“The one” and bass chasing!

[TheJonJonJonJon]

So I’m sure many of you are in the same boat of trying to find that elusive “the one” bass or trying to chase a tone in your head that may or may not exist.

 

I am a self confessed bass junkie and it doesn’t matter if I buy a £400 bass or a £4000 bass, I’ve never managed to really bond with any to the degree that I could say ‘OK, this bass is a keeper’ or think ‘I definitely don’t ever want to part with this bass’. 

The only bass I can think of that came close was an early 2000s Warwick Standard Corvette 5 I had which was my first high end bass and took me through music college and many gigs and foolishly, I sold it some years back. Thinking back on it, I feel like that bass was ‘the one’ but, I didn’t realise it at the time. Hindsight eh?! 

 

So does “the one” bass actually exist and who here can claim they have actually found that bass?

Edited September 4, 2023 by TheJonJonJonJon

[Steve Browning]

My number 1 bass (the '66). I bought it at a time when headless basses were the thing and it had languished in the shop for ages. As soon as I picked it up it was like pulling on a sock, it just felt right. It always has.

 

It doesn't go to gigs much these days (too valuable) but it's the one material possession I won't ever part with, in life.

 

Just to add, I bought it around 1983.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Steve Browning

[Dad3353]

10 minutes ago, TheJonJonJonJon said:

...So does “the one” bass actually exist and who here can claim they have actually found that bass?

 

Yes, and I can ...

 

[TheJonJonJonJon]

Just now, Dad3353 said:

 

Yes, and I can ...

 

 

Whats the story behind this one then?

[uk_lefty]

I giggled my Jack Cassady on Saturday night as a "make or break" gig for it. I hadn't played it live for ages and though I love the look and the sound I just wasn't feeling like using it live.... Saturday night was bl00dy awesome and I got loads of people saying the bass sound was great and now I can't see me using anything else for the next month.

 

When it comes to basses I like to change things around a bit to stop me getting bored of myself doing the same things over and over. I have one bass I'll never sell because it was my 18th birthday present (not just because I'd be lucky to get £100 for it) and some others that are "keepers" for now but as time moves on and circumstances change.... You never know!

[nilorius]

32 minutes ago, TheJonJonJonJon said:

So I’m sure many of you are in the same boat of trying to find that elusive “the one” bass or trying to chase a tone in your head that may or may not exist.

 

I am a self confessed bass junkie and it doesn’t matter if I buy a £400 bass or a £4000 bass, I’ve never managed to really bond with any to the degree that I could say ‘OK, this bass is a keeper’ or think ‘I definitely don’t ever want to part with this bass’. 

The only bass I can think of that came close was an early 2000s Warwick Standard Corvette 5 I had which was my first high end bass and took me through music college and many gigs and foolishly, I sold it some years back. Thinking back on it, I feel like that bass was ‘the one’ but, I didn’t realise it at the time. Hindsight eh?! 

 

So does “the one” bass actually exist and who here can claim they have actually found that bass?

So much can tell You they did, so much - they didn't. So it can't be understood till the end. I have found the one for myself - Ibanez fretless GWB 1005, but there are a lot of superstisous bassists out there who still didn't. This is ok situation.

[Dad3353]

26 minutes ago, TheJonJonJonJon said:

Whats the story behind this one then?

 

How long have you got..? 

 

Late '60s, we ( a younger brother and I...) were looking for guitars and/or amps, but with a budget of... Well even less than that. We had heard of a second-hand shop in Hampton Wick; it turned out be be rather the front parlour of a terraced house, stuffed full of all sorts of 'tat', and hosted by one Mrs Nichols (spelling..?). Despite the ... er... 'low quality' of the offerings piled around, the asking prices were rather more than we had in mind. I did manage to unearth a slightly-less-battered guitar case, in which resided a Hofner E2 Florentine President, which, after much haggling and starting to leave, became mine. I can't remember the price now, but it was expensive to me at the time.

It has its own story for another time; back to the bass. On a wall hung a Hofner Verithin bass, which intrigued me until, upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the belly of the bass was not convex, but concave..! Probably due to water damage at some point, and a very difficult thing to repair; the poor thing's fate was sealed by a price akin to a new bass..! We left, with me clutching my new find, but the vision of that bass has stayed with me ever since.
Fast forward a few decades; I was now in France, and had acquired a Hofner Verithin 6-string (another boyhood dream guitar, and very excellent too...). I came across an ad for a Verithin bass (they are quite rare, especially in good condition...) in Nottingham. I contacted the Seller (this is pre-interwebs daze; postal correspondance was the thing...). I reserved it, and came to the UK as a foot passenger on the ferry. Another younger brother picked me up from the coast, and drove me up country to see this bass. The Seller wanted only cash, so we went to a local bank for me to draw out £500, and the bass was mine. Back to the coast the next day, with the bass in a very lightweight gig bag. I couldn't resist playing it on the deck of the ferry as we crossed the Channel, to the amusement of other passengers. After a few months I renewed the black nylon 'Trubass' strings, which are still on it now. The bass is currently hanging on the wall just behind my head as I type this; I only have to reach up to get it down and play. It has done its fair share of gigs in past years, but I only use it now for playing at home and recording (I'm  a drummer...). I have other basses (and guitars...), but this bass, for me, is 'the One'.

