to try though.

 

[DirtDog]

It'd be a close tie between my Candy Tangerine 59 Custom Shop and my 1986 AVRI 62 in Fiesta Red.
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Very nice pair of basses.

We'll check in with you in a couple of years re: forever basses!

 

[Keger Jupit]

This is easy.

It's my much lovingly played bruised and scarred '74 Fender Jazz.

Any bass player who has ever played it, has asked if I'd EVER consider selling it.

The answer and ALWAYS been a quick NO.

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My birth year, bound-n-blocked, maple board, P-bass knobs...awesome!

 

[Adjectives]

My birth year, bound-n-blocked, maple board, P-bass knobs...awesome!

Lovely!

 

[Nephilymbass]

What bass do you have that would be your one and only, go to, forever bass?
Just curious. I have had many over the years, and just thinking what it may be if I were to have only one to fit all.... Hmm...

My Dingwall has been my main player since I got it.

It replaced a Warwick thumb nt6 as my number 1 which was also a great bass.

my longest running main player was this thumb nt5 (around a decade)

I really enjoy the Dingwall and don't see myself selling it. Really don't see myself selling any basses from this point going forward. The sellers market kind of sucks, I have a better job and am also more patient these days so I don't really need to flip gear to help buy the next thing, and where I used to be on the hunt for the next 1 bass that would the best bass for everything, I kind of gave up on that and now am more into different basses to fill their own spot in the toolbox so to speak.

I currently own the dingwall and a pair of inexpensive fenders. The acoustic is great at home or outside on the porch and the jazz fills the backup roll nicely.

Lately My GAS has been for weird instruments that wouldn't really compete with my dingwall anyways. For example I've been thinking a custom ERB. I've owned a couple 6 and 7 string basses as well as a couple guitars over the years and wouldn't mind something with more upper range. I was initially thinking a 34 or 35" scale 7 string. But as the dingwall feels so good with the band I might end up going the mini piccolo bass route and doing something even weirder like a super short scale 5 string similar to the 4 string mayones Cali mini or the Marlaeux Consat Saprano.

 

[Mike Sorr]

This one - my one and onlyView attachment 3605312

Cool! Where'd you get that pickguard??

 

[iiipopes]

I have purchased other basses for other reasons, including G.A.S., the gig, the band, the repertoire, etc. But if they all had to go away tomorrow, my Rickenbacker 4002 (yes, "2," not "1" or "3") would be it, with all due apologies to my custom fanned fret bass.