The Great Bass Census

[Jeffskowski]

First Bass: 1981 Musicman Stingray
Taken as payment for a job I did for a guy that I would end up playing with for a good few years. Ebony fingerboard Fretless that came with a Custom Fretted Neck and Series/Parallel switch added by previous owner.

’Go To’ Bass: 1981 Musicman Stingray
Just recently bought a Squier CV Jazz as a project and to have a back-up and after some upgrades and a good set-up and enjoying playing but the Stingray is still number one, even though it is insanely heavy!
 

‘My’ bass: 1981 Musicman Stingray
 

[obbm]

Don't know how I missed this in 2011.

 

First Bass: Framus Star Bass, short scale, 1964

 

Go To Bass:  Sadowsky Metro Hybrid PJ

 

My Bass: Sadowsky Metro Hybrid PJ

[BigRedX]

Still don't get the "Go To Bass" or "My Bass".

 

At the moment. the bass I play most of the time is neither, but because it is the only bass I currently own that can cope with what I need to play in my current band, that's the one I play 99% of the time.

[Shambo]

On 30/03/2011 at 22:39, 12stringbassist said:

First Bass Owned: Avon EB-0

 

On 21/02/2011 at 14:37, Ancient Mariner said:

First Bass Owned: Avon EB0 copy

 

On 30/03/2011 at 15:55, martthebass said:

First Bass Owned: A bloody awful 'Avon' Gibson EB0 copy. 

 

On 15/02/2011 at 10:24, Linus27 said:

First Bass Owned: Avon Epiphone Copy (Can't remember the model)

 

On 15/02/2011 at 12:30, Low End Bee said:

First Bass Owned: hideous dead sounding Avon EB0 copy

 

On 16/02/2011 at 12:39, Sean said:

First: Avon SG copy 30" scale

 

On 12/07/2025 at 13:39, snorkie635 said:

First: Avon EB0 copy

 

On 13/07/2025 at 13:07, Shambo said:

First Bass: Avon EB0 copy

 

7 hours ago, Sean said:

First Bass Owned: Avon by Rose-Morris EB0 Copy 30" Scale 

 

I have a theory that they were so cheap and nasty, people used to just give them away for free... neglected, beaten, abused then either gifted to a newb or chucked in a skip.

[Pea Turgh]

I just remembered- I was offered an EB0 copy as my first bass, but my friend advised me against it - could have been the 10th on this list! 😂

[Rosie C]

First Bass Owned: Aria Wildcat Pro II in white. Heavily influenced by John Taylor:

 

'Go To' Bass: Squier Jazz with Fender fretless neck  

'Your' Bass:  An unbranded cheap & cheerful plywood upright with neck and various other repairs, that somehow has a fantastic tone. Fitted with Innovation Rockabilly blacks & Realist Lifeline pickup. Custom paint job by a local artist too. 

 

Edited August 8, 2025 by Rosie C

[snorkie635]

1 minute ago, Shambo said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a theory that they were so cheap and nasty, people used to just give them away for free... neglected, beaten, abused then either gifted to a newb or chucked in a skip.

They were widely available in the , in those days, 'catalogues' for home shopping, where you could by kettles, shirts, teas-maids, mirrors and all sorts of tat. Mine came from a Freeman's catalogue, cost around £40 and was paid-up at ten shillings a month or something like that (50p!)

I added the worst 'bass amplifier' I have ever seen - a Hawk 15 - and immediately became a rock-god at school.

Here it is in action almost 50 years ago.

 

[martthebass]

56 minutes ago, Shambo said:

 

I have a theory that they were so cheap and nasty, people used to just give them away for free... neglected, beaten, abused then either gifted to a newb or chucked in a skip.

I actually bought mine......one rainy afternoon in Birmingham on a Student boredum ramble.

Amazingly the bass wasn't that bad, I used it in my first band....it had absolutely no top end but somehow it worked ok in the Joy Division tribby we put together.

 

I sold it about a year later for the same as I paid for it.....

[TrevorR]

Wasn’t around on Basschat in 2011 so here goes…

 

First Bass Owned:  Aria SB700 (still have it)
'Go To' Bass: Currently my new Sandberg VM4
'Your' Bass:  My 1985 Mk1 Wal Custom (my main bass since ~1992ish)

 

 

 

 

 

[W1_Pro]

First bass: Very dodgy P bass copy of inderterminate origins.

Go to bass: A 1977 Aria Precise  with a shaved down neck and an EMG pickup.

'Your' bass: 1984 Gibson T bird.

