First Bass you owned - still have it?

[LewisK1975]

This has probably been done, another thread just made me think of it though..

Mine was a [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]black Marlin slammer P-Bass copy with a maple fingerboard. Bought for £25 in 1988. I now know it was an awful Bass, but at the time I didn't know any different and I did some serious learning on that thing! Often wish I still had it, just for nostalgia. [/font][/color]

[mr zed]

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be! I started out on a Satellite Jazz copy in the late 70's. Moved it on years ago and progressed to much better basses. No regrets whatsoever.

[neepheid]

First bass was a cherry red Epiphone EB-3. I don't have it any more and I don't miss it.

[Dan Dare]

A red Vox - very loosely modelled on a P bass, but smaller, lighter and cheaper. Wish I still had it for old times sake, although was pretty rubbish...

[anzoid]

Westone Spectrum Series II in red back when I was 17 in 1990. Sold it to buy a Westfield 5-string. Regrets... I have a few.

[casapete]

Late 70's Fender precision in sunburst. Bought it in Leeds for around £220 IIRC.
Thought it was great until I tried another one. It was then I realised what a dreadful
thing it was - heavy, not that well made and so 'dead' generally. Would probably
have been better off with a good cheaper P-bass, although this was before the good
Tokai / Squier stuff was around so options were a tad more limited.
Anyway, sold it for what I paid for it, and rather glad I did...

[FuNkShUi]

A unbranded bass in cherryburst.
Like you, didn't realise how terrible it was.
Played that thing in various punk bands for two years though!

[Raymondo]

An Audition P bass copy from Woolies for £29.00 in 1973. It was Sunburst but obviously I soon spray painted it black!

In !974 I bought an Arbiter ric copy and have no Idea what happened to the Audition...I really cannot remember, how sad is that?!


It was a crap bass though

Edited April 19, 2016 by Raymondo

[BigRedX]

Here's mine:

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/DSC01541-2.jpg[/IMG]

It's a Burns Sonic Bass from the early 60s. I bought it back in 1981 when it was already almost 20 years old for £60 including the OHC and a free Fender-branded strap.

At the time the alternatives in my price range were P and J copies with Grant or Columbus badges on them, which didn't really look or sound as good and were only marginally more playable. What I really wanted was an Aria Pro II SB1000 but they were way outside what I could afford at the time.

It's hardly in original condition any more, although the majority of modifications had been done before I owned it.

I used this all the way through the 80s (when I wasn't playing synth) until it got replaced with a 5-string in 1990.

These days it rarely gets any use, as nearly everything I do requires a 5-string and visually it doesn't suit my current band as well as the Warwick Starbass. I have thought about selling it several times, but because of all the modifications, I wouldn't get enough for it to be worthwhile, so it spends most of its time in the case.

[colgraff]

A Satellite short-scale. Ghastly in every way. I upgraded to an Encore which played like a master luthier's best work in comparison.

[Marc S]

The 1st bass I owned was a truly awful short scale Rick copy, branded as a "Kay" - the catalogue company, not the instrument manufacturer. It was shockingly bad, with a twisted neck (I didn't know this when I bought it) but the electrics and sound were awful too.
It was terrible to play, and I'm surprised it didn't put me off altogether.
No, gladly I don't still own it. I've played one since, and it confirmed my thoughts on the quality, or lack of, of these instruments

My first "proper" bass was a Fender Musicmaster bass, from the late 60's or early 70's - it wasn't so easy to find out exactly when, back in the days I owned this bass. I don't still have it, I sold it many years back. It changed hands again, and oddly enough, I was in the same place as the guy who now owns it. I don't know him terribly well, but it crossed my mind to swap phone numbers, and ask him if I could have a whirl.... I didn't because I thought I might be tempted to buy it back! Hmmm, I've since regretted that too....

Edited April 19, 2016 by Marc S

[neilp]

The Satellite short scale thing I had first doesn't count as a bass it was so terrible. I replaced it in 1979 with a Satellite Jazz copy which was actually not too terrible. Kept that for about 8 years and eventually had a fretless conversion done. Don't really miss it, apart from the nostalgia aspect

[RickyV]

My first bass was only about 3 years ago. It was a black Encore shortscale P type bass which I paid £5 for. I actually got it on Ebay auction for £1 but felt sorry for the woman who was selling it so gave her a fiver when I picked it up. Despite quickly moving on to other basses, some of which I have sold on, I still have the little Encore for sentimental reasons and in case any of my lads want to have a go at playing - it would be the perfect size for them right now.

[CamdenRob]

Mine was a Squier P bass in white with a tort pickguard. It was awful in every imaginable way and I nearly fell at the first hurdle of bass playing because of it... Got a Westfield pj cheapie about a year later which was also crap but infinetly better than the Squier...

[Hobbayne]

My first bass was yet another Satellite short scale nightmare.
Bought from the Exchange and Mart in West Ealing in July 1982.
No I dont still have it, but this one sold on ebay last summer for £86!

Edited April 19, 2016 by Hobbayne

[interpol52]

A Squier Bullet Bass and a Gorilla amp. Wish I still had the bass.

[Graham]

Still got mine:



Doesn't get much use, but it's sentimental value is far higher than it's market value

[brucew]

My first bass was a 1979 natural Musicman stingray, bought in 1982 for £250 or £200, cant remember, still got it, still gig it, brilliant bass. . .

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1461066035' post='3031052']
Doesn't get much use, but it's sentimental value is far higher than it's market value
[/quote]

Yep, that's the only reason I'd now like to have kept that awful old Marlin. Just to remind myself of where it all started....back when it was all fields 'round 'ere.....

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='brucew' timestamp='1461066227' post='3031058']
My first bass was a 1979 natural Musicman stingray, bought in 1982 for £250 or £200, cant remember, still got it, still gig it, brilliant bass. . .
[/quote]

Wow - excellent!

[TheGreek]

Mine was a Westone Thunder 1A - went in a large circle before ending up with a friend of mine who had it stolen from his Uncle's garage. People talk about how heavy these were but as it was my first bass I didn't notice.

[PaulWarning]

still got my Hondo, bought it for £40 off a mates son, as above it doesn't get used, but is worth so little I also keep for sentimental reasons and as a backup for gigs, (sounds a lot better than an encore I found leaning against a dustbin) never needed it yet, still prefer the neck to my rose wood P, it's a right handed but still looked good when converted too cack handed

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1461066721' post='3031076']
..., it's a right handed but still looked good when converted too cack handed
[/quote]

Plus now the split pickup is the 'right' way round!........I'll get me coat.

[Bobthedog]

My first bass was an Ibanez SRX300. That was about seven years ago but I got rid of fairly quickly as I could not get a good tone from it or even play it (I thought I would pick up playing quite quickly). Took a break and came to a Fender P bass in 2013 and am still noodling today.

[FinnDave]

My first bass (over 40 years ago) was a short scale Vox, cost about a fiver, I seem to remember, finally gave it away after a few years of serious abuse.