Have you ever played someone's famous bass?

[roller]

Any fun tales about getting to play someone's famous bass?

Not looking for stories about playing the same model; I'm talking about an actual instrument that was owned by a famed player.

... and for those planning on saying "Mine," yeah... I just got that out of the way for everyone. Ha..... ha..... ha.

 

[Jakeman]

I once got to sit in for George Porter, Jr., using his bass. Playing a Meters tune on that bass was a New Orleans musician's dream come true.

 

[SteveC]

I played Jimmy Haslip's Roscoe. Had a lesson with him as well. It was in June of 2012 in North Carolina. He's an amazing player and person. Personable, patient, and skilled. So worth the trip.

 

[scuzzy]

i got to play (one of) Nathan East's signature Yamaha's at a quad city music store in Iowa the day before he held a clinic there. to this day, it is still the finest playing bass I have ever played.

 

[TolerancEJ]

This would my closest brush with an instrument belonging to a professionally signed artist. Not a bass, but a friend of mine bought a Gibson Les Paul from one of the guys from a Canadian band, Haywire. The Les Paul was included in their music video for Short End of a Wishbone. My friend let me try the guitar a few times.

 

[brashap]

A couple of Phil Lesh's basses. His short scale Barelion is super solid. I've also giggled on his old Modulus "Irwin" shaped black bass... really interesting. Can't play it like a normal bass.

 

[stigbeve]

The closest I ever came to anything like that was holding a Yamaha bass signed by Michael Anthony. Obviously not one he played. Sammy Hagar signed it as well. They also wrote "The Other Guys" on it.

 

[JACink]

I own one of Scott Whitley's old basses (the creator of the SWB-1 and a fine bass player). Not sure if it counts, but I have definitely played it

 

[bikeplate]

Surely. Billy Sheehans “wife”, one of Will Lee’s Sadowsky’s, one of Vic’s Fodera’s. Bought a Sadowsky owned by Oscar Cartaya. And the silver bongo 5 string john myung used for a couple tours. My friend owns it now

 

[bobthegood]

I have one of Tad Kinchla's (Blues Traveler) 5'ers. It's a Sandberg, heavy as hell, plays like a dream. One of the bands I play with include older sit down blues guys, and this is the perfect bass.

 

[WoodyJ]

Yes, the 1957 (11-57 neck date) Fender Precision in my avatar. It belonged to the late Paul Goddard - Atlanta Rhythm Section, Roy Orbison's Candymen, Joe South, the Classics IV along with a ton of studio work at Studio One in Doraville, GA. The first three ARS albums were recorded with this bass prior to Paul switching to a Peavey and later a Ric 4001. I was fortunate to buy it from Paul in 1980 or thereabouts and still have it, still with the last set of strings that Paul installed.

 

[leemelone]

I played Rachel Bolan of Skid Row Spector backstage before a a show I worked back in 2000. His tech was turning it up and I told him I had a Kramer era Spector too and asked if I could play it. Mine's nicer.

 

[Vinnie Boombatz]

Not a bass, but I own a Gibson AJ that was supposedly previously owned by Joe Bonamassa and was a backup that was taken on the road for one of his tours. Back of the headstock has a fair amount of wear on it from a hanger and it apparently suffered a broken neck at some point. The shop owner is a known close friend of Joe's father, and it apparently made it's way to the shop a little while ago when Joe's father brought a lot of guitars in that he wanted to get rid of.

 

[Oddly]

I've played Phil Lynott's black Precision briefly at an annual celebration of Phil in Dublin.
And, to turn the topic around, Adam Clayton has played (and bought) a black Fender Tele bass I owned in the mid-eighties.

 

[Tanner5382]

Played a bass used by Paul McCartney for a specific album.

 

[nostatic]

I've played one of Vic's Foderas, but my better story is that he tracked with one of my Foderas. I was doing volunteer staff duty for camp and ended up crashing at his place prior. I set up my sleeping bag in his studio and I had one of my Monarch 4s with me. He asked to check it out, I obliged, and he then used it for the next couple hours while I drifted off to sleep after a long day of travel. Not sure if that ever made it on the Sword and Stone album.

 

[InnerBass]

I bought Bob Glaub’s personal bass that he gave to Andrew Gold. BG USA #01.

Mo gave her some love and she’s all original and perfect.

Just Wow!

 

[tlite]

Not a bass, but my neighbor has a strat that was Eric Clapton's. Played that.

It is super nice- sounds great. Customized active electronics were added to it for Clapton- it was passive stock. It was cool to play- interesting to see how Clapton had it modded.

However, I prefer my Fender American Standard strat to Clapton's strat. Just goes to show everybody prefers their gear set up their own way.

Not to take anything away from that up and coming Clapton guy, though. I predict he's going to be big one of these days...

 

[MEKer]

IIRC, 1979 I played Tim Bogert's (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck-Bogert+Appice) Kramer aluminum neck and he played my 1969 Ric 4001 while we were fooling around at Ron Bushy's studio/abode in Granada Hills, CA. Did not care for the alum neck (he liked it) although I kept mum about my impression. But sure liked Tim!

Did not think it was too cool to tell Tim Bogert that his bass sucked......

 

[bholder]

Is it supposed to be the someone or the bass that's famous?