Mike Dirnt

This was Mike Dirnt's main bass from 1991-1997. After his Peavey Patriot broke (https://youtu.be/VZU1hoTYipY?si=jKUbjhwq8PQ7OCw3) He bought this off of a bassist in Minneapolis, MN. It was used to record Kerplunk, Longview on Dookie, and Insomniac and for every Green Day concert from 1991 until 1996 before he switched to Fender Precision Bass in 1997. However, the G3 made surprise appearance during the 21st Century Breakdown tour at Canada in 2010. It also appears in the music video for "Basket Case" starting at 0:08. It has now also returned on the Dookie 30th Anniversary tour.

Guitar Center, "Smashing Basses with Mike Dirnt of Green Day!", 2007

GC: Tell us about your basses. What do you use and why do you use it?

Mike: Right now, I'm using anything from 1963 to 1974 Fender P-Basses, mostly ash bodies. Sometimes I'll swap out the pickups, if they're dying, to a Seymour Duncan antiquity, which is a pretty hot pickup. I used to use a Gibson G3 bass years ago. I played at least 700 shows out of that thing before Tre accidentally broke the neck on it twice on stage by pushing over my amps.

Bass Player, "Holy Trinity: Mike Dirnt and Green Day", January 20, 2013

On Insomniac, I played my Gibson G3; you can really hear it on Kerplunk and Insomniac. It’s distinctive, like on the intro to “No One Knows.” On Nimrod, that was mostly my ’69 P-Bass and a ’52 Precision, I think.

You seem to favor passive basses.

Some guys have gotten great active sounds, but that’s just never been my world. Actually, on Dookie, I played an active P-Bass that I rented from SIR, because my basses were broken and thrashed from touring. That bass had P/J pickups, but the way I had it set, it might as well have just been a P-Bass. It went through an Éclair Engineering Evil Twin tube DI, and then my 6x10, and an Ampeg SVT. I had the Ampeg for the low end and the extra sub-lows, and then the 6x10 for that classic punch.

It also has 2 of the original pickups and a Bartonini Jazz Pickup (with it being added as the original bridge pickup broke on tour in Europe in 1991) and a Gotoh? Bridge. (https://youtu.be/VZU1hoTYipY?si=jKUbjhwq8PQ7OCw3)

Mike Dirnt has been using the Fender Precision Bass as his main instrument since 1997, alongside his signature model. This is evidenced in the user-uploaded photo from Imago-images.

It was main Mike Dirnt's bass up until July 5th, 1990. The bass was used to record EP's "1,000 Hours", "Slappy" and "Sweet Children"; and their debut LP, "39/Smooth". According to a recent interview with Matt Freeman of Rancid (https://youtu.be/VZU1hoTYipY?si=jKUbjhwq8PQ7OCw3) at around the 2:00 mark Mike says that somewhere in the Midwest around 1990ish the strap broke and they found out that the Patriot’s body had a huge crack in it and at a show in Minneapolis he bought off of another bassist his Gibson G3

Mike used the Kramer 250B June 1994 as a replacement for then-broken Gibson G3 for a few radio concerts, plus for recording Screeching Weasel's "How To Make Enemies and Irritate People". The Kramer was also played by Mike at Woodstock.

According to this article from Guitar Center Mike says "I had a Gibson Ripper bass similar to the Grabber with a Bill Lawrence pickup system, the same thing that Chris Novoselic used to play." now that bass was sold to Mike friend.

in this photo, Mike Dirnt can be seen playing this bass.

Green Day's Mike Dirnt on his signature Fender Road Worn Signature P Bass.

"Making shit happen!!! #MeAndRickKickingOutTheJams! @bassplayunited @rickenbackerbasses" Mike on Instagram talking about using a Rickenbacker 4001

At 0:19 in this live Green Day performance in Trieste, we can see Mike playing a red Fender Mustang Bass

"Some guys have gotten great active sounds, but that’s just never been my world. Actually, on Dookie, I played an active P-Bass that I rented from SIR, because my basses were broken and thrashed from touring. That bass had P/J pickups, but the way I had it set, it might as well have just been a P-Bass." At that time, Fender's only active P/J bass was the Precision Plus, so that must be the bass on Dookie.

Mike Dirnt, bassist for Green Day, used the Squier Mike Dirnt Signature Precision Bass before transitioning to a full Fender model. This is discussed in the Fender video featuring Dirnt himself.

He rarely seen playing with Fender Jazz Bass. but this bass was used during California Music Awards 2001, which was borrowed equipment.

In the Soundcheck411 video from August 31, 2010, Mike Dirnt's Jackson Custom Shop Rhoads Bass is played by Billie Joe Armstrong.

"that was mostly my ’69 P-Bass and a ’52 Precision, I think." Mike word about his Fender Precision '52

During the Pop Disaster Tour, Mike Dirnt gave away his Squier Precision bass, as shown in the user-uploaded photo by Bobgruen.

"#jamescorden tonight with these guys!!! #RevRad"

Also, we can see Mike playing this one here, at 0:36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn9zOvkJ15Q

" And I play a Höfner on one song, “Drama Queen,” which has really fat bass." Mike Dirnt word about Hoffner Viola Bass

In this picture, we can see Mike playing a G&L L1000 Bass

In this photo, we can see Mike playing Sterling by Music Man SUB bass.

taken from @batmansmom's stories. Mike Dirnt can be seen playing this bass.

His collection also includes a Höfner, a black 1982 Gibson Victory bass, a ’65 candy-apple red Jazz Bass, and an Olympic white ’62 P-Bass that “sounds like a Steinway.”

In this video, Mike Dirnt can be seen playing this bass.

In the latest Green Day music video for "Meet Me On The Roof", Mike can be seen playing a Gibson EB-0. It is definitely an EB-0 as opposed to an EB-3, hence the lack of a bridge pickup and two nob configuration. There's a very brief but clear shot of it at 1:15.

At 20:56 in this Premier Guitar video, we can see how Mike's tech show us a Fender Standard Precision Bass Black.

Also this bass use for recording album "American Idiot"

"I used a Les Paul as well, wich was another piece of shit" Mike's word about Gibson Les Paul Bass

At 0:23 in this live performance, we can see Mike playing his Fender Jazz Bass. You can even hear it at 2:15, and it definitely sounds like a Jazz Bass.

During 1997-2002, Mike Dirnt use Mexican Standard Fender Precision Bass for Stage Destruction and he always smash it after performing "When I Come Around" before encore "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

At 0:14, Mike play with Fiesta Red Fender Road Worn P-Bass.

used in their new father of all music video

His collection also includes a Höfner, a black 1982 Gibson Victory bass, a ’65 candy-apple red Jazz Bass, and an Olympic white ’62 P-Bass that “sounds like a Steinway.”