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Your First bass and how it mattered...
- Thread starter sturoc
- Start date
After struggling with friends' Teisco and a particularly horrible Gibson EB-3 with a broken truss rod I bought a short-scale Fender Bullet in 1980? 1981? It mattered because it taught me that short-scale basses are not for me and it was my first and last. My buddy with the Teisco still has the Bullet.
My first bass was a Fender Musicmaster. Hated it. Picked up an EKO SG style bass at a garage sale and played that for the next few years until I got a real long scale bass, Peavey T40 and then an Ovation Magnum.
My first bass was a white Ibanez 4 banger loaded with EMG HZ pups that I bought from my brother for $200 who is also the lead guitar player in our band. I still have this bass and it is my go to instrument. Easy to play, lightweight and great tone. It originally came with a active bass boost know but the pot came apart and a kill switch will eventually be installed. This bass still has the original strings that were on it when it was purchased new by my brother. It still sounds so good I can't bring myself to change them.
My first was a Squier Affinity P-Bass. It mattered to me because my parents bought it for me after I'd given up on guitar (including taking lessons and buying the gear they did for me). I had played guitar for about 6 months or so; I gave up and decided I wanted to play bass instead. So, we headed back to Guitar Center and got a Squier P and a Behringer amp.
7 years later and the only two things I'm more grateful to them for are a college education and my life itself.
7 years later and the only two things I'm more grateful to them for are a college education and my life itself.
Geez, Did we all play in that notorious school jazz band ?!?!
One night at a spring jazz band concert with that school P-bass Gibson Thor combo,
an old lady gets up outta the audience from 3 rows up in front of me, down to the pit and told me to turn my volume down !
I said " hey it's Windy !" - shows my age now, right there.
I was on '3' and getting drowned out by the drummer !
One night at a spring jazz band concert with that school P-bass Gibson Thor combo,
an old lady gets up outta the audience from 3 rows up in front of me, down to the pit and told me to turn my volume down !
I said " hey it's Windy !" - shows my age now, right there.
I was on '3' and getting drowned out by the drummer !
My first bass was a Crate Electra P bass, I guess you could call it short scale. I still play it by myself from time to time. The neck is super tiny, J shaped, and the stock bridge has more mass than a Fender. Not a bad beater, I definitely prefer it to the 5 string Peavey I bought as my second bass.
My first was a Barracuda brand P-bass copy... the action was crap, the frets all buzzed, and it was heavy. I had no bass amp, only a guitar amp that my sweet, yet not musically-educated, mother bought with it. No tuner, no instruction books, nothing...
*but it mattered because it got me to love bass
About two months later, when the pickups crapped out, I went to the local long and McQuade and picked the cheapest bass there-- a great condition used Ibanez GSR200 for $125... I noticed a few things with that Ibanez-- actions aren't supposed to be an inch high, frets aren't supposed to buzz, pickups shouldn't hum, and not all basses cause back pain... love that Ibanez. I got the Ibanez in July of this year, and one month after switching from the P to the GSR, I went from playing White Stripes' Seven Nation Army to playing Killswitch Engage's My Curse... massive difference. I'd have given up if I didn't get that Ibanez!
*but it mattered because it got me to love bass
About two months later, when the pickups crapped out, I went to the local long and McQuade and picked the cheapest bass there-- a great condition used Ibanez GSR200 for $125... I noticed a few things with that Ibanez-- actions aren't supposed to be an inch high, frets aren't supposed to buzz, pickups shouldn't hum, and not all basses cause back pain... love that Ibanez. I got the Ibanez in July of this year, and one month after switching from the P to the GSR, I went from playing White Stripes' Seven Nation Army to playing Killswitch Engage's My Curse... massive difference. I'd have given up if I didn't get that Ibanez!
first bass (and only so far) was a Peavey.
I dont know what kind, year, or anything. It did have a natural finish on it, no paint or anything. And a black pickguard.
I got it from a friend for a hundred bucks with a peavey amp.
I sold it about a year or so later for 150. Win. Win.
I dont know what kind, year, or anything. It did have a natural finish on it, no paint or anything. And a black pickguard.
I got it from a friend for a hundred bucks with a peavey amp.
I sold it about a year or so later for 150. Win. Win.
My first bass was a Peavey Foundation in black with a maple fingerboard. I practiced hard and within a year or so was dying to possess the bass I associated with my hero, Geddy Lee: a Steinberger. Still a high school student, I began lobbying my dad hard and with persistence. He eventually relented, and I got a four string XL w/ transtrem.
After that I decided I would convert the Peavey to a fretless, which I did following the method Jaco detailed in an interview I read--frets out, sanded the neck down, filled the fret grooves with wood putty, and re-coated with seven layers of boat epoxy. I also put a set of EMGs in it and stripped the finish off the body and clearcoated it.
Several months later, my first apartment was robbed and both basses were lost forever. I actually thought recently about how maybe there's a slight chance I could locate that Steinberger with the power of the internets..
After that I decided I would convert the Peavey to a fretless, which I did following the method Jaco detailed in an interview I read--frets out, sanded the neck down, filled the fret grooves with wood putty, and re-coated with seven layers of boat epoxy. I also put a set of EMGs in it and stripped the finish off the body and clearcoated it.
Several months later, my first apartment was robbed and both basses were lost forever. I actually thought recently about how maybe there's a slight chance I could locate that Steinberger with the power of the internets..
