| Chrissy survival story
So some of you may know I recently took Pacman's carved Chrissy off his hands for use here in Tokyo. Pacman - before you read any more of this, RELAX, SHE'S FINE. For the rest of you...
I was on my way to an easy gig - US $200, 20 minutes of music, free buffet and open bar all night. (Nothing ever happens before the "plate of cold nachos and door money" gigs...) I wasn't sure if I'd packed my business cards in the little pouch in the bottom of my mooridian bag, and leaned over the bass while standing it up to check. As I was in the awkward position of hunching over my bass and unzipping the compartment, a little kid, maybe 3 or so, sprints by, trips, and knocks in to the bass... I tried to catch it, but was already off balance and BAM - it landed on the right side, neck and shoulder hitting the concrete floor with a sickening BATHUNK type noise.
The kid ran off, no parents in sight, and I was left with a horror/mystery in a bass bag. I waited a good 5 minutes before I even got up the nerve to look inside and see what awaited me - separated neck? Bridge punched through the body? Cracked and splintered wood everywhere? Blood seeping out of the seams? I didn't want to know.
...I finally opened up the bag on the subway platform, and in a state of disbelief realized the -only- problem was a relatively open seam on the front of the bass, running just an inch short of the neck joint a few inches along the shoulder. The bass was still in tune, the neck was perfect, no cracks, no holes, amazing. I'm going to swing by Yamamoto's shop in Shinjuku tomorrow and use this as an opportunity for a good yearly checkup... Still can't believe this carved bass took a hit like that and survived.
A few things - I will never, EVER lean over my bass like that again. Even with my bass buggie providing some sort of balance point there was no way to catch it...
I wonder how much of this was the bass' construction and how much the bag helped out - not that I've ever thought about straying, but I'll always be a mooridian guy after this!
Sign in to disble this ad
__________________
hoganbass.com
| 
