Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

The first ding!


gafbass02
 Share

Recommended Posts

I did my first ding in my new cij jazz today, a brand new less than a monh old 2008 75ri jazz and while screwing the badass on, looked away, slipped and put a small dink and a scratch in the paint on the forearm bout. Thankfully i intend to gig it so im not too gutted, but i was kinda hoping to keep this one a bit nice looking as my blue jazz is tatty as hell. Pics soon when the mods are finished!
Any other painful dink stories?, especially that painful first walllop!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mint, literally as new - despite being 3 years old - black/black/maple USA P. Picked it up, brought it home, put the case on the dining room table, opened the case, took out the bass and doingggggg - whacked the headstock on the big glass lampshade above the dining table - result, one big ding right on the end of an otherwise mint bass
never mind :)

Edited by john_the_bass
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep.

Brand new Stingray 4 string. Took it to rehearsal plugged in my wireless unit and off I went.

30 mins later, put the bass down on it's stand (safety first you see) walked away and it took a nose dive off the stand straight on to the floor. I forgot to take the radio pack out of my back pocket and it was still plugged in to the bass.

Result? Lovely little ding right at the top of the headstock.

Edited by Old Horse Murphy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The black Stage I that I sold to GremlinAndy...

I bought it from Germany and when I took it out of the box it was immaculate/unmarked (unbelievable for a 16 year old bass). I noticed the pups were a bit low for my taste so adjusted them accordingly; the screwdriver duly slipped from my hand (6" above the bass forearm contour) and put an almost imperceptible dink in it. Hardly noticeable but I know that I put it there after 10 minutes of owning it when its original owner had nurtured it for 16 years without a scratch. Doh!

Oh and Andy does know :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Loads of minor dings over the years inflicted on my "Money Shot" Nathan East (so called because it's the ever present, wonderful sounding when recorded, never sell it ever ever).

However, the most obvious major dingage occured one New Years Eve at the dearly departed Railway in Curzon Street in Brum. A combination of amazing audience with us playing really well, fantastic vibe and my first ever gig in front of my wonderful wife (then a new girlfriend). Did the "1812 Overture" ending to the last number in E, I ended up repeatedly thumping the body of the bass with the bottom of my fist whilst holding an E chord to get the full on theatrical effect. May I add at this point I did not have my foot on the monitor so at least i maintained a modicum of "cool".

Anyway, packing away afterwards, I noticed loads of tiny circular pock marks just below the top of the cutaway on the front of the body. It slowly dawned on me that the shirt i was wearing had had the sleeves fastened with cufflinks (yeah, I know, serves me for being a fashion victim and wearing a poncy shirt) which i'd repeated rammed into the top of "me babby".

Still, regarding the wider question of dingage, dunno if it's just me but there's something strangely warming i find about being responsible for (and having a story to tell about) every single bash and crash on a bass you've had for years and owned from new.

T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure if this classes as a ding, but on the way to a gig a while back with an Ah600 and two trace elliot cabs, along with an all graphite Status 2000 in the back of my car, when some idiot behind decides to forget using his brakes, and severely modifies the rear of my car (and my gear). The Status was in two halves! My cabs were buggered. I managed to get empty cabs direct from TE when they were in Maldon. The Status went in the bin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I managed to ding my bass without any impact.

Being a silly boy I put it on a footstool whilst I cleaned the fretboard. The footstool cushion is just tied on and moved ever so slightly as I was cleaning, allowing a wooden corner to stick out - which wore through the finish right through to the wood.

Despite the odd clanging on things - its the only visible mark on it still.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember my first ding on my first ever elecric guitar (a nice white strat copy which was quite unusual at the time).

I was polishing my pride and joy with an aerosol can of Johnson Pledge. I gave a tin a shake and caught the edge of the guitar with the bottom of the can :) Knocked a big lump of the finish out - right down to the wood !!

I was gutted.

I eventually filled the hole with Humbrol modelling filler (I'd stop making Airifx models by then so it was going spare !) but could never manage to paint it white to match properly.

