Identify this Bass Please!

[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.

For context here is the later pic with the Kustom and what appears to be a Gibson bass?

 

[5StringBlues]

For context here is the later pic with the Kustom and what appears to be a Gibson bass?

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Cab pointed backward. Someone thought he was too loud l guess.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

For context here is the later pic with the Kustom and what appears to be a Gibson bass?

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Now that bass is a Les Paul Recording which would also be very cool to have.

 

[JIO]

Cab pointed backward. Someone thought he was too loud l guess.

Possibly worked pointed against the curtain to absorb some of that blobby bass sound which was common then.

 

[JIO]

For context here is the later pic with the Kustom and what appears to be a Gibson bass?

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Great pic - my oldest pic from 1967 as a young teen - I wanted a Kustom amp but unfortunately couldn't afford one...

 

[benyawn]

Now that bass is a Les Paul Recording which would also be very cool to have.

Indeed. Interesting choice for a live country western type gig

 

[Michedelic]

Indeed. Interesting choice for a live country western type gig

And they weren’t cheap, especially compared to any kind of Fender bass. Marshall Grant, with Johnny Cash in that time period, used an Epiphone Newport which had similarities to a Gibson EB-0, so there were a few non-Fender choices.

 

[JIO]

And they weren’t cheap, especially compared to any kind of Fender bass. Marshall Grant, with Johnny Cash in that time period, used an Epiphone Newport which had similarities to a Gibson EB-0, so there were a few non-Fender choices.

Exactly. I played my '64 Thunderbird II (still own/play it) in a blues band in Chicago in the '80s (Eddie Taylor Blues Band) and never thought twice about it "fitting in". It was a bass, it made bass sounds and no-one ever made note of it.

 

[JIO]

Same body and neck... pg & control plate are different - Teisco EB-18 ... Many Japanese basses then were made up of similar parts and badged in many brand names.

 

[benyawn]

Yeah I've seen quite a few variations of this bass and it unmistakable based on the rectangles on the frets. Would be cool to see the headstock and such to really get the exact model but this one may just be lost to time. This is definitely the best bet so far though.

Same body and neck... pg & control plate are different - Teisco EB-18 ... Many Japanese basses then were made up of similar parts and badged in many brand names.

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[JIO]

After discovering the 1967 pic of me playing my 1st bass, I found one like it and after some substantial restoration/refinishing...

it was originally brown-burst -

...like the one this guy is playing

 

[kesslari]

Not a clue here....but you think that guitarist had enough amplifier for the gig? Sheesh...

That's why the guitar player is smiling...