damo200sx Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Mine was a Hobbs Music 4 string bass I traded it for a cheap Columbus Les Paul copy in 1990. I believe they were for the Hobbs music shop in Lancaster but could be wrong. It looked like a Matsumoku made bass with precision pickups, stained finish through neck. It was quite nice as I remember. Started playing because the bigger boys were better guitar players and I wanted to be in a band! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 1962 Sunburst Gibson EB2 and loved the way the bass underpinned those Motown sounds, even in 1974 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Back to when I was almost 16 ,mummy got me a black Les Paul copy Gu****! from a catalogue. I was worse than useless on that. After a few weeks a good friend of mine said,"you've got big hands and a bass has only got 4 strings -why not try that?" Sooo, got mummy to send it back for a copy of a fender precision (Hondo11) or Hondo 2) 1st thing I noticed is that it never had a plectrum supplied with it. Anyway,despite it being built like a large tree with corrosive metal it became the 1st bass I used before my 1st proper bass. Edited February 1, 2009 by RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 A Hohner B2 (i think) PBass copy. Ugly and pretty rubbish. £120 from Crack Converters, thought i'd got a bargain until i saw a pretty little Dean in a music shop, so i swapped the Hohner for a PC so i could do my school work on it (actually just played Football Glory and Doom but meh) Put me off Ps for years until i played a decent one, still old man's basses though........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huw Foster Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 My brother was already a guitarist, so I had to take up something else by default. I wanted to learn the basslines from Hey Joe and Sunshine of Your Love, so I got interested in playing bass. Tried out the rubbish p-bass copy at school (I think it was a Stagg), and demanded a bass for Christmas (I was 12 at the time). Went to New York that year for Christmas, and got to try out some stuff in Manny's. As I didn't know anything about basses I ended up with an entry-level Ibanez in black, with a precision p-up. I got a slightly better Peavey Fury IV a couple of years later and sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born 2B Mild Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 1973. My mate Nigel Townsend, got an electric guitar, played through a Woolies (wall of sound) amp, and got me to play bass on his acoustic, so I saved up for a bass. I got a Kay 'SG'. Thin bodied, sunburst, and probably short scale. £20 new, from Norman Hackett's in Reading (where I believe Bryan Adams also got his first six string). Rode home to Woodley with it on my back, on my Raleigh Runabout moped, which was a bit naughty, as I was 15 and not yet legal on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Epiphone EB-3. I bought it on a whim because it was pretty. As it isn't the easiest things to play, it then became an ornament for a few years before I finally decided to get serious about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatori Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I started playing bass in 1963 at age 11. My first bass was a Rosetti lucky 7 hollow body with strings you could drive a bus under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoppo75 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Started playing when I was 14, with a Fender Musicmaster lying flat on my knee (think Jeff Healy R.I.P) . Music was in the family, Dad's a guitarist, Mother has one of the most wonderful singing voices I've ever heard period, Grandad was an outstanding Trumpeter, one Uncle was a big band leader, another a bassist, Aunty a Piano teacher yadda yadda yadda....I had to play something and the bass felt damn good (once I got a strap on it lol). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdphysio Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Started with gu**ar aged 11 (4 years of lessons etc), then aged 15 (1982) switched to bass to fit in with youth club band. Bought a Westone Thunder I from my mums catalogue for @ £65, & i loved it! REALLY wish i'd kept hold of that 1st bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hohner Jack (I think). Too many good guitarists in my circle of friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoulsfiendclub Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 well the first bass i got was a aria pro II p+j, it was like ... six years ago. a friend of mine was talking to me and said, well i need a bass player for my band why dont you learn to play bass ... i had some cash on hold and bought it from a pawn shop for 200€ i guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Stagg BC300 P/J config, got it for free off a friend who decided to lend it to me for whatever reason. I then bought it off him a while later, and sold it to another friend. I could probably still get it back if i wanted. I'm pretty sure he still has it. Edited February 1, 2009 by budget bassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 A Kay Rickenbacker copy which I think I bought from Sounds Great (Heald Green, Sth Manchester) in 1979. I bought it to make girls immune to my spots, glasses and complete lack of wit or charm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Shortscale, cherry-red (a la Gibson SG), no name Jazz copy; bought to hone my skills and impress the 'laydees'... still not working to this day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Admiral Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 [quote name='deaver' post='397381' date='Feb 1 2009, 11:03 PM']A Kay Rickenbacker copy which I think I bought from Sounds Great (Heald Green, Sth Manchester) in 1979. I bought it to make girls immune to my spots, glasses and complete lack of wit or charm.