Guilty pleasures

[msb]

I first noticed the Yamaha Samurai shape while watching the Guess Who on tv in the mid 60’s. And it stuck. And every once in a while I’d go looking around the internet for one , but I really didn’t want to bother with global shipping. So I guess it was inevitable , when one popped up in Toronto for a reasonable price I jumped. A friend in the US had owned one and described it as a Jazz on steroids , and regretted letting it go . 
It’s the ultimate Japanese surf bass. It’s a bit like an upside down Ric , I’m ok with that , I love Rics.

I got it! 

The Unicorn was on our local online buy&sell . I dawdled and a friend snagged it , and then he picked up another headless bass and offered it to me. This time I didn’t hesitate. It’s quite surprising. A lovely bass , and I’m ready if I get a call for some 80’s new wave stuff.

I normally play old school blues and roots music , these are guilty pleasures , and I really love them both.

[jd56hawk]

I know exactly what you mean.

Started playing bass 10 years ago.

Wanted one of these the first time I saw it on ebay.

Finally bought one last year on just because I liked the way it looked.

Didn't have the opportunity to try it out, found it on Reverb, but I had a feeling it was going to sound better than it looked.

[msb]

That looks Ampeg inspired! 

[msb]

And another one , a friend asked me to look at a set neck 4000 Ric , and also had an Epi Flying V . I played the V for five minutes and got the Ric. I spent much of the following weeks thinking about that V , and finally called him up. It was still there , and this time snagged it. 

Some may find the sight of some old geezer in jeans and sneakers with a Flying V pathetic , I’m fine with that.  I love the thing (although I rarely take it out , maybe I should change that) It’s well balanced on a strap , it’s not heavy at all. 

And I love it.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

1 hour ago, msb said:

I first noticed the Yamaha Samurai shape while watching the Guess Who on tv in the mid 60’s. And it stuck. And every once in a while I’d go looking around the internet for one , but I really didn’t want to bother with global shipping. So I guess it was inevitable , when one popped up in Toronto for a reasonable price I jumped. A friend in the US had owned one and described it as a Jazz on steroids , and regretted letting it go . 
It’s the ultimate Japanese surf bass. It’s a bit like an upside down Ric , I’m ok with that , I love Rics.

I got it! 

The Unicorn was on our local online buy&sell . I dawdled and a friend snagged it , and then he picked up another headless bass and offered it to me. This time I didn’t hesitate. It’s quite surprising. A lovely bass , and I’m ready if I get a call for some 80’s new wave stuff.

I normally play old school blues and roots music , these are guilty pleasures , and I really love them both.

Good enough for Time Lords...

[neepheid]

Guilty pleasure? No such thing. You like 'em, good for you. Take one of them to your next blues/roots gig, take extra pleasure in any tuts you may receive and have fun!

 

There are no rules! Take a Hofner Club to a death metal gig! Play a BC Rich Warlock in church! Just try to remember to wear clothes - there are rules about that

 

[Skybone]

Kind of like an angular Samurai, the Ibanez Iceman is my "guilty pleasure". 

 

Unfortunately, I don't own a bass version, but I do have the short, skinny string versions. Used to own a late 70's version, which was superb, but the reissues are excellent IMO.

 

And yes, very partial to pointy guitars, but I do love a Ric.

[LeftyJ]

 

I just sold it last year because it didn't get enough use, but this was mine. I generally don't like pointy shapes but I have a weak spot for the Ibanez Iceman and this Esh Stinger is more or less a reversed Iceman. It was comfortable too, and sounded and played great. It derives its name from the piezo bridge, which adds attack and "stings" through any mix. It was one of the last German-made ones, before they moved production to the Czech republic and eventually disappeared entirely (again). 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

42 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

 

I just sold it last year because it didn't get enough use, but this was mine. I generally don't like pointy shapes but I have a weak spot for the Ibanez Iceman and this Esh Stinger is more or less a reversed Iceman. It was comfortable too, and sounded and played great. It derives its name from the piezo bridge, which adds attack and "stings" through any mix. It was one of the last German-made ones, before they moved production to the Czech republic and eventually disappeared entirely (again). 

I always liked these. Peter Steele played on for a while, and back in the pre-internet days I used to marvel at it in the pages of Kerrang and Metal Hammer, wondering what that amazing looking bass was.

