The 80's Bass Decade!

[Chris Maury]

Fast paced, fun video reviewing why the 80's were so special for bass players. The gear, the players, the innovations and SO MUCH more!

 

This video provides a wide overview of the experience in the U.S. with LOTS of U.K. crossover - Mark King, Pino Palladino, Wal, Status, Trace Elliot, The Bass Centre, etc. Enjoy the memories!

 

 

[HeadlessBassist]

This is a great video and a nostalgic jaunt into our collective past (for those of us who were teenagers in the 80s!) - I was chatting with Chris on the Brooksy's Bass Corner Live Chat a few weeks ago, and he's certainly a mind of information on bass world, having previously run the Bass Centre LA.

 

Highly recommended viewing material!

Edited Saturday at 15:32 by HeadlessBassist

[Chris Maury]

22 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said:

This is a great video and a nostalgic jaunt into our collective past (for those of us who were teenagers in the 80s!) - I was chatting with Chris on the Brooksy's Bass Corner Live Chat a few weeks ago, and he's certainly a mind of information on bass world, having previously run the Bass Centre LA.

 

Highly recommended viewing material!

Thanks so much for your kind comments, HeadlessBassist! 

It was a fun time, indeed!😃

[crazycloud]

I'll watch it this arvo after Church, but I never left the 80s. My XL2 is still my favourite bass with the Status S2000 and Kubicki not far behind - they just need more stings for what I actually do these days. An 80s Hohner B2V helps take up some of that slack.

I also has a Tune Bass Manic which I think is the ergonomic spiritual successor to the Ibanez SRs which today are my main players.

 

My main guitar is also an 80's Daion and I have another 80s one incoming which I'll post when I get it.

[police squad]

very good. The decade I took up the bass. I remember lots of that gear coming out, it was an amazing time

[Chris Maury]

20 hours ago, crazycloud said:

I'll watch it this arvo after Church, but I never left the 80s. My XL2 is still my favourite bass with the Status S2000 and Kubicki not far behind - they just need more stings for what I actually do these days. An 80s Hohner B2V helps take up some of that slack.

I also has a Tune Bass Manic which I think is the ergonomic spiritual successor to the Ibanez SRs which today are my main players.

 

My main guitar is also an 80's Daion and I have another 80s one incoming which I'll post when I get it.

Nice! Thanks for watching and for sharing!😀

[Chris Maury]

8 hours ago, police squad said:

very good. The decade I took up the bass. I remember lots of that gear coming out, it was an amazing time

Thanks for watching! It was a fun, memorable time indeed!😃

[Bagman]

7 hours ago, Chris Maury said:

Thanks for watching! It was a fun, memorable time indeed!😃

I remember your advertisements in US Bass Player Magazine 

was like a different world

 

the melting Lane Poor in particular 

[Bagman]

I got my L2 Steinberger in the early 1990's - I thought I had made it!!!

[Chris Maury]

1 hour ago, Bagman said:

I remember your advertisements in US Bass Player Magazine 

was like a different world

 

the melting Lane Poor in particular 

Yep - Our first ad was the London/Los Angeles "postcards"-type ad. Memorable indeed!

 

The Lane Poor bass was certainly something different!

 

But hey, it was the 80's!

[Chris Maury]

1 hour ago, Bagman said:

I got my L2 Steinberger in the early 1990's - I thought I had made it!!!

Didn't we all - cool bass! I wish I still had mine!😄

[Bagman]

I have thought of selling it previously but I can't bring myself to let go 

It's the most idiosyncratic instrument I own 

[Misdee]

16 hours ago, Bagman said:

I got my L2 Steinberger in the early 1990's - I thought I had made it!!!

Steinberger L2 - the only bass I have never owned that still torments me. I even had the catalogue in the mid-1980's. What I didn't have was enough money to buy one. 

[Misdee]

Some of the basses which have been considered niche designs since they were introduced post-millennium would have been accepted with open arms back in the 1980's. The MusicMan Bongo and Status Streamline, for example, would have flown out of the shops and into the hands of bass players keen to be seen embracing modernity, both in terms of sound and design.

[Chris Maury]

6 minutes ago, Misdee said:

Steinberger L2 - the only bass I have never owned that still torments me. I even had the catalogue in the mid-1980's. What I didn't have was enough money to buy one. 

Misdee - I was very fortunate that I worked for a music store at the time ('80-'86, pre Bass Centre) which allowed me to expand the bass department to include brands such as Steinberger and Spector and others - that's how I was able to afford those premium basses back in the day. Incredible round, punchy tone! 😄

[Chris Maury]

14 hours ago, Bagman said:

I have thought of selling it previously but I can't bring myself to let go 

It's the most idiosyncratic instrument I own 

😎

[Chris Maury]

3 minutes ago, Misdee said:

Some of the basses which have been considered niche designs since they were introduced post-millennium would have been accepted with open arms back in the 1980's. The MusicMan Bongo and Status Streamline, for example, would have flown out of the shops and into the hands of bass players keen to be seen embracing modernity, both in terms of sound and design.

