First Bass you owned - still have it?

[ellie]

My first bass was a Avon jazz bass copy. It was actually pretty good I had a pro bass player friend who set it up. It worked great for my early gigs in the 70s.
I sold it when I turned pro in in 75 and bought a New Rickenbacker 4001. I did a lot of playing with that bass and still have it, though I don't gig with it now.

[bartelby]

My first bass was a black Aria Pro II Cardinal series Deluxe.
I had that about 6 months before part ex'ing it for an SB Elite in pearl white.
Still have it, but it got hacked about and battered.

On Wednesday it goes to a luthier to begin a long road to recovery.
It needs cavities filled, new electronics, new pickup and new machineheads and a refinish.
I could probably get a good condition used one for what it's going to cost.
But I think I owe this bass a lot.

[toneknob]

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1461061489' post='3030992']
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]
[/quote]

I'm another who lost their bottom-end virginity to a Marlin Slammer. Still got it, mine is red with white scratchplate, maple (or "maple") neck, single P-style split pickup. Bought from St Mary's Music in Southampton in late 1989 for maybe £70.

I'm not sure why they get the grumbles I've seen when googling around, mine is nothing great but plays fine, has ok action and the hardware is in good nick.

I'm about to move house so am thinking of selling it on as it's just a sentimental keepsake at the moment. Interested?

[LewisK1975]

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1461584788' post='3035815']
I'm another who lost their bottom-end virginity to a Marlin Slammer. Still got it, mine is red with white scratchplate, maple (or "maple") neck, single P-style split pickup. Bought from St Mary's Music in Southampton in late 1989 for maybe £70.

I'm not sure why they get the grumbles I've seen when googling around, mine is nothing great but plays fine, has ok action and the hardware is in good nick.

I'm about to move house so am thinking of selling it on as it's just a sentimental keepsake at the moment. Interested?
[/quote]

Not really looking to buy another Slammer but thanks for the offer! - FWIW I think you should hold onto it, like you say it's a sentimental keepsake for you, which was really what my original post was about...I think it's great to be able to look back at your first Bass..

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1461595421' post='3035943']
I think it's great to be able to look back at your first Bass..
[/quote]

Just the thought of mine makes me feel quite unwell...

[Stu-khag]

I was loaned a bass from a friend for the first year I played. an off white/ cream bc rich that looked a bit like duffs from guns n roses. Horrible thing to play but did the job until I saved up for my first bass- a mexican fender wine red jazz bass. its still my number one. A bit like triggers broom though where I've changed the pups, pickguard and bridge.

[toneknob]

[quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1461595421' post='3035943']
Not really looking to buy another Slammer but thanks for the offer! - FWIW I think you should hold onto it, like you say it's a sentimental keepsake for you, which was really what my original post was about...I think it's great to be able to look back at your first Bass..
[/quote]

Totally dig where you're coming from, but (a) it's taking up space and (2) Mrs Knob has requested a one-in one-out policy.

While we're on the subject, there's a "VINTAGE! RARE! 1980 Marlin Slammer (Fender Precision)" on eBay right now, BINOBO £220. I'll stick mine on at £119.95 and see what happens (and I've still got the thumb rest - somewhere)

Edited April 25, 2016 by toneknob

[The-Ox]

second hand Fender Squier Affinity P Bass. Still got it, and will be my only bass when I sell my ACG. Cost me £119, does the job I find! I don't think I need a really expensive bass for now

[gs_triumph]

I still have my first bass - '81 Ibanez blazer. Still have it. Love it. Currently got it strung with flats.

I paid £100 for it from a second hand shop at the top of Leith Walk, twenty years ago. Had no idea what was buying. Had never even picked a bass up before that day!
I have no intention of ever selling it.

Edited April 26, 2016 by gs_triumph

[NickA]

Still have PARTS of my first bass. Bought from Carlsbro in Nottingham in 1980: A Grant Jazz Bass copy with a softwood body with a sunburst finish and crappy single magnet pickups.

First to go were the frets, then the sunburst finish, then the pickups (replaced with pretty good EPS ones), then the rosewood fingerboard - with plastic inlays - (replaced with plain ebony by Andy's Guitar Worshop). Then I filled it full of electronics which eventually overflowed into an off-board (belt clip) box; then moved the pickups around to sharpen the sound up. At which point it needed a new body so the softwood one went on the fire and a new Padauk one was commissioned from Northworthy to fit the refurbished neck. BUT I damaged the neck fitting it to the new body and Northworthy had to make me a new neck to fit the new body (stupid - I could have had a complete new through neck bass by this point). New electronics that finally fitted inside the bass again.

Then I bought a Wal and the franken bass spent 10 years languishing in a back bedroom before I pulled it out, ripped out the electronics and bought it a new pair of Delano humbucking pickups. Being impatient I just wired up the pickups direct to see how they sounded - GREAT. So I now have a passive bass again with standard Jazz Bass wiring plus a series parallel switch (and several spare knobs and switches).

Of the original Grant Jazz Bass the Frankenbass still has the original machine heads and the plate that holds the neck on - which amusingly says "made in Japan" where it should say "made in Derbyshire".

