I was born in 1951. When The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan Feb 1964, I was 12. Although I was into listening to my dad's Elvis, Fats Domino and other R n R records, I was totally "bass ignorant". Probably because our record player couldn't even produce the bass frequencies. I didn't even realize McCartney played bass. At age 12, I just thought it was a violin shaped guitar.
What got me into bass was Rick Huxley of the Dave Clark 5. He played a Fender Jazz Bass and I thought that it look really cool. Also, some of the DC5 songs featured little mini bass solos which I like the sound.
Probably my first bass experience was when me and my cousin walked to the Ohio State Fair around 1964 and a rock n roll band was playing. What was cool was that we were on foot and no where near the fair but I could hear the bass. WOW! I could hear the bass and only the bass. As we got nearer to the fair, the rest of the instruments could be heard. But, the bass was dominate at a far distance. That made a big impression on me!
The first bass I ever saw in person was a Gibson Thunderbird Bass being sold at Lazarus Dept. Store in downtown Columbus, Ohio around 1964. I was probably about 13. It was the most awesome thing in the world!
The first bass I ever touched? I can't remember. It might have been a Gibson EB-2 hollowbody. Back in 1965. Belonged to a friend of a friend.
First bass I ever owned was a Hagstrom and later on I got a used 1965 Fender Bassman amp ($300). About 1966 or '67. I was only about 15 and could not afford a Fender bass with my paper route money. The amp wiped me out.
My first Fender Bass was a used Jazz Bass probably a 1969 or '70. Bought it used for $125 back around 1973 from an ad in The Tradin' Times and that was the way it was back then for used Fender Basses! Used prices were dirt cheap!
I never even knew about the old '51 - '53 Fender slab bodies until about the early 80s. A friend told me about them. Remember, no internet back then! 60s rock bands didn't play slabs.
Now, about 4 years ago, I bought a heavily used March 1953 P Bass. It is my favorite bass out of many.
Even though I am now 69 years old, I didn't really know all that much about electric basses until the early to mid 60s. And rightly so, I was born in Aug. 1951, just a few months before Leo made the first slab body P. I was a baby.
Even by Aug 1961, I would have only been 10 years old and not informed about electric basses.
I always loved the Fender Bass headstock!!!!!!!!! Iconic!
(I'm gonna exclude photos this time. I've posted the same ones too many times.)
