Your Go To Bass

[Frank Blank]

Here’s my two ‘go to’ basses ...

[Chiliwailer]

Bought in 2015 and was my go to until I stupidly sold it in 2017 to pay bills after I maxed myself to buy back a special vintage Fender (wrong move). I was lucky to buy it back and was expecting my Stingray Special HH to remain my #1, but it’s this one that gets played everyday. 
Sometimes don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone  

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Chiliwailer

[jazzyvee]

This is my main gigging bass these days an Alembic Europa. All maple body with maple and purpleheart neck and ebony fretboard. A really versatile bass and a pleasure to play

. 

[Nebadon2000]

Picture of my Newer Ultra Precision from Store where I bought it[ Better than I can Do] I just came out of retirement from 2015; My last go to was a Ernie Ball Musicman 25th Anniversary [ became Reflex]

[Waddycall]

Here’s mine. A Squier VM 70s jazz with MIM fretless jazz neck and hipshot hb7 tuners. The neck was bought new to fit to my MIM precision. I loved it but wanted a bridge pickup for a bit more burp so I bought the loaded jazz body off eBay. All in I’m sure I’ve spent more than it’s worth but not bothered as it’s great. I’ll probably sell the P now. Might put a J retro pre amp in there once the current shenanigans is over!

 

[NickD]

Since it arrived just over 3 years ago, unless I have any specific requirement for a high C, this is the one I always reach for whether for a rehearsal, gig, or just messing about. There's just something about it that makes me play, or lets me play, the way I want to.

 

[Lexii]

Always amazes me I don't see more people playing reverends, this I my go to and it plays a dream. My main gig bass as well.

[scrumpymike]

For me at home it's always this little beauty - ACG Border Reiver.  Light as a feather, plays like a dream, big sound and no awkward headstock to bang into stuff 🙂  Short scale too!

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Edited March 26, 2020 by scrumpymike

[Jonesy]

Recently it's been my Japanese P, its rekindled my love of precisions and I've been playing a lot of blues on it for the past 4ish months 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Jonesy

[Muzz]

This, for the last six years, since I had her built for my birthday. She's been to every gig and every rehearsal I've played, and she's the first to hand every time.

[binky_bass]

ACG 6 Salace, no question.

[scrumpymike]

2 hours ago, binky_bass said:

ACG 6 Salace, no question.

Drop-dead-gorgeous!  There's a lot of lovely basses out there but IMHO Mr Cringean can bring wood to life better than anybody.

[binky_bass]

15 minutes ago, scrumpymike said:

Mr Cringean can bring wood to life better than anybody.

You make him sound like a fluffer! 😂

[4000]

This, always:

 

[GuyR]

I’m enjoying my recently acquired CS stack knob and long owned Godin A5.....

Edited March 26, 2020 by GuyR

[bassbiscuits]

My 2013 MIJ Mustang is the one I pick up to noodle.

It’s featherweight, sounds really loud unplugged and means I can wonder around the house without smacking into doorways.

Its my only short scale bass but I find it very playable and comfortable. I never liked the dark tort guard so swapped it for a white one and I’m happy now (important consideration when playing at home as i constantly keep glimpsing myself in mirrors and windows!) 

[Drax]

Impressed by some of the monogamy in this thread. I’ve got sentimental basses I’ve owned for 30yrs, but the bass I pick up to ‘noodle on & write’ is generally whatever my latest squeeze is. Daily playing and inspiration currently from this Sire P7. 

Edited March 28, 2020 by Drax

[Mastodon2]

On 19/03/2020 at 21:48, ped said:

15 years as my #1. In that time it’s seen off Alembics, Marleaux, Smith, Fender, Bossa, Bacchus, Musicman, Fender, Pedulla, Carvin.. even other Vigiers!! It’s comfy like an old jumper.

That five minutes on your Vigier definitely put them on my list, but the more I look into them, it seems they jacked in the full carbon necks a long time ago. They have some marketing bumf about how the wood neck is "deeper and richer", but I'd only really be interested in full carbon. A shame, as it takes them off the table for me, unless a used one came up in the right spec.

As for my "go to" bass, I play all of my basses fairly equally, with the exception of the Pedulla which needs some new strings, but my Ken Smith is my #1. It is the bass from a brand that I've always idolised, it sounds and plays just how I want a bass to be.

 

This reminds me that the Pedulla needs restringing but I don't have the right gauge in the house and I'm trying to minimise unnecessary work for postal workers and delivery people until this who COVID thing is winding down. That's not to say I'll not be buying new strings for the foreseeable, but I think I'll do bulk orders instead of just getting a set delivered any time one of the basses needs it.

[ped]

Yes I agree there's something particular about the early ones; the mix of carbon but the bridge and pickups mounted in wood gives a great warm and precise sound. That Smith really was a special bass. I recently sold the 4 string that replaced it to Scott Devine who loves it but I'd have kept the 5 if I was more of a five string player!

[Mastodon2]

1 hour ago, ped said:

Yes I agree there's something particular about the early ones; the mix of carbon but the bridge and pickups mounted in wood gives a great warm and precise sound. That Smith really was a special bass. I recently sold the 4 string that replaced it to Scott Devine who loves it but I'd have kept the 5 if I was more of a five string player!

I saw Scott posting the Smith on his FB page and I've seen it on a few qauranstreams that he's done recently. It sounds fantastic!

[ead]

On 26/03/2020 at 12:21, Jonesy said:

Recently it's been my Japanese P, its rekindled my love of precisions and I've been playing a lot of blues on it for the past 4ish months 

 

We share very similar tastes in foam mutes.

[ped]

25 minutes ago, Mastodon2 said:

I saw Scott posting the Smith on his FB page and I've seen it on a few qauranstreams that he's done recently. It sounds fantastic!

Any links? Or do I have to be a member? He said he’d leave the puppets on the tuners 🤣

[AndyTravis]

Just now, ped said:

Any links? Or do I have to be a member? He said he’d leave the puppets on the tuners 🤣

He has

[ped]

Ah just found a vid on FB. He's making the bass sound better than I ever did!

[Mastodon2]

30 minutes ago, ped said:

Any links? Or do I have to be a member? He said he’d leave the puppets on the tuners 🤣

It's on the Scotts'sbasslessons facebook page so anyone with a facebook account can view it. He has left a puppet on the E string tuner!

He posted a photo of it on the 6th of March on the page too. I knew it was yours, given that he is based near Leeds so it wouldn't be a big trip to collect it and there's not exactly a surfeit of 1984 Ken Smith basses floating around.