I've got a Mosrite bass previously owned by the bass player of The Ventures with a letter from his wife. Its currently at my parents house in CA.
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Do you own a famous person's old bass?
- Thread starter LCMBassist
- Start date
As an aside- as far as turning down "famous" basses...
A store I used to frequent had 3 of Cliff Williams' basses on consignment. They were custom made jobs- I think P/J configurations. I don't recall them having volume or tone knobs. Heavy as all hell. One was all black, ebony fretboard, no markers. One was electric blue- ebony fretboard, abalone inlay of a chick crawling up the fretboard. The other one was black, ebony fretboard, and had abalone inlays of penises and testicles where the postion markers would be.
The Blue one was used in the "You Shook Me All Night Long" video. That's cool.
The thing was, they were all really heavy. They all didn't play all that well, IMO (and I really wanted to get the blue one) and they all sounded "dead."
The store actually ended up buying one of Cliff's Gretsch Malcom Young sigs. I got the bridge off that on my Epi Olympic.
Although I haven't seen one in a while, for a few years either one of the black ones would turn up in shops around here.
The same store also used to have Tommy Stinson's old Thunderbird he used in the Replacements. It had been refinished seafoam green and had weights in the back end to reduce the neck dive. I don't remember why I didn't go after that one.
A store I used to frequent had 3 of Cliff Williams' basses on consignment. They were custom made jobs- I think P/J configurations. I don't recall them having volume or tone knobs. Heavy as all hell. One was all black, ebony fretboard, no markers. One was electric blue- ebony fretboard, abalone inlay of a chick crawling up the fretboard. The other one was black, ebony fretboard, and had abalone inlays of penises and testicles where the postion markers would be.
The Blue one was used in the "You Shook Me All Night Long" video. That's cool.
The thing was, they were all really heavy. They all didn't play all that well, IMO (and I really wanted to get the blue one) and they all sounded "dead."
The store actually ended up buying one of Cliff's Gretsch Malcom Young sigs. I got the bridge off that on my Epi Olympic.
Although I haven't seen one in a while, for a few years either one of the black ones would turn up in shops around here.
The same store also used to have Tommy Stinson's old Thunderbird he used in the Replacements. It had been refinished seafoam green and had weights in the back end to reduce the neck dive. I don't remember why I didn't go after that one.
I used to own a Custom Charvel that was once owned by Ole Beich (First Bassist of Guns and Roses & L.A. guns)
I owned a 'Famous Bass' until this morning.
About a month ago, I found a unique looking 5 string fretless for sale on the internet. The seller got it at a pawnshop, where he was told that it belonged to 'Rhonda somebody'. I posted pics here, and the bass was identified as one similar to the kind endorsed by the late, great Rana Ross. who tragically passed away in 2003 of liver failure. I was also told that the unique pickups on it were LightWaves. It was dusty, had no case and had been sitting in a closet for several years. So I bought it.
I did some research, and long story short, it was indeed Rana Ross' one of a kind Hohner with LightWave pickups in it. The bass was apparently built personally by the owner and Founder of Lightwave. It is the one in this poster (Thumbrest and 5th pot added by LightWave after photo shoot):
I contacted an esteemed member of TB (I'll let that person decide if they want to be revealed) and told him what was up. I wanted to make sure that the bass hadn't ended up in that pawnshop because it had been stolen or anything like that. It had not.
Again, to make a long story short, I tried to clean everything up as best I could without wiping away the heritage. I also drove the bass up to LightWave where their Chief Engineer painstakingly and with a smile brought it back to spec. (Fantastic guys at LightWave. Buy a Saber!). It sounded amazing, even with the original strings on it. They had not been changed by the owner, so they are likely Rana's strings.
While this was going on, the TB member and I were talking, and he was communicating with Rana's family to let them know one of Rana's basses had surfaced. Seeing as Rana's family is in possession of much Rana's gear, it seemed that the bass belonged there. So this morning, I had it packed and shipped to her family, where it will reside with the rest of her gear. The guys at LightWave gave me a few of Rana's posters, so I sent a couple of those along with it.
So that's the Cliff Notes version of my one encounter with a famous bass. So much more went on that was fascinating to me but might be boring to everyone else, so I left it out. But in the end, I know that bass means more to her family than it ever could have to me.
To top it all off, it turns out Rana's long awaited solo CD will be out really soon!
About a month ago, I found a unique looking 5 string fretless for sale on the internet. The seller got it at a pawnshop, where he was told that it belonged to 'Rhonda somebody'. I posted pics here, and the bass was identified as one similar to the kind endorsed by the late, great Rana Ross. who tragically passed away in 2003 of liver failure. I was also told that the unique pickups on it were LightWaves. It was dusty, had no case and had been sitting in a closet for several years. So I bought it.
I did some research, and long story short, it was indeed Rana Ross' one of a kind Hohner with LightWave pickups in it. The bass was apparently built personally by the owner and Founder of Lightwave. It is the one in this poster (Thumbrest and 5th pot added by LightWave after photo shoot):
I contacted an esteemed member of TB (I'll let that person decide if they want to be revealed) and told him what was up. I wanted to make sure that the bass hadn't ended up in that pawnshop because it had been stolen or anything like that. It had not.
