• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Does anyone own a famous Bass?

#121
I don't have a bass, but my Mesa 400+ head has been in two big norwegian rock bands. Amulet and Turbonegro. I was actually very impressed with the state of it when I got it, you would think those guys beat up their equipment, but no sir, it's nearly mint.:)
 
#122
davidprice said:
I had the '64 Thunderbird Tyran Porter used in the Doobie Bros and on a lot of their recordings and here is a pic I took of Jeff Ament with my old '65 Fiesta Red Jazz Bass:
34120_423485238944_519248944_4375184_3730484_n.jpg
Click to expand...

That's pretty cool, what's the story? Did you lend it/rent it out, or was he the previous owner?
 
#126
DylanB said:
That's pretty cool, what's the story? Did you lend it/rent it out, or was he the previous owner?
Click to expand...

He owns it now and I doubt he'll ever sell it.

I'm the previous owner - he played that bass when he was at my place a long time ago and I sold it to him a year or two later. This must be about 15 years ago. I saw him with the band during the summer and I was very happy to see he had it with him. It's a great bass. He has one of the coolest basses with history I've ever seen: a 1959 Jazz Bass (yes, you read that right - they made about half a dozen as sales demos before they went into production in 1960 - and after the couple prototypes with the larger Jazzmaster type pickups) that had previously belonged to John Paul Jones and been used with Led Zep -- and, of course, he's used it with Pearl Jam.
 
#127
davidprice said:
He owns it now and I doubt he'll ever sell it.

I'm the previous owner - he played that bass when he was at my place a long time ago and I sold it to him a year or two later. This must be about 15 years ago. I saw him with the band during the summer and I was very happy to see he had it with him. It's a great bass. He has one of the coolest basses with history I've ever seen: a 1959 Jazz Bass (yes, you read that right - they made about half a dozen as sales demos before they went into production in 1960 - and after the couple prototypes with the larger Jazzmaster type pickups) that had previously belonged to John Paul Jones and been used with Led Zep -- and, of course, he's used it with Pearl Jam.
Click to expand...

1959 Fender Jazz prototype ?
Wow, never heard of it before. That`s a true gem.
 
#128
Papersen said:
1959 Fender Jazz prototype ?
Wow, never heard of it before. That`s a true gem.
Click to expand...

To clarify -- there were at least 2 prototypes which had earlier pickups which were larger than 'normal' Jazz Bass pickups and had the 3-knob set-up. We had one of these at Real Guitars in San Francisco when I worked there in the early '90s (I still kick myself for not buying it - it was refinished and not too expensive at the time). After those, Fender made a small batch (I've heard 6 to 10) that were sales samples -- these were still made in 1959 and it is one of these that Jeff has (or had - I've not asked about it since but can't imagine he would have sold it). I've played it and it is an exceptional bass. Yes, a true gem.

Another odd-ball Jazz Bass I saw back then was I was at Norm Harris' shop on a Sunday when they were closed and he showed me a bunch of instruments from his personal collection (a Sea-Foam Green Jazz to die for....) including Freddie Tavaris' personal Jazz Bass with an ebony board (NOT dark Brazilian Rosewood) - the only pre-CBS Jazz Bass with one so far as he knew.
 
#129
davidprice said:
To clarify -- there were at least 2 prototypes which had earlier pickups which were larger than 'normal' Jazz Bass pickups and had the 3-knob set-up. We had one of these at Real Guitars in San Francisco when I worked there in the early '90s (I still kick myself for not buying it - it was refinished and not too expensive at the time).
Click to expand...

There's a picture of said 3 knob prototype on page 26 of The Fender Bass Book. Very strange to see a J with those soapbar-style PUPs.
 
#134
bucephylus said:
Most awesome. That has to be the grand daddy of popular music basses. Did he actually write songs on that bass? Man what stories that instrument could tell.... That's our heritage right there.
Click to expand...

Yes, he wrote on that - and piano - and I believe that one bass was on pretty much everything he played on at Chess including all the Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, et al blues but all the early Chuck Berry rock stuff as well - and his own stuff of course. Hands down the winner as far as I'm concerned - it was his main bass and not just one of many that a famous player happened to own. It's like Jamerson's funk machine or Jaco's bass of doom or McCartney's Hofner...
 
#137
davidprice said:
Yes, he wrote on that - and piano - and I believe that one bass was on pretty much everything he played on at Chess including all the Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, et al blues but all the early Chuck Berry rock stuff as well - and his own stuff of course. Hands down the winner as far as I'm concerned - it was his main bass and not just one of many that a famous player happened to own. It's like Jamerson's funk machine or Jaco's bass of doom or McCartney's Hofner...
Click to expand...
Agreed, those would be the four reference points for me; and this one is for me the most awesome. Maybe one of Duck's basses too. Wish someone would find Jamerson's bass...

This thread would be a good sticky if it were limited to actual gig/recording machines and not the one time use on Austin City Limits adverts.
 
#138
I own a Gibson EB-2 and Bassman 10 that belonged to The Grand Ole Opry. Ricky Skaggs purchased the rig for his cousin whom I purchased it from. Steve Skaggs resides in Lexington, KY. Steve used the bass on a supporting tour with Johnny Cash and whole lot more artists including Skaggs. I have photos of Skaggs & Cash with Steve playing the bass through a 50watt bassman 10...
 
#139
bucephylus said:
Agreed, those would be the four reference points for me; and this one is for me the most awesome. Maybe one of Duck's basses too. Wish someone would find Jamerson's bass...

This thread would be a good sticky if it were limited to actual gig/recording machines and not the one time use on Austin City Limits adverts.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I've known a lot of name bass players and they get so many freebee endorsement instruments that just having owned it often doesn't mean a whole lot. Agree also on Duck - Tommy Cogbill's P-bass means a lot to me.
Still, Willie's bass is the granddaddy of them all.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back