Which Non-Fender Basses Do You Play?

For many years, Fender basses just didn't interest me. The Ric was the only one for me. It never even occurred to me to get a second bass. For a recording session, I had to use a righty Precision, and I knew then what great basses Fender makes. I have 3 Fenders now, but I also have a Hofner, an Epi SG long scale bass, my Ric, and the new G&L JB (which sounds better to my ears than my Fender JBs sound).

Depending on the song I've written and the arrangement I hear in my head, I'll choose this or that bass. The next song I'm going to record needs the Hofner, the second, the G&L. I have several others in the embryo phase, and one might call for the fretless Fender J.

I know Laker plays his Laklands (drool) and Dan plays whatever he decides to throw together out of parts and toothpicks.

How Fender-centric are you? Is your number 1 non-Fender?

I hate to be the first to reply to this thread, mostly because I don't consider myself a bass player. But, since you're a friend and I've never been reticent to engage in conversation, I'll weigh in. :smile:

I have three basses, and none of them are Fenders. The first I bought on a lark, and never use it now: A Dean Edge 09. Of the remaining two, a Jack Cassidy 20th Anniversary Signature Epiphone bass and an Ibanez MiKro GSRM20, I'd have to say the short scale Ibanez wins out. It feels more like the size of my guitar, and I have small hands, so the two factors make it the winner in my book.

Now... let the REAL bass players chime in.

Willie - your collection covers a lot of classic bass sound ground!

Of all the basses I’ve owned over the years, 90% of them have been Fenders. The other 10% Ernie Ball/Musicman and Sterling by Musicman. I’ve also owned a few baritone guitars over the years and I’ve tended to play them more like basses than guitars.

Now that I’m not gigging anymore, I’m down to two basses: an early 90s Japanese Fender PJ ‘62 reissue modded with active electronics, four string with half rounds. Covers a lot of bases (pun intended). I’ve also got a Sterling by MusicMan Stingray 5, five string and active electronics.


My fave bass ever was a 2007 Fender Custom Shop ‘64 Jazz Bass relic. I owned that for about five years and traded it for a pedal steel guitar.

I may buy another Sterling by Musicman soon (short scale four string with splittable humbucker and active electronics).


The Laklands always catch my eye but I’ve never pulled the trigger on one. Came very close to buying a G&L L1500 years ago but passed on it (horrible green colour). I have zero interest in most of the boutique/coffee table basses or Rickenbackers. I like the Rick sound but really don’t care for the aesthetics.

I won't count the Squier because as far as I'm concerned, they are Fenders

My Sterling by Music Man Stingray 4 is definitely not a Fender. Sadly it has been largely neglected due to my backache. It sits there on the stand, lonely, beseeching me to play. Hopefully soon. Spending a day in bed may have done some good for my back.

I'm more a guitarist that dabbles in bass, but I've accumulated a few of them.
Oddly, I don't own any Fender basses.
My number one bass is The Ox, a Gibson Les Paul bass, similar to a LP special, in that it's a slab mahogany body with 2 pickups.
Number 1A is one I built myself, a Jazz-style body, basswood with quilt maple top, fretless P-bass neck, Fender Vintage Custom Shop 60s pickups, and stack knob config.
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=...a.478827253693
Then is my old |Yamaha cheapo, single P-bass style pickup. I replaced the stock one years ago, I think it's a dimarzio of some sort in there now.
Last is my even cheaper 8-string. Massive and heavy, the truss rod doesn't work, and when |I got it from Ebay, it got to me with the neck bolts pulled out. I finally got around to installing the metal inserts so it stays together now. Great sound out of it.

The main 5 string bass I played until purchasing my first Lakland is a Musicman Stingray 5 that I still have. I played the MM for about ten years and was very satisfied with its sound but it is a heavy bass. I was actually going to purchase a second identical MM (back up on stage) until seeing my first Lakland around ‘98 when we played a festival with the Sonia Dada band and their bass player, Erik Scott, had a Lakland in his rack. I was impressed with the build quality and sound so the switch to Lakland was made.

When I go active I use:
https://live.staticflickr.com/4381/3...4e576ec_3k.jpg
When I go passive I use:
https://live.staticflickr.com/4361/3...e13ea89e_b.jpg

I am mainly a guitarist, but you wouldn’t know that in 2020 LOL. I gigged on bass live or live streamed at least 60 times. My 5 string Lakeland 55-02 didn’t get much action; it was mainly my Boulder Creek ABG and my Ric 4003.

