Your Dream Bass?

[JoeEvans]

I had a great rehearsal for a dep gig yesterday then last night I had an actual dream about playing my bass, which is an ACG Border Reiver. In the dream I was on stage with a band and I could just play whatever came into my head, effortlessly, which is not always the case in my waking hours... So I guess that's my dream bass.

[DJ '65]

This one is the one for me, lightweight, plays and sounds great.

[Carl_D]

Lakland Darryl Jones 5, in vintage white with a tort guard, of course.

[Misdee]

I've bought my dream bass several times in my life, so many times in fact that I no longer dream about buying basses. I dream about having enough leisure time to play the ones I already have. Some of my dream basses turned out better than others, I must admit, but at least I've ended up with some basses I really like.

 

 When it comes to basses, maybe it's a good thing to have a certain amount of unrequited love. Back in the 1980's I pined for a Steinberger XL bass (and a GK800RB to play it through) but never got one. I still get a warm fuzzy feeling from thinking about that combination, and that's probably because it's unsullied by reality or experience. In my imagination everything is still perfect.  

 

I wish I had bought a Wal, and a fretless Pedulla when I had the opportunity, though. I think they would both have been very useful and enjoyable instruments. However, at the time it never seemed likely that so many basses would become unobtainable all of a sudden so I don't kick myself too much.

 

In terms of fantasy basses that don't actually exist, I think a Musician Bongo with a graphite neck would be a wonderful thing. Now that Status Graphite are gone, however, it's even more unlikely to ever happen.

Edited August 4, 2024 by Misdee

[Lfalex v1.1]

38 minutes ago, Misdee said:

In terms of fantasy basses that don't actually exist, I think a Musician Bongo with a graphite neck would be a wonderful thing. Now that Status Graphite are gone, however, it's even more unlikely to ever happen.

 

I'm sure there are companies (or maybe even luthiers) that could fabricate a one-off, bolt-on Bongo neck. Whether or not they've the expertise to lay it up to allow sufficient flexion in the right place/s for the truss rod (if there even is one!) to do it's job is another matter.

 

Cost? Likely horrific.

 

Result? Likely rather good. I've a Bongo, and it's quite something already!

[crazycloud]

1 hour ago, Misdee said:

Back in the 1980's I pined for a Steinberger XL bass (and a GK800RB to play it through) but never got one. I still get a warm fuzzy feeling from thinking about that combination, and that's probably because it's unsullied by reality or experience. In my imagination everything is still perfect. 

The XL2 part of it is indeed perfect.

[Misdee]

1 hour ago, crazycloud said:

The XL2 part of it is indeed perfect.

 

1 hour ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

 

I'm sure there are companies (or maybe even luthiers) that could fabricate a one-off, bolt-on Bongo neck. Whether or not they've the expertise to lay it up to allow sufficient flexion in the right place/s for the truss rod (if there even is one!) to do it's job is another matter.

 

Cost? Likely horrific.

 

Result? Likely rather good. I've a Bongo, and it's quite something already!

The Bongo is indeed already a bit of a beast, but I think a graphite neck would make it even more like that.

Edited August 4, 2024 by Misdee

[TrevorR]

I own mine - either of my Wals, which I’ve had for 30 odd years.

But if I was going to go out and buy another bass it would probably look a lot like this!

[NickA]

Plus 1 on that Sandberg. 

 

Before I folded and bought my fretted Wal 5 string I tried a load of 5 string basses and tbe Sandberg vm was the best all rounder; heck, they even got the p pickup the right way round!  A super flexible quality bass.

 

The Wal's bottom B is better and it's a lovely thing to have etc, but the Sandberg is £1800 available immediately ( could have had one for £1400 from Wunjo) whereas the Wal is a saga of hunting, waiting, bidding, loosing out to someone else and then £5000+ to pay.

