Do you own a bass guitar?

[fuzzjunkie]

I’ve had 3. Down to just one, a red Jaguar bass from the 1st year they were available. A P-Bass copy that I resurrected from a dumpster behind a club. The electronics were held on by punk rock band stickers and duct tape, so it needed a new pick guard, missing the D string tuner, so replaced all of them with a new set, and the body paint had been removed, so I repainted it to match the red metallic headstock. It was a decent sounding bass when I was through with it.

Did the Rickenbacker you had include the Rick-O-Sound output?

I love the concept and look of the Jag bass however it completely baffles me that they never made a short scale version - the Squier one minus all the chrome and active controls etc doesn't fully count, I mean a MIM/MIJ/MIA Fender with everything the regular one does just a short scale neck, to match the regular lead guitar Jag.

Is the neck on yours closer to a P or J bass?

Yes, the vintage 4001s had the Rick-O-Sound output. I only ever used it a couple of times in the studio. I think it’s an interesting concept for bass, since the 2 pickups are radically different you can get interesting tones, but I would be more inclined to use it for guitar.

The Jag bass I have has a Jazz bass style neck. That’s one of the reasons why I selected it. I do like the sound of a Precision, and as Johnny mentioned, there’s a setting that gets that sound or something like it.

I keep a bass around for recording and always wanted to add a Bass VI, but if I were a full time bassist I would want a vintage Musin Man Stingray. Those just blast through an Ampeg. And probably a Gibson Thunderbird, just to have one, it wouldn’t be my main instrument.

[zhivago]

I'd love an old Ric bass, but they are so expensive nowadays...my guilty pleasure is a late 70s RD in black...I'd wear it low, Novocelic-style

I've always loved his bass sound in songs like Lounge Act...although I think they used a Gibson Ripper lots on Nevermind....god knows.

It definitely looks cool!

[atomicwash]

I've got a USA '90s Hamer CruiseBass with a set of Dimarzio Area J pickups.

[MrFingers]

I have more basses than guitars, and I'm way better at bass than at guitar.

P-bass,
J-Bass,
Rickenbacker 4003
EB-3
5-string Ibanez Soundgear

[JVG]

I’ve only got a Fender VI (replica, as I’m lefty). I love love love it.

Mostly i play it as if it’s a guitar, rather than a bass.

[Surfysonic]

Here are mine:





From left to right:

• Fender '57 Reissue Precision Bass (MIA 2008) - refinished in Daphne Blue (everything else is stock)

• Fender American Standard Jazz Bass body (MIA 2004) - refinished in Shell Pink with Fender Roasted Maple Vintera '60s Jazz Bass neck and Fender Custom Shop '60s Jazz Bass pickups

• Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI (CII 2022) - all stock

• Fender American Original '60s Precision Bass (MIA 2018) - Olympic White finish, all stock except for Spitfire pickguard

[B.T.]

Had five but recently sold a fretless Jazz bass. Down to a J-bass in parts. P-bass, Danelectro bass VI, and a Stingray I’m thinking about selling.

[Gordon]

Though I'm looking to sell it to fund something else... And it doesn't get any play.

[Scout]

First one was a Danelectro shorthorn, I still miss that one, in copper.

Still have an early Squier J bass, does everything I need it to do.

[jthomas]

Many (many) years years ago I had a Kay or Harmony bass... something like an H22. For the life of me I cannot recall where I got it or where it went. Anyway, to round out my current instrument herd, I bought a sonic blue Fender Mustang Player bass in 2020 for about $400. It was either a second or a return cuz the seller had a bunch of them on sale on Reverb at the same time and the pickup selector switch on mine is intermittent. I just wanted something to play around with for recording of if I might ever get back to playing live. I'm not much of a bass player, but then again, I'm not much of a guitarist.

[MattK]

Though I'm looking to sell it to fund something else... And it doesn't get any play.

LOVE this - is it the Squier Tele Precision from about 10 years ago?

[wproffitt]

Here’s my Yamaha SA-70. The neck has a nice round profile but is easy to get around on. I go through phases of playing it way more than my guitars.

[Rob]

I was certain most of us had at least one bass, but I am a little surprised (and heartened!) that 97% of us have basses. Maybe those without basses are less-likely to engage with a thread about basses?

How many of us started as guitarists, then met a group that needed a bass player and gave us the "It's just like guitar except you just play the bottom note" talk, and next thing you know you're a bass player?

That was me in 1995. A couple guys moved into my neighborhood -- one had a 50s Rogers drum kit that he bought for $35, and his brother had a 1972 Telecaster Custom that cost him $200. Next thing I knew, I was at my local pawn shop spending my Wendy's paycheck on 1971 Mustang Bass.

Never were three guys less-appreciative of their vintage treasures! By this point, the drummer had upgraded to a new Tama kit, but the guitarist and I were still rocking the old Fenders.

[MattK]

Whoa, nice. I'd do unspeakable things for both the Tele and the Mustang Bass.

[JackFawkes]

How many of us started as guitarists, then met a group that needed a bass player and gave us the "It's just like guitar except you just play the bottom note" talk, and next thing you know you're a bass player?

That's basically how my Dad started... he said when he was younger he started out playing guitar, but in our hometown amazing guitar players were already a dime a dozen but basically nobody played or wanted to play bass; so he switched and happily enjoyed playing bass in various local bands for decades... then I started on bass (after viola) mostly just because it's what I grew up around.

Jack