Your first bass vs. what you play now

[pringlw]

My first real bass, bought in 1982. 4001 Fretless

Now, after all these years... 4003

Still have the first one of course (and a couple of Music Mans).

 

[Barnabas]

My first bass was a black Squier P-bass. It has transformed much over the years. I've stuck with fenders because of my great experience with this bass.

Original pickups were crap though, Bartolini's helped!

 

[unclejane]

My first bass was a Sekova, a POS Korean copy of a Hofner 500/1 Beatle bass. For the year or so before I got that I borrowed a Fender Mustang, and then a Vox Apollo IV. All were 30" scale instruments strung with flatwounds.

So I guess the only way my early basses influenced what I play now is, none of my current basses are 30" scale instruments strung with flatwounds.

My first bass might have been one of these too. It was a hofner copy but it had no brand name on it anywhere so I had no idea who made it. It was the cheapest thing they had at the pawn shop at the time - I was in high school and broke of course, so that was the one I got.

It taught me two things:
- how to teach myself to play the bass
- how to teach myself, like, really bad habits on the bass.

It was later that I had to correct most of the stuff I learned on that thing, namely

- use my fretting pinky. A piece of my fretting pinky is chopped off from a childhood accident and I initially learned everything using only my other 3 fingers. I finally just learned how to use it anyway tho my hand is always a little out of position because the pinky is about 1/4" shorter than it should be.
- better right hand technique, using two fingers and, about a year ago, switching to the floating thumb.
- instrument fit
- getting rid of the frets.

I don't remember what actually happened to it but I'm just glad to this day that it's gone and hopefully I'll never see it again.

LS

 

[perkidan]

A precision copy called a Global. Currently rockin a Lakland 55-02 deluxe.

 

[Spleenface92]

My first bass was a Jay Turser. I still have it, it's a great bass(modded, of course). I now play an epi explorer, and a Fender Jag.

 

[kjpollo]

I started on an absolutely horrible P-bass copy with some weird, microphonic, non-P pickup.
Can you tell I dont miss it at all??

Now I have 4 4bangers and 2 5ers. And until my wife got me my SX SPJ last Christmas, I had not owned another P-bass (or lookalike) since that 1st POS.

 

[mero]

1st bass

Now playing

 

[topcat2069]

1ST Bass: EKO double cutaway

2nd Bass: '62 P-Bass which has influenced every Bass choice I've made since...

Now: Warmoth Deluxe 5 with Barts (G-5 body soon to be a Deluxe 5 P-Bass body)

 

[gjbassist]

The first bass I played for a while actually wasn't mine. It belonged to a guitarist friend who let me use it. It was a '76 Fender P, all original! The first bass I bought myself was a Fender MIM P/J. I currently have a 4 string parts jazz and a 5 string Ibanez SR505.

 

[mcapote]

my first bass a Laguna LB224 I still play the laguna and swap up with an Ibanez SRX590 depending on what im playing. Looking to get a Spector Q5 or Legend 5 next

 

[bassist4dalord]

My first bass was a Squier Affinity Precision bass. Now I play a different Squier Affinity Precision bass, and a Squier Affinity Jazz V.

 

[pedrodelawasp]

My first bass was a Westfield J copy.

EVERYTHING I've had since walked all over it.

My top 3 currently: Fender Geddy Lee Jazz, Ibanez AGB140, kit build p-bass w/ active EMG pup. In the Jazz v Jazz battle of the westfield Vs Fender... no contest.

 

[bakjewel]

I started with a Dame T250, a Korean Fender Jazz bass copy with white body and black pickguard.
Now I have a Cort B4, with brown body.

 

[Emanuel Apascaritei]

My first bass was a Squier MB4 with high action and bowed neck, it was horrible untill I found out that I can adjust the rod and lower the strings, even though it was so poor about everything. I´ve sold it and I wish I didn´t because now I´d have a bass to mod it to bones.
Now I have a Fender acoustic bass and waiting to arrive my American Standard Jazz Bass

 

[JAGGL3S]

My First Was a 80's BC rich platnium Series Bass
Now i Have a Traben Limited 5 String.
Dont miss the BC rich but would not mind having it back

 

[CapnSev]

I started on a P bass 14 years ago, when I was 12. I haven't owned a P since then, until about a week ago.

I'm back to a P now (with an extra string ). I guess I came full circle.

 

[bassplayer7770]

I think the only similarity between my first bass and my current basses was the P-pickup. My first bass was a Hondo P-Bass copy, and my current basses are listed in my sig. The Hondo played and sounded like poo, and my current basses sound and play great. My Yamaha has a P/J configuration, so I guess I still have that 'P' sound (only MUCH better)...

 

[somegeezer]

The first bass I used [the one I learnt to play on] was an Encore P-Bass piece of crap. Both my current basses are pieces of crap also, but slightly better. I bought my first bass, a Vintage Metal Axxe Wraith, then went on to buy a Shine WEB45. The Shine, cheapest of the 2, is actually my favourite and has the better tone. It's a lot lighter too and doesn't have a diving neck as much as the Wraith. I'm hoping to move onto a Schecter Stiletto Studio-6 early next year though.

 

[natw42]

Ibanez GSR205 5 string --> Ibanez SR405 --> MPGuitars Custom 5 --> Lakland 4-94

The only similarity between my first and current bass is the fact that they both are jazz bass influenced.

 

[drmckool]

My first Bass was a MIM Fender Precision, followed by that i Bought a Warwick Thumb b-o and my latest is a EBMM Stingray 5 20th anniversary.

The P-Bass didn't affect the type of bass i play now that much