I had a whole string of crap guitars and even made a bass out of a guitar. That thing was aweful. I didnt have a good one until I was 25 when I purchased an Ibanez bass new off of the shelf in a little music shop in Little Rock Arkansas. That bass was stolen from me when the church I was attending and playing in the band, got broken into and all the music gear stolen.
Long story short the church insurance got me the Fender I have to this very day to replace my Ibanez. Its my favorite bass I have had others but they came and are gone while my Fender remains.

I have no faith in human perfectability. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago. Edgar Allan Poe