A Full Bass History

[Sibob]

It all started with about 9 years ago with my mid-nineties Encore Precision, when Encore were actually alright. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of this in it's original form, the exact same one came up on ebay recently and am gutted I didn't buy it for old-times sake. It had a pearl white body (alder I think), maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, white scratchplate and white pickup.
This served me well until my first upgrade, being my Yamaha RBX 260. I loved this bass as it had a smaller body with a natural finish, which at that early point in my playing career, I considered to be fairly 'boutique' :


After I got my Yamaha, I went at my Encore, turning it into a fairly useless fretless, but last year refubished it:


You can read about the Encore/Parts build HERE

After the Yammy, came my Bass Collection SB335 (I think that was the model number). A trans purple 24 fret 5 string, with soap bar pickups and active/passive switch. This was a massive step-up for me. I was doing my A-level music at the time and strung it EADGC to help with my solo performances.
I actually managed to get hold of a 2nd Bass Collection, exactly the same, colour and all. This I had defretted by Martin @ Bass Gallery, so I had a matching Fretted & Fretless pair. Here I sold the Yammy
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of these to hand

Around this time I got hold of some 'fodder' basses like an Ibanez Artcore semi-hollow thing, and a Crafter acoustic bass. Both quickly bit the dust.
At a similar time I got hold of my OLP Stingray bass, it was the first giggable 4 string I'd had in a couple of years (no longer owning the Yammy and the Encore having become a rather odd fretless). Almost instantly I swapped the pickup for a Bartolini and had an 18v East preamp installed, along with Schaller Tuners:



This served a while in standard tuning, before being setup in it's current tuning of C, F, Bb, Eb for my band First Signs Of Frost.

While the OLP was still being gigged in standard tuning, I decided on having a Shuker Electric Upright built:


I gigged this plenty with a bluegrass band and a singer-songwriter, until eventually selling it late last year to help fund a mid-2008 purchase.

Around the time of the completion of the upright, I played one of the new Warwick Corvette $$ at London Guitar show. I loved it and quickly purchased one, similarly with the OLP, I swapped out the stock MEC's for Bartolinis:



It was around this time that I sold both my Bass Collections (regret getting rid of the fretted 5), to fund the Warwick.

Then I managed to get hold of my 2003 USA S1 Jazz Standard, for silly money, £275 if you must know.
My Jazz quickly quickly became my main bass, shadowing the Warwick in everyway, and so I swapped the $$ for a 2001 US Jazz Deluxe:


I really didn't get on with this at all, and within 4 months or so had sold The Jazz Deluxe, and purchased a Lakland 44-02D:


This I kept and gigged with for a bit longer, perhaps a year. It is easily the 'prettiest' bass I've ever owned, the quilted top was ridiculous!
It became apparent though that the bass was just too 'polite' for me, and wasn't really getting the use that it deserved, still being overshadowed by my US Jazz Standard!

When the opportunity to purchase my dream bass arose, I looked the gift horse right in the mouth, sold the Lakland (and eventually my Shuker upright) and purchased forum member WoT's 1973 Jazz bass:


This is really a thing of beauty, and is my main bass for standard tuned projects, between this, my Jazz Standard and my Precision, I can cover all bases!.

Around this time I decided I wanted to have a passive bass, built slightly more for purpose, for First Signs Of Frost. So i set about creating what became my Shuker/Parts Jazz Bass, meaning my OLP has become my backup for Drop C tuning. You can read about the build HERE:



So there we have it, a brief, albeit it slightly obscure, time-line of my bass ownership.
And now for the family photo



L-R
2003 USA Fender Jazz Standard, OLP 'Drop C' ThingRay, 1973 Fender Jazz Bass, Encore/Parts Precision, Shuker/Parts 'Drop C' Jazz
January 2009


Thanks for reading!

Si

Edited December 31, 2019 by Sibob

[lee4]

Funny how approx 80% of BCers seem to end up with Jazz basses.I shall continue to resist.

[Tait]

very nice, i especially like the vintage jazz and the shuker jazz

[Sibob]

Well I'm at 3 Jazzes, and my Precision has a Jazz neck lol

Love 'em

Si

[budget bassist]

[quote name='lee4' post='394881' date='Jan 29 2009, 08:09 PM']Funny how approx 80% of BCers seem to end up with Jazz basses.I shall continue to resist.[/quote]
Yep, had an active jazz... wasn;t that impressed, horses for courses though, or whatever

[Buzz]

[quote name='lee4' post='394881' date='Jan 29 2009, 08:09 PM']Funny how approx 80% of BCers seem to end up with Jazz basses.I shall continue to resist.[/quote]

S'alright, it allows the 20% of us to dabble in them occasionally and know we can sell them on.....*cough* soonish, maybe *cough*.


Nice collection Sibob, but I think you missed a pun out somewhere

[johnnylager]

[quote name='Sibob' post='394743' date='Jan 29 2009, 05:22 PM'][url="http://imageshack.us"][/url][/quote]
What's that then? In the plastic bag?

Edited January 30, 2009 by johnnylager

[Delberthot]

[Sibob]

Unfortunately not, or I'd be a lot richer lol

From what I remember, its bedding for Elvis & Jimmy.....guinea pigs! (they're not mine)

Si

Edited January 30, 2009 by Sibob

[silverfoxnik]

The '73 Jazz is fabulous! Lots of other nice stuf too, but that '73 is just perfect...

[wateroftyne]

*bursts into tears*

*runs out of the door*

[7string]

Great bass family

[Sibob]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='395733' date='Jan 30 2009, 09:02 PM']*bursts into tears*

*runs out of the door*[/quote]

Sorry WoT

Suffice to say that it's looked after, played with love and used very often!

Si