Your first bass vs. what you play now

[topcat2069]

My 1st. was an EKO double Florentine cutaway that was bound & blocked, which I traded for a Fender '62 (not reissue this was 1968) P-Bass, that I put a '67 Jazz maple & rosewood neck on that was bound & blocked.
My current Bass is a 5 string Warmoth build w/ a maple & rosewood neck, bound & blocked... I guess that says a lot about what I like in a Bass......

 

[thepeopleperson]

My first bass was a Japanese Squier Precision Bass and I'm glad to say I still own it! Although I do also have a decent American Jazz Bass now, I use the precision for drop C# tuning and it has lovely new pickups so does the job well!

So I guess it's inspired me to keep it for about 10 years now, and stay along the Fender lines also.

 

[Bochafish]

My first bass was custom built by a non-luthier. It had a guitar body and a short scale bass neck. I'm not sure what kind of pickup, but the bridge was just a bent piece of metal with 4 holes drilled into it. I bought it for $5.
We used to joke around that my strap actually cost more than my bass. It was nicknamed, "the tennis raquet"

it then went Peavy Foundation-> Ibanez SR800-> EB Stingray 4h-> Lakland 55-02->Stingray 4h -> EB SR5

 

[Shy Guy]

Yamaha rbx 170- the old style, not the slick new ones--a few basses later-----> EBMM 08 Sterling HH and a G bass on the way and a Gibson SG Supreme

 

[Dad Bass]

My first bass a Univox copy of aP bass. Over time I added a Badass bridge and EMG P P/U. my son now owns and plays this bass. My primary bass is a Modulus M92(sweet spot) 5 string.

 

[lupien]

My first was a Kansas copy P-Bass special, plywood body with string that weren't lined up with the neck so the G string on the higher frets was complete off the neck so I had to first pull it over the neck then press down.

Now I play a Fender MIA 75' RI Jazz & a EBMM Sterling HS

 

[Rockles]

MIM jazz... To MIM jazz 5'er.

 

[Mulebagger]

My first bass was a 1975 ash and maple Fender Jazz bass with the pearl blocks, black pickguard, dimarzios, and badassII bridge. I was spoiled and didn't even know it!

That setup and sound still feels the most like home to me.

 

[seungkoo]

My first was a 96 MIM Jazz in white...I still love my Jazz Bass but my room got more filled up

 

[darkstorm]

First was gibson doubleneck EBO and SG combo. 2nd was gibson thunderbird. After that was mainly other humbucker equipted basses. So main influence of first was pref for humbucker pup sound over jazz and P pup sound. My 2ndary bass a Traben Array Attack does have Jazz style neck pup but its the best sounding jazz type pup Ive heard for my wants. Combines well with the basses bridge humbucker. My main bass, an Ibanez SR300 is of course bridge and neck humbuckers.

 

[christw]

First -> Squier P Bass
First choice now -> HW1 P Bass

It took a lot of soul searching, but I came back to the right side.

 

[wideload]

1974- Mosrite shortscale hollowbody
2004- Alembic Rogue
I like the Alembic better.

 

[JxBass]

First - $79 Kent P-Bass copy
Now - Rob Allen Solid 4 & custom MB-2, both 2009.

 

[J. Crawford]

1st - Silvertone bass package, literally a POS.

Now - MIA Fender Precision

 

[Warhawk]

My first bass was a black '81 G&L L-1000. My present bass is a three color sunburst 2005 U.S.A. '62 Reissue Jazz. In between was a three color sunburst '91 Precision Plus. The G&L was bought used, the others new. I still have all three and the Jazz is by far my favorite. It feels and plays and sounds perfect to me.

 

[Berger912]

my first bass was a Rickenbacher copy then i got a real 4001 Rick had that untill it was stolen. played a Kubicki Ex-factor for years now i am really into the tobias sound have a Killer B and a Growler

 

[Bass Viking]

After seeing countless threads of my first bass was a Fender and I've been playing 'em for 30 years, how if any did your first bass influence your later basses?

My first bass was a Peavey Cirrus and it set the bar really high in a few areas, the big one was ultra low action. I had no idea the Cirrus was special, just that the action was really low. The only downside was that I struggled to find stuff that was capable of playing like a Cirrus without breaking the bank. I also developed a taste for ramps or radiused pickups. The balance and comfort was also very nice.

To this day, whenever I order a bass, I try to get it to feel like a Cirrus.


Now your turn!

My first bass was a Gibson Grabber that I bought new in 1975. (I played a couple of borrowed basses before that but the Grabber was the first bass I owned). I would have to say that the Grabber did not influence my subsequent bass purchases. It was an OK bass for the time but nothing special. I'm actually surprised Gibson reissued it and is asking mucho $$ for it!

It was actually my second bass, an Ibanez Musician, that really set the standard. It had active electronics, good sustain, great feeling neck, a nice ebony fretboard (I now own several basses with ebony boards). That clean hi-fi sound is what I look for in an instrument. The Grabber purchase was somewhat of a compromise. I really wanted a Ripper but I couldn't afford it. The Ibanez however was exactly what I was looking for. As I remember, the Musician was their top of the line bass at the time. I received many compliments on the tone.

I don't own either bass anymore. The Grabber was stolen in the early 80s and I sold the Musician to a friend some years ago. The only reason I wish still had the Gibson is so I could sell it for lots of dough!

You young whippersnappers today are spoiled rotten! Starting on a Cirrus?!! If only they had those back in my day!

 

[Bass Viking]

Started out with a 91' Peavey Fury bought brand new. Now switching between an Am Standard Jazz, an EBMM Sterling and a Euro Spector depending on the mood. The Fury is still at my mom's house and whenever I visit I pick it up and play it. Still amazed at the pencil neck on that Fury, and the great unplugged sound.

I recently bought a Fury as a backup. I think mine is an 87. I'm amazed at the quality for such an inexpensive bass.

 

[vstring3]

My first bass, back in '84, was a used black and maple Hondo with action as high as an upright. I hated it, but had no money to purchase another. I decided to fix the impossible bow in the neck by adjusting the truss rod - I snapped it, of course.

My main, now, is a Red MIM Fender P-Bass with the lowest action I've ever had on a bass. Bought it after browsing a guitar shop with no intention of buying, but after playing this bass, I had to have it.

 

[BlackFenderBass]

My First was a crappy Hartke SB-15 Bass with a B150 Amp. I still play the amp to this day, but the bass sits in a corner un-strung. The Bass was a piece of crap, but the amp is awesome, its a great jam amp, not even close to gig-level, but still good. The Bass is a P/J Combo that was neck-heavy, had a glossed neck that always got all sticky, and if I barely hit it against anything it would leave about a centimeter dent in it. IT was extremely awful! But I still think about how excited I was when I got her...