Douglas

Edited September 4, 2023 by Dad3353

[Steve Browning]

2 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

How long have you got..? 

 

Late '60s, we ( a younger brother and I...) were looking for guitars and/or amps, but with a budget of... Well even less than that. We had heard of a second-hand shop in Hampton Wick; it turned out be be rather the front parlour of a terraced house, stuff full of all sorts of 'tat', and hosted by one Mrs Nichols (spelling..?). Despite the ... er... 'low quality' of the offerings piled around, the asking prices were rather more than we had in mind. I did manage to unearth a slightly-less-battered guitar case, in which resided a Hofner E2 Florentine President, which, after much haggling and starting to leave, became mine. I can't remember the price now, but it was expensive to me at the time.

It has its own story for another time; back to the bass. On a wall hung a Hofner Verithin bass, which intrigued me until, upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the belly of the bass was not convex, but concave..! Probably due to water damage at some point, and a very difficult thing to repair; the poor thing's fate was sealed by a price akin to a new bass..! We left, with me clutching my new find, but the vision of that bass has stayed with me ever since.
Fast forward a few decades; I was now in France, and had acquired a Hofner Verithin 6-string (another boyhood dream guitar, and very excellent too...). I came across an ad for a Verithin bass (they are quite rare, especially in good condition...) in Nottingham. I contacted the Seller (this is pre-interwebs daze; postal correspondance was the thing...). I reserved it, and came to the UK as a foot passenger on the ferry. Another younger brother picked me up from the coast, and drove me up country to see this bass. The Seller wanted only cash, so we went to a local bank for me to draw out £500, and the bass was mine. Back to the coast the next day, with the bass in a very lightweight gig bag. I couldn't resist playing it on the deck of the ferry as we crossed the Channel, to the amusement of other passengers. After a few months I renewed the black nylon 'Trubass' strings, which are still on it now. The bass is currently hanging on the wall just behind my head as I type this; I only have to reach up to get it down and play. It has done its fair share of gigs in past years, but I only use it now for playing at home and recording (I'm  a drummer...). I have other basses (and guitars...), but this bass, for me, is 'the One'.

Douglas

 

I honestly thought you were going to say you were amazed to find the back of the bass was concave.

[Dad3353]

Just now, Steve Browning said:

I honestly thought you were going to say you were amazed to find the back of the bass was concave.

 

  Nah, the string tension had caused the front to collapse, probably gently over time, but I can't see what could provoke such a state except damp, and a lot of it, too..! These guitars and basses are not prone to this (I have several archtops, both basses and guitars...), and that's the only time I've seen one in this state. Where is it now..? Gone to join McCartney's  violin bass in the sky..? 

[BigRedX]

I play in two very different bands and therefore need two very different basses.

[Dad3353]

3 hours ago, BigRedX said:

I play in two very different bands and therefore need two very different basses.

 

Hmm... I would question the 'therefore'. In my rather long drumming career, I wouldn't like to even guess how many different bands and formations I've played with; I have always used my (admittedly very excellent...) Camco drums for all. From Big Band variety, 'typique' Caribbean calypso, musette, pop/rock, folk and more... It's all in the fingers, you see.  If I had to have a different kit for each different genre, I'd need a bloomin' big cottage..! 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Dad3353

[bassbiscuits]

I found my "one" in 1994 when I was at university - a 1970 sunburst precision bass that was in Musical Exchanges in Coventry. For a long time it was the only bass I had.

 

Since I've owned it it's had a new nut, refret and various smaller repairs along the way, as well as being stolen and recovered, and acquiring the sorts of wear and tear befitting a gigging bass.

 

But I still take it to the better gigs and it still sounds and plays nicely. No intention of selling it ever, and aside from a house and car it's the only thing of value I have any claim to.

[BigRedX]

7 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

 

Hmm... I would question the 'therefore'. In my rather long drumming career, I wouldn't like to even guess how many different bands and formations I've played with; I have always used my (admittedly very excellent...) Camcp drums for all. From Big Band variety, 'typique' Caribbean calypso, musette, pop/rock, folk and more... It's all in the fingers, you see.  If I had to have a different kit for each different genre, I'd need a bloomin' big cottage..! 

 

For one band where a play a more "traditional" bass guitarist's role I have a pair of 34" scale 5-string basses.

 

For the other where I play both "bass" and "melody" parts (alternating with the synth player) I use a 30" scale Bass VI.

 

Whilst I could play a lot of the first band's bass lines on the Bass VI, it wouldn't be a particularly pleasant experience. Most the things I play on the Bass VI are impossible to play on a conventional 4 or 5 string bass.

