Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2023?

[Jackroadkill]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

nothing wrong with the bass per se  but who actually uses an acoustic?

 

I saw Ministry at The Big Day Out at the Bowl in 1999 and weirdly Paul Barker was playing what looked like an Aria bowlback acoustic bass.  It's annoyed me ever since.

[neepheid]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

I bought several nice basses this year - all very good but none stand out head and shoulders above the rest, such was the quality of the purchases.

 

I did manage to acquire an Ashdown EVOII 300w head and a couple of cabs at a very reasonable price earlier this year. "Worst" purchase was a Tanglewood Acoustic bass - nothing wrong with the bass per se  but who actually uses an acoustic?

 

Live and learn

 

[TheGreek]

Bit cryptic...

[neepheid]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

Bit cryptic...

 

The acoustic bass thing.  Many bassists have tried and asked exactly the same question as you, myself included.

[Guest]

After reading through this I've just had a realisation: I've bought nothing. Nothing.

Not a pack of strings. Not even a pick or a strip of velcro.

I don't know what to do with this information really. I never meant for this to occur. 

I have bought books and documentaries though.

And I had planned to get some new jacks and a speaker cable so it's all rock n roll from here.

My younger self would laugh his derrière off. 

 

edit: I know this is not interesting for anyone else but in the interest of my future well being this needed to be written down.

Edited December 15, 2023 by HornetPinata

[NancyJohnson]

I bought two bits of kit this year, a second Darkglass 1x12 and a black Spector Euro-X.  Nothing went out.

 

All credit to my mate Gary, AKA @cetera of this parish, for coordinating the Spector builds; 'tis a thing of beauty.

 

 

*Wee edit.  I completely forgot that I sold on my Spector Euro LT to partially fund the Euro-X.  So yes, there was an out.

Edited January 17 by NancyJohnson

[Al Krow]

6 hours ago, HornetPinata said:

After reading through this I've just had a realisation: I've bought nothing. Nothing.

Not a pack of strings. Not even a pick or a strip of velcro.

I don't know what to do with this information really. I never meant for this to occur. 

I have bought books and documentaries though.

And I had planned to get some new jacks and a speaker cable so it's all rock n roll from here.

My younger self would laugh his derrière off. 

 

edit: I know this is not interesting for anyone else but in the interest of my future well being this needed to be written down.

 

But have you managed to play lots of bass this year? If so, sounds like you've had a very good year! And there are hairshirt threads (aka "gear abstinence") for recovering Gear Chat addicts where you would be lauded as a hero... 

[Simon C]

6 hours ago, HornetPinata said:

After reading through this I've just had a realisation: I've bought nothing. Nothing.

Not a pack of strings. Not even a pick or a strip of velcro.

I don't know what to do with this information really. I never meant for this to occur. 

I have bought books and documentaries though.

And I had planned to get some new jacks and a speaker cable so it's all rock n roll from here.

My younger self would laugh his derrière off. 

 

edit: I know this is not interesting for anyone else but in the interest of my future well being this needed to be written down.

Things to do

1) Drop it in to conversation with anyone who might otherwise demand a full public enquiry when kit unexpectedly appears next year

2) Ask the 2023 gear abstinence thread if you can either join retrospectively or be made an honorary member for the rest of the year - I think you might boost the number who are still “in” by 50%

3 ) When you’ve done both of the above, do a bit of accounting and carry forward the budget to next year

 

[chrisba]

I too have bought nothing.  Although I rehease most weeks and have done half a dozen gigs, and we made a new album this year, I have not spent a penny on gear ? Not even a string, cable or pick.

In fact I sold an unused set of strings for £20 on eBay, so I'm in profit.

[Simon C]

22 hours ago, cetera said:

It's been a great year for gear purchases with nothing bad tbh.

 

Best gear purchases were definitely the four Ltd Edt Spector Euro X basses I got in the custom order I organised with Bass Direct.....
 

a used Gallien Krueger 700RB-II head...
 

...the fabulous Di Cosimo 800RB pedal (basically a classic GK800RB head in pedal form)..
 

