Most memorable instruments you've played?

[tauzero]

[quote name='clauster' post='153175' date='Mar 7 2008, 03:57 PM']'twas a late 80s Warwick Thumb and it virtually pulled the notes from my fingers. It was effortlessly easy to play and it just wouldn't let me play a duff note. Fantastic stuff and I'm still gassing for an 80's thumb over 18 years later.[/quote]

I have one, and it's the only instrument I've ever felt I had to have. And there's one for sale on Basschat right now...

[tombboy]

This one...



Owned by my brother who is 'Malcolm' in DC79 a Bon Scott era AC/DC tribute.
You've got a thump the bloody thing to get any noise but going through an overdriven Marshall 100 superbass and 4x12 with celestion greenbacks, it is Mr Young Sr himself!!

[Obsidiandesire]

I once played a gorgeous fretless acoustic, I forget the model as I was just starting out playing...

Recently, it's a standard Squire jazz 5 string bass... It must have had some good strings on as the B string didn't feel "floppy" at all, which was one of my real hates on 5 strings.. granted it was still very loose, but had a nice twang.

Also had the pleasure of playing a £15000 Grand piano... Ebony keys and all!
Boy was that an experience.

[Welshbassist]

I haven't played any really memorable instruments,but the closest so far is my very own Ibanez SR-505. It's set up amazingly - apart from the iffy b string.

EDIT - I played a Rick in Liverpool once, didn't like the neck! Was memorable for not being memorable.

Edited March 10, 2008 by Welshbassist

[Jase]

Mine was an upright bass which was sitting in a skip, the person who owned it had just sold me his Trace GP7. He didn't mind at all when I asked if I could take the bass, it needed a few minor repairs the bridge, board and one of the tuners had snapped, whipped it down to Dave Dearnley in Cardiff. When I had it back I couldn't leave it alone, couldn't play it either the most physical and hardest thing to play, unreal......I sold it. Last I heard it was being used at a jam night, sorting out the men from the boys

[nobodysprefect]

[quote name='Jase' post='154315' date='Mar 10 2008, 03:15 AM'][an upright bass] Last I heard it was being used at a jam night, sorting out the men from the boys [/quote]

Ah, but that's what uprights do best! Gotta love the sound, but damn it's unwieldy to schlep around.

[Jase]

[quote name='nobody's prefect' post='155927' date='Mar 12 2008, 12:43 PM']Ah, but that's what uprights do best! Gotta love the sound, but damn it's unwieldy to schlep around.[/quote]

Do you have one then? What do they do best, Jam nights or being upright? I can imagine it's a pain to lug around, this particular one was, I'm told a 3/4 size, so like a big cello I suppose, a cheap Czech make????? That's what I got told. I should've kept it and let the kids paint it, being that I couldn't play it

[MB1]

[quote name='crez5150' post='153194' date='Mar 7 2008, 04:13 PM']I was lucky enough to once strum Clapton's beloved Martin[/quote]

MB1.
Whose Martin?....always thought he was a ladys man!
......oh....strum?....sorry!....should have gone to Specsavers!

Edited March 13, 2008 by MB1

[MB1]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='152978' date='Mar 7 2008, 11:54 AM']Good topic! Haven't had this one before - hope it doesn't cover just basses tho coz here's mine

Chinese harp. A bit like this one:


They have sympathetic metal rods tuned to the same frequency as the strings, so that reverb effect you always hear them with isn't added with a delay unit. I found the sound of playing one in the flesh was mesmerising.

Also, a keyboardist we nearly hired for our band turned up with one of these and it was literally love at first listen.


It absolutely nailed all those classic blaxploitation hammond and rhodes sounds, plus he was a very very good player. Knew exactly how much to play and when to leave space. We were all gutted when he backed out to go travelling because his playing made the rest of us play so much better.

I own examples of all the bass guitars that have been memorable for me, so I won't list them. Pete.young's Jap p-bass through my Burman was extremely nice though, I swear they were making big sexy time with each other.

Oh and definitely an NS CR5 after it had been set up for me properly. I estimate it would take about 6 months of practice for me to get the hang of it though - gorgeous amounts of mwah and a deep, solid, thunderous amount of bass from that 41" scale.[/quote]
MB1.
"And coming up later on Bid TV ,we will once again be having the ever popular Musical Trouser Press!.

[FJ1200]

[quote name='clauster' post='153175' date='Mar 7 2008, 03:57 PM']Mine IS a bass....

'twas a late 80s Warwick Thumb and it virtually pulled the notes from my fingers. It was effortlessly easy to play and it just wouldn't let me play a duff note. Fantastic stuff and I'm still gassing for an 80's thumb over 18 years later.[/quote]

I think it's the same for me - but a Streamer, Barbican Guitar Festival - mid/late 80's, absolutely stunning, and yes - felt the notes were being pulled from me too. (Also got to meet Mr J Entwhistle)

And at the same show one of the Ashbory basses - VERY odd, but a great sound. Nearly bought one several times. Only about 78 ever made.

Edited March 13, 2008 by FJ1200

[alexclaber]

[quote name='FJ1200' post='156699' date='Mar 13 2008, 01:13 PM']I think it's the same for me - but a Streamer, Barbican Guitar Festival - mid/late 80's, absolutely stunning, and yes - felt the notes were being pulled from me too.[/quote]

I have a rather forlorn looking one of them that is now playing second fiddle to my RIM Custom 5 (which just goes to show how amazing that turned out!) I hope it settles into enjoying its retirement soon because it's not going anywhere, being a posthumous gift from my Dad. I may see how it likes tapewounds and does the super old skool funk thang...

Alex

[jakenewmanbass]

I once played an old English bass in the Bass room at the Phil in Liverpool.
Can't remember the maker but the bass player I was with told me it was worth £50,000 plus.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

I used to own this - funny feeling owning something that I used to slabber over whilst watching Mr King playing it in concert..!



Wish I'd still got it - aside from its `slightly well known former owner connection' it was the best JD I've ever owned.

[Kiwi]

Look at that, some bastards scrawled on it.


[i]Wwwwwwwwhaaaadda f-[/i]

[quote name='Rich' post='153209' date='Mar 7 2008, 05:31 PM']ex-Greg Lake Alembic 8-string. It sounded like God clearing his throat. [i]Huuuuuuge[/i] sound.[/quote]
I'm wondering if that might have been #79 1300

Basswise, I remember trying an all white Celinder Larry Graham Sig. at the NEC years back that made me go a bit weak kneed. It felt just like a nice, warm old jazz and I couldn't believe it was a new bass.