[Jonesy]

I shouldn't like this ESP, but I really do.....

 

 

 

 

[Mudpup]

1 hour ago, Jonesy said:

I shouldn't like this ESP, but I really do.....

 

 

 

 

Ah, the old 80's crackle finish trend .....you'll have to break out the spandex and grow a mullet if you snag one of those 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Mudpup

[Bassassin]

Guilty?

 

 

As charged, it's a fair cop, I'll come quietly, got me bang to rights etc.

[msb]

Sweet jumping Jesus! You’ve got the same pair, and neither is common.

[Bassassin]

4 minutes ago, msb said:

Sweet jumping Jesus! You’ve got the same pair, and neither is common.

 

Took me a while! Wanted a Unicorn since the first time I saw one, in 1984 - waaay too much for me to afford back then but I finally got this one from a member on here about 18 months ago! Looks great from a distance but it's had a refinish & needs a bit of fret work. I always fancied a pink one...

 

The SBV500 came from here too, maybe 15 or so years ago - one particular member actually had a collection, not sure how many but for some reason he decided to try & collect every colour & variation - and there are a lot! He ended up with some duplicates, one of which I kindly relieved him of. Calling it a 'Jazz on steroids' is right on the nail, despite looking like a 60s surf bass it's a proper growly rock monster.

 

You probably already know this, but Riverhead 'borrowed' the Unicorn body shape from the early 70s Burns Flyte.

 

[luckman67]

I first saw this picture in 1980 my Mum had the Norman Hunter Beatles book, which I still have I didn't know what it was but I loved the look of it anyway. Fast forward 8 yrs I've started to learn the bass guitar back in '87 & luckily in, November '88 I found a 1964 500/1 for £175 it was mine all mine.Fast forward to 2022 it's still my guilty pleasures & my most cherished possession.

 

[KingBollock]

I have one of these:

*
A BC Rich Warlock NT
Back in around 1989/90 I was asked what my ideal bass would be, and this is what I described. BC Rich didn’t even make them back then.

I truly believe that it is one of the best looking guitars ever made. Only trumped by other Warlocks that have nice, exposed woods and binding.

 

My very first bass was a Westone Raider I:

*

And I would give my left leg to own another.

 

*(Neither of those photos are of the basses I own/ed (the only photo I have of the Westone is of me playing it while naked. It was about eight stones ago, but still, no one wants to see that!))

Edited August 25, 2022 by KingBollock

[miles'tone]

13 hours ago, Bassassin said:

Guilty?

 

 

As charged, it's a fair cop, I'll come quietly, got me bang to rights etc.

Nice rug too!

[tauzero]

I really ought to get this back out and use it a bit more:

 

 

Esh Poseidon V.

[neepheid]

Where is all this guilt coming from?

[Bassassin]

53 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Where is all this guilt coming from?

 

Only guilt I have is that I'm not gigging these days, so the FreakBass Circus doesn't get out to play!

 

 

[neepheid]

18 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

 

Only guilt I have is that I'm not gigging these days, so the FreakBass Circus doesn't get out to play!

 

 

 

That is sad, but in all seriousness I just do not get this "guilty pleasure" concept when applied to basses.  Why are you feeling guilty for enjoying a bass?  Did someone decree that playing bass was illegal and I missed the memo?  Did you buy it instead of paying your mortgage/rent and are now playing it in/on your car/cardboard box/park bench?  Did you steal it?  Are some people telling you that you shouldn't be playing that bass and if so why does that opinion matter so much?  Is it just a extension of the general purpose guilt I sometimes feel simply for breathing air?

 

I feel not one shred of guilt when I play any of my basses, I earned the money to buy them fair and square (or a certain lovely wife bought me one recently) and I couldn't give even a single hoot what anyone else thinks of them.  You like 'em because you like 'em, that ought to be good enough of a reason for any nosey parker.

[msb]

It’s a pleasure. And a common expression here in NS.

 

[neepheid]

I'm going to shut the hell up now, I'm clearly taking the phrase far too literally and it's annoying me (and probably annoying you too).

[msb]

I suppose when there’s too much of a good thing … 

 

[msb]

https://www.basschat.co.uk/profile/46-bassassin/  The guy I bought my Unicorn from recently picked up a Riverhead Jupiter with the funny headstock!  It turned up on what we call the French Shore out on the Bay of Fundy.