Agreed! Both are cool basses, and love both brands. I remember when the Bongo was first released, as I was looking for a 5-string for my son to replace his Ibanez 5 at the time (the neck on the Ibanez back bowed, and was unrepairable.) I wanted to love the bass, but I honestly couldn't figure out the controls! Even with my experience, I remember them being non-intuitive.🫤

[Misdee]

3 minutes ago, Chris Maury said:

Misdee - I was very fortunate that I worked for a music store at the time ('80-'86, pre Bass Centre) which allowed me to expand the bass department to include brands such as Steinberger and Spector and others - that's how I was able to afford those premium basses back in the day. Incredible round, punchy tone! 😄

The grand irony, Chris, is that for much of the 1980's when I was hankering for a newer modern instrument I was playing 1970's Fender P and J basses  because they were relatively affordable. How I wish I still had them now!

 

I remember getting my  first active bass,  an Ibanez Musician bass in 1985 and being so happy I couldn't sleep for two nights. I wish I could that excited about a new bass nowadays. From there on I was always trading upwards.

 

The thing is, fashions change and what was most current becomes most dated in the fullness of time. Then it takes even more time for people to revisit and re-evaluate what was good about that bygone age. Hopefully that's what people are doing with regard to the bass guitar in the 1980's, because if you love all things bass, I don't see how that era will ever be bettered.

[Chris Maury]

1 hour ago, Misdee said:

The grand irony, Chris, is that for much of the 1980's when I was hankering for a newer modern instrument I was playing 1970's Fender P and J basses  because they were relatively affordable. How I wish I still had them now!

 

I remember getting my  first active bass,  an Ibanez Musician bass in 1985 and being so happy I couldn't sleep for two nights. I wish I could that excited about a new bass nowadays. From there on I was always trading upwards.

 

The thing is, fashions change and what was most current becomes most dated in the fullness of time. Then it takes even more time for people to revisit and re-evaluate what was good about that bygone age. Hopefully that's what people are doing with regard to the bass guitar in the 1980's, because if you love all things bass, I don't see how that era will ever be bettered.

Yep, I played mostly 60's Fender Jazz Basses throughout the 80's, however, the decade for me was constantly peppered with owning and gigging with a bunch of boutique and vintage basses as well. Among the basses I owned included an '84 Ibanez Musician in Pearl White which I gigged with maybe two times - nice bass! Another local bassist (who was miles ahead of me) saw me playing it and offered to buy it, so I didn't own it for long. Like you, the bass situation was constantly in motion! There were so many cool basses to choose from at the time, and SO much innovation! Man, guitar players got skunked by comparison during the decade when it came to new ideas.😉

 

Nope, what bassists experienced in the 80's will never be repeated.

 

I don't think ANY other instrument throughout history will ever match the incredible renaissance which took place in the 80's with the Electric Bass.😎

[Bagman]

2 hours ago, Misdee said:

Some of the basses which have been considered niche designs since they were introduced post-millennium would have been accepted with open arms back in the 1980's. The MusicMan Bongo and Status Streamline, for example, would have flown out of the shops and into the hands of bass players keen to be seen embracing modernity, both in terms of sound and design.

yeah...I think I agree with your generalization 

 

I also think Bass Players might be more adventurous (Collective) then Guitar Players (Collective) 

[Bagman]

3 hours ago, Misdee said:

Steinberger L2 - the only bass I have never owned that still torments me. I even had the catalogue in the mid-1980's. What I didn't have was enough money to buy one. 

NZ Music Legend Neville Claughton imported 3 x L2 Bass Steinberger in late 1983 / early 1984 

 

they were $3300 NZ so that would be say 1400 UK Pound (?) 

today's coin that would be $10000 NZ to buy a new Steinberger off the shelf

 

IMO that's fairly unrealistic business plan in NZ economy 

[Chris Maury]

4 minutes ago, Bagman said:

yeah...I think I agree with your generalization 

 

I also think Bass Players might be more adventurous (Collective) then Guitar Players (Collective) 

I wholeheartedly agree with your statement "Bass Players might be more adventurous (Collective) than Guitar Players (Collective)"

The 80's seem to have proven that theory! 🤣

[Bagman]

12 minutes ago, Chris Maury said:

I wholeheartedly agree with your statement "Bass Players might be more adventurous (Collective) than Guitar Players (Collective)"

The 80's seem to have proven that theory! 🤣

yeah I am making some assumptions and general collectivisms but on balance it's probably a fair call 

 

complete  rained out again here so I might go find the L2 and  the old Bass Player USA magazine ads get some photos  in this glorious thread 

[Chris Maury]

4 minutes ago, Bagman said:

yeah I am making some assumptions and general collectivisms but on balance it's probably a fair call 

 

complete  rained out again here so I might go find the L2 and  the old Bass Player USA magazine ads get some photos  in this glorious thread 

Please do!