Milestone basses you've owned

[odysseus]

Like a lot of you folk on here, I have owned quite a few basses over the years - probably 30 or so.  What was your trajectory of increasingly good basses - ones that stood out along the way and surpassed your previous instruments in some way.

 

First bass I owned - a metallic pink Charvel that I thought was great... until I played something else.

 

 

1st milestone bass (second bass purchase) - Ibanez Roadster that I played in a mate's music shop and subsequently traded the Charvel in for.  Way more playable and gigged it for 3 or 4 years, and bought another off Ebay as a back up. Better sound, better action, active etc.

 

2nd milestone bass (probs 8th purchase) Musicman Stingray HH - probably my first 'quality' bass bought off Ebay - that funky sound, the solid neck, 5 way selector, and it was black. Lovely! Had it for about 12 years before selling.

 

3rd milestone bass (probs 15th or 16th?) - Status Stealth I got off the local FB music page. Fantastically playable, great action, very light, easy to learn to slap on. And one singer particularly liked the fretboard lights switched on... which I could have done without TBH... always felt a bit of a tw@t with those on.  Still got that bass though!

 

4th  milestone bass (last purchase) was a second hand  Mayones Jabba 4 that I got off Bass Direct 3 years ago. Absolute beast of a bass - like a Fender Jazz but better, with active/passive options - difficult to explain how, but I wanted one for ages and I just clicked with it as soon as it arrived. Not selling that one ever! 
 

I've had plenty of Squiers, Fender Modern Player jazz, Fender USA jazz, Yamahas, Ibanez, a Dingwall 5er, A status 5er etc. in between, but these were the notables.

 

Anyone else? 🙃
 

[tauzero]

The first would have been my first bass, a Hayman 40/40 that I put together from parts. The next was a somewhat tatty Fender Precision - the cheapest one in Musical Exchange but also the best feeling neck. It was a milestone because it was a Fender and that's what you aspired to. The next was a Warwick JD Thumb - absolutely wonderful neck, I had to have it despite the astronomical cost.

 

There was then a hiatus of about 20 years, and I fancied a 5 string. Tried various ones without finding one that was the equivalent of the Thumb in playability, until I happened across an eBay auction for an Antoniotsai (there were always a few back then) and thought I'd chance it, and it really was a lovely bass to play.

 

The one subsequent milestone was my first Sei, a headless fretless 5. Since then, other basses have matched what came before but nothing has been a real milestone, and I'm not sure that there could be another one.

[miles'tone]

All of mine have been this 😉

[OliverBlackman]

When I got a Fender P bass that was a step up on the Epiphone and Jim Deacon I’d had before it. 
 

Then I was gifted a music man SR4 that was a real step up in value and build quality.

 

Probably peaked when I had an Overwater J5 and a Warwick Thumb NT5.

 

Both gone due to finances but hoping to one day add a vintage Fender and a Ken Smith 5 which for me are as good as it gets.

[Franticsmurf]

First proper bass I owned was a Hohner 'The Jack' headless back when I started to identify as a bassist rather than guitarist. At the time I was a bit self conscious that regular basses (i.e. long scale with large headstocks) looked a bit silly hung around my 5'7" frame, so headless made sense to me. I soon overcame that and a couple of headed basses came and went. I sold the Hohner during a lull in my playing career but recently purchased a different one from this parish which has recently seen a lot of action in the build up to a couple of gigs I'll be playing in the next few months.

 

The next milestone bass was another headless, my Spirit XZ2. Milestone because it's been with me the longest and will probably be the last bass to go should I have to sell up. It has a drop D bridge and I've fitted a GK3B pickup to drive a Rioland V Bass. Its played or been sat as a back up for probably half the gigs I've played.