 

 

[merello]

[AndyTravis]

Also…one of these

 

And a Rick 4005, not asking for much…

 

Wal

Gibson LP Signature 

Rickenbacker 4005

[Bigwan]

Currently it's a Spector NS5XL... 

[Lozz196]

16 hours ago, merello said:

That looks fantastic 

[2pods]

Mine was/is an Ibanez Premium fiver with an white finish that was on here.

I think @edstraker123 might have owned it ?

 

It was lovely, but I've never seen another one

[Ed_S]

18 hours ago, 2pods said:

Mine was/is an Ibanez Premium fiver with an white finish that was on here.

I think @edstraker123 might have owned it ?

 

It was lovely, but I've never seen another one

 

SR1105B in pearl white (PWM) finish, maybe?

[2pods]

I think that's the very thing 

👍

[Ed_S]

2 hours ago, 2pods said:

I think that's the very thing 

👍

 

Looks to be one with just a small headstock ding at a shop in Germany if you fancy a shot at the dream and don't mind a player.

 

I can confirm they're nice, though there's so much variation in the colour of the boards, you'd think mine were different models.

 

 

 

Edit: just noticed they also say discolouration to the back of that b-stock. They do have a bit of yellow-ish-ness in them, so perhaps I have that to look forward to!

Edited August 10, 2024 by Ed_S

[2pods]

Now I'm not sure.

The one I thought you had was a kind of a pearlescent front, with wood layers.

It also had gold hardware (I'm not that fond of it, but it suited the bass)

Nice basses though.

 

I thought it was yourself that had it.

Maybe not.

I think the profile pic was a Liverbird ?

Edited August 11, 2024 by 2pods

[Ed_S]

11 minutes ago, 2pods said:

Now I'm not sure.

The one I thought you had was a kind of a pearlescent front, with wood layers.

It also had gold hardware (I'm not that fond of it, but it suited the bass)

Nice basses though.

 

I thought it was yourself that had it.

Maybe not.

I think the profile pic was a Liverbird ?

These are pearlescent but they never had gold hardware, and of course I’m a different Ed S - just a passing Ibanez owner adding my 2p to confuse things! 🙂

[funkypenguin]

7 hours ago, 2pods said:

Now I'm not sure.

The one I thought you had was a kind of a pearlescent front, with wood layers.

It also had gold hardware (I'm not that fond of it, but it suited the bass)

Nice basses though.

 

I thought it was yourself that had it.

Maybe not.

I think the profile pic was a Liverbird ?

It's not this one is it?

 

https://bassbros.co.uk/sold-basses/ibanez-sr1405e-gwh-premium-series/

[2pods]

very like it.

Maybe I imagined it ?

 

I'm sure it was for sale on here.

[2pods]

Found it !

I was sure Ed had one, oh well 

 

Edited August 12, 2024 by 2pods

[edstraker123]

Looks familiar - there have been so many - I've lost track !

[2pods]

'twas yourself Ed.

I remember the Liverpool crest 

[Chris2112]

 

The conventional choice of 'dream bass' for me was always a Dolphin. I've wanted one for as long as I could remember. The bass that I didn't know would be a dream instrument, the one that was really more of a curiosity backed by an inkling I would love it, is the Basslab. Of all my basses, if I could only keep two it would be these ones. Always. 

 

It's a funny thing to own a dream bass. You never stop looking at other basses but the acquisition of such an instrument and the discovery that you love it, that it really is as good as you hoped it would be, significantly quells the desire to buy more. 

 

I've had an idea for a dream bass in my head for years now. It'll never exist, and hence will always remain a dream. It would be a Spector NS 4 string with a carbon fibre neck. Exposed graphite weave including on top of the headstock. Solid quilted maple wings, two EMG single coils and an EMG BTS or Hazlab preamp. Natural finish, gold hardware. The wings on the facing would be cut to cover the 'cricket bat' of the neck on the front, but I'd like it exposed on the back. Gloss finish.