The moral - don't polish too often and if you do, use a polish in a plastic bottle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a Warwick LX4 as my first 'serious' bass while I was studying music. The first college gig came up and a girl who was playing bass in one of the songs asked to borrow it, without thinking about the large spangly belt buckle she was wearing! Buckle rash is an understatement! I was gutted. Since then I've insited anyone playing my bass remove their belt. I get some funny looks until I show them the back of the Warwick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did a gig- late 80s- my bass fell off its stand after the first encore and I snapped a peg ( 70s Jazz ) I was so out of it ( pretty big gig ) that we played another two encores before I noticed the peg was missing - didnt even go out of tune ( as I remember it)

I remember my dads pal welded it next day so it was ready for my next gig. Loved that bass ( it was nicked outside another venue- blame pissed roadies )

Suffice to say I would recognise that bass immediately- strange blue colourings on E string peg.

I would pay £5K to get that one back- I still look at at at a gig I did in `87 on Youtube. Never mind.

Cheers

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='bassfunk' post='145039' date='Feb 22 2008, 01:48 PM']I bought a Warwick LX4 as my first 'serious' bass while I was studying music. The first college gig came up and a girl who was playing bass in one of the songs asked to borrow it, without thinking about the large spangly belt buckle she was wearing! Buckle rash is an understatement! I was gutted. Since then I've insited anyone playing my bass remove their belt. I get some funny looks until I show them the back of the Warwick.[/quote]

Yup. I had a guy spit out his dummy at a jam night when I asked him to remove his belt when he asked to borrow my (then) brand new Sterling. I don't like dingage but I prefer it if it's my fault.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='martthebass' post='145328' date='Feb 22 2008, 09:10 PM']Yup. I had a guy spit out his dummy at a jam night when I asked him to remove his belt when he asked to borrow my (then) brand new Sterling. I don't like dingage but I prefer it if it's my fault.[/quote]
I remember many years ago when a mate of mine asked to have a play on someone's very nice Martin. Chap wanted him to take his belt off (fair enough). So Norman took his belt off, and the chap then said he still couldn't have a go as he was wearing a shirt with hard buttons on.

A couple of mine have suffered mysterious scrapes to the rear of the heel when they've been sat on stage at the local open mic night. Not sure how they've happened, may even have been stand-inflicted (using A-frame stands). I now use a tripod stand with a sticky-up bit at the back and there's been no further damage.

When I first got the Palatino, I took it up to the open mic night. Left it lying at the side of the drum riser. At the end of the evening, I noticed a cymbal lying on it. The drummer never used to put nuts on his cymbals and one had flown off and dropped onto the Palatino, chipping the lacquer.

This all reminds me of why I like oil-finished and natural basses. They show the dings a lot less than painted or lacquered instruments.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure if it's safe to tell this story as it was a guitar, not a bass, but:

Collected my brand new Simon & Patrick acoustic from the shop (this was in the days before ebay :huh: ), picked up my 4 yr old son from his grandparents and drove home.

As I opened the front door my son pushed past me to get in the house. I tripped over him, guitar in hand, and ...... well, I was NOT happy.

Opened the soft case it was in to find the headstock hanging off.

My boy is still now paying the price :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='barneythedog' post='147129' date='Feb 26 2008, 12:16 PM']Not sure if it's safe to tell this story as it was a guitar, not a bass, but:[/quote]

Mine happened to a 6 string acoustic epiphone that had managed to travel halfway around europe and back via Morrocco and Syria without any damage except some pick scuffing on the pick guard - got it home and had it on a stand in the lounge. Upon returning from the local ale establishment one fine summer's eve I decided to have a quick play on one of the electrics ranged like hunting trophies on the wall. The combination of too much fine ale and the intrinsic pointiness of a Flying-V soon resulted in an ugly hole in the side of the Epi'. Still got it and it still plays fine - 25 year old guitar with a 16 year old hole!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...