I was 14 years old and I convinced my dad to take me out to look at basses. I found a red Charvel bass that I just had to have. It was probably $400 or so. Dad gave me the whole speech about saving money and buying it blah blah blah. This was about 6 weeks before Christmas. My parents said they would give me $100 for Christmas to put toward the bass. That was a lot of money coming from my parents because we were poor.
Finally Christmas Eve came. I asked for that $100 and my dad told me to go downstairs and get his wallet. When I got down there, I found a brand new American Fender Jazz bass and a tiny Dean Markley practice amp waiting for me. To this day I have no idea how my parents ever came up with the money to buy me that bass.
15 years later, like a dumb ass, I sold the bass for next to nothing. I've regreted it every day since.
Finally Christmas Eve came. I asked for that $100 and my dad told me to go downstairs and get his wallet. When I got down there, I found a brand new American Fender Jazz bass and a tiny Dean Markley practice amp waiting for me. To this day I have no idea how my parents ever came up with the money to buy me that bass.
15 years later, like a dumb ass, I sold the bass for next to nothing. I've regreted it every day since.
My first bass was a purple 1984 3/4 size Hondo that I bought off my friend (that had parents that would buy him all kinds of good stuff) for $40. To him it was a throw away, but to me it was so important because I had wanted to play bass for years. Just tonight I changed strings on one of my basses and gave it some long overdue maintenance, oiled the fret board, polished the body and I commented to my wife that I never take care of my basses like I did with my first crappy bass...I would constantly polish it with my mom's pledge furniture polish
First bass was some cheap $100 short scale 4 string that my cousin gave to me after I found it in his closet (I was 14 I think), P-bass pickup, sunburst with no pickguard, I think it said Biscayne Bass on the headstock. All the parts had rusted through (He lived near the ocean), so it didn't work in any amp. One day I figured out if I played while sitting on my dresser (very old wooden dresser) that the bass would resonate through the wood and I'd hear it much louder...did that for a year or two (still can't believe it today).
I'd been learning mostly on my high school's bass: A Green Ibanez SR305 5 String, played that thing to death almost everyday after school, trying songs that I had learnt on the POS 4 string at home the night before. They even let me borrow it for a whole summer one time (my playing improved dramatically that summer, learned every song I could get my hands on).
My first real bass came about 2 years later as an early Christmas present from my amazing mom, still remember opening that case for the first time: A 2001 Fender American Deluxe Jazz 5 (natural swamp ash/maple, was really into Marcus Miller back then)...playing that through an AMP that afternoon was one of the happiest days of my teenage years...having crappy basses in the beginning REALLY makes you appreciate the better basses later on. Been hooked on 5 string Fender style basses ever since.
I'd been learning mostly on my high school's bass: A Green Ibanez SR305 5 String, played that thing to death almost everyday after school, trying songs that I had learnt on the POS 4 string at home the night before. They even let me borrow it for a whole summer one time (my playing improved dramatically that summer, learned every song I could get my hands on).
My first real bass came about 2 years later as an early Christmas present from my amazing mom, still remember opening that case for the first time: A 2001 Fender American Deluxe Jazz 5 (natural swamp ash/maple, was really into Marcus Miller back then)...playing that through an AMP that afternoon was one of the happiest days of my teenage years...having crappy basses in the beginning REALLY makes you appreciate the better basses later on. Been hooked on 5 string Fender style basses ever since.
1967 Gibson EB-3. That short scale neck allowed me to play all sorts of things I didn't think possible. That mud bucker pickup makes a rumble that no other bass can keep up with. If the P guys think they have a "warm" sound, they should try and EB-3. That bass is so warm you dont even have to play the right notes. Talk about rattling the windows in the house 3 blocks away. Great starter bass that will never get recycled.
For me it was a Crate Electra precision copy, the action was pretty good on it from the start and it was well built. eventually the pups went out on it and i replaced them with some bartolinis and some ernie ball slinky's on it and it sounded great. played it til i got my EBMM 5HH Ray in 2010. i still have it but its on loan to a buddy who is learning on his own right now
- Jul 30, 2006
- 2,315
- 453
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist:Regenerate Guitar Works Carvin, Micheal Kelly Guitars
In 1964 I lived in Japan & was performing as a singer (age 13) in a R&B band. We went to the Teisco factory & they gave us stuff. I got a bass that was a copy of a 51 P. It was awful but three years later I started playing it onstage when we fired the bassist. I had two weeks to learn how to play bass & still be the frontman. I still do that.
My first bass I wasn't really attached to. I picked it out on a whim because I wanted to start playing right away. I picked it out knowing that once I got a feel for playing bass I would replace it with something more suited to what my preferences developed into.
It was an ibanez gsr200, meh. I managed to get a guitar center to buy it for 100 bucks. I was impressed, figured they'd offer 50 max for it.
It was an ibanez gsr200, meh. I managed to get a guitar center to buy it for 100 bucks. I was impressed, figured they'd offer 50 max for it.
A Harmony 6 string that I took the two strings off and left the bottom 4...real bass? a Kingston, then a Telecaster, old one with the old pickup. Never got any volume out of it. Then a brand spankin new '76 Precision. Sunburst, w a maple neck and black pickguard. Traded for a cream '68 beater Precision w a tortiseshell pickguard which was stolen.
