What's the bass/instrument you have had longest?

[miles'tone]

This is a great thread! 👍 

[snorkie635]

Had this one since '76. Still one of my all-time favourites. My son, Bassimus Minimus, covets this greatly, but he has no chance unless fratricide is involved.

 

My first bass was the one before this one arrived. It was a cheap 'catalogue' bass, badged 'Avon' and was a copy of a Gibson EB0. Stupidly sold it for almost nothing to a guy in Canada

 

 

[Angel]

The oldest would be a Takamine N-10 acoustic guitar that I would guess I bought mid 80s with one of my first paychecks. Actually here's a pic, I keep it at work these days for an occasional lunchtime strum. The joys of having one's own office!

 

[BassTractor]

3 hours ago, police squad said:

It's a keeper and the best P bass I've ever played

Great tonewear too. 👍

[peteb]

The instrument I've had the longest is a red Warwick Streamer LX. However, I haven't really gigged it for years and it currently lives in my Mum's attic as I'm short of space here and I haven't got round to selling it. I did used to have a Ken Smith Burner for many years, which I always said that I would never sell, but promptly did when I needed funds for a Fender Precision AVRI57 that I wanted for a blues band I was doing loads of gigs with. 

 

The better story is my 78 Fender P bass, which I bought when I was 18 (in 1979), sold when I was 25.  I always regretted selling it, so was really pleased when I saw it up for sale a few years ago during lockdown. I managed to buy it back and have been gigging it again ever since. 

 

Edited May 9, 2024 by peteb

[Guest]

Hohner Les Paul since 1983.

[Paul S]

Nothing very long.  It's just stuff.  The bass I've had for longest is a Gibson LP DC shorty that I've had about 5 years.  Got a Fender telecaster guitar I've had for longer but that mainly stays in the case.

[Gasman]

1. 1948 SML Rev C Tenor Sax since 1974

 

2. 1961 Fenton Weill Bass since 1972

[Krysbass]

Longest owned (and oldest) is my Westone Thunder III.  Built in '84, bought it new in '85, then modded it in 2018 with Bartolini electronics & pickups and Gotoh lightweight machine heads.  Still played regularly.

 

[casapete]

5 hours ago, Angel said:

The oldest would be a Takamine N-10 acoustic guitar that I would guess I bought mid 80s with one of my first paychecks. Actually here's a pic, I keep it at work these days for an occasional lunchtime strum. The joys of having one's own office!

 

I have one of these too, and it’s one of the best acoustics I’ve ever played.

(Mine is a bit more beaten up than yours though. 😦)

[Linus27]

This, it's a ESP 400 series Jazz bass from 1986 which I have owned for 37 years. My dad bought it brand new for me in 1987 and it has done thousands of gigs. It was made in the same factory as the Japanese Fender's so all the Fender parts are interchangeable. It was originally fretted but it had Barts fitted in about 1988 and then Jon Shuker made a fretless neck for it around 2012. It is the best bass I have ever owned and my main player and sounds amazing. It is however super beaten up these days but still plays like a dream.

 

 

[hubrad]

On 08/05/2024 at 12:10, hubrad said:

Easy selection for me.. I've owned this for about 40 years now. My first ever bass and I still love it, albeit in somewhat altered form.

Sharing this has reminded me I need to look for the photos!

 

I've found Before and After pics, so updated that thread. Looks like this nowadays..

[Steve Browning]

My '66 Precision. Bought in the early 80's, from Tiger Music in Brighton (for £260).

 

Pictures are almost 40 years apart.

[matski]

This is my Aria Black&Gold I bass that I bought brand new from Rockbottom in Croydon in 1983. I played my first ever gig with this bass. I had the Bartolini and active circuitry installed by the Bass Centre in Wapping around 1991ish.

As a bonus I included my old effects pedals (apart from the tuner) that I bought second-hand from my local music shop in Tonbridge, also in 1983 - I have no idea how old they are

Edited May 10, 2024 by matski

[pst62]

Not my first by far, but the longest I've owned (2012) of my current crop.

[pst62]

23 hours ago, snorkie635 said:

Had this one since '76. Still one of my all-time favourites. My son, Bassimus Minimus, covets this greatly, but he has no chance unless fratricide is involved.

 

My first bass was the one before this one arrived. It was a cheap 'catalogue' bass, badged 'Avon' and was a copy of a Gibson EB0. Stupidly sold it for almost nothing to a guy in Canada

 

 

Bass player for The wurzels by any chance?

[meterman]

Bass: Shaftesbury Tele bass copy from 1989 until 2018 which was the first bass I bought. Before that, I just borrowed other people's basses. Otherwise it would be the Tanglewood kids sized Precision copy that I bought around 2011 and still have now.

 

Guitar: 1997 Danelectro DC59 (2006 to present). Previously I had a 1968 Fender Telecaster from 1988 until 2018).

 

Keys: Casio VL-Tone mini synth / calculator hybrid that I got for Christmas either 1980 or '81. Still have it and use it now. Also a Casio MT-65 keyboard that I bought secondhand in 1986 and still use today.

 

Wife: 1993 to present. Bonkers, but a keeper. Some light relicing, etc... 👍

[snorkie635]

5 hours ago, pst62 said:

Bass player for The wurzels by any chance?

Nope, but I do know their accordion player, Tommy Banner - small world.

[Japhet]

Teal Green Musicman Stingray 4 with 3 knobs. Bought it new in about 94. Now has a John East preamp in it. I stopped gigging it a few years ago after an 'incident'. We were playing a private party and had a break outside. When I went back in some pi55ed up woman was dancing about swinging it around her neck on the strap. I was so effing livid I don't know how I didn't lamp her. Decided there and then to take cheaper stuff to gigs if that's how people want to behave.

[neepheid]

2 minutes ago, Japhet said:

Teal Green Musicman Stingray 4 with 3 knobs. Bought it new in about 94. Now has a John East preamp in it. I stopped gigging it a few years ago after an 'incident'. We were playing a private party and had a break outside. When I went back in some pi55ed up woman was dancing about swinging it around her neck on the strap. I was so effing livid I don't know how I didn't lamp her. Decided there and then to take cheaper stuff to gigs if that's how people want to behave.

 

And that's why we always have someone stay with the gear...

[Cosmo Valdemar]

This grand old lady, which I've owned for... twenty years 🤯

 

I did sell it to a friend in a fit of madness but luckily he quickly realised he was a Jazz man so I soon got it back. Lesson learnt!

[meterman]

53 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

This grand old lady, which I've owned for... twenty years 🤯

 

I did sell it to a friend in a fit of madness but luckily he quickly realised he was a Jazz man so I soon got it back. Lesson learnt!

Absolute beauty! 

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

 

And that's why we always have someone stay with the gear...

Yup, as well as that (to stop thievery) whatever gigs I do the only time my bass is out of the case is when I’m playing it, stop drunken fools trying their idiocy. 

[LowB_FTW]

My Maison 129p is my longest had instrument.

Bought in '92 I think, and it sounds absolutely lovely through my Vox amp.

Sadly, the volume knob on the bass no longer works so I have to get that replaced, and I'm planning on removing the name decal from the body at some point - someone here recommended T-Cut for that, I haven't got around to doing it yet.

It was the second bass I ever owned, and the first 5-String.

 

Mark

[Burns-bass]

Took me years to save up and get it. Used to record a few albums and play all my big gigs. Now safely stored under a futon.