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Originally Posted by blackonblack

I am mainly a guitarist, but you wouldn’t know that in 2020 LOL. I gigged on bass live or live streamed at least 60 times. My 5 string Lakeland 55-02 didn’t get much action; it was mainly my Boulder Creek ABG and my Ric 4003.

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That's really interesting. Are you a sessions musician? What kind of gigs have you been playing?

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Originally Posted by ch willie

That's really interesting. Are you a sessions musician? What kind of gigs have you been playing?

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It’s all been contemporary Christian music. A lot of it was streaming. A good amount was acoustic sets, thus the ABG. I was pretty much the only available player that knew bass. I was basically on each Thurs and Sun.

None. I only own one bass, and it's a 1996 Fender Am. Deluxe Precision in Shoreline Gold with a maple fretboard.

I was trying to find a photo of my Stingray 5 but can only come up with this where I piled everything in the corner of the man cave. I forgot that I also have a Barclay cigar box bass (it’s in the photo).

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...fd&oe=6019C57D

I own several American Jazz and Precision basses. I have a deal with Spector so I own several of them and I also own a couple of Alembics. I do find that I play one of my Jazz basses more than the others. Mainly because I do a lot of music for television and like the way it records.

I am *truly* ashamed to say I never played, let alone owned a bass.

Ok, I've held my bassist's instrument every once in a while and I know how it works, but aside being able to play the intro of Smoke on the Water, i am a total newcomer regarding bass guitars.

However, I really wish I could play those. It's just that I've been busy during the last handful of decades, trying to be a guitarist.

I envy you, guys.

I learned bass and guitar at the same time, and that was helpful to me with both. I knew I wanted to play bass in bands, but I also wanted to write songs, so I knew I had to learn guitar. My biggest challenge was learning how to sing and play bass at the same time. It was not an automatic skill. I marvel at McCartney's ability to play the bass to Mr. Kite while he sings it live.

All my other basses are gone now and only have 1. A Yamaha RBX 170 and it's fantastic. I've had many $2000 bases that were not any better.

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Originally Posted by pdfiddler

All my other basses are gone now and only have 1. A Yamaha RBX 170 and it's fantastic. I've had many $2000 bases that were not any better.

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If it sounds good and plays well, that's all that's important. They're nice looking basses.

Squier Mustang Bass. No, it's not a Fender. LOL It's a Squier.

Nice little package with great sound and comfort. I like the slack string sound on short scale basses. Full bottom groovy!

In July 1965, I played a week's worth of gigs on a borrowed Precision Bass. The neck felt thick to me. The band I normally played (lead guitar) with had no bassist, so the organist played basslines with his left hand or when I was not playing an intro or solo, I'd play the bass lines on my guitar. When I left to form my own band in fall 1966, I switched to bass because we could not find a good one. Bought an early new Mustang Bass and things were cool.

My second wife bought me a Fender Performer Bass... full scale, but the skinniest neck I have encountered (with 24 frets!). I sold it to get my (still) #1, a Dakota Red Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass. I added a self-modified Squier Paranormal 54 Jazz Bass as a gigging backup.

But for other purposes, I use my Korean remake of the Danelectro 6-string Bass, an Alvarez acoustic electric bass, an Eastwood fretless EUB-1 bass, or one of two Kala fretless U-Basses. (One's an early mahogany acoustic, the other is an acoustic mahogany laminate with a solid cedar top. Both have electric outlets so they can be heard in a band.)

The nicest playing bass I’ve owned is my 55-94 Deluxe Lakland that has been my main axe since 1999 when Dan Lakin sent it to me to try out “for the weekend”. After the first night with it I knew I’d be keeping it.
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...KQ&oe=640ABD0C

I really prefer my Roadworn Jazz bass that I have played in for the past 10-12 years. followed by the other roadworn jazz bass I have played for 2-3 years........then the Suhr Jazz Bass.........

BUT.........

When not playing those or the other fender Jazz, Jag basses.....

