Jaco's prototype 5er?

[Nivlem]

I remember some years ago seeing an eBay auction for a prototype 5-string bass that some luthier/company was making for Jaco before his death. It was going to be his signature bass or something like that. Of course I didn't bookmark the page, and now I can't find any information about this bass anywhere.

Anybody has any info on Jaco's mythical 5er?

(BTW, I think it was fretted.)

[Mike McGibney]

He allegedly signed something to become an endorsee for Jaydee, a British manufacturer - does that ring a bell? Not sure about it being a 5 though.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by Mike McGibney

He allegedly signed something to become an endorsee for Jaydee, a British manufacturer - does that ring a bell? Not sure about it being a 5 though.

Yes, Jaco had two Jaydee basses shortly before his death, IIRC.

Don't forget that Jaco played an Abe Rivera bass in the Modern Electric Bass instructional video.

He also had a 5 string acoustic bass, of which I know nothing about.

[THand]

Originally Posted by line6man

He also had a 5 string acoustic bass, of which I know nothing about.

1974 acoustic bass guitar

Jaco and luthier Larry Breslin co-designed a fretless, 5-string acoustic bass guitar with a high C string; upon completion, Jaco paid Breslin $500. It featured a 34"-scale neck with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with maple veneer fretmarkers, Brazilian rosewood back and sides and a spruce top. Jaco strung it with Rotosound roundwounds. In later years, the headstock broke off and Jaco brought the bass to Kaufman. He still has it.

[coronado3]

That would have been weird.... Jaco with a Jaydee.

[bassbrad]

Originally Posted by line6man

Don't forget that Jaco played an Abe Rivera bass in the Modern Electric Bass instructional video.
.

The Abe Rivera bass belonged to Jerry Jemott, he later had it fretted.

[JDGA fan]

Originally Posted by line6man

Yes, Jaco had two Jaydee basses shortly before his death, IIRC.

Not quite accurate. Jaydee (John Diggins) received an open commission through his then US distributor to build a bass for Jaco. This stemmed from Jaco trying a cherryburst Jaydee Mark King bass at a clinic he did for BIT and for whatever reason not having his own bass available to use. Jaco either selected or was given the Jaydee to play (do a search on YouTube for the video footage - he's playing with Frank Gambale I think). Jaco was supposedly quite impressed with the Jaydee. John decided to build him matching fretted and fretless jazz basses based on a '62 Fender jazz bass - all were 4 strings. These basses were alder bodied, painted gloss black, plain (i.e., unlined) ebony fingerboards in the case of the fretless bases, not sure about the fretted instruments, with active EMG P/U's, passive controls and black schaller hardware (bridge, knobs, control plate, tuners, etc.) and Jaco's name on the headstock. Up to 6 basses were planned (3 fretless and 3 fretted). Jaco died before he received any of the basses and IIRC not all of them were completed. Following Jaco's death the completed instruments were sold through music stores (at least one was sold through what was then Musical Exchanges in Birmingham and one may have gone to the Bass Center in London). Hope that helps clear things up.

[Lazylion]

Jaco w/acoustic 5-string.