Starting back in 1978, here is the first bass the DNA Vibrator played on: A Kay Upright Double Bass.
Then, in 1980, DNA saved its nickels and dimes and bought this beautiful Fender Jazz Bass:
It had the Fender for a long while. While it had the Fender, it got a generic bass and cut it up, but there were no pictures of it that DNA could find. While DNA was in college, it refinished the Fender twice, and ultimately sold it when money was tight. There was a time at which DNA had no bass, and thought about not playing music anymore. God would not have that.
Next, in 1988, DNA bought a Peavey T 40. It sucked, but it was only thing DNA could afford.
However, in 1989, after its student loans came in, DNA bought a super double kick ass G&L L 2000 bass. Here is an action shot, and then a cleaner view of a G&L that DNA pulled off of the web:
Then, for about 6 months, DNA became the caretaker for a terrific Guild Pilot bass, which can be heard on the "tim Our Leader" CD the Coolies put out (approximately 1991). Even though it never owned the Guild, it sure felt like it:
The Blue G&L was truly a magnificent bass. But it was heavy. As the Coolies all graduated college, the band broke up, and DNA sold the G&L to Mark Grobel, from the band Diet Christ. Couldn't have went to a better fellow. That was the spring of 1991. At that time, DNA had started building his own guitars. DNA's first, and one it still has, is pictured next:
This is the same bass, that years later (2005) The DNA Vibrator put back together and refinished in gold for the big reunion show it did. Here is is, in its new coat of paint:
After this, DNA made another bass, which it called the Liver bass, because its color was a metallic purple that in the right light looked like a kind of sick liver color. DNA does not have a picture of this bass, which it regrets, because although it did not have it long, it did play well. Then DNA made the green spider bass. Here is a picture of it:
This is the bass that the first DNA record and the last Crank CD was recorded with. It had a full P style and J style EMG active pick up configuration, which made it sound bad ass.
Then, in about 1992, DNA bought a beautiful Ibanez SDGR bass.
It had this bass for a short time. It was just a little too pretty, and frankly, couldn't compete with either DNA's black bass or its green bass. About this time, DNA sold it and the liver bass. In 1993-94, DNA saw and really liked this Samick 5 string, which it had until very recently:
The Samick became the back up for the black bass. On a whim, in 2000, DNA picked up this Les Paul bass:
It didn't hang on to it long. Traded it for some recording gear and an SR 16 drum machine. This has been the state of affairs for some time, until 2007, when DNA bought a new Traben:
So, for a few years, DNA's gear looked like this:
DNA got the hankering again in February of 2009 and added a beautiful Ibanez ATK bass and a nice little Acoustic brand bass combo.
DNA doesn't know why his wife loosens the purse strings sometime after April, but she does. He doesn't question it, but he does do some bass buying.
This year, (2010) DNA ordered one of these babies:
A Schecter DV-4.
Unfortunately, this bass was/still is on backorder, and after a couple of months, DNA decided enough was enough. He ordered one of these:
This was a Steinberger Spirit with an adjustable drop tuner.
It arrived broken. So, DNA packed it up, and a few weeks later received another one of these:
It arrived broken as well. At the end of the neck, the fitting which held the ball end of the string is screwed into the neck wood. The wood was split along each of the screws. DNA did some reading, and found that this was a problem with this model. The real problem DNA had was that after the first Steinberger arrived broken, he called and had a long talk with the folks he ordered it from, and ask them to please inspect the next bass before it shipped, so that any obvious problems, like, oh, two or three splits in the neck, would be caught before it was sent out to DNA.
After that bass, DNA decided it was not worth tempting fate three times, even though DNA loved the way the Steinberger felt and played. So, instead, he ordered this funky chicken:
A Washburn Taurus T-24
What a nice little bass. It is light, smooth, reminiscent of a jazz in tone, and best of all, ARRIVED, and then WAS NOT BROKEN. Here is a picture of it at home in the living room:
After the Washburn, DNA found a great deal on a guess what, the Schecter DV-4 that he couldn't get from Musician's Friend, and not long after that, couldn't turn away from a deal that was just too good to be true on a Warwick Corvette Rockbass. Within a few months of that, he also found a great deal on a Fernandes Tremor Deluxe.
The stable was set for a little while. Then, he had an opportunity to trade the Washburn and the Ibanez for Tobias bass. Of course, he took that opportunity, trading way up the food chain. After that, he had the Fernandes, the Tobias, the Schecter DV-4, the Warwick, and the homegrown loaded with Alembics. This is what the cavalcade of basses looked like at that time:
Since then, DNA has added an SWR Big Ben cabinet to his rig, and painted them his signature color:
Not one to let a stone gather moss, DNA sold his Fernandes in the summer of 2011, and purchased a new Traben John Moyer signature bass, (lovin' the double humbuckers) and a Peavey Tragic pxd bass.
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DNA has his sights on one or two more basses. Yes, money from gigs has been good to DNA.
Finally, here is a concept bass that DNA drew up many years ago, but has recently gotten the urge to make. If DNA can scrounge up the time, it will make this bass:
So, now, DNA has its great old stand by, the first bass it ever made, a terrific Warwick, a beautiful Tobias, a great playing Schecter, a thick sounding Traben, and a heavy sounding Peavey. DNA's list of never-owned used to include about half of these nameplates. DNA has never owned a Rickenbacker, Musicman, Pedullah, Kubicki, Roscoe, etc. Maybe day, he will. Until then, this is where the bass page ends.
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