• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Why did you choose YOUR bass?

#101
AudioOUTRAGE said:
Everyone has their story behind their bass. That killer sound and that unbelievable look. So, what makes your bass the greatest bass for you? :smug:
Click to expand...
Depends which bass.

Bass 1: Modified Peavey P-bass copy (originally, now it has a Rickenbacker pickup instead)
-I didn't choose it. I got it as a christmas present from my parents way back when I was in middle school. I chose to keep it and modify it because I'm sentimental like that.

Bass 2: Rickenbacker 4001
-I'd wanted a Rickenbacker ever since I first saw one. I finally got the chance to get one, albeit a completely stripped basket case of one, when I was in college (I'd since had both an old EB-0 copy and an old lawsuit Ibanez 4001 copy). I had it restored and it's still my favorite bass. Plays like a dream, the neck feels custom designed to fit my hand. The sounds and the refinish are nice, too.

Bass 3: Epiphone T-bird
-A friend on here was selling off some of his gear. Since I'd always been curious about getting a T-bird, and liked the Epiphones I'd tried recently, I made an offer and bought his bass. I've had some internal modifications done to it (wired with a series-parallel push-pull pot, and three position rotary pickup selector) and I like using it when I want to vary things up.

Bass 4: Rickenbacker 4003S
-I'd wanted another Rickenbacker for a long time, specifically to use in BEAD tuning. So I bought a black 4003S from a dude on here. I use it in my doom metal band. Like the 4001, it feels essentially perfect to me. So far I haven't done any mods to it, but will probably switch out the neck pickup for a toaster top one at some point.
 
#104
I really love putting them together. It gives total control over the parts that go in, the weight, and ultimately the quality. When I started craving a white blond Fender '58 reissue, I decided to build a replica for myself and it wound up becoming my favorite bass. MJT swamp ash body with lightly reliced nitro finish. Fender Classic '50's neck. '58 reissue pickups, pickguard, bridge, and knobs. Vintage style wiring. Vintage style reverse-wind Res-o-lite tuners. The price came in at about half the cost of a used '58 AVRI. Weight: 8 lbs even.

1.JPG
2.JPG
5.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sartori
#106
I chose the MIA Jazz because it feels so comfortable. It was part paid for by my dad as an after-exams present, so I could get something a little fancier. Jazzes are just so comfortable, even if I might prefer the tone of other basses.

I bought the Thunderbird to compliment the Jazz, and it was in a sale. It sounds incredible, it's a doom machine. Tbirds are the only basses that look right in black with a white guard if you ask me, and it looks awesome. It's the perfect rock bass (well, RD Artists are, but they're money these days).

I bought the hollow body Gretsch because I wanted something hollow/semi, and it was in a great deal. Being hollow it makes a great couch bass too, plus it looks pimpin'.

Basically I buy basses to fill in gaps. I don't need three Jazzes, but the three basses I have all have different roles. They're all sexy vintage styled cool as well, I've never been a contemporary style bass guy.
 
#108
I was 16 and had been playing a no name single pickup bass I had bought from a friend's brother when i was 14-15. I paid 25 bucks for the bass and paid him a dollar or two at a time, finally he came looking for me for the rest, haha! Then the hippy thing happened and I decided to go to California to the land of grass and other stuff. I took a bus to Tucumcari NM with the bass on the bus (only had enough money for that stop) and continued on to California hitchhiking. To make a long story short I left it there for some reason or other, I think I got sick of hitchhiking with it. Came back and then I decided to buy a good bass, back then it was either a Fender, a Fender, or a Fender, Gibson's had a bad name at the time and I had never even heard of a Rickenbacker. I had bought some Grand Funk Railroad albums and Mel Schacher had a Fender on the Red 2nd Grand Funk album which I didn't realize was a Jazz, he sounded great. I went to Fitchburg Music (Ma) and put a new sunburst P bass on layaway, my father went and picked it up at the end of the summer (I had worked in a rubber mill all summer to pay for it, VERY hot). It came with flatwounds and both covers, had foam under the bridge cover. I lost the covers of course and just about destroyed the bass in two years. Incidentally this bass had excellent action when I first got it and sounded great.
 