[Rayman]

For me, there’s no #1. They’re tools. I’ve had hundreds of them over the years, some a bit crap, some sublime, and everything in between. I gave up looking for the bass many years ago, because all of the basses I’ve had that were awesome ‘keepers’ have been sold.

 

There’s a few I wish I still had, but mostly I’m not bothered. I think the thrill is in the chase rather than the ownership of the instrument.

[chris_b]

 

1 hour ago, TheJonJonJonJon said:

. . . . So does “the one” bass actually exist and who here can claim they have actually found that bass?

 

"The one" certainly exists for me.

 

When I was playing 4's it was my 1968 Fender Precision. Not the best example of Leo's work, but it was nice to play and got the job done. That was retired when I moved to 5's. Now I have a Sadowsky RV5 Jazz and a Mike Lull PJ5, owned for 8 and 12 years respectively.

 

I own basses so that I can gig. They are a means to an end so I don't get fixated on the chase and ownership part.

[Dad3353]

43 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

For one band where a play a more "traditional" bass guitarist's role I have a pair of 34" scale 5-string basses.

 

For the other where I play both "bass" and "melody" parts (alternating with the synth player) I use a 30" scale Bass VI.

 

Whilst I could play a lot of the first band's bass lines on the Bass VI, it wouldn't be a particularly pleasant experience. Most the things I play on the Bass VI are impossible to play on a conventional 4 or 5 string bass.

 

I don't doubt this ^^^^ for a second; it was the 'therefore' that I found odd, implying that every different band necessitated a different bass, just because it's a different band. No issue otherwise; rock on..! 

[Musicman666]

all my basses are the one, that's why i never sell any ...

[TheJonJonJonJon]

2 hours ago, Rayman said:

For me, there’s no #1. They’re tools. I’ve had hundreds of them over the years, some a bit crap, some sublime, and everything in between. I gave up looking for the bass many years ago, because all of the basses I’ve had that were awesome ‘keepers’ have been sold.

 

There’s a few I wish I still had, but mostly I’m not bothered. I think the thrill is in the chase rather than the ownership of the instrument.

I think this is largely where I am. I think even if I went down the custom build route I’d be happy with it until I wasn’t and then move it on.

[Reggaebass]

I too have had hundreds ,and still buying them ,although I’m more selective now ,but one bass I pick up the most and won’t be parting with any time soon is my 71 precision , it just does everything I need and is a warm sounding one so it’s great for reggae and I dabble a bit in Motown, doesn’t stop me eyeing up a 64 P though 😁

[Linus27]

I tend to move basses around a bit dependent on what type of band I play in. However, I do have one bass which is a keeper but that is because my dad bought it for me as my first bass, its been with me all through my musical career so is sentimental and has all my musical history in it. Plus its the best sounding Jazz bass I have ever played.

[msb]

I picked up a UniVox HiFlier last year , it was a good deal , the bass looked to be in good shape , and I’d always appreciated that Mosrite inspired shape. 
The tuners were a bit slippy but otherwise the bass was a beauty. Quite light , it came strung with flats and had a lovely deep thump. Surprisingly so.

I went looking for replacement tuners , and found some Chinese ones that looked close , but I held off on ordering them. I came across a video that mentioned that most tuners didn’t really need to be replaced , but often just needed basic maintenance. A good cleaning and fresh lube.

It worked , now there’s no need to replace them. 
And now I’m happy to drag the HiFlier out to most gigs. I prefer short scales these days and I’ve come to love the UniVox. I don’t know quite how it happened , but I’m totally ok playing a fifty year old budget bass. 
I do use great amps, I’m kinda nerdy about amps. 
I’ve acquired twenty something basses over the years and have many of the classics. Somehow that cheap Japanese copy has become the one.
 

[diskwave]

For me its all about my No 1 tone and not bass so much tho after years of this and that its basically any old  P bass with dead chromes as  I just know that out in the room that dry biting lower mid bark is tearing peoples ears off.  

[dmccombe7]

Nope, in 45 yrs of playing i've never found that one bass that would suit me for every style of band i've been in.

I like a bass that plays well but it also has to look the part in the band i'm in. (currently 70's Glam Rock and 70's Punk bands.) 

I've come close with a few tho.

My Warwick Thumb NT89 i still have from new in 89. I love this bass but the tone doesn't always suit every style of music i play.

My Fender Geddy Jazz CIJ i would use in any style of band but recently i'm finding the Sandberg MarloweDK does the same job and its lighter.

My other Sandberg VM4 would maybe fit in any band and it has THE best neck i've ever had but it has no character in its tone. Its like a Ford Focus, it just does its job without issue.

 

After all that the answer would be emphatically NO.

 

Dave

 

 

 

[Owen]

The one there is not, the chase only there is. 

[Dazed]

The ONLY one sadly, is the next one.