...and a beautiful 'plum crazy' Spector NS Dimension HP!
 

That’s some going Gary. 5 basses in a year. That’s more than I’ve bought in my life (3 I think). If I add in keyboards, pianos, guitars, drum kits (multiple cymbals counting as 1 kit) and a cahon I think my life time instrument purchases just about manage to double your 2023 acquisitions (and 5 of them were for my kids).
 

I think I’ll store your 2023 story up to relate to my missus when a new bass adorns the remaining hanger over the piano. Top job.

[cetera]

24 minutes ago, Simon C said:

That’s some going Gary. 5 basses in a year. That’s more than I’ve bought in my life (3 I think). If I add in keyboards, pianos, guitars, drum kits (multiple cymbals counting as 1 kit) and a cahon I think my life time instrument purchases just about manage to double your 2023 acquisitions (and 5 of them were for my kids).
 

I think I’ll store your 2023 story up to relate to my missus when a new bass adorns the remaining hanger over the piano. Top job.

To be fair, I'd planned and sold 2 basses before the 4 Spectorbirds came along, so only had to finance 2 of them....
I also sold 2 other basses and some amp/pedal gear to finance the purple Spector and GK head...

Otherwise I'd be broke! lol!

 

[Dov65]

1 hour ago, Simon C said:

That’s some going Gary. 5 basses in a year. That’s more than I’ve bought in my life (3 I think). If I add in keyboards, pianos, guitars, drum kits (multiple cymbals counting as 1 kit) and a cahon I think my life time instrument purchases just about manage to double your 2023 acquisitions (and 5 of them were for my kids).
 

I think I’ll store your 2023 story up to relate to my missus when a new bass adorns the remaining hanger over the piano. Top job.

His roll call of gear is on here somewhere, maybe not up to date but he does do guided tours @cetera 😆

[bagsieblue]

On 13/12/2023 at 19:07, Lozz196 said:

I have best which are my Fender JMJ Mustang basses, and then the worst - even though they’re amazing they’re not as good as the JMJs - my Squier Classic Vibe Mustang basses. So I suppose I’m rather fortunate on this one with best being super amazing and worst being just amazing.

 

 

 

 

I sold you that JMJ - its a peach!

[KingBollock]

1 hour ago, Simon C said:

That’s some going Gary. 5 basses in a year. That’s more than I’ve bought in my life (3 I think). If I add in keyboards, pianos, guitars, drum kits (multiple cymbals counting as 1 kit) and a cahon I think my life time instrument purchases just about manage to double your 2023 acquisitions (and 5 of them were for my kids).
 

I think I’ll store your 2023 story up to relate to my missus when a new bass adorns the remaining hanger over the piano. Top job.

Ah, now if it comes to (electric) drums… Since April I have bought an Alesis Nitro kit, two thrones, four extra cymbals and a new snare. The parts to make a junction box (so that I could plug extra stuff into the module). Two (yes, two) whole racks (the Nitro rack is non-standard and rather crap). And a 9 pad thingyummie that I can also plug cymbals and extra pads into. Along with several pairs of sticks (to find out what would work for me as I am new to drumming (unless you count my bongoes and bodhran)).

 

Some of it was secondhand and some of it returns. None of it particularly expensive (the non-Alesis stuff is Millennium from Thomman), but it does add up.

 

I am really enjoying it and play every day (I started mostly to help with fitness and joint problems), but there has been a couple of things here on BassChat that I might have bought otherwise. A lovely Cort fretless bass and my dream amp, a Laney Nexus.

[Lfalex v1.1]

 

This was definitely one of the best. 

[Linus27]

I've not really bought that much this year that jumps out as a wow, this is amazing. I've certainly played some things which have made me go wow which was the Fender Vintera II Telecaster bass, an Orange Crush 100w Combo and a Fender Rumble 500 Combo but I've not purchased any of them.

 

What I did purchase was the following,

 

1. Squier 40th Anniversary Vintage Precision. Wonderful bass and plays and sounds brilliant. I bought it for a project which never happened and as I only really play fretless, I'm going to put it up for sale.