 

Next milestone was my Sterling Stingray 34HH. Still the most expensive instrument I've owned (even with the discount my mate got for being in the trade). One of my influences is Tony Levin and that got me interested in the Stingray. It has a range of tones on tap and for the main band I play in that's ideal as the repertoire of songs is many and varied. It's heavy

 

The last one (for now) is my Fender Player Precision. Simply because it was the first Precision style bass I'd played and I was immediately smitten by the sound and the way it fits in with any band I've played with. I was a Precision sceptic until I was persuaded to try one.

 

 

[Lozz196]

I suppose the below are my milestones:

 

First bass - a Kay EB-O type short scale bass. Not the best instrument but the one I learned to play on.

 

Second bass - my first decent instrument, a Yamaha BB1100s. It took me through my first proper band, first recording sessions, first video, first UK tour. I wish I still had it.

 

First Fender Precision - a Mexican one, when I bought it I found the sound completely underwhelming, until I played it in my band, suddenly the sound I’d yearned for for years was there in my hands.

 

First US made Fender Precision - it just took things to the next level, and I’ve been hooked ever since, for me the US Fender Precision is THE bass!

 

Fender JMJ Mustang - increasing back issues made me go short scale, I thought I might resent them due to having to put the Precisions aside but to my amazement I love short scale, as well as being better on the back they’re more practical to cart about and sound great as well. I started on short scale in 1980, forty plus years later I’m back there & loving it. 

[bassbiscuits]

First good bass was a MIJ Westone Spectrum which was also my first gigging bass back in 1987-1990. I’d be curious to play it again and see how it stands up to the other basses since. 
 

A couple of basses later came my 1970 sunburst Precision which I still have. That was my first really good bass. 
 

A Peerless-built Epiphone Jack Casady was my first and only hollow-bodied bass which I bought to scratch an itch in 2016 or so and sold a few years later. 
 

And my recently-sold MIJ Fender mustang was my first and so far only short scale bass. 
 

I’d happily take back that Westone, the Epiphone and the Mustang, tho saying that I haven’t missed any of them enough to replace.

[itu]

1) My first own bass was a 4001. That was also the test bed for different string gauges.

2) A modified Status copy by Washburn was the one which I actually played several hours a day for years, and learned to play something.

3) A Modulus Quantum 5 SPi Custom was the substitute to a Vigier, because that red Passion 5-string was sold when I had saved the money. MG had a super sound, but the string width was too tight. I played it quite a lot, and learned to play a 5, but the bass never became mine.

4) After many years I found a Passion II 4-string and an MG Genesis 5. Both feel like they came from another planet. No need to change anything else than strings.

 

Of course there has been trials. Fender (Sadowsky, Pensa, Lakland, BassStar, Maruscxyz#%#, you name it) has never felt fine. Alembic has that certain vibe in its name, but every instrument has been very tough to play, and far too heavy. Ken Smith, Zon, Wal, Music Man, Steinberger, Kramer/Spector/Warwick... good sounds, but no match.

 

I have always been to light weight and light strings. Therefore double bass has been one complicated instrument. I have never learned to use a bow, and my playing style isn't by the book. But I love the sound, whenever I have the opportunity to use one on stage. It requires very different plucking technique, and the strings feel massive and slow under my fingers. Good for ballads, but any uptempo jazz, and I'm lost.

[Sandypjb]

First bass in 1985 - Squier P in Sunburst bought from Paul Garvey Music in Newcastle- It was either that or a Westone - I’m always a bit of a brand snob and the Squier had ‘by Fender’ on it. Anyway it sounded ok but I remember the BBOT bridge rusting after a while. That was followed by various things including a couple of headless active things.

2. Fast forward to 1992/3 and I was in the Midlands. Cue a trip to the Bass Centre - I left with a magnificent Warwick Corvette 5 String in Bubinga with wenge neck (later enhanced with Overwater active circuitry) Definitely a Milestone which was with me for a few special gigs including one at Newcastle Arena at the millennium.

3. Turned 50 and was gifted a Fender Jazz Elite 4 in white which is my current go-to. Does everything and is so playable.