Again, to make a long story short, I tried to clean everything up as best I could without wiping away the heritage. I also drove the bass up to LightWave where their Chief Engineer painstakingly and with a smile brought it back to spec. (Fantastic guys at LightWave. Buy a Saber!). It sounded amazing, even with the original strings on it. They had not been changed by the owner, so they are likely Rana's strings.
While this was going on, the TB member and I were talking, and he was communicating with Rana's family to let them know one of Rana's basses had surfaced. Seeing as Rana's family is in possession of much Rana's gear, it seemed that the bass belonged there. So this morning, I had it packed and shipped to her family, where it will reside with the rest of her gear. The guys at LightWave gave me a few of Rana's posters, so I sent a couple of those along with it.
So that's the Cliff Notes version of my one encounter with a famous bass. So much more went on that was fascinating to me but might be boring to everyone else, so I left it out. But in the end, I know that bass means more to her family than it ever could have to me.
To top it all off, it turns out Rana's long awaited solo CD will be out really soon!
And a James Trussart Steelcaster that was owned by Cliff Williams of AC/DC:
STUNNING
dukeplaysbass
Supporting Member
Grateful, you are a good man. I've had the pleasure of spending some time with John (Rana's husband) in person, and he is a good dude.
I think you just racked up several dozen kharma points.....
I think you just racked up several dozen kharma points.....
No?
maybe.........2 of 4 were bought new.........the other two were probably owned by James Jamerson or Jaco.......yeah that's it!
I didn't say so
I said, Jason Newsted took appr. 250 of his basses when he left Metallica. Given this, one might assume that at that time he also had a few (hundred?) at home, loads of lumber in his garage or basement, maybe some more at other people's places. 
Thinking of it, from the legal point of view, he might also have been the legit owner of the miserable ones he abandoned in the Metallica's place, and RT has been only a possessor... Or else
I also doubt there's highly objective statistic of how many basses had been lost, forsaken or stolen from Jason by that point, and whether the presciption under the applicable laws had been over
Given this, it is not impossible that each and every Alembic, Hamer, Sadowsky, Music Man, Stuart Spector Design, Aria Pro II, Fender, ESP, Warwick, Guild, Wal, Zon (and there might be others of Jason's that yahoo.com hasn't heard of) of unknown or unproven origin has been owned, possessed, or in any legal or vulgar way affiliated with Jason Newsted.
Why? I don't know
Just Thumpin'
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- Mar 7, 2008
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Here it is. Since the video on youtube was taken, the original Hazlab electronics were replaced with the Mike Pope preamp. So, although the dials and switches are different, you can clearly see that they are in exactly the same locations as previously....
It's the second from the left...
Close up....
My 1957 P Bass formerly owned by Paul Goddard of the Atlanta Rhythm Section. Paul was also a studio musician and used this bass for session work with Roy Orbison, Joe South, the Classics IV and many others. It was also used to record the bass tracks on the first 4 ARS albums and according to Paul, "many live stage pertformances". I purchased the bass in the early '80's when he became a Peavey endorser...for $750. It still has the strings Paul used when he last played it.
Paul played some amazing solos on this bass on "Champagne Jam" and "Another Man's Woman".
I saw a clip of him playing that song with a white Ric 4001, forgot where I saw it but have seen it several times.
He's got a mapleglo Ric 4001 in this clip of Imaginary Lover from You Tube. I think he played them during the late 70's early 80's when they were on top. I'm sure he owned your bass as I've seen many pictures of him with Fenders but the solo in Champagne Jam has the classic Rickenbacker sound. The second url is a picture from their website with pictures from the Champagne jam album.
That's so cool! Is the bass blue, by any chance?I think that Paul Gray was the best bass player that The Damned ever had and his Ric sound was indeed awesome
! There's a track called, "Billy Bad Breaks" on their "Friday 13th E.P.", which starts off with just the bass playing a riff, before everything else kicks in - it has to be one of the best bass tones I've ever heard 
.Wonder what he doing now
?
don't know if there's any truth to this, but my main bass (68 jazz) apparently belonged to the bassist from The Guess Who.
If I understood the previous post correctly, his old Fiesta Red P Bass is the one that was stolen 
.
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I have Stanley Clarkes 1980s Spellbinders--#4 (only right handed long scale in existence..there is 1 leftie that was given to Paul McCartney as a gift) and #3 of 53 short scale
So THAT'S what made that killer bass track! I've always LOVE the bass on that song and wondered what Dee used.
- Feb 24, 2004
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Cool! Now ya know. And if you're ever in Austin let me know and you can play Dee's bass.
Back in the 70s Dee was THE inspiration for my taking up bass so it's an amazing feeling to own one of his basses. It has its own shrine in my home, I played it at church yesterday, it always causes a stir there 'cause people aren't used to seeing such a bass.
That's a sweet looking bass Ronn! Did you ever find out what ever happened to Dee's white Fender Jazz he used so often? That was incredible sounding Jazz.
I think that Paul Gray was the best bass player that The Damned ever had and his Ric sound was indeed awesome
Wonder what he doing now
The blue one he painted in canary yellow and that one got smashed when he was with UFO (the neck started to banana). I loved the sound of that one too and would have loved to have owned that.
Paul reckons that the one I have (fireglo) is the one used on Friday 13th EP inc. Billy Bad Breaks.
Could've been a tall story to get it sold tho!!
Paul is something to do with the Musicians Union in Wales these days. Quite a decent role by all accounts. Superb bassist who doesn't get enough recognition.