 

2. MarkBass Little Mark IV 500w Head. Lovely clean, transparent and uncoloured head that just works out of the box but doesn't really have much of a wow factor like I've had with other heads.

 

3. TC Electronic BC208 Bass Cab. This cab is the best thing I've bought this year. It's been matched with my Warwick Gnome 280w head and sounds phenomenal. It's so punchy and makes a brilliant lightweight portable rig. Plus it look awesome with the little Gnome on top.

[LeftyJ]

I can think of only one bass gear purchase this year, it was a Harley Benton PB Shorty and since getting it I have played it only twice. It's a fun little bass but my Atelier Z Baby Z fulfills all my shortscale wants and needs - at a much higher quality level. Will likely be selling it (or giving it away to my also-lefty brother in law). 

 

My only other purchase that comes to mind is a g**t*r... A Cort Matt "Guitar" Murphy signature guitar from around 1999-2000. It's absolutely brilliant, it looks like a cross between a Les Paul and a PRS but it is most definitely closer to the Gibson. It's been modified with Seymour Duncan pickups (SH1 neck and SH4 bridge) but otherwise stock. It's a pleasure to play and the one-piece (most likely veneer) top looks great. At €350 used it offers incredible value. 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by LeftyJ

[Bleat]

My best purchases this year: 2 awesome Laney Atom/Nexus bass cabs, and a Laney NX mini amp. 

 

This years "why did I actually even buy this?"  purchase: A Gruv Gear fret wrap thingy.

 

[chriswareham]

Best: An Acoustic Control Corporation 136 combo, purchased from a fellow BassChatter. Replaces an ACC 140 head that I used to own, as it's the same head combined with a 15" speaker.

 

Worst: A Rickenbacker 4003. The neck on my battered Hondo Rick copy broke at the heel (it was a bolt on with most of the heel routed out to fit the neck pickup). Since I play in a Joy Division tribute act I needed a suitable replacement quickly, and this 4003 popped up locally on Gumtree at a reasonable price. Having now played it live several times, I find that the neck flexes leading to intonation issues (perhaps the more recent ones with a proper truss rod are better).

 

 

[jazzyvee]

On 14/12/2023 at 12:15, Charlie C said:

Best purchase for me this year, a 25 years old Vigier Excess fretless ! 

Does that have the delta metal fingerboard like the vigier surfretter fretless guitars?

[snorkie635]

This G&L Custom Shop L2000

 

 

[jazzyvee]

 

Worst, Dunlop superbright strings. Three sets and all unravelled. First set G string came undone when cut, second set i decided not to cut and the E string unravelled. Third set but a bend in before cutting, E string still unravelled. Thing is I do like the sound of them but i probably won't buy them again.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by jazzyvee

[Lfalex v1.1]

Worst; 2x Elites DBE strings for my Hohner B2AV.

 

D and A strings manufactured too long.  Known QC issue. The 2 sets are wholly different gauges and from different retailers. 

Bass Direct were great about it.  Sent them back,  and was refunded in 2 days. 

Strings Direct were not so good. So when I'm next in the vicinity, they'll be getting a visit. 😡

[Homatron]

On 15/12/2023 at 10:25, Simon C said:

Things to do

1) Drop it in to conversation with anyone who might otherwise demand a full public enquiry when kit unexpectedly appears next year

2) Ask the 2023 gear abstinence thread if you can either join retrospectively or be made an honorary member for the rest of the year - I think you might boost the number who are still “in” by 50%

3 ) When you’ve done both of the above, do a bit of accounting and carry forward the budget to next year

 

* Don't forget to add inflation to the money you've saved.

[EssentialTension]

On 14/12/2023 at 20:42, TheGreek said:

"Worst" purchase was a Tanglewood Acoustic bass - nothing wrong with the bass per se  but who actually uses an acoustic?

I did for several years in an Americana band ... fretless, flatwounds, piezo pickup, and amplified of course.