Kelvinator Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Our lead vocalist's husband sent this over to me - it hadn't worked in years, and he asked me to get it going again. Man did this bring back some memories... My first bass was almost identical. So how many of you started out with something like this? Near as I can figure it's a '64 or '65 (dating theses things is difficult). I took it apart, cleaned the pot and the switches, put in a new jack, touched up some solder joints, and put on some new strings....... It's alive and well! Fun Saturday basement project for sure. Much to my surprise, this thing sounds and plays great (not Gibson great, but...) I'll hate to give it back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 1970s Kent P-Bass copy in 30" scale and clown sunburst. Horrible. A couple months later I got a blue '73 Musicmaster Bass for $70. More playable but still bad. My eyes weren't opened until I got my first long scale, another P Bass copy that I don't even think had a name. Then I jumped up into a real P Bass and life as I know it began. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I was 16, my first bass in 1968, wasn't even that good. It didn't have a name on it from what I remember. Dark red in color, heavy as all get out, and a neck that was way to big. The tuners were lousy too. :: In Feb. of 1969 changed to a EKO violin bass, until late 1969, early 1970, went to a new Gibson EB0. It cost a lot back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Much to my surprise, this thing sounds and plays great (not Gibson great, but...) I'll hate to give it back! I have one of those with the foil pool on the front that I picked up some time ago (when they were still more reasonably priced) and I do concur - those pickups are really pretty amazing! Add the pencil neck and these little basses are a ball to play around with! I dig mine and I still gig it from time to time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 I have one of those with the foil pool on the front that I picked up some time ago (when they were still more reasonably priced) and I do concur - those pickups are really pretty amazing! Add the pencil neck and these little basses are a ball to play around with! I dig mine and I still gig it from time to time! Somehow, I'd be surprised if you didn't have one . Do you string it correctly (left side of posts)? This is on ebay $790.00!!!! This is the only other one I've seen strung the right way; it must be why he's asking so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Somehow, I'd be surprised if you didn't have one . Do you string it correctly (left side of posts)? Yes indeed! The strings follow their natural path and will wrap the way they were meant to. Unfortunately, everybody's been contaminated by the Fender method so they try and force them in on the opposite side. Here's my "Futurama" with some curling at the pool edges. I also have the original case and the original strap the guy bought! The neck is laser straight too. I got this one for under $400 and they were already starting to creep up because they were being recognized for what they are. Now they're at $800 all over. Keep in mind these were like throwaways - the most basic models sold under various brands in stores as well as mail-order (along with a matching guitar). Nobody that bought one had an amp that was good enough to hear what they could really do! They're still pretty amazing. And speaking of Haggy's I'm also lucky enough to have one of these - Coronado IV. This is a full scale bass with a solid Mahogany and those killer Bi-Sonic pickups. They are a rare bird indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 I got this one for under $400 and they were already starting to creep up because they were being recognized for what they are. Now they're at $800 all over. Keep in mind these were like throwaways - the most basic models sold under various brands in stores as well as mail-order (along with a matching guitar). Nobody that bought one had an amp that was good enough to hear what they could really do! They're still pretty amazing. And speaking of Haggy's I'm also lucky enough to have one of these - Coronado IV. This is a full scale bass with a solid Mahogany and those killer Bi-Sonic pickups. They are a rare bird indeed. I could justify around $400 for a nice one, but couldn't bring myself to do $800. Now that Coronado IV could be a different story... Cool! So was your first bass an el-cheapo like mine, gsg's, or ksdaddy's? Let me guess .... an Alembic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 I could justify around $400 for a nice one, but couldn't bring myself to do $800. Now that Coronado IV could be a different story... Cool! So was your first bass an el-cheapo like mine, gsg's, or ksdaddy's? Let me guess .... an Alembic? My first bass was firewood disguised as a POS bass. No name, no trackable pedigree....and who could blame them, really. When I first got it I plugged it in and it didn't work - couldn't figure it out so I brought it over to my friend's house. He knew how to check pickups being a guitar player. They were on alright - they were just so far away from the strings there was no signal!!! Had to shim those puppies up until the magnets could work. The frets were a mile high (at least to me) so I took a file and filed them down flat. Much easier on the hand. My Mom sewed a denim gig bag for it because it only came in a box. But hey, it was mine and good enough to take some lessons with and learn where the notes were. So for the 2 years I had it, it did the trick until I got part time job and saved every nickel until I could buy a new Fender. These basses are kinda rare - I've only seen one or two that looked like the one I had on ebay. Not the usual 60's Japanese fare and certainly not even at the Teisco level. It's been a long row to hoe since.