#111
When my Grandmother passed away I received a little bit of money and decided I wanted to honor her and her spectacular blue eyes by ordering an ice blue metallic with a pearloid pickguard Valenti. It's an amazing player - gorgeous, lightweight with a "bite" and "growl" that she would've appreciated. She never took nonsense from anyone. When my Sister first saw the bass she said "Oh my god, that's so Grandma!"
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nino Valenti
#112
I have (7) basses now. We'll come back to that.

The first new bass that I ever bought was a 1979 Music Man Sabre. Bought it new in '79. I just wanted something different than what everybody else was playing. Fender P and J basses were everywhere and Rics and Sting Rays were starting to get popular, so I bought a Sabre. Only bass for about 20 years, then I sold it.

My main / favorite bass now is my Alembic Mark King / Series II 5-string. I custom ordered it in '99, received it in 2000. I based the content on the (4) used Alembics that I had bought, sold, and traded over the several years prior. Tone is awesome and flexible, it is gorgeous to look at. Been mine for 16 years and many more to come.

My other basses all have different stories....

  • My "other" Alembic, other than being fearsomely awesome, was purchased from Stanley Clarke. Nuff said.
  • My Marchlewski was an impulse buy. Wolfehollow designed a bass and had Jake Marchlewski make it for him. I followed the thread and just had to have one. Checked with both of them and voila! I ordered and received a really cool bass. That was 2004. Still have.
  • After selling the original '79 Sabre that I had, because I thought I was going exclusively to 5-strings, I regretted it. Eventually sought out, found and bought a 1980 Sabre and then a couple months later, a 1979 Sabre. For old time's sake. Still have that '79.
  • I recently traded the '80 Sabre for a Hanewinckel 5-string. I used to have (2) Hanewinckel 6-strings, but I suck at 6-string, so I sold them. Very versatile tone-wise and they had the best neck profile ever. When I had the Marchlewski made, I had him make the neck to the same profile as the Hanewinckels. Thankfully, the Hanewinckel 5-string that I received in trade for the '80 Sabre has the same profile.
  • I used to have a really nice Roscoe fretless. I traded it for a 1978 Music Man Sting Ray. Because it's a 1978 Sting Ray.
  • And finally, I have a 2005 Fender American Deluxe P-Bass 5-string. It just came up at a stupid low price. I have since put in a Sadowsky preamp and this thing is just awesome. Might be the preamp. Might be the tort pick guard I also added. ;) Gets almost as much play time as my Alembic 5-string.
Unless another stupid deal comes along (like the AmDlxP-5 for $800), I am done. I have more basses than I need and no incentive to part with any of them.
 
#113
My basses chose me.

My first one I tried a few different ones, as I was reluctant to learn bass (It woudl take away from my guitar playing time & learning--that was my fear--I got over it)-My Dad paid for it, so I told him to get the cheapest one.
he didn't listen and bought the one that actually felt the best and that I liked the best. (An EB-3 copy--used)

Glad he did that.


Many years later and I am looking for a fretless.
I try many different ones--some I don't like, some I do, a couple I think about going back to get, but they were sold.
Then I am at a store and the fretless MIM J Bass they had was gone.
I asked if they had any others.
The salesman checked their computer, and they had a an SR500F in the back, never been taken out of the box.
So, containing my eagerness (As I had wanted to try one--I love Soundgear)
So they bring it up front, open the box, I pick it up & I knew I was buying it before I even played a note.
 
#115
The two main ones (the Fender VS '62 Precision I got new in April 1983 and the Lakland 4-94 DLX I got used around '96) both said "Hi, honey, I'm home!!!" when I played one unamplified note on them. It comes down to that with the keepers. There's something that resonates in me with the instrument. Same with my Strat, my two acoustic guitars, and a couple of other instruments I couldn't justify purchasing when they beckoned me.

It's not that elusive combination of "playability" because with good instruments that becomes largely an issue of set up. I can adapt to a wide range of neck dimensions, fret sizes, etc. E.G., I had a Geddy Lee. If it sounded better I'd have adapted to that impossibly skinny neck I think, but the edge and lack of solid low mids combined to make it not worth my while to try to adapt. But the Lakland and that particular P both felt and sounded exactly right for ME.

I can be an exasperating gearhead who pores over technical specs all day, but it always comes down to THIS chunk of wood and metal in MY hands. And that's the only thing that counts

jte
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back