The plan was to make something on a budget that was a bit like a Warwick (the hard wood body), a bit like a Wal (the electronics) and a bit like a Jazz Bass (the pickups) ... what I have is something that is a bit like all those things but not quite as good as any of them!

Edited November 3, 2016 by NickA

[Dan Dare]

One of these - http://guitar-auctions.co.uk/portfolio-post/lot-45-vox-bass-guitar/. Sadly, don't still have it. Love your Hofner, cybertect. Beautiful instrument.

[JTUK]

To the OP.

Are you kidding...binned it as soon as I could.
Only one of my old basses 'may' have stood the test of time..but it was a 4 and I had no concern about selling it.
I'd like to still have the '75 Fender Jazz, which was a pile of poo, as people pay silly money for them now... regardless.

Would rather I sold it today for shedloads than the pittance it deserved at the time

Edited November 3, 2016 by JTUK

[AdamWoodBass]

Mine is a Legend Jazz copy in 2 tone sunburst. After I discovered Jaco (and had already bought another bass) I went to town with it by removing the scratch plate and taking all the frets out of it. I still play it when I fancy a fretless dabble.

[Barking Spiders]

My first I got from some kid at school for about £30 back in 80s. It was short scale Gibson EB copy with no brand on the headstock. It was my only bass for the next dozen years and was used in more gigs than any others I've owned. I tried customising it but buggered it up right royally

[JTUK]

[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1461450314' post='3034812']
My 1967 Hofner Verithin, which I bought second hand in 1988.

I still gig with it occasionally and, as its coincidentally the same age as me, I'm not selling.

[url="https://flic.kr/p/DYgVCu"][/url]
[url="https://flic.kr/p/DYgVCu"]My Höfner Verithin Bass by -cybertect-[/url]
[/quote]

Very funky.... but I'd never use this in a million years... but I know a man who would.

[NickA]

[quote name='AdamWoodBass' timestamp='1478180065' post='3167323']
Mine is a Legend Jazz copy in 2 tone sunburst. After I discovered Jaco .......
[/quote]

Ha! My original ailment exactly. Bought Joni Mitchel's Hejira on spec and was blown away by the bass playing .. just as a friend bought Heavy Weather. It was too much. Went out and got a sunburst jazz bass whilst my mate got a Wurlitzer electric piano ... we WERE Jaco and Zawinul (for about 10 minutes, till we actually tried to play birdland)

[Cat Burrito]

Mine was a late 80s MIJ 50s Fender P-bass. Funnily enough my current bass is a newer version of that model but vintage white rather than two colour sunburst. From the original bass I do still own the pickup and the pickguard. I'm not really sure how or why they got kept and although I'm pleased I have them, I have no plans to ever use them.

[dmccombe7]

1st bass was a Columbas Jazz copy in mid 70's and my mate still has it and his daughter learned bass with it and has now moved onto Overwater.

[NickRiffed]

My first was, and still is, a Hohner B2a. I got it second hand with a little Custom sound Cub 30 bass combo , which i still use, from a shop selling used gear in Kentish Town in the early 90's. Prior to that, I had only ever held my mates Columbus Jazz copy, in it's case, when taking his gear out to the car.
Got if on a complete whim and it sat in a corner gathering dust for about 10 years until I decided to learn how to play it.
It isn't a bad little bass and it was gigged quite a bit in the early days. Never ever let me down yet and super light too. My back likes it.

[bluesparky]

My first was a Sunn Mustang, very cheap P copy, no idea what happened to it or who j sold it to.
I remember it sounding awful but I played it to death for years as i practiced and practiced.
The second bass I ever had was a Bass Collection SB3111, with all its posh active circuitry and amazing neck.
I remember proudly playing it in my room once and my mum came in and said that initially she didn't uderstand why if I already had a bas's why I needed to get another, more expensive one but she said she could hear just how much better the Bass Collection was than the Sunn, and the it sounded really nice, and now she knew and understood!.
My first and only electric guitar was a sunn mustang too, I guess that the shop, Sounds Plus, in Ipswich sold lots of them in that range to keen teenagers back in the mid '90s!

[johncanda]

Hoffner President semi acoustic.1963 vintage. Wish I still had it, there was one on offer at my local music store for £2,500. Gutted!

[louisthebass]

This was my first bass (not this exact one, but one exactly like it):


No longer in my possession - sold it to a mate who I was in a band with about 30 years ago for £30. Bought it in Macari's in London in 1985 - some chap called Mark King used to work there...

Not a great bass and have owned much better bass guitars since then.

[thebigyin]

Bright red Encore P Bass....and not plywood it was a 3 piece wood Body as stripped and burnt all the paint and filler off was a tad ropey lol, but decent starter Bass with a suprisingly nice tone....bought for £50 and worth every penny back then...no longer with me but i'm sure i see it hung up in cash coverters recently

[T-Bay]

Mine was a Stagg, long gone and not missed if I am honest but it did get me playing so worked for a beginner.

[Nibody]

First bass was a Vox White Shadow in black. Bloody horrible thing. Got shot after 6 months and upgraded (yes it was an upgrade) to a Marlin Sidewinder.

First NEW bass was a Washburn XS-4 bought new from Musical Exchanges in Coventry. I still own it though its been messed with extensively.