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Back in the "olden days" it was hard for a beginner to find something affordable that you could actually play. Kids today have a plethora of choices; I checked out an entry-level Ibanez bass at GC that played & sounded very good - for around $200.00! I did an inflation comparison just for grins: $200.00 in 1969 would be worth just over $1,300.00 now, and $200.00 today would have equaled $30.47 in 1969. I don't remember what I paid for my Hagstrom, but I had to mow a lot of lawns and borrow money from my dad to get it. I'll bet it was more than $30.00. http://www.in2013dol...1969?amount=200 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Kelvinator...my FIRST bass (that I owned) was a Fender copy bought in California in '79. I lucked into an old "P" bass and '64 white piggy back Bassman amp in '88. Still have the "P" bass, but sold the amp. (I was home three weeks ago, and ran into Denny F at the benefit show.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bass Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 My first bass in 1976, a Kay: Currently: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaolee Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 My first was a Vantage. It was more or less a P-Bass with a 2x2 headstock and a body shaped a bit like an ES335. It was insanely heavy and had neck dive from hell. I don't miss it a bit. The next one was a Danelectro or Coral Wasp. It was much better, but still not great. My third bass was the first keeper. An EB-2dc. I still have it more than 30 years later. It was about as close to a straight trade for the Dano as you can get, and the Dano was free. Somebody found it in a bathtub in an abandoned building and just wanted to get rid of it. It sounded awful, so I took it apart. The neck was shimmed with matchbooks, and I used eight cents of change to reshim the neck. That was my investment in that bass. Not a bad deal to trade that for a really nice EB-2 with a Dimarzio One in the neck position. So, I'm dated, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 My first was a Vantage. It was more or less a P-Bass with a 2x2 headstock and a body shaped a bit like an ES335. It was insanely heavy and had neck dive from hell. I don't miss it a bit. The next one was a Danelectro or Coral Wasp. It was much better, but still not great. My third bass was the first keeper. An EB-2dc. I still have it more than 30 years later. It was about as close to a straight trade for the Dano as you can get, and the Dano was free. Somebody found it in a bathtub in an abandoned building and just wanted to get rid of it. It sounded awful, so I took it apart. The neck was shimmed with matchbooks, and I used eight cents of change to reshim the neck. That was my investment in that bass. Not a bad deal to trade that for a really nice EB-2 with a Dimarzio One in the neck position. So, I'm dated, too. Hey - I'll trade you a POS Squire P bass, and throw in a dollar's worth of change for your EB-2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaolee Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Hey - I'll trade you a POS Squire P bass, and throw in a dollar's worth of change for your EB-2! A whole dollar! I don't know if I could take that trade, since you would be ripping yourself off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 A whole dollar! I don't know if I could take that trade, since you would be ripping yourself off. Just imagine how many necks you could shim... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 I found an old picture of my first bass in front of my second amp; Man I wish I still had the bass, amp, and that EV mic. I don't remember what the POS guitar was, but I'm pretty sure it was the reason I decided to play bass! And here's everything in action - 1968 (I think) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Thankfully I came into the game late. My first bass was an Epiphone EB-3: Not too shabby a start in bass life. I only bought it because it was pretty :) Since then, having tried to get along with an Epi EB-0 and a Gibson SG-Z, I've realised that the SG style is not for me, regardless of how pretty it is. Having said that, I did assist in the restoration of this 1966 Hagstrom: It was quite fun to play and had a decent sound if I recall correctly. The short scale and spindly neck did make it feel a bit toy-like though. Yes, strung the proper Hag way too ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Having said that, I did assist in the restoration of this 1966 Hagstrom: It was quite fun to play and had a decent sound if I recall correctly. The short scale and spindly neck did make it feel a bit toy-like though. Yes, strung the proper Hag way too ;) Nice resto job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Bass Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I had the 8-string version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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