Your best (and worst!) bass gear purchases of 2025?

[stoo]

Best was a P bass kit off ebay... been wanting to try a scratch build for ages, but wasn't confident enough to have a first go at finishing and fretwork on something that'd take a lot of effort to replace if I messed it up.

Turned out way better than I thought it would.... 

 

 

Worst was running out of excuses not to do the next one from scratch

[DGBass]

26 minutes ago, Homatron said:

Is it good for metal?

I would say so, if fretless metal is your thing.

[Homatron]

Best purchase:

(Not technically a purchase yet, but it's a foot in the door)

 

Worst purchase:

70's Seamoon Funk Machine circuitboard clone. Enjoyed building it but I never managed to dial in a sound I liked.

Ended up reusing the housing for my DIY Fuzzrocious Ram the Manparts stripboard build.

 

 

[MostLow]

Best: - 2012 MIJ Fender Jaguar bass (ok, I swapped the pickups for Fender CS 60s, but it sounds great).

 

          - 2024 Epiphone Jack Casady bass. Although a longtime Jack and hollowbody fan, I avoided this bass due to my 'made in China' bias, but after trying one that was well set up I took the plunge and don't regret it.

 

          - Fender Super Bassman. Haven't band-tested it yet, but the 'vintage' channel sounds amazing, and loud.

 

 

Worst: - Orange OBC 115 cab. The sound is not my thing and farts out way too early.

 

            - Accugroove 'El Whappo' 15/12/6 cab. Sounds good at lower volume but can't hold it together in a big room.

 

            - Orange AD200. Sounded great at first but then developed problems and it's been back to the shop twice now.

 

 

Edited yesterday at 03:04 by MostLow

[SteveXFR]

After selling all my gear last year, all my gear has been bought this year. 

The worst is easy, a Fender Mexican standard Precision. I think it was just a bad one, I've had a few before but this one just sucked. I couldn't get a decent setup on it and it always sounded weak so its gone now.

Best purchase is either my Spector Euro 4 LX which sounds incredible and is really nice to play and was a great price or my Yamaha BB1100S which I picked up for £450 and is the nicest playing bass I've owned and sounds great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HeadlessBassist]

I almost forgot the very best purchase of 2025 - A trolley which saves me carting amps and cabs around. Sadly, like a Dalek, it's still foiled by stairs! Perfect for when you're almost 56!

 

[Leonard Smalls]

3 hours ago, HeadlessBassist said:

A trolley

I bought an allegedly 160kg capacity folding sackbarrow... Not sure what it will actually carry, but I can now bring Markbass 4x10, 4u flightcase with amps, psu and compressor plus flightcased Helix all at once (though you need to bungy 'em!)...

[Owen]

42 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

I bought an allegedly 160kg capacity folding sackbarrow... Not sure what it will actually carry, but I can now bring Markbass 4x10, 4u flightcase with amps, psu and compressor plus flightcased Helix all at once (though you need to bungy 'em!)...

I have had one of these for nearly 30 years. I would not be without it. When it eventually breaks I will buy another. Unless I go first. Mine is a Ruxxac. 

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, Owen said:

I have had one of these for nearly 30 years. I would not be without it. When it eventually breaks I will buy another. Unless I go first. Mine is a Ruxxac. 

 

Are we taking bets?  A tenner on the sack trolley!

 

[Stub Mandrel]

Number 1 has to be the Sire P10.

 

 

Next my rather fine orange-coloured pedal board (with matching bag).

 

 

Number 3, lovely little Joyo 10W bass amp with Bluetooth for playing along to stuff.

 

 

Honorable mention, the Kay Gremlin I tarted up a bit, well quite a lot of setting up epecially, that's now quite fun to play.