Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2019?

[itu]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

But without a pic she is only words... 😁 (and I haven't forgotten about you either @Merton 😂) 

No no sir, this is something else. Pics do not represent the feel.

[dmccombe7]

17 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Appreciate that this is a bit of thread derail, although it's hopefully in the spirit of what we're sharing, but if any of you also posted on last year's thread, it would be really interesting to hear whether you kept your nominations from 12 month's ago?

Given the churn in kit I've had over the past couple of years, I must admit I was really chuffed to read my OP from last year and see that my fav purchase then and the two runners up (all basses) have sailed through 2019 and look set to remain for a while yet. I guess there's hope for me yet  

Now if I had to decide whether my fav from this year matches my fav from last year, that's gonna be a really tricky one and I'll probably need to "do a @Merton" and sleep on it. Probably for about six months in my case 😁

Best purchase last year was my Mesa rig. Mpulse 600 and PH212 cab.That added to this years Sandberg VM4 has almost removed GAS but not completely. I still have a hankering for a nice P bass. Maybe that'll be 2020 best buy.

Limelight, Sandberg or one of the Vintera P basses but who knows what the New Year might bring.

Big birthday next year plus 25th wedding anniversary means i need to do something special. I do need a new car tho so this might all be null and void 

Dave

 

[ezbass]

The best purchases I have made have both been guitar related (sacrilege, I know). One was a Bigsby for my Epi Casino Coupe and the other was a new body for Squier Tele. They are the best purchases because they stopped me spending far more on 2 new guitars. Actually, my Sadowsky SBP2 pedal stopped me from buying (or at least investigating at a very deep level) a Sad bass, so that’s a good one too.

[Al Krow]

@ezbass or should that now be ezguitar? Just one thing to say to you:

[Crawford13]

2 hours ago, Merton said:

Here you go; guess the bass 😂

Lovely bass! Is that Nordy big singles?

[Merton]

Just now, Crawford13 said:

Lovely bass! Is that Nordy big singles?

Close! Big Splits

[AndyTravis]

@ezbass that Casino Coupe is a beauty. Still want a casino in my life...

[BassAgent]

I didn't really buy a lot of gear this year, except for this beast:

Oh and I got my new guitars this year. Both pretty friggin' amazing.

2018 American Performer Telecaster


1959 Höfner.

[Woodinblack]

Well, I also bought a guitar this year, a 1978 Gibson the Paul, and for that matter a chapman stick,  but I can read the title!

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

Well, I also bought a guitar this year, a 1978 Gibson the Paul, and for that matter a chapman stick,  but I can read the title!

Good man

Yup that was the red card hint a few posts ago. I guess we could in theory widen this thread to guitars, keyboards, band outfits...band pets...but please let's not (although if @bassfan wants to include his pet, he has a dispensation) 😁

(PS @ezbass @BassAgent - those are some really cool six strings you've got!)

Edited November 16, 2019 by Al Krow

[ezbass]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

@ezbass or should that now be ezguitar? Just one thing to say to you:

My biggest purchase was this...

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

My best buy was an EMG Geezer Butler passive pickup, a Fender HiMass Bridge and an aged white pearl pickguard for my '81 Cherry Sunburst Precision which is is now sounding and looking better than it ever has since I bought it 37 years ago. I couldn't do anything about it weighing about the same as a small planet though.

My *worst* buy was when I was looking for a hardcase for my sunburst epiphone vintage pro thunderbird & I managed to get a slightly beaten up but solid & perfectly usable epiphone t-bird case included with another sunburst epiphone vintage pro thunderbird for a bargain price. The plan was to sell on the bass resulting in me getting the case for peanuts (or possibly free). However the idea of owning two identical thunderbirds grew on me and the second one was just as nice as my existing one so I kept it and treated it to the same upgrades as my existing one - mushroom strap buttons & rubbery strap holders, an XL comfort strapp, Gotoh GB640 res-o-lite tuners, Gibson logo TRC, and a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt flatwounds. I list it as my worst buy as it was originally meant to be a money-saving wheeze but ended up costing quite a bit more - still a bargain I suppose, and still a great bass but I just didn't *need* to buy it & all the upgrade bits. Luckily the missus hasn't caught on that I have two identical basses yet as I only have one out at a time when she's about.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

This.

Having owned several Ricks before,  I bought this one with full knowledge of their quirks and foibles,  and was determined to make this one work. I've since replaced the bridge with a Hipshot, removed the pickup cover and restrung with DR Fat Beams, and now she's an absolute dream to play. But still utterly eccentric, borderline manic sometimes.

Through my Tech 21 dug pedal,  it's THE sound. 

