One bass to rule them all.

[throwoff]

I have been thinking, most of us here have more than 1 bass (a lot of us have more than 5!!)

But which one would be the one you would save if you had to pick?

I will start with my Washburn XB-120.

Ok it's the worst of my group both in terms of playability, sound and build quality and the neck is no longer straight (about 6 degrees to the right!) but it was my first bass. It has played probably 100+ gigs with me of varying quality with varying bands. It was thrown around, never had a hard case and was the bass I learnt to balance on my chin before I risked my Fender.

The headstock has burns on it from fags stuck under the strings (bloody hell you could smoke indoors when I was gigging it!)
There is superglue on the cutaway from a misguided attempt to glue spare picks onto it.
The control plate screws are just glued on heads and the plate is held on with tape.
The tone control is no longer connected (neither is the neck pickup!)
The dice control knobs are not shop bought but actual dice I drilled into and then applied far too much glue to to get them to stay on!
There are about 5 layers of stickers on it ranging from bands to brands to stickers which come on underwear you buy from Sainsburys. Most of them on the heel are actually melted due to the pints of acidic sweat I produce in a 40 minute set.
It was thru-blue but in my younger 'punker' days I hated any through colour and scratched a lot of the paint off on the botton of it!

But I love it to bits.

It last got on stage about 3 years ago when my P and MM were both laid up and I got a gig with 3 hours notice.





Check the neck angle compared to the 4 bolts

Edited May 6, 2011 by throwoff

[chrismuzz]

That's a true piece of history man! My old faithful Peavey International has seen some action but nothing like this!

Awesome

[Lozz196]

Hmmmm. In my head I like to think I would go to my sunburst Precision, as the sound is much deepr and richer than my white one.

However, I`ve played so many gigs with the white one, and am so familiar with it that that is the one I`d probably reach for.

[stingrayPete1977]

Never mind the stickers and stuff how do you play it with the neck bolted on backwards?! (someone else would of said it if I hadn't)

I would save the pre EB first all the rest can be replaced although my 2002 has done more gigs with me since buying it new but I hope to beat that score with the pre EB in future.


[quote name='throwoff' post='1221846' date='May 6 2011, 02:32 AM']I have been thinking, most of us here have more than 1 bass (a lot of us have more than 5!!)

But which one would be the one you would save if you had to pick?

I will start with my Washburn XB-120.

Ok it's the worst of my group both in terms of playability, sound and build quality and the neck is no longer straight (about 6 degrees to the right!) but it was my first bass. It has played probably 100+ gigs with me of varying quality with varying bands. It was thrown around, never had a hard case and was the bass I learnt to balance on my chin before I risked my Fender.

The headstock has burns on it from fags stuck under the strings (bloody hell you could smoke indoors when I was gigging it!)
There is superglue on the cutaway from a misguided attempt to glue spare picks onto it.
The control plate screws are just glued on heads and the plate is held on with tape.
The tone control is no longer connected (neither is the neck pickup!)
The dice control knobs are not shop bought but actual dice I drilled into and then applied far too much glue to to get them to stay on!
There are about 5 layers of stickers on it ranging from bands to brands to stickers which come on underwear you buy from Sainsburys. Most of them on the heel are actually melted due to the pints of acidic sweat I produce in a 40 minute set.
It was thru-blue but in my younger 'punker' days I hated any through colour and scratched a lot of the paint off on the botton of it!

But I love it to bits.

It last got on stage about 3 years ago when my P and MM were both laid up and I got a gig with 3 hours notice.





Check the neck angle compared to the 4 bolts

[/quote]

[AttitudeCastle]

[b]One Bass to rule them all, One Bass to find them,
One Bass to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.[/b]

I am a Lord of the rings fan boy

But my Yamaha Attitude every time! It means so much too me, i got it at a rough time as a birthday present (i still paid for some of it though!)

It will always be very dear too me even though i'm a 6 string player and would end up having to convince a reform of my band or quit if its a choice the Attitude (LTD II in seafoam green!) wins everytime. And i mean, [i]everytime[/i]

[thisnameistaken]

I don't have anything as interesting as your Washburn.

I did have a USA Fender Jazz for a while (it was a 22-fret 'boner' one) that ended up in a similar shape but I didn't abuse it, it was just a sh*t bass.

