Recent content by JonEHop

When I got my P-Bass in 1964 to play Rock 'n Roll I played with a pick. I mean didn't Paul McCartney? As time went on, I adopted The Thumb approach and would go back to the pick when 4-5 nights a week made my thumb bleed. Fingers I use on the Upright. My view is that the different Bass...

The Rock n' Roll Band in which I was the singer had no Bass Player, so I bought one: a brand new Fender P Bass (1963) at age 18 in 1964. I'm still playing it in a Blues/Rock Band. Ain't life grand!?!

So this tells how old I am, but I bought my 63 P Bass in Aug. 1964, because the R&R band in which I was the fairly new singer did not have a Bass player. It was stolen out of my house by some teenagers in the area, but I tracked them down by convincing a neighbor that his boys might know who...

I was rushing out the door and garbled my message! I'll start over: I have a 34" Stephen Sukop Bass with LaBella Flatwounds, 45/65/85/105/125. There is no flabby, wobbly sound from the B string. It is very strong and tight. Really a great sound!!

Oops, I string it with 45/65/85/105/125

Here is my answer for any 5 string bass blues. My Stephen Sukop Bass. Great feel, great sound! Not floppy!

This is my answer for any 5 string issues. A Stephen Sukop 5 string. This baby plays and sounds fabulous. I selected it a Bass Player Live convention after playing all the big name Bass manufacturers who were there. I string it with La Bella Stainless Steel Flats, 45/65/85/105.

My photo has my rebuilt Red P Bass, but I want include my original 1963 P Bass which I bought new and still play out on occasion. It has a number of stories to tell, but that is another story. It still plays like a dream and has a sound only vintage can produce!!

I don't need to post a photo of my first Bass Amp, cause you all know how it looked... I bought my 1963 Fender P Bass in August of 1964 from Happy Hank's (Henry's Music Store) in Akron, OH. That was all the money I had (couldn't even afford a case, so wrapped it in a bedspread) so I played...

I think this Sukop 5 string with Spalted Maple Burl is beautiful!!

The bass I'm playing in my photo is a late 90's Fender Squire Precision Bass made in Mexico. My bandmate who owns a Music Store where I saw it says that in that time period Fender was suffering with bad publicity about the lack of quality of the Mexican instruments, so they put more effort and...

In 2007, I bought this Mexican made Red P-Bass cheap and remade it with '62 pickups and new wiring and pots, etc. I've got $300 in it and it is my go-to bass for outdoor gigs and funky bars. It is not quite up to my original '63 P-Bass, but nobody else but an expert can tell the difference...

My 2 favorite Basses are my Fender 1963 P Bass that I bought new in Akron, Ohio, and my Stephen J. Sukop 5 String Spalted Maple Burl over Alder with Ziricote Rosewood Fretboard on a Hardrock Maple and Purpleheart 5 piece neck through with Bartolini pickups and preamp, from Angelfire, NM!

Those are some mighty pretty basses so far! Have you checked out Stephen J. Sukop's work? This one is a 5 string with Spalted Maple Burl. The Beauty does not stop with the looks; the construction, the sound and the feel are enhanced beauty!! Go to his website Sukop Basses – finest...