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What bass would you get for your 50th?


rmcki

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On 4/20/2018 at 16:02, rmcki said:

50th Birthday arriving this summer, so i've decided to get get myself another bass.

Way back in 1989 i was in a music shop in Glasgow with only £500 and wished i had enough for a Wal selling for £800ish. That's an itch that hasn't gone away.
Well it's now 29 years later and i think that's enough dilly dallying . With that in mind i thought i would test my resolve by asking the gentlemen of this parish two things

  1. What would you buy yourself for a 50th birthday prezzy?
  2. What bass has always called out to you, but could never afford it?

For me it's a 5 string Wal

I was chatting to Pete Stevens about a 5 string Wal for my 50th. I never got it. Job related issues refocussed my attentions soon after.

IMO a Wal is a fantastic piece of musical equipment.

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I'm a few years away from 50 and I really have no idea what to get. The problem is that what ever I get I wont want to sell it, I don't really need any basses, I would want to use it nog let it sitbunder the bed collecting dust and I am really fussy on what I like.

So the only thing I can think off is a Status fretless neck for my Stingray as my Stingray was a 40th present, sits around the house doing nothing as I use my Jazz for gigs and I currently dont have a fretless. I don't really want or need anything else.

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18 hours ago, josie said:

50 is long gone... but on my birthday last year I had a little day trip up from Manchester to the excellent and dangerous Promenade Music in Morecambe, and came back with a Michael Kelly Dragonfly fretless acoustic 5, for half list price with a new set of chrome flats thrown in. I know there's not much love for acoustic basses here, and the look of this one is a bit Marmite (someone on BC at the time described it as "looking like a tart's handbag") but the build quality and tone are excellent, and I love the feel of playing it.

https://michaelkellyguitars.com/en/products/view/dragonfly-fretless-5

P1030939.thumb.jpg.d27d73f0d68d02f5bcc3ec997774c7f3.jpg

I like them and I do like that, I thought “ornate” not “tarts handbag”

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16 hours ago, Geek99 said:

I like them and I do like that, I thought “ornate” not “tarts handbag”

I had one of those. Fantastic bass. My only problems were (a) I don't really play 5s and (b) my 2 main basses are slightly less than 34" scale, so I was always marginally out (not helped by the inlays either); I simply didn't play it enough to get used to it so sold it on, but I'd have one again if I had the space. To be honest I liked it better than the Warwick Alien Deluxe I replaced it with.

For my 40th I got a custom built Alembic Triple Omega, which I sadly had to move on a few years later due to chronic back, neck and shoulder issues. I'm now in my 50s but didn't get anything for my 50th. After an eternity of saving, I was actually going to order another custom Sei a few weeks ago, but a broken boiler (final assessment, after weeks of fault-finding, being that it needs replacing entirely) looks like it has put paid to that.

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I'd get Stuart Spector to build me a USA NS2 4 string, with Kramer-era neck dimensions, dark ultraviolet (purple) finish on a 5A quilted maple body, ebony fingerboard with abalone crown inlays, hazlab preamp and gold hardware.....

...... and a box of tissues..... xD

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My 35th bday (June this year) present to myself is my upcoming ACG build, I think it's actually trending to me ready for that month too....I think.

But am also considering a 35.5 year present of a Serek short scale......or a Mustang.....haven't decided yet :biggrin:

However, given an infinite budget, I'd go an original '54 Precision haha.

Si

Edited by Sibob
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Ooh - I would really like a Wal, or a Chapman Grand Stick. I'm not sure I will be able to afford either of those even if I save earnestly for the remaining 8 1/2 years until I turn 50!

Were '76 Fenders of any variety any good? Always been bemused by the YOB thing - us oldies are lucky though that we have relatively few brands to choose from - imagine being born now and trying to pick a Brand for YOB...

 

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3 hours ago, Daz39 said:

Ooh - I would really like a Wal, or a Chapman Grand Stick. I'm not sure I will be able to afford either of those even if I save earnestly for the remaining 8 1/2 years until I turn 50!

Were '76 Fenders of any variety any good? Always been bemused by the YOB thing - us oldies are lucky though that we have relatively few brands to choose from - imagine being born now and trying to pick a Brand for YOB...

 

And if your name is Harley....

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3 hours ago, Daz39 said:

Ooh - I would really like a Wal, or a Chapman Grand Stick. I'm not sure I will be able to afford either of those even if I save earnestly for the remaining 8 1/2 years until I turn 50!

Were '76 Fenders of any variety any good? Always been bemused by the YOB thing - us oldies are lucky though that we have relatively few brands to choose from - imagine being born now and trying to pick a Brand for YOB...

Imagine being born in 1959. Not only is there little choice in maker, the price would be extortion, plus they're almost certainly wrecked over the years and sound poo as the development was in it's infancy 

Edited by Grangur
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As already mentioned on this topic, my 'special occasion' (not 50th) bass was (twice!) a Maruszczyk custom-build.  I love them both and I don't think Adrian M's basses can be beaten in terms of quality and value for money.  One is my avatar Cazpar and the other is this Elwood:

http://17_03_02_Ellie.jpg

 

 

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14 hours ago, Sibob said:

My 35th bday (June this year) present to myself is my upcoming ACG build, I think it's actually trending to me ready for that month too....I think.

But am also considering a 35.5 year present of a Serek short scale......or a Mustang.....haven't decided yet :biggrin:

However, given an infinite budget, I'd go an original '54 Precision haha.

Si

Serek, Serek, Serek!!!

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Everyone should own a Fender Precision.  The proper American one - used to be called Standard, now called Professional.

Get yourself a new one of those and understand that you own the benchmark against which all other basses are measured.

Respect will be yours when you stand on a stage.  An unquestionable seat at the top table of bass playing.

Edited by Jenny_Innie
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1 hour ago, Jenny_Innie said:

Everyone should own a Fender Precision.  The proper American one - used to be called Standard, now called Professional.

Get yourself a new one of those and understand that you own the benchmark against which all other basses are measured.

Respect will be yours when you stand on a stage.  An unquestionable seat at the top table of bass playing.

Like owning a Ford Focus you mean? ;) ubiquitous and therefore best?

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