We all make the mistake. We get too good for that first bass.. 30 years after the fact, I searched and replaced the original 3 basses I owned to have them once again. The picture I have with this includes 4 basses. They are the first 4 I ever bought. So the story goes -
1979 I received a 1975 Aria A-200 for Christmas. By 1982 I sold it for $75 and bought my 1982 Peavey T-20FL (Fretless) for $225 New. In early 1983, the Peavey was traded for the 1979 Washburn Vulture II. Early 1984 the Washburn was traded for the 1983 Hondo Longhorn Model 1181. I still own my Longhorn. Never would I sell it. In the past 3 years I have purchased replacements of those first 3 basses.. The three that I have purchased are not originally mine and a all slightly different than the originals I had, but they all bring me back. In order -
1975 Aria A-200 - All original and unrestored.. Plays perfectly fine.
1982 Peavey T-20FL w./OHSC - put back to original. Had different tuners on it when I bought it, but the originals have been put back on
1978 Daion Wing Washburn Prototype... Well, I just could not pass this one up. It is the prototype of my production bass that I had. This is all original and complete. There was a bad neck break at some point in it's life and was repaid rather poorly, but my luthier will repair it correctly when I have to means to have it repaired. This one was made in Waco, TX by Daion and is a very early example of this bass.
1983 Hondo Longhorn Model 1181 w/OHSC - Matsumoku's expensive bass. $750 list for this baby.. I am the original owner. This bass is stock. Over the years of very hard use and playing in nearly 40 states with it, I have had to replace the jack, both volume and tone pots and the phase paddle switch. In 1990 while working at LeBlanc/Holton instruments, I had the guys refinish the brass tail piece for me, but since then, I have again worn off all the finish.