the late David Brown layin' down the Santana sound

I don't. I assumed he played a stock P-bass back then. Is that photo photoshopped?
I just know his bass sounded so great on those 1st 2-3 albums. Great mix, great tone.

 

Don't know anything about the bass, but he used it at the Altamont Speedway show on December 6. 1969 (getty images attributes this photo to that concert).



I saw then in the early 70s, but don't recall is he was in the band at the time. I'll check my concert photos.

 

Don't know, but could not resist. Enjoy.

 

It was November 25, 1973 when I saw them and Doug Rauch was the bassist during that period. And I couldn't find any footage of Santana at Altamont on the YT. Keep us updated if you find out any more . . .

 

It looks like a J-bass with shaved pickguard.

 

The PUs look ok. The pickguard is not shaved, it's a whole different thing that goes beyond the bridge pickup and has no lower horn part.

 

I just see a weird custom pickguard-like thing.

 

Interesting---2 Acoustic 360 per amps; mic'd 18" W cab.

 

I like the use of the propane tank.

 

Looks almost like a painted pickguard.

 

Lots of award winning guitar-face going on there!

 

Besides the pickguard, there also appears to be some body sculpting. Almost as if the center mass of the body has been shaved. There is a distinct line (rolled border?) around body. There has to be some lost footage of Santana's performance somewhere (see the cameraman in the B/W photo.) I'd really like to see his footage. But it could have been lost in the events that occured later that evening . . .

 

Looks like a '60's Jazz Bass with an ugly pickguard. You can see the outline of the original guard on the lower bout. Maybe (just a guess) some routing was done and after changing his mind this was done to hide it. Could be that he liked the shape of the new guard. Or his grandmother didn't know what to get him for his birthday, so...

 

The overall body dimensions look like they might be shaved down a tad in the second picture due to the control plate being very close to the edge of the body. there is also some sort of two line painted or inlaid border around the perimeter as well

 

My mind goes to an aborted attempt at a James Trussart guitars look with the top routed out with a border so a steel plate or whatever can be put on. OR maybe some kind of weight relief attempt. Would be interesting to KNOW the story