I do like this mid 80s Yamaha BB2000. Its neck is just a little large for me but it plays, sounds and feels great.

https://flic.kr/ps/41cjfy
https://flic.kr/p/2okNYhd

https://flic.kr/p/2okNYhd
[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2f4949d5_b.jpg10425037_10204651948043107_3040236154037567728_n by Ken Belmont, on Flickr[/IMG]

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Originally Posted by FrankJohnson

I really prefer my Roadworn Jazz bass that I have played in for the past 10-12 years. followed by the other roadworn jazz bass I have played for 2-3 years........then the Suhr Jazz Bass.........

BUT.........

When not playing those or the other fender Jazz, Jag basses.....

I do like this mid 80s Yamaha BB2000. Its neck is just a little large for me but it plays, sounds and feels great.

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I remember when I saw Nathan East playing a white 5 string bass back around 1984 or so and really wanted to try one of them so I did a three hour trip to a music store that had one in stock. Back in those days the only 5 string bass was the Fender Bass V (but that was strung with a high C) and had talked with Gruhn guitars about one they had. I remember strapping that Yamaha on and grabbing the neck of that BB5000 and thinking “what a horrible bass”. I had played Fender Jazz and Precision basses for twenty years and that Yamaha felt totally alien to me.

I will say that when I played my Lakland for the first time my comment was that the neck was (for me) like grabbing an old friend…really comfortable.

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Originally Posted by Laker

I remember when I saw Nathan East playing a white 5 string bass back around 1984 or so and really wanted to try one of them so I did a three hour trip to a music store that had one in stock. Back in those days the only 5 string bass was the Fender Bass V (but that was strung with a high C) and had talked with Gruhn guitars about one they had. I remember strapping that Yamaha on and grabbing the neck of that BB5000 and thinking “what a horrible bass”. I had played Fender Jazz and Precision basses for twenty years and that Yamaha felt totally alien to me.

I will say that when I played my Lakland for the first time my comment was that the neck was (for me) like grabbing an old friend…really comfortable.

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That is so funny that you use the word Alien.......I use that EXACTLY in that context with so many things and get funny looks.
This one is more like a P bass but not as much taper. That is where it is a bit much for me. It plays so smooth though. the roadworn is like that ONE pair of jeans you always grab first if they are not in the laundry......and then...sometimes you grab em anyway!

I've only owned 2 bass guitars in my life. A 1973 Gibson SB-450 I got in a pawn shop 30 years ago, and a Squire Fretless Jazz bass that I sold about 10 years ago. The Gibson had flatwounds on it, but I put roundwounds on it for more clarity in recordings. I sanded the Gibson down to bare wood (except around the decal) and refinished it because it was in pretty rough shape.

https://i.imgur.com/XIN4NmZ.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/ikp0lFE.jpg

I picked up an SB bass for my wife back in the day, her's has the Tele looking control plate with several switches. I hot rodded it with a Dimarzio HB neck pu ans a Badass heavy brass bridge. She still plays it once in a while!

G&L Fullerton USA LB-100 (P style)
Sire V5 (J style)
Sire P7 (P/J Active)
ESP LTD B5-E (Totally modified)

On a whim, I recently picked up a Stupid Deal of the Day Spector Timbre 4 Jr Short Scale Acoustic-Electric Bass for those days when I want to go low without having to plug in (which is most of the time). I like it!

https://i.postimg.cc/3rDmdns3/IMG-4595.jpg

Sire P7
Sire V5
G&L LB-100 Tribute
G&L LB-100 Fullerton Custom Built
ESP B5-E with Lace Allumitones and Bartolini 5.4 preamp

Here's one.
Italia Imola.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLRRB034/Picsar...-05-59-000.jpg
Here's another.
Dean Exotica
https://i.postimg.cc/05cgrjVR/Picsar...-03-09-362.jpg

All sorts. New sort come tomorrow with a Spector inbound

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Originally Posted by jd56hawk

Here's one.
Italia Imola.
https://i.postimg.cc/VLRRB034/Picsar...-05-59-000.jpg

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I'm liking this one. The body reminds me of of the old Ampeg AUBs from the 60s.

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Originally Posted by jrgtr42

I'm liking this one. The body reminds me of of the old Ampeg AUBs from the 60s.

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I have eleven basses.
That's my favorite.

https://i.postimg.cc/tCQKpZDD/Picsar...-18-21-404.jpg