Who Gigs An Old Bass? New Vs. Vintage?

[Truckstop]

As long as it's working well when you inspect it, it'll be fine.

My BC Rich and Ibanez are both great players. Maybe not as expensive and sought after as a Fender or Ricky of the same year, but they have their own place in my heart!

Truckstop

[Dave Vader]

I gig with a brand new bass, I bought it in 1989, oh hang on...

[Jigster]

I use an Ibanez Roadster made in 1980 - time flies but that's actually quite a few years ago!! Still feels like it was made yesterday - so well put together and so far so good, no crackles, dodgy wires - just lovely Japanese craftsmanship

[razze06]

Last Saturday I used the CMI Ned Callan, 1971 vintage. One pickup, one vol, one tone, a ton of mahogany (body AND neck!) and a few steel bits. Nothing that could go wrong, so no backup or anything.

If you're talking about fear of it getting nicked, well you've got a point. gotta be double careful and don't leave anything lying around...

[Gust0o]

I gigged my (almost) mint 1976 Gibson Grabber - I nearly cried when I put an inevitable ding in it.

That said, as Neep and a few others told me - when it came time to man up about - they're working instruments, not wall pieces. You've got to take care of them, sure, but it would be a shame not to use them.

The Gibson has a great sound, it was absolutely the perfect choice for the gig... now if only I could find something similiar, at a fraction of the cost...

[Gust0o]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1331631576' post='1576011']
There aren't really that many moving parts on a bass, you can't really compare it to a car in respect of letting you down mechanically. Look after them and they'll probably outlast you.
[/quote]

I'm fully intending them to - though hopefully not because I'm checking out any time soon! Touch wood!

But I'd like to pass mine on, and to teach my kids to play - something that never happened for me.

[chris_b]

I'm not going to get very far looking for a vintage 35" scale 5 string bass but if I ever went back to 4 string I'd just get my old Pbass out. The pickups were replaced because they were going weak and I don't trust the truss rod so I only put lightweight strings on it these days but I wouldn't be playing any other 4 string bass.

[Paul S]

At the moment I have 8 basses and they are all between 20-28 years old, with a particular liking for mid-late 80s MIJ things. Being a died in the wool meanie I no longer want to lose money buying and selling on new basses so always get them secondhand now.

[matski]

The basses I use most frequently for gigs are both from '79 - the StingRay and the Precision - and I have never ever had any problems with either of them.

In fact, apart from the occasional broken string, I've never had any problems with a bass at a gig.

Have I just doomed myself....?

[clarkpegasus4001]

I bought my Burgundyglo 1975 Rick 4001 in 2005 and it's been used at every gig without any problems at all, (and used for recordings/rehearsals).

[spencer.b]

In play a 66 p bass for all my electric gigs and it's hard as nails , just make sure you've got a hard case and insurance and away you go. It breaks my heart that most of the really nice pre CBS fenders sit it a collection never getting played. As for worrying about it getting damaged try taking a 5 grand upright out 3 times a week

[discreet]

[quote name='spencer.b' timestamp='1331656784' post='1576703']
...try taking a 5 grand upright out 3 times a week...
[/quote]

Christ no! I'd rather take Ann Widdecombe out 3 times a week.

[Gust0o]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1331657095' post='1576710']
Christ no! I'd rather take Ann Widdecombe out 3 times a week.
[/quote]



[i]"And this week's letter is from a little boy called Discreet... he writes, 'Dear Jim, can you please fix it for me to take Anne Widdecombe out three times a week..."[/i]

Jingle jangle

[discreet]

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1331657986' post='1576740']
[i]"And this week's letter is from a little boy called Discreet... he writes, 'Dear Jim, can you please fix it for me to take Anne Widdecombe out three times a week..."[/i]
[/quote]

I'm sure she's a very nice person.

[Truckstop]

and she eats like a sparrow.

[discreet]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1331658778' post='1576762']
and she eats like a sparrow.
[/quote]

I don't care so long as she shags like a rabbit.
Or a hippo. I don't mind, really. Or a pig.

[Marvin]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1331658778' post='1576762']
and she eats like a sparrow.
[/quote]

We've got sparrows in the facia boards, make an awful bloody noise, especially when eating.

[discreet]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1331659200' post='1576772']
...make an awful bloody noise, especially when eating.
[/quote]

What, when you're eating or when they are??

[Gust0o]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1331658778' post='1576762']
and she eats like a sparrow.
[/quote]

There you go, Discreet - cheap date

It's all about [i]dating[/i] vintage, clearly

[Marvin]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1331659617' post='1576783']
What, when you're eating or when they are??
[/quote]

Both

[discreet]

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1331659920' post='1576792']
It's all about [i]dating[/i] vintage, clearly
[/quote]

Christ, I reckon she'd need [i]carbon [/i]dating.

[discreet]

I must apologise for all this blatant misogyny.
And it was International Women's Day last week, too! Shameful.

[kevin_lindsay]

I use my '74 Jazz bass when gigging. Well, I did until Paul Turner borrowed it, I'm still trying to prise it back out of his hands! Hahaha

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/CIMG0008-8.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/kevin_lindsay/CIMG0003-9.jpg[/IMG]

[discreet]

Loving that pink thing, what is it?

[kevin_lindsay]

The pink bass was a Nordy old style P-Bass made for me by Carey Nordstrand. It's now owned by a guy in Sweden or Finland or thereabouts.