Vintage & battered or knackered basses

[Creeper]

Let’s see some old banged up basses, let’s say nothing after 1990 and nothing which has been faked, just old basses which have had a hard, honest and well gigged life, and are now being loved in their old age. No closet classics for this thread!

I will start with my 72 Jazz bass, she’s certainly had a hard life but she’s now getting the love she deserves now she’s nearly 50. Looks like she’s had the bridge ashtray on for most of her life as the original Olympic white is still actually quite “white” under there as it is under the pickguard, also some lovely wear on the maple fretboard.

someone in her long life obviously thought that wearing a rather large and meaty belt buckle was the fashion of the time!

She still plays lovely though and is fortunate to have survived to nearly 50 with no mods or alteration. Still have the original ashtrays but I don’t dress her up in her Sunday best very often!

She was also lucky enough to come to me with her original case, also quite battered but still serviceable.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Creeper

[Taylor Bitch-blues]

Well my two basses are mint,  but I keep trawling ads for an ancient  335 style 4 string,  like a Burns/Baldwin  in a well used coniton , it's the old wood look I'm after.

  Anybody   ?

[binky_bass]

My 1979 Roadster - it lives a simple life these days, mainly kept for sentimental reasons. Twas my first 'proper' bass that I sold and bought back 3 times! It's now going to live out its days with me and shall never be sold again. 

[MM Stingray 62]

My 68 jazz 

 

[Creeper]

Now that is battered...

That fretboard is lovely, looks almost black

Edited March 24, 2021 by Creeper

[Creeper]

Now that is battered...

That fretboard is lovely, looks almost black

[MM Stingray 62]

The bass has been made into a fretless so it now has a epoxy coated ebony board.

Edited March 27, 2021 by marleaux62

[Creeper]

4 minutes ago, marleaux62 said:

The has been has been turned into a fretless so it now has a epoxy coated ebony board.

That explains it 😁

[Beedster]

On its way to Walshy as I write

[Happy Jack]

[Baloney Balderdash]

Edit!! :

Sorry I misunderstood the premise of this thread, I think it's supposed to be exclusive for vintage basses with scars, not vintage basses and basses with scars, right?

So I deleted my off topic reply.

 

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Baloney Balderdash
Misunderstood thread topic

[binky_bass]

4 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Edit!! :

Sorry I misunderstood the premise of this thread, I think it's supposed to be exclusive for vintage basses with scars, not vintage basses and basses with scars, right?

So I deleted my off topic reply.

 

 

Stick a black and white filter on your pictures and it'll pass for vintage!

[ped]

My G&L

[Stub Mandrel]

Mid 70s 🙂

[Teebs]

Westone 1A Thunder 1982

[Doctor J]

BB1100s from 85

Edited March 26, 2021 by Doctor J

[StickyDBRmf]

Edited April 1, 2021 by StickyDBRmf
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[StickyDBRmf]

So to explain...that's an '80 Ibanez 8-string, frets removed w/ claw hammer, top horn cut off, holes drilled w/ power drill - plugged in and recorded (tape lost), body unstable, whole side fell off, painted blue metal-flake car aerosol paint...Still sounds like a freight train.

[tegs07]

MIJ Hondo Professional. Early’80’s I think.

 

[Hooch]

Edited April 16, 2021 by Hooch

[tayste_2000]

From practice today

 

’08 Fender AVRI P Bass

’70s Kay K1B

 

Practice rooms peavey 1x18 😂

[Hooch]

Somehow trebly with the Kay i guess 😁

[hooky_lowdown]

1 hour ago, tayste_2000 said:

From practice today

 

’08 Fender AVRI P Bass

’70s Kay K1B

 

Practice rooms peavey 1x18 😂

Do you play the little Kay through fuzz or overdrive?

[tayste_2000]

1 hour ago, Hooch said:

Somehow trebly with the Kay i guess 😁

It's got D'addario tapewounds on it so it's got quite a low of bass but not the huge pillowly low end I normal play with, but that's exactly what I wanted it for that plunky beatles bass tone. I'm using it on 1 track in the studio next week with a felt pic, a bit of palm muting, the the tone wide open.

So far it's doing what I need it to and it's oh so light

1 hour ago, hooky_lowdown said:

Do you play the little Kay through fuzz or overdrive?

Not tried it yet through all my pedals yet, the only fuzz I have at the moment is the Malekko Diabolik which is just brutal on everything. 

Basically I got it for that plunky short scale sound but also as a studio toy for when someone's like can we just try something different. Which is the point that this and the fuzz and octave pedals come out 😂

 

I very nearly bought your mustang but it was too proper of a bass for what I want right now 😂😇 but man do I love shortscales

[tayste_2000]

Sounds like this

Kay into Ditto Tube DI into Garageband

Nothing else