[Stag]

My old 4001 has done more gigs than any other bass, it was always my dream to own one, so ill go with that. And it has MANY dents, scratches, fag stain in headstock etc etc

[purpleblob]

Wow the neck on that Washburn, just wow ! Just as well it was reduced from £9.99 to £6.99 is all I can say.

My Wal custom would be first out the window (in it's case ). It's the first "proper" bass I owned and whilst played less than my Sei 5 string has the sentimental value, plus it's just so damned good.

[neepheid]

I'll be damned if my Gibson Victory Artist is getting burned again after all the effort put into restoring it!

[Prime_BASS]

My 95 ray, although I love the big al, they'll never be a ray like mine.

[Eight]

The Esh Stinger. Not a doubt in my mind... if the whole street went up in flames, I'd save that bass and lock it away safely in my car before I even thought about going back to save my elderly neighbours.

[Dr.Dave]

My 73 Precision. I've had it 33 years. Every knock on it is from a gig we did together. I've a story I could tell you about every part on it but , to pick one , the nut was made for me from a brass bog door lock by my late Dad 25 years ago. How could I ever replace that. It's not even properly insured. What's the point. If it got nicked I wouldn't even attempt to replace it. If It snapped in half at least I'd still have the bits.

The Shuker , the other Fenders etc etc. You could chop them up for firewood by comparison.

[Dave Vader]

Sorry, it's a guitar coming with me, my Trigger's Broom fujigen strat.
1st guitar I ever actually owned back in 1989, it started out as an "Oakland" which I assumed to be a piece of sh*te.
After a million others, I realised it was actually bloody good, then when I realised I only wanted 1 strat, I put a jap squier neck on it, a weird custom black pickguard from another japcrap strat, and recently put a set of bulldog pickups in it. Oh, it's got a fender 2-point bridge as well.
Often known as the "3-in-1 I only need one strat" strat, or the Shitocaster you will have to pry it from my cold dead hands.
Or my Sunn Mustang Bass, which I have had a similarly long time. In the other hand.

[Norris]

I'd save the Thunderbird & use the US Jazz to beat the flames out

[pikeman]

One bass that has stayed with me since the early 80's and I'll not move on is a JV Squier P I bought new in 1983/4.
The custom built Warwick Thumb and the pre EB Sabre have long gone but the Squier is still around.
Sorry about the crap photo.

[Paultrader]

My '76 Fender Precision Sunburst. I've owned it since '79 and it has paid it's way many times over through the years. It's a very good friend.

[Bottle]

Well, it'd have to be the Ibanez. Lovely thin and fast neck, sensible control layout and playability. Mods like a dream. Passive, but with some balls to it! I would save it, even if it meant I was standing out in the road in me birthday suit

Has special sentimental meaning to me - first bass, etc. Looked after but well gigged, not precious about the finish, not looking for resale value, but a treasured possession. Still my go-to bass for gigging.

HTH,
Ian

[danhkr]

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1222018' date='May 6 2011, 10:27 AM']My 95 ray, although I love the big al, they'll never be a ray like mine.[/quote]

Feel the same about my 94 Sterling. The big al is a monster of a bass, but there's something magic about earlier EBMM.

[lucky]

You know how they say if you name something you get attatched? well it's true so i'd have to save Leo; my S-1 precision- I know they're hardly a "classic" but he's my favourite (they also say you shouldn't choose favourites but balls to that)

Edited May 6, 2011 by lucky

[waynepunkdude]

My Encore 'first bass'.

I'd be standing outside holding it telling the insurance man how it was the only one I could grab as the flames had already engulfed the '51 P and the '62 Jazz.

[Ghost_Bass]

The TRB, doesn't have sentimental value but worths more (financialy and soundwise) than all my other basses put together!

[Paul S]

Easy - my Fender Power Jazz Bass Special. Mid 80s MIJ heaven that makes me smile every time I play it.

If I get to grab something with the other hand it would be the Washburn Scavenger to your left.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Paul S

[4000]

Well I'm currently down to 2, but even if I had thousands it'd be this one...

[Spike Vincent]

I've actually had to run for my life from a house fire,and believe me,I didn't think about grabbing a bass.

[Chris2112]

I'd probably grab my ACG Harlot S Type, but I'd be heartbroken about the Kubicki I'd be leaving behind. And the Ashdown MK500!