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

[EssentialTension]

2022 purchases = nothing

 

2023 purchases = nada

 

2024 = ?

 

No need to congratulate me.

[msb]

I already have too much clutter. In January I picked up a lightly used Ibanez Talman , with the intent of trying some mods. Dropped a Tbird pickup in the bridge position. Haven’t changed anything since. Then got through most of the year without buying anything until December. Then I bought a Phil Jones BigHead headphone amp , followed by a Barefaced One10 cab to drag off to rehearsals and then my wife suggested that I should buy a big hollow body orange Gretsch. And so I did. 
up until the last several weeks I was doing pretty good.

[Downunderwonder]

Gas for orange Gretch duely reignited. I had forgotten I lusted after one of those, thankyou very much.

 

Note lack of exclamation mark.

[msb]

I had it bad , this is from that limited run for Guitar Center in the US , there was a later small run in Europe , never for sale here in Canada. It was a Korean made Electromatic that had TV Jones pickups. I had been looking at them since they were introduced about a dozen years ago ,the G5123B , medium scale. And showing pics to my wife who thought they looked beautiful. So a couple of weeks ago I came across a picture , showed it to Herself , and she said that I really should buy one.

 

And so I went looking and found three. Two in California and one near Boston. I bought the one near Boston. After the exchange , duty , broker fee and shipping it turned out to be quite a bit more than I initially expected.

 

That said , it’s a beautiful thing, with a nice woody thump. Oh , it’s big.
 

But I do love it. 

[Pat2019]

Start of the year got a Stingray 4HH and thought this would be THE bass to end all basses (based on my 4H, which is a magnificent thing) but just never felt anything for it. So offloaded it in trade for a Fender Elite Precision. So far the Elite is warming up nicely so fingers crossed. Amazing how expectations have been confounded by experience (yet again). At my age you’d think I’d know better 🫣 still learning ( which I’m told is better than the alternative😂)

[chriswareham]

Ooh, that Gretsch is a thing of beauty.

 

Always had a soft spot for semi-acoustic basses with their "piano string" like tone, and I own two. The first is a short scale that was cobbled together from parts by a former employee of Eko who bought all their guitar components when they went bust. He used to make a few instruments every so often and sell them at places like Macaris in London, and this one was the twenty first birthday present from my parents:

 

The second (and getting back on topic), was a purchase this year. It's a long scale Aria Pro II Tab Classic that replaces a Tab 66 that was stolen from the supposedly secure storage locker I had at a rehearsal studio:

[dmckee]

I’ve had a G&L kind of year - 2 new USAs and a second hand Tribute. All great. The L2000 is my favourite. Absolutely love it. 

 

[Marvin]

Much like @EssentialTension I've bought nothing for the last 2 years. Neither have I sold anything 

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Much like @EssentialTension I've bought nothing for the last 2 years. Neither have I sold anything 

 

 

[OliverBlackman]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Much like @EssentialTension I've bought nothing for the last 2 years. Neither have I sold anything 

The hacking of basschat accounts is getting out of hand

[dclaassen]

Best purchase was my Trace smx head. Not much for worst…probably the 4x10 cab that came with it…great sound but could be a lot lighter. 

[AMV001]

Best purchase in 2023 was a set of DiMarzio Model J. The adjustable pole pieces solved a persistent string volume problem. While I was at it I also did a parallel/series mod, using the neck volume on a push/pull pot. Series mode is great- loud and fat.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by AMV001
Photo added

[bassbiscuits]

Best I would say are my second Yamaha BB604 - since buying it at the end of the summer, the two Yamahas have come to every gig I’ve done. 
 

Also my Markbass traveller 1x12 cab (so much so that I panicked and bought two!).

 

And a TGI Extreme gig bag (for aforementioned Yamaha). 
 

It’s nice isn’t it when you buy stuff that immediately fits and becomes your go-to kit. 
 

Worst? 

 

Nothing really. It’s all been decent stuff. 