[/quote] Satellite through neck P bass from Russell Acott in Oxford - £118 in 1981 - and why.......? Of course the legend that was and is Phil Lynott. Slightly off topic - I was in Sounds Great on Saturday, and I have to say ...'what credit crunch?' - it was 'kin heaving with punters buying (not just looking at) guitars, and the interesting thing was, they were all 40+ age group, paying big money for Strats etc. They've actually got some unusual/nice stuff in too - a 2nd hand Parker Fly bass (commission sale) and a lovely old T Bird too. Oh...... and Johnny Marr was in, trying and buying a new multi fx - and testing it out with what looked like a 60s white Fender Jaguar. He's still proper pop star skinny too - what a legend. If you ever get the chance to go - it's the best guitar shop in and around Manchester. Right by the big John Lewis at Cheadle too (half a mile - tops) - so let the Mrs go for a look round there whilst you have a mooch. Cheers A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damo200sx Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 [quote name='The Admiral' post='397401' date='Feb 1 2009, 11:37 PM']Satellite through neck P bass from Russell Acott in Oxford - £118 in 1981 - and why.......? Of course the legend that was and is Phil Lynott. Slightly off topic - I was in Sounds Great on Saturday, and I have to say ...'what credit crunch?' - it was 'kin heaving with punters buying (not just looking at) guitars, and the interesting thing was, they were all 40+ age group, paying big money for Strats etc. They've actually got some unusual/nice stuff in too - a 2nd hand Parker Fly bass (commission sale) and a lovely old T Bird too. Oh...... and Johnny Marr was in, trying and buying a new multi fx - and testing it out with what looked like a 60s white Fender Jaguar. He's still proper pop star skinny too - what a legend. If you ever get the chance to go - it's the best guitar shop in and around Manchester. Right by the big John Lewis at Cheadle too (half a mile - tops) - so let the Mrs go for a look round there whilst you have a mooch. Cheers A[/quote] I was in my local R&T music on Saturday too and it was heaving. Not just with spotty kids but with people spending money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) Contrary to what I previously said about getting my first bass from me Mum's Kay's catalogue, I now remember it was a no-name P-copy from Bee's music in Arundel Arcade, Pompey. Why? Geezer, 'Arry, Burton, Lynott, Alan Davey off Hawkwind, Dobby off Saxon, etc. And, of course, my mate had just got a guitar and he knew a drummer who flogged a bit of puff. The mighty 'Lunchhead' were then born, with their [s]hit single - 'My Little Girl', written about Cheryl, the bird Smutley [guitarist] was knobbing at the time. Edited February 2, 2009 by johnnylager Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Some workmates knew I played g####r a bit, they said "If we find you a bass will you play it in the band we're gonna start". They borrowed a Sunn Mustang, then I bought a Squier Jazz. Great neck, sh1tty plywood body and not great pups. If I'd known what I know now I'd have kept it and upgraded it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 A short scale Framus. I was nominated to play bass by my two friends who had bought guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 My first bass was a Peavey Milestone III Started playing bass because my hands were to big for guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pookus Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 My first bass was a sunburst Satellite Jazz copy. I saved up the £85 from my paper round. I was 13 when I got it. It looked like the bass on the cover of a book scales I had. I started playing bass as a development from making my own instruments out of boxes, springs and elastic bands. I used to multi track by using two (cheap) tape recorders! I got into bass because I liked what JJ Burnel was doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 My first bass was a Squier P-bass Affinity. Cost me 30 quid. I started playing as I wanted to help out at my youth group, but I selected the bass because someone sent me the 'Higher Ground' cover by the RHCP.... I just [i]had[/i] to be able to make that glorious noise at the beginning. No question about it. Oddly enough, I rarely slap now. I can, but I don't. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozbass Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) Columbus Jazz Bass copy from Mameloks on Deansgate in Manchester - 'rock'n'roll star - what else is there for a young man to be?' (mangled quote from Alex Harvey I think: as true now as it was then) Edited February 2, 2009 by lozbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I played a bit of guitar when I was younger, but due to me putting a bit of a band together with a mate (and him being a better guitarist than me), I decided to buy myself a bass and teach myself how to play it. I'd also had a fascination about the "guitar with only four pegs" since the mid 70s due to my sister's obsession with Alan Longmuir of the Bay City Rollers. So I bought a Kay Les Paul shaped bass out of my mum's Burlington catalogue with my paper round money, then phoned Sounds Great in Heald Green (they've got a lot to answer for on here!) to ask them what notes the strings should be tuned to. Then flew upstairs, tuned it, whacked my Jam records on and anything else I could find and attempted to play along to them. The rest is history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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