Your first bass vs. what you play now

[James Hart]

first bass: early 70s Harmony Short Scale in traditional burst rescued from the garbage by my Grandfather

current main bass: 2006 7 string custom spec'ed Worker Bee from www.beebasses.com

my first gigable bass was a new Ibanez Destroyer in 82. I have replaced that with one off eBay

 

[capnsandwich]

I started with a used 4 string Ibanez SG bass that I got for $90 on consignment at a local music store. It had a PJ pickup configuration along with a jack that needed replaced twice, scratchy pots, and weighed in at about 11.5 lbs.

My bass now is a Valenti J5 with EMG 40J's and an Aguilar 18v OBP-3. This is the perfect bass for me. I picked up that old Ibanez bass and it's easily 4 lbs. heavier than my Valenti.

 

[nickn]

First bass - Ibanez GSR200
What I play now - MIA Fender Jazz, MIM Fender P

The Ibanez had a pretty thin neck, but when I got my first taste of wider necks I decided that I liked those better. So for awhile I only played basses with fat necks. Recently, with the purchase of a Mustang and a Jazz bass, I've come to realize that I do in fact prefer thin necks. It's interesting how things come full circle.

 

[embellisher]

I learned on a Memphis early 70's P bass copy. Back then Memphis basses were very decent, about as good as early 70's Fenders. The first bass that I bought myself was a black Peavey T-40 with the toaster pickups.

Today, my main players are the ones below. Quite a change from a Fender copy or a T-40!

Nordstrand SC5

Zon Sonus Custom

Peavey Cirrus

 

[skb5string]

My 1st bass was Magnum, bought used. The action was sooo high, the neck was pretty bad and the bridge was shot, allen screws were rusted, bassicaly the bass was physicaly falling apart but the it still worked..was blue with a PJ pickup configuration. I'll tell you what though, it was a bass and it was mine. I loved it!

Now, I have a pre-Gibson Tobias Classic 5 and a 1991 Pedulla Pentabuzz Fretless...total bliss

 

[mournblade]

My first bass was a fender squire bullet bass, I hated that bass.

 

[Krügmeister]

I learned on a Memphis early 70's P bass copy. Back then Memphis basses were very decent, about as good as early 70's Fenders. The first bass that I bought myself was a black Peavey T-40 with the toaster pickups.

Today, my main players are the ones below. Quite a change from a Fender copy or a T-40!

Nordstrand SC5

Zon Sonus Custom

Peavey Cirrus

WOW, just WoW!

 

[dinghy]

Started on a red Ibanez GSR200 P/J with rosewood fretboard.

3 basses later I use a SX red P/J with rosewood fretboard.

 

[embellisher]

WOW, just WoW!

From 15 to almost 18, the only bass that I could call my own was a classical guitar rescued from the dunpster, bridge held to the top with bolts, defretted, and strung up with the heaviest green weedeater string that I could find.

God blessed me with a great job about 11 years ago, and I sort of overcompensated for my poor upbringing.

 

[Delta_Petra]

I got my first bass from a friend of mine for $100 and a skateboard deck. The interesting thing is I still play bass and he still skateboards after so many years since that trade.

Anyway the bass was a Yamaha RBX260, natural finish. I enjoyed it for the time. I replaced it after a year. I am a big guy, and I didn't like having a small bodied bass. So I bought my very first brand new bass and it was a Squire Affinity P-bass. Obviously a little low end, but for high school and being brand new, it made me happy.
Fast forward six years and I am rocking a MIM Fender Deluxe J-bass. It is my current frankenbass project. Gonna replace some stuff. Other than that I have an Epiphone Thunderbird. Two basses to make me happy so far.

 

[Kenny Allyn]

Lets see ...

1st bass I ever bought was a Fender Precision that would have been in about 1974

... The last bass I bought would have been last week ... a Fender Precision

 

[Shy Guy]

first bass: yamaha rbx 170
current basses: american standard p bass 08
MIM fsr jass w/ qp basslines
spector legend classic 6

 

[eli_ric]

epiphone les paul special > fender mim j-bass > rickenbacker 4003

 

[DRay521]

My first bass was an Epiphone Accubass. I still own it but have replaced nearly everything on it, strung it with flats, and use it as a gigging blues bass.

I currently play an MTD 435 and a Modulus Quantum 5 fretless. I've moved about as far away from my first bass as possible, but I still enjoy the Epi every now and then.

 

[line6man]

My first bass was a dark blue metallic Yamaha RBX170.
at the time, it was the most inexpensive bass on the market (aside from a piece of sht Dean bass) so thats why i bought it.

My current bass is a Warmoth fretless jazz bass.

as far as guitars go, my very first guitar was a little half size acoustic, but my first electric was a Squier strat.
My current guitar is a Fender strat.

 

[yellofury]

First Bass : Japanese Precision Bass
Current: Am Standard Jazz
Spector Legend 5 string

 

[vinxbass]

Ironically my first bass was a white w/rosewood fingerboard Japanese copy of a Fender Jazz Bass. The bass I currently play is an Olympic White w/Rosewood Fretboard '08' MIA Fender Jazz V.

 

[bassplayertom77]

First bass was a Gibson Grabber w/ flatwounds. My main bass now is a Fender P American Standard. The Gibson had a neck like if a banana and a baseball bat conceived.

 

[Lazylion]

My first bass was a blue Mosrite Ventures model. Got her in 1971, for $50. I was 16. She'd been sitting on the rack at the store so long that there was a worn spot on the back of the neck. She was so heavy, I used to wrap a bath towel around the strap to pad it. Her neck is so skinny, it's like a popsicle stick, short scale, with the strings close together like a guitar. I guess the Ventures' bassist had small hands. She worked for me, as I was switching from guitar anyway. Sound is twangy, great for surf music but not real versatile. She was my only bass until I got Old Faithful, a black and maple Precision, just before moving to LA in '78. For the next 13 years, Old Faithful was my main bass.

Today my main bass is a MIA Fender Jazz 5. I still play Old Faithful too, along with a Spector NS4 CRFM that I got last year. The Spector is tuned DGCF.

So I guess the influence my first bass had on me, other than getting me fully hooked on playing bass, was that she made me want a more versatile, conventional-sounding bass.

Here's Ms. Mosrite:

 

[Basseroni]

1st bass: Some off brand 4-string P-bass with a maple neck and board. I never knew what kind of body it was.
Current bass: Musicman Stingray HH 5-string with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.
Upcoming addition to the family: Alleva Coppolo LM5 5-string with maple neck and board.