[BigRedX]

All I have bought this year are two sets of strings for my Eastwood Hooky Bass.

[Devers95]

On 13/12/2023 at 20:41, binky_bass said:

Best purchase...

 

USA Music Man 6 String BFR Bongo. Absolutely stunning instrument in every way.

 

Worst purchase...

 

SKY Glass. Absolutely shocking. SKY itself is fine, but their TVs are woeful. Went back within 2 weeks. Appreciate that's not bass gear, but it needed saying!

Bloody beautiful. I love the flame maple that Ernie ball use on their BFR instruments. I'd love a BFR one day but I'm saving pennies for a Wal at the moment. That is one hell of a bongo. 

[Merton]

Having only bought one thing throughout the year (and then having sold it after using it for the one gig I needed it) I felt I was sort of still an honorary members of the gear abstinence challenge.

 

No longer.

 

This preowned Super Twin arrived today from Bass Direct. Oops. Time will tell if it’s a wise purchase or not…

[Thump]

On 16/12/2023 at 21:29, msb said:

 my wife suggested that I should buy a big hollow body orange Gretsch

 

 

 

Don't ever let this woman get away , treat her like a Queen every day

[Rich]

My only substantial musical purchase this year has been my Spector Q4, and its subsequent upgrade bits (bridge, Gotoh tuners, full-fat EMGs yet to be fitted). To say I am chuffed with it is a maHOOsive understatement. It's now my go-to 4 string, in fact other than my Shuker (go-to 5 string) everything else is gathering dust...  figuratively anyway. 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Rich

[jonnybass]

With the exception of accessories (straps, strings and cables) my only purchase this year has been a Zoom b6.  Loving it though by far my best purchase of 2023.

 

Jonny

[Fishfacefour]

Best - my new Warwick star bass fretless as am early Xmas present last month. Does everything I hoped, sounds great and feels great. 

 

Worst - ghs pressure wound strings. The high tension seems to have triggered a load of hand pain. More or less under control now I've moved to shorter scales and tape wound strings. 

Thought I wanted high tension, my body disagrees! 

 

[Dov65]

Definitely the best thing this year was a pair off wristbands…..having arthritis in the base of my thumbs helps a great deal I  only use the one on my fretting hand but it’s a god send.

 

The worst or disappointed more like was the preamp in my Stingray Special it just didn’t have any balls BUT John East came to the rescue with his 3 band eq that’s based around a late 70’s eq when the mid/boost is in the detent position….clever stuff.

[songofthewind]

Best buy this year was my Yamaha BBG5S. It plays and sounds great. Absolute bargain as well. I can’t put it down.
I had been absolutely phobic about five string basses, but this thing is so easy to play and sounds huge. So, it seems you can teach an old dog new tricks!

[Stub Mandrel]

On 20/12/2023 at 12:57, Dov65 said:

Definitely the best thing this year was a pair off wristbands…..having arthritis in the base of my thumbs helps a great deal I  only use the one on my fretting hand but it’s a god send.

 

The worst or disappointed more like was the preamp in my Stingray Special it just didn’t have any balls BUT John East came to the rescue with his 3 band eq that’s based around a late 70’s eq when the mid/boost is in the detent position….clever stuff.

 

I wear a wristband on my right, plucking, hand. Stops me getting the tingles of carpal tunnel.

Hadn't occured to me it might help with my arthritic thumbs.

[Dov65]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I wear a wristband on my right, plucking, hand. Stops me getting the tingles of carpal tunnel.

Hadn't occured to me it might help with my arthritic thumbs.

I’ve tried fingerless compression gloves specific for arthritis but they don’t last that long with rounds on. I tried a couple of wristbands but these type are definitely a bit tighter compared to those terry towelling kind, I wear it just short of the thumb base.

[BillyBass]

I've bought 4 basses, 2 heads and several pedals.  It's difficult to pick a best purchase but my vote goes to my Reverend Decision P, bought in August

 

My worst purchase would be the Rafferty HPF, never used in anger and sold at a loss.