[Stofferson]

First bass: Cheap Hohner By Rockwood P bass

Go to bass: Warwick Thumb

'Your' bass: Alpha hammerhead

[chrisba]

First Bass Owned: Squier Affinity Precision
'Go To' Bass: Fender MIJ Precision, which is my second and now only bass, therefore...
'Your' Bass: Fender MIJ Precision

[Eric_Wombat]

First Bass: Sire V3 Jazz

 

Go to Bass: Bass Centre Betsy

 

'Your' Bass: Status S23 *

 

 

* I would point out that I am in no way good enough yet to have my own sound!

[mikebass456]

First Bass: Kay Rickenbacker copy

Go To Bass: Custom Les Paul Junior DC

Your Bass: Status Energy 5 String

[crazycloud]

First bass: Ibanez Blazer 83

Go to bass: Cort A6 FMMH *

'Your' bass: Steinberger XL2, but it doesn't have enough strings.

 

* Decided to pick and stick with one of the 6ers as my guitar teacher wanted me to do the same with guitars.

 

[neil___lien]

On 17/07/2025 at 07:48, crazycloud said:

First bass: Ibanez Blazer 83

Go to bass: Cort A6 FMMH *

'Your' bass: Steinberger XL2, but it doesn't have enough strings.

 

* Decided to pick and stick with one of the 6ers as my guitar teacher wanted me to do the same with guitars.

 

Really cool! I was born in 83 and if i could buy a birth-year bass, it would be that model!

And i also play 6 strings exclusively now: Ibanez SR1206 and a recently rescued Peavey Grind 6 which i plan to turn into a fretless...

Edited July 21, 2025 by neil___lien

[Andy_L]

First Bass Owned: Squier Jazz

'Go To' Bass: Fender Japan FSR 70s Jazz with PJ pickups

'Your' Bass: Fender Japan FSR 70s Jazz with PJ pickups with the J pickup volume all the way down

Edited July 17, 2025 by Andy_L

[kolossusuk]

On 14/02/2011 at 23:23, Bankai said:

First Bass Owned:
'Go To' Bass:
'Your' Bass:

First Bass Owned: Beautiful |Jap Sunburst bass - Zenta - Looked lovely but very cheap and nasty hardware
'Go To' Bass: US P Bass Deluxe 2011 - Will cover any tone / sound needed ranging from solid thump to Ric Crunch
'Your' Bass: Ric 4003 thru Ashdown ABM 500 and Genz Benz 410 or 212

[Rayman]

First bass: Columbus Jazz. Hateful thing, but in 1980 it was all I could afford. It ended up being held together with electrical tape. 
 

Go to: Fender Meteora, hip shot drop D. It’ll do everything except sound like the Thunderbirds. 
 

My bass(es): Gibson Thunderbirds. My sound, my look. The band won’t accept anything else now. 

[Byo]

First Bass Owned: Early 2000's Ibanez SR400NT (still have it!)

'Go To' Bass: 1979 Yamaha BB1200 - Such a buttery sound, lots of punch, infinite sustain... a P-Bass annihilator 

'Your' Bass: MIJ Fender Mustang - The thinner neck of the Japanese models, the shorter scale and the punchiness of flatwound strings, it sits perfectly in mixes that don't require a "modern" sound.

[Jackroadkill]

First: Plywood Hohner Arbour P-alike, which sounded.... reasonable.

 

Go to - Black Player P

 

"My" bass - the black P.

[Baloney Balderdash]

First Bass : 4 string 34" Aria Pro II Laser Electric Classic

Go To Bass : 4 string 32" Aria Pro II Cardinal Series CSB-300

Your Bass : 5 string 28.6" scale Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass tuned to G# standard tuning (as in the upper 4 strings of a 6 string bass in regular B standard tuning, plus a high E)

 

Edited July 18, 2025 by Baloney Balderdash

[Bankai]

Thirteen years later I’ve started getting reply notifications all of a sudden!

 

When I created this thread in 2011 I didn’t expect it to still be alive in 2025.

Edited July 18, 2025 by Bankai

[Bankai]

On 14/02/2011 at 23:24, Bankai said:

First Bass Owned: Shine 845
'Go To' Bass: Jazz Bass
'Your' Bass: Thunderbird

and so I guess I should give this an update some years later!:

 

First: Well, that one hasn’t changed

Go To: Sandberg VM4

Your: Also, Sandberg VM4

 

(14 years later, I only own two basses. The Shine for nostalgia purposes, and the VM4!) 

 

 

 

[jazzyvee]

 [b]first bass[/b] . Woolworths 4 string, no idea of brand. 
-Your [b]go-to bass[/b] 5 string Alembic Europa

-And [b]'Your' / signature bass[/b] Alembic Series II 5 string

You can only put ONE bass for each category, no matter how much it might pain you!

[b]
First Bass Owned:
'Go To' Bass:
'Your' Bass:
[/b]