How You Got Here?

[phatduckk]

hmmmm...

* wanted a bass for 8th grade graduation (1992)
* parents got me a guitar instead (some ibanez ex thing which i still have)
* never played the guitar
* 1994 heard Anesthesia by Cliff Burton for the first time
* wanted a bass again
* got a bass for getting straight A's for 3 years in a row (1994)
* an epiphone something or another which is now modded to hell and still in use
* played the hell out of it in HS and college
* graduated college, got a "real" job (2000)
* got a better bass, Ibanez ebd600, (2001)
* always wanted a Sterling
* realized i got paid well and it was ok to spend my money (2002)
* went to GC got my first Sterling
* afterwards I got a USA J and P etc etc
* sold all my non MMs
* now i have 9

 

[maddog]

Wanted to pick up bass again since I had time on my hands.

Had the money so it was either a SR4 or a Ric4001.

Tried the Ric, didn't like the neck profile.

Tried the SR4, neck seemed a little too big.

Tried a Sterling, neck seemed a little too small.

Tried a Bongo,neck was just right.

Call me goldilocks.

 

[shamus63]

Call me goldilocks.

Goldilocks...sans locks!

 

[maddog]

They're growing back in. Hair's looking a little crazy these days.

 

[smallequestrian]

Wow! This will take some thought.

1959 - Piano
1966 - Trumpet/Cornet
1974 - Laid the Trumpet down.
1980 - Fender Bullet Bass
1983 - Fender P Bass (Don't know what year it was.)
1985 - Ibanez Roadstar II
1986 - '81 Fender P Bass (Inherited from my Dad.)
1992 - Fender Jazz Plus 5 string.
2004 - My first MM bass. Black 'Ray w/Rosewood
2004 - Blue Pearl SR5
2005 - DG Bongo 5 HH
2006 - OLP Tony Levin - Natural
2006 - '05 LE BC Bongo 5 HH
2006 - GP Bongo 5 H

I saw some Stingrays in a music store back in the mid eighties but I wouldn't even try one because I didn't like the looks of them. Too bad for me, huh.

I tried a lot of basses in the last 2 or 3 years, but the ones listed after the SR5 are the ones that have survived. Of course the '81 P is still around but the DG Bongo is on the block right now.

Forgot the Trans Gold Stingray

 

[shamus63]

They're growing back in. Hair's looking a little crazy these days.

LOL! I've gotten so used to short hair that I probably won't go back.

 

[ghunter]

(1988-1990) 76 Fender Precision
(1989-1989) mid-80's Steinberger (that lasted about 6 months)
(1990-1992) 78 Ric 4001
(1992-1996) 90 Fender Jazz Fretless
(1994-1999) 92 StingRay 4
(1998-2006) 90 Fender Jazz Fretless
(1999-) 99 StingRay 4
(2006-) 06 StingRay 5HH
(2006-) 06 Bongo 5HH

 

[SR5EasyPiezos]

All You Need Is Love

In spring 1989, before Bass Player magazine or a user friendly internet, there was a special Guitar World "State Of The Bass" issue.

On page 106 there is a product review of the Ernie Ball Sting Ray 5 -
"Everyone who got their hands on the Ernie Ball/Music Man Sting Ray 5 Bass didn't want to let go. Well-made, with an obvious attention to detail and outfitted with superior electronics, ... worth every penny of its list price ..."

Then there was Tony Levin in concert with SR5s in the early 90s.

After lots of ordinary sex for the next ten years, there was my first special ordered SR5 fretless; then there was Love; and eventually a fretted SR5.

Now there's lots of SR5 Love; and every once in a while, a bit of slippery, old fashioned get-down sex just to keep the fingers in shape and all the parts working.

Love them SR5s,
SR5EP

 

[adouglas]

Long and checkered history...mostly crappy basses, a few good ones.

1978 - Hondo P-bass, black/black/natural (dreadful...techs refused to touch it)
1979-1980 - Peavey T-40, ash/natural, solid lead core (must have been...my back still hurts)
1982? - Kramer Duke 32" scale Steinberger copy (backlash against the Peavey, and I'd gotten hooked on the Dixie Dregs) Over-amplified, under-talented college garage band.
1987 - Cheap-o Sam Ash plywood Spector-ish thing. Nice white pearl paint, lousy instrument.

Hiatus

1995 - Steinberger XL2...finally, a REAL bass! Current band started.
1996 - Hohner B2F fretless Steinberger copy - scratching the mwah itch
1998 - Carvin LB75A - five is nice, never going back
1999 - Carvin BB75FP fretless - Hohner was lacking, need 5 strings
2004 - Ripped the guts out of the original Carvin and put in decent pickups and electronics. Made it a new bass in terms of tone
2005 - I made a tin foil hat, put it on, and immediately felt the power of the Bongo Mind Control Rays. Still twitching from the awesomeness of it all.
2005 - El-cheapo SX J bass 5 string to keep at home for practice. Eh. Better than the Hondo!
2006? Fretless Bongo? Mebbe.....
2007? The 20th anniversary of the SR5 is coming up...hmmm......

 

[Mobay45]

Forgot the Trans Gold Stingray

Totally!

There were several others that made a short stop at my house that didn't get mentioned either.

 

[SharonG]

I'm going to skip the guitars...

