Identify this Bass Please!

[Zooberwerx]

The pic itself is cool on about 17 different levels.

Qualifies as one of the great “Oti”, the other 3 being Otis Redding, Otis Elevators, and Otis the Mayberry drunk.

Riis

 

[JIO]

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similar...

 

[Dynacord]

similar...

Yeah, they made a bunch of different models (very radical pickguards on some) and they were also rebadged under different names but I believe one of those variants.

Also that pic is missing the chrome bridge cover.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I had a Japanese bass with those pickups. I liked how they sounded

 

[Dynacord]

View attachment 7536616

I had a Japanese bass with those pickups. I liked how they sounded

Love that guard That looks much like the one the bass player was playing with Nina Simone in Summer of Soul.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Love that guard That looks much like the one the bass player was playing with Nina Simone in Summer of Soul.

Similar

 

[JIO]

View attachment 7536616

I had a Japanese bass with those pickups. I liked how they sounded

 

[Dynacord]

Similar

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Ah, that is different than I remembered.

 

[Michedelic]

That's a big loud Fender 2x15 cab amp!

Classic Dual Showman rig with JBL’s, often used for bass in those days. They should have switched amps.

 

[benyawn]

By the way….

Dude that's awesome! I have a few LPs from back in the day but some of the really early stuff is hard to find.

 

[benyawn]

So for posterity and clarity I can add that my dad the bass player was Vester Yawn. His brother and my uncle Ottice Yawn is the singer to his right. I know it adds nothing to the bass identification but its important to me lol

 

[JIO]

Classic Dual Showman rig with JBL’s, often used for bass in those days. They should have switched amps.

"More bass"

 

[JIO]

So for posterity and clarity I can add that my dad the bass player was Vester Yawn. His brother and my uncle Ottice Yawn is the singer to his right. I know it adds nothing to the bass identification but its important to me lol

Very cool - a nice keepsake of your musical roots!

 

[Michedelic]

"More bass"

View attachment 7536795

That version has the drip edge trim, circa 1969. It’s funny how CBS Fender, even after enlarging the Bassman cab and making it upright, still kept the 12” speakers. The Showman had 100 watts(as opposed to 50 for the Bassman/Bandmaster), and while not specifically meant as a bass amp, players still sticking with Fender(as opposed to moving on to Kustom, Sunn, then Acoustic and a revamped Ampeg)gravitated to those bigger rigs with the 15’s and increased power. Eventually the Bassman got 15’s, but those cabs were ridiculously shallow, and not ported well.

 

[benyawn]

That version has the drip edge trim, so I think it’s from around 1969(?). It’s funny how CBS Fender, even after enlarging the Bassman cab and making it upright, still kept the 12” speakers. The Showman had 100 watts(as opposed to 50 for the Bassman/Bandmaster), and while not specifically meant as a bass amp, players still sticking with Fender(as opposed to moving on to Kustom, Sunn, then Acoustic and a revamped Ampeg)gravitated to those bigger rigs with the 15’s and increased power. Eventually the Bassman got 15’s, but those cabs were ridiculously shallow, and not ported well.

It is interesting that this was used for guitar here. I can say that photos from a few years later (Mid 70s?) show my dad playing through what looks like a 200w Kustom with a 215

 

[JIO]

That version has the drip edge trim, circa 1969. It’s funny how CBS Fender, even after enlarging the Bassman cab and making it upright, still kept the 12” speakers. The Showman had 100 watts(as opposed to 50 for the Bassman/Bandmaster), and while not specifically meant as a bass amp, players still sticking with Fender(as opposed to moving on to Kustom, Sunn, then Acoustic and a revamped Ampeg)gravitated to those bigger rigs with the 15’s and increased power. Eventually the Bassman got 15’s, but those cabs were ridiculously shallow, and not ported well.

I remember hearing bands then playing in echo-y auditoriums and the bass was a loud pillow of indistinguishable low-end!

 

[Michedelic]

It is interesting that this was used for guitar here. I can say that photos from a few years later (Mid 70s?) show my dad playing through what looks like a 200w Kustom with a 215

The original Showman, blond with a single JBL 15, was developed by Leo in collaboration with Dick Dale. Due to his high visability and ferocious playing at the time, he was one of the earliest guitar god shedders, and would often blow amps up. It was meant to be a Bandmaster on steroids, or something like that, and the upgrade to JBL’s was part of the package. Initially at 85 watts, when the second 15” was added(hence the “Dual” applied to the model name), that was upped to 100. They hadn’t quite thought about how bass needed more power, but that didn’t stop bass players from picking up on what was theoretically a guitar amp for awhile, until the other brands came along with bass specific design cabs and whatnot. The Kustom “200” name was a bit of a fib; peak watts perhaps, but basically only 100.

 

[Michedelic]

I remember hearing bands then playing in echo-y auditoriums and the bass was a loud pillow of indistinguishable low-end!

Most of those places were built in the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, and acoustics coping with electronically amplified sound were not even thought about. I think that some might have been designed/built to actually enhance the output of a lone speaking or singing voice. Anything built in the 50’s certainly didn’t take into account the infernal racket of that gawdawful rock’n’roll noise garbage that those darn kids were listening to. If you can call that stuff music.

 

[benyawn]

The original Showman, blond with a single JBL 15, was developed by Leo in collaboration with Dick Dale. Due to his high visability and ferocious playing at the time, he was one of the earliest guitar god shedders, and would often blow amps up. It was meant to be a Bandmaster on steroids, or something like that, and the upgrade to JBL’s was part of the package. Initially at 85 watts, when the second 15” was added(hence the “Dual” applied to the model name), that was upped to 100. They hadn’t quite thought about how bass needed more power, but that didn’t stop bass players from picking up on what was theoretically a guitar amp for awhile, until the other brands came along with bass specific design cabs and whatnot. The Kustom “200” name was a bit of a fib; peak watts perhaps, but basically only 100.

Oh interesting. I saw Dick Dale back in 99 in a little dive bar in Mobile AL. Great show! Completely ripped on the guitar. I still have the tshirt he handed me at the end of the show

 

[JIO]

Most of those places were built in the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, and acoustics coping with electronically amplified sound were not even thought about. I think that some might have been designed/built to actually enhance the output of a lone speaking or singing voice. Anything built in the 50’s certainly didn’t take into account the infernal racket of that gawdawful rock’n’roll noise garbage that those darn kids were listening to. If you can call that stuff music.

For sure - don't miss that experience!