[Al Krow]

38 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

This.

Having owned several Ricks before,  I bought this one with full knowledge of their quirks and foibles,  and was determined to make this one work. I've since replaced the bridge with a Hipshot, removed the pickup cover and restrung with DR Fat Beams, and now she's an absolute dream to play. But still utterly eccentric, borderline manic sometimes.

Through my Tech 21 dug pedal,  it's THE sound. 

That's lovely (the vintage white fireplace I'm referring to of course but the Ric ain't too shabby either!)

Gotta admit Rics are the basses I've never quite summoned the courage to get, although I did REALLY liked one which I tried in a store a couple of years back - seemed to put the competition I tried out that day (mainly Laklands which I know a lot of folk really rate) to shame. Then I thought I was safe 'cos I moved onto 5ers, but they've caught up with me on that score. Just (exorbitant) price and weird diamond shaped pups now stand in my way of a Famous 5 Ricadventure.

PS and oh btw if you fancy uploading a clip of that Ric + dUg sound you're loving, I'm sure it won't be the least helpful on the GAS score for any of us.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Al Krow

[dmccombe7]

35 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

This.

Having owned several Ricks before,  I bought this one with full knowledge of their quirks and foibles,  and was determined to make this one work. I've since replaced the bridge with a Hipshot, removed the pickup cover and restrung with DR Fat Beams, and now she's an absolute dream to play. But still utterly eccentric, borderline manic sometimes.

Through my Tech 21 dug pedal,  it's THE sound. 

Had one in 80's in white. Found it to be a bit of a one trick pony and didn't keep it but recently have reconsidered mainly cause i'm in a 70's Glam covers band and a Ric would certainly look the part.

That one is a cracker. I would consider that colour or the Blue one.

All the best with it.

Dave

[edstraker123]

My Gibson EB4 is just sublime -lightweight, classy and really floats my boat tonally. Think I may have found 'The One' !

[Al Krow]

3 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

... mainly cause i'm in a 70's Glam covers band

Finally worked out why you were on stage with that outfit. Fess up: it's got nothing to do with sly mating rituals at all.

As for Mr E Straker with his collection of like 70(?) basses, I've just come across this article:

Apparently #1 is making statements such as:

2 minutes ago, edstraker123 said:

 "Think I may have found 'The One' !"

 

[edstraker123]

Ha  - you are so right - I'm picking a a Sire Marcus Miller tonight !

[Al Krow]

2 minutes ago, edstraker123 said:

Ha  - you are so right - I'm picking a a Sire Marcus Miller tonight !

Oooh nice! Be interesting to see whether that displaces your Gibson in your affections before the year is out. (And in your case, whatever follows it in Dec 😁)

[edstraker123]

There is a nice short scale Elwood currently calling to me from Bass Direct...........(Must resist !)

Edited November 17, 2019 by edstraker123

[dmccombe7]

56 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Finally worked out why you were on stage with that outfit. Fess up: it's got nothing to do with sly mating rituals at all.

I thought it was obvious too. 

[Al Krow]

On 15/11/2019 at 15:58, Lozz196 said:

I’ve not had any bad purchases this year, but 3 have really stood out on the good side:

Squier VM 77 Jazz Bass, simply put the Jazz Bass I’ve been looking for for years.

TC Electronic Unitune Clip, had been looking for a clip-on tuner that would actually work in a live environment, this does.

Ashdown RM210 Cabs, bought back off of our very own @bassix, had forgotten how great they sound, and how easy they are to cart about.

Thats all folks, thank you very much.

This now feels really poignant, mate, given your post a short while back with your sad band departure news on your thread. 

Didn't someone somewhere say there's pretty much nothing you can't do with a Squier?

[Lozz196]

Well I have to say that aside from the low low stuff requiring a low B the Squier VM77 Jazz can do a great deal, just with the pickups and tone control, I can make it fit most of the genres I play along to, from Oi to Motown. 

[AngelDeVille]

On 17/11/2019 at 05:41, edstraker123 said:

My Gibson EB4 is just sublime -lightweight, classy and really floats my boat tonally. Think I may have found 'The One' !

 

I picked one up this year as well, I think my Pbass'es have a slight edge for me, but the split coil sound on this bass is phenomenal.

 

Edited November 18, 2019 by AngelDeVille

[Reggaebass]

About 6 or 7 have come and gone but my best purchase this year has to be my Sandberg California TT custom, after a few emails holger got it spot on , ash body, ebony fingerboard and no fret markers , black hardware, and the action is 1mm at the 12th fret , super low , now fitted with labella LTFs 🙂.  Next on the list is a limelight.