How many basses have you properly worn out?

[roonjuice]

Properly worn out, to the point of retirement....

2 for me,
1- Columbus jazz that I took the frets out, and ground the neck and pick up covers away. Not worth doing up or selling so it was retired.

2 - fender precision light special edition. Many many gigs. Played so much that I ground the mahogany body away around the pick ups, and the pickups rattle loose after a short amount of time playing. Frets played smooth. Gone thru a number of jack barrels too. Too much sentimental value to sell. Too knackered to gig!!!

(Still the best neck I ever played)

[BobVbass]

Just one - a Fenix P bass - played it for over ten years; nut was knackered in the end, frets worn down grooves in the fret board, dinks all over the body, gave it to my friends kid to learn on in the end

[Cat Burrito]

With the popularity of GAS on this site I wonder if this topic will be a bit quiet?

My original P-bass took a fair old pounding and was retired after 15yrs hard gigging. It became something of a Trigger's broom in the end and was sold on as a very playable but roadworn instrument. I still have the original rusted up pickup.

[Delberthot]

My first bass - a red with maple fretboard Marlin Slammer bought from the Littlewoods catalogue for £99 in 1987

Defretted it by taking a large flat rasp file down the neck which flattened it so had to take it to a guy to reprofile it. I then painted it black by first using pink household undercoat then black emulsion and a large brush. Finally I decided to strip it to the bare wood using a scraper. Other than that all the chrome started peeling off the chrome parts and the strings were rusty as I didn't know you had to change them

Went in the bin 4 years after being bought and was replaced with a Riverhead Jupiter

As far as properly gig and rehearsal worn out goes I haven't owned a bass long enough to do that. I look after all my stuff so it would take the pickup failing or the frets wearing out to get it to that stage but then that's why Leo put bolt on necks on them so they could be changed

[neepheid]

None. I rotate through a number of basses and play a different one at every gig. Spread the love and the wear 'n' tear

[BigRedX]

None.

Even this one:



Which was the first bass I ever owned, made in the early 60s and bought second hand in 1981, is still going strong. Admittedly it's had lots of modifications and replacement parts to keep it in a playable condition, but any decent bass will stand that. It doesn't get much use these days since it doesn't suit my current band, but if I did find a need for it, then I wouldn't have any hesitation in using it again as my main bass.

Edited February 14, 2014 by BigRedX

[Ian Savage]

My Tanglewood TEB-12 is pretty much a goner - it's been slung across so many stages I'm amazed it's in one piece! Fretboard's got dents in it, for some reason it won't intonate properly any more, the back of the hollow body's coming away...although it's autographed by Duff McKagen, so it wouldn't be a gigging bass even if it worked!

[merlin]

Only two basses,my first a Avon jazz,think it cost about £60.00 new,changed pickups,gigged her to death used to throw it around and walk on it allsorts of punishment,then a Ric4005 semi,was really worn when I traded her, loved that bass one bass I should of kept.

[Spike Vincent]

None. Although the 78 Precision isn't far off needing a refret. Damn you, Rotosound!

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1392397621' post='2368258']
None. Although the 78 Precision isn't far off needing a refret. Damn you, Rotosound!
[/quote]

I would expect any fretted instrument that's had 35 years of fairly constant playing to be looking at a re-fret.

[White Cloud]

I play with a light touch...I cannot even recall chipping the finish on a single bass I have owned over the years (including gigging regularly in some, ahem..choice establishments!)

I guess this makes me a sissy wuss!

[Dingus]

Yes, me too.

I often see basses that have heavy wear on them and wonder how they got in that state. Do you folks realise that you don't actually have to hit the bass that hard to make a sound come out of it ? There seems to be a trend towards having basses that look like they have been used to do gardening with. I blame it on falling standards in comprehensive schools and local council-funded skateboard parks.

To me, a bass is something you look after, because it costs a lot of money and took a lot of care to make. It always seemed a such shame to ruin that. If you play the thing to death[i] a la [/i]Billy Sheehan that is one thing, but to wantonly abuse a bass is criminal, in my book .

Edited February 14, 2014 by Dingus

[Dingus]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1392399629' post='2368306']
If you play the thing to death[i] a la [/i]Billy Sheehan that is one thing, but to wantonly abuse a bass is criminal, in my book .
[/quote]

I suppose if it isn't your own bass you are abusing then it actually is criminal.

[roonjuice]

I generally agree! My P-lyte only has a headstock ding, and one on the body, and that was done by my friend!!
I had the pleasure of playing Bryan from Eagles of death metals' bass, it literally had no paint front or back. Big belt buckle, stiff plectrum and studded bracelets. It looked awesome!!

[JapanAxe]

None. Main factors are GAS-induced stock rotation, and the fact that I have mainly played skinny-string for the last 5 years!

[tom1946]

None, I've only been playing 4 years. I look after my gear carefully, it's hard won.

[gjones]

I played the same bass for 25 years. It was a 1970s Mighty Mite P/J with a Maple neck and a Mahogany body that I bought 2nd hand. I've literally played 1,000 plus gigs with it. The electronics gave up the ghost so I retired it for a few years. But recently I transferred the neck to a Precision body I had, fitted the P bass pickup, installed new pots and I now play it regularly along with my Jazz.
The neck is fantastic with rolled edges and very little wear to it. The frets still have loads of life left in them too and have never been changed. The body is in good nick as well but because it's mahogany is very heavy. I'm much happier with the P bass body I have attached to the neck now.

I've seen other people 1970's basses which are in a right state. I think some people just have acidic sweat or something. My brother in law's 70s strat is a horrible looking manky thing.

This is it. It was still looking good for a 35 year old bass until I ditched the body for a P bass one.

[attachment=155211:604134_10151614251932292_1280382304_n.jpg]

Edited February 14, 2014 by gjones

[Lozz196]

None, I`ve bought & sold so many I`ve not had time to wear them out.

[Bassassin]

I killed a couple of my early starter basses but the only properly worn-out one is my Aria RSB Deluxe 2. Bought new in 1984, my only gigging/recording bass up until 2000, permanently strung with Roto Swing Bass, so the frets were ground to nothing by 1986! Retired when the neck developed a twist so bad it now resembles an Archimedes Screw - I've been looking for a replacement neck for 14 years now, would love to revive it. The body's still in great cosmetic condition, just a couple of knocks & a bit of corrosion/wear on the bridge & pups.

Jon.

[spinynorman]

I wrecked an SX P. I didn't like the orange varnish on the neck, and tried to remove it with chemicals. The varnish came off, but left the wood a dirty brown, with dark streaks in the grain. So I took the frets off in the hope I could sand it clean. But sanding didn't help, and I couldn't get several of the frets back. In the end Rich (Ou7shined) bought the neck off me, worked some magic and made a nice new bass, so it wasn't entirely wasted, but that was my last attempt at refinishing anything.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='spinynorman' timestamp='1392424490' post='2368758']
I wrecked an SX P. I didn't like the orange varnish on the neck, and tried to remove it with chemicals. The varnish came off, but left the wood a dirty brown, with dark streaks in the grain. So I took the frets off in the hope I could sand it clean. But sanding didn't help, and I couldn't get several of the frets back. In the end Rich (Ou7shined) bought the neck off me, worked some magic and made a nice new bass, so it wasn't entirely wasted, but that was my last attempt at refinishing anything.
[/quote]

And I'm still in the process of wearing it out .... the long way.