'77 - Some awful Pual McCartney look alike rip-off tin can w/ strings - all I could afford
"79 - Fender P-Bass
'85 - Starving medical student, but wanted more pop - added a pick-up near the bridge

14 year playing hiatus (kids, job, etc.)

'05 - Tommy hands me a Stealth Bongo HH in a rehearsal and then almost loses some fingers trying to get it back. Wrote the check the next day.........thanks Pete!

Love, love, love the bongo!
but that Sterling was sooooo nice, too.......


oops - forgot the Fernandes fretless, '03

 

[Freddels]

It was 1977 and I was playing a Gibson Grabber and I walked into the House of Guitars in Rochester NY and they had this new fangled "StingRay" bass up on the wall....I bought it that day.

The Grabber? Was that the one with the sliding pickup? Or was that the Ripper or something like that?

 

[AnthonyD]

Grabber had the sliding pick-up. I replaced mine with a Dimarzio Model One almost immediately (kids do those things!).

I remember a local music store in the early 80's that had their Stingrays in glass display cases... They were the special ones!

This is cool to see the paths we've taken. Important to know where you've been to be sure about where you're going!

 

[strummer]

1987 Hohner B2B
1988 F*nder Precision 1978 see-thru brown
1988 F*nder jazz 1975 Natural
1988 Musicman StingRay Natural
1989 G*bson Ripper Natural 1977
1989 Washburn B-20 Cherry* 1980
1989 F*nder P SB 1964 or -5
1990 F*nder Mustang (EvH tape job)
1990 Home made P/j bass *
1991 L'arrivee 5-string JJ white

2004 F*nder P
2004 Washburn B-20 Black* 1980
2004 Washburn B-20 Black no 2* 1980
2005 MusicMan Bongo DG*
2006 Musicman Bongo EG*

At least those are the ones I care to remember. basses marked * are still in my possession. Note that the Washburns are not played much, but admired as curiosities only.

 

[Dr Stankface]

<------- Is waiting for Travis to chime in with his 29 bass whoredom!!!!

 

[Brim]

in chronological order:

circa summer 1992 (12 yrs old): "don't even remember brand" p-bass copy my fingers bleed on
1993: MIM Jazz Squier (CAR)
1995: '94 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (translucent amber top)
1997: '97 Fender MIJ '75 Reissue Jazz (natural)

1997-2003: Took break from playing, did architecture school, got married...

Jan. 2004: '97 Fender USA Jazz (Inca Silver)
Oct. 2005: '00 StingRay5 (natural one-piece, regret selling this one)
Jan. 2006: '96 Sterling fretless lined honeyburst (keeper)

I'm still on the hunt for my next MM...probably a lightweight SR5 burst, rosewood.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Do I have to go back to accordian lessons as a child?

Only if you took your lessons at DuBaldo Music in Manchester CT.... aka the Accordn Mecca of the tri-state area, now also a Music Man dealer

Takamine acoustic --- 199X?
Aria Pro II --- 1994?
Gibson Flying V --- 1998?
Kramer American Pacer Deluxe --- 1999
Custom 7 string --- 2002
---- enter EBMM dealer acct --- July 2004
JP6 string --- May 2005
Axis Sport --- Oct 2005
y2d --- Nov 2005
JP7 --- Dec 2005

 

[Mr Light]

A general list without getting into the embarrassing details:

Gibson Epiphone

Ibanez

Fender, and now...

MusicMan!

 

[Wasabi]

I started playing guitar at 15. At 31 I began playing bass. My wife bought me a Yamaha RBX as a starter bass (combo birthday/Christmas present, and presented to me the day we brought our twins home from the hospital). After playing a year or so, I wanted to move up to a better bass...I had been interested in a StingRay 5 after reading the reviews in the 5 String Shootout article years ago. At the time, I ordered one, but didn't have the funds when the bass came into the shop...a friend of mine was looking for the exact one, so he just bought it and gave me my deposit.

I ended having a Warrior built for me. Beautiful woods, terrible tone. Dark, muddy, no definition. Sold it and bought a trans teal SR5. LOVED it. Stupidly sold it to buy an MTD535, and missed it terribly. Eventually bought another (this time in blue dawn). Found myself playing it more than the MTD.

Had tendonitis problems with the MTD, sold it. Bought another Warrior (don't ask me why...) Sold it. Bought an F Bass to get the Fender thing. Used it a lot for jazz music, but it didn't work for my primary live gig.

Last season's Rock Star got me hooked back on the StingRay, and it has been my primary bass since then. It just kills live...I put it straight through a cheap Behringer Ultra powered DI right into the board, and the tone is right there...flat EQ. Just cuts through the mix, very expressive. I cut the mids for slap, but that's it. I don't know any other bass that will work that well without a pre-amp.

Now I have a 30th Anniversary on its way as my four string. My daughter will have her autumn burst soon as well. I'm selling my F Bass and will have a Nordstrand for jazz and "chops" music, but my primary bass will consistently be that StingRay 5. I just can't believe the awesome tone, and the only reason I'm not getting an HH is because that bass already gives me everything I need. The four is for teaching (and a little change-up in tone with the mahogany).

So we are definitely an EB StingRay family, and proud of it.

 

[Freddels]

Only if you took your lessons at DuBaldo Music in Manchester CT.... aka the Accordn Mecca of the tri-state area, now also a Music Man dealer

No, I studied with Michael Magnante, the great accordian virtuoso.

After the door-to-door accordian salesman came through the neighborhood, my fate was determined.