john_the_bass Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 (edited) I took some more pics of my basses yesterday and thought I'd put them up here. The first bass I had was an EB-0 I "liberated" from me dad. I'd been playing the guitar for about 13 years at this point and had been asked to join a band on bass, so I borrowed the first bass I could get my hands on. I guess I played it for about 6 - 8 months before I found it a bit weedy and moved onto this: [b]1984 MIJ Precision Bass[/b] I found it on ebay and had a should I/shouldn't I moment, and in the end just decided to punt on it - very crappy pic and minimum detail in the auction, but it was a good price so I went for it. When it turned up I discovered it was nearly mint, like somebody had shoved it in a cupboard in 1985 probably. Then I kept breaking strings on stage and in the studio (never at rehearsal!) and decided I needed a backup so I bought this: 1995 MiM Jazz Bass. Another one for a good price, it was a proper dog when I got it, hadn't been looked after, was filthy and needed a good sorting out. My mate took it off me, cleaned it up, put a new WD bridge on it and set it up. I played it in the house and thought it sounded great but then I'd take it to gigs and really struggled to get it to fit. So I stuck it on ebay, long before I found what was Bassworld and it went for £100 more than I'd paid for it. Which was nice and part funded... [b]2004 MIA Am Series Fender Precision S1[/b] I still have this and probably won't part with it unless I stop playing bass/guitar/whatever. When I bought it, the price of a secondhand one was £600+ so I thought I did well when I got this for £550 - of course the values have dropped now and you can pick them up for £2.99 with every £20 fuel purchase . I don't care though, it's probably the best Precision I've played, has a ridiculously (stock) loud pickup and it's a great bass to play. I wanted a black/black/maple Stingray, but couldn't afford one, so I bought this. Then I found out how much I could get a black/black/maple Stingray for if I imported it from the US and found this: [b]200? (never worked it out) EB MM Stingray 3EQ[/b] Found it on ebay and sorted out a deal whereby I gave him cash and he shipped it over here! I got bashed for £100 customs when it turned up but at the time, it was still cheaper than I could get my hands on a UK one. Of course the prices have all gone south since, but ah, who cares? Took a lot of getting used to as I didn't think you could get basses that sounded like that! Treble? Who said that? And then last year, I found this: [b]1983 Squier JV Precision Bass[/b] Again all original and in excellent condition, another ebay bargain, but the bloke who sold it also had this: [b]1983 Westone Thunder III fretless[/b] In pretty much mint condition - how could I turn him down?! To be honest, I can't say my life would have been any less fulfilled had I not bought it and couldn't really apply the fretless thing to anything that I was doing at the time (and continue to do) so I sold it. Then before Christmas, the bitsa jazz BassBod built came up on here for the second time. I'd ummed and aahed a bit over it the first time and the second time it came up, I bought it. [b]Parts-o-jazz Bass[/b] And very nice it is too, put together (as I understand it) from a mixture of WD Music, Gotoh and Kent Armstrong parts. It turned up at work and I took it straight to a gig with a sort of "what if it doesn't fit?" feeling, but it was so big and full sounding it became my main bass until our guitarist left and we turned into a 3 piece (then I started playing my P again). I put a set of flats on it as soon as I could get my hands on one which just made it sound even more beefy. And all that remains is the parts-o-jazz, the 'ray and the black P. I'm half undecided whether I shouldmove on the 'ray and go for something passive and a bit more old school, but we shall see. I'm in no rush! Edited June 9, 2008 by john_the_bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Nice to see the old jazzer is still getting out and about...now you've got me thinking about black Stingrays....ohh deeaar BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_the_bass Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 Everybody needs a black stingray! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Very interesting read John. I really like reading these sort of 'bass history' threads. What did we do before Bassworld, eh? Seems crazy now doesn't it?! ped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 (edited) Nice stingray! also i rather like that black P, not usually my thing but that looks rather nice! Oh and if you want to know the year of that ray, just quote the serial number in a thread stickied at the top of the EBMM forums and someone that works for EBMM customer service will tell you when it was built and where it was originally sent to. Edited June 9, 2008 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_the_bass Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 ah cool - I've posted on there to see if I can get a DOB Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Another nice history thread there, John! I'd hang onto the 'Ray if I were you. It's the only modern sounding active instrument you have on the fleet & very unique compared to your P & J. I really like the JV Squier, though! Lovely looking thing, that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='215520' date='Jun 9 2008, 04:09 PM']Another nice history thread there, John! I'd hang onto the 'Ray if I were you. It's the only modern sounding active instrument you have on the fleet & very unique compared to your P & J. I really like the JV Squier, though! Lovely looking thing, that one![/quote] +1 Really like that Squier JV P bass! The Westone is very nice too.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_the_bass Posted June 10, 2008 Author Share Posted June 10, 2008 Cheers me ducks! I think 6 months ago my attitude was "if it doesn't owe you anything, don't sell it" but more recently my attitude is that if I'm not using them, it's a shame to keep them in cases, in a cupboard, [i]just in case[/i]! Just in case of what? I reckon I can get by on 2 basses now The Stingray I'll keep whatever I think - the P, I might sell if the band folds and I am not playing bass.... I don't know. The band is on hiatus as of last week so I am only playing guitar and you can buy a lot of guitar for the price of a secondhand 'ray... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 Great story and cool basses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_the_bass Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Cheers guys I have learned that the DOB of the Stingray is 12th July 2002 and it was first sent to Bass Northwest in Seattle. How cool is that?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodster Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Ooh, I'm loving the black P bass!! I've GAS'ed for a black/black/maple Precision since I saw Mark Bedford from Madness play one on TOTP in 1979!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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