If I wasn't mistaken, I'd swear the Sonic Blue(?) looks over Aztec/Shoreline Gold.
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- Thread starter JIO
- Start date
Sure looks like it. Very cool. I'd guess Firemist given both the shade and year (thinking about '65 based on the decal). White base coat under that. Aztec Gold is a later color.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,611
- 222,118
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
You're spot on with the year as there is a receipt that comes with the bass dating from 10/65.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,611
- 222,118
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Yah, it somewhat reminds me of Bobby Vega's "shark bass" - just part of its history.
Remember these basses used to just be old, and their owners used to be young.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,611
- 222,118
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Only thing I did back when I had my first bass was use colored tape on the pg to look like a red/white/blue US flag. Flags were a thing in the late '60s - in a counter-culture sort of way. Never put stickers or decals on any bass I owned, at least not for long.
I have a '63 'green' Jazz Bass guard and if looking at it with UV light can clearly see the outline of one of the typical late 60's flower power stickers. Invisible otherwise. I think it's pretty cool...
Both look pretty young there to me!
Great example. Love the look. Again, around '65 so gold under the red which I think pushes it more towards that copper look.
The red in CAR and sunburst has always been really prone to sun fade. Some years more than others, particularly on the sunbursts (late '59, '60 and '61 it's really common - seems like they made it stronger by '62).
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Flower power! Those were quite popular along with the peace sign.
I did have a Felix the Cat sticker for a brief time on an ‘82 G&L L-1000.
What can I say about Paul? The man never ages.
There was even a nicer example of this copper/CAR flashing on a P bass from Elderly Instruments out of Lansing, MI. Early 70’s. Wish I had saved the photos. Someone scooped it up for under 2K.
I wish I had a better pic of this but here's a photo I took of Jeff Ament in Big Sur in '96. Bass is a '56 IIRC and a copper metallic color - a regular metallic, not a 'candy' color (CAR started in '63 so far as I know - and pretty much anything prior to 1960 was a true special order). Never seen another like it.
Great photo! A foreshortened view of the bass, but hey! Look at that proximity!
I take it you still help run the Monterey Jazz Festival?
Great photo! A foreshortened view of the bass, but hey! Look at that proximity!
Covid kind of threw things sideways with MJF and my venue/stage is one of two that have not reopened. Hopefully in the future but who knows...
I also have a front perspective shot with that bass but it's silhouetted so can't see the color at all.
To be honest, I was never a really big fan of CAR until seeing some of these older examples of the ambering.
