Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,123
- 16,798
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
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Tommy Cogbill's 66 P bass
- Thread starter REV
- Start date
Agree. Can also see in the various photos with Elvis that it's a slab board which in that era means '59-'62. I put the gold guards at mid '59. I've seen both maple and rosewood necks with 4/59 neck dates (a maple 4/59 was my main bass for about 20 years). I'm not sure exactly when they transitioned from the gold guards to the tort guards but it seemed like the gold guards with slab boards were only a few months roughly (though they experimented with tort guards earlier - Craig Brody has a 4/59 slab board with a super oddball 11 hole tort guard - some of the later '59s have 10 hole tort guards with the pattern matching the gold guards).
This American Studios slab/gold guard is really the most famous example of that combo along with Duck Dunn's which was thought to be lost in the plane crash with Otis (some debate on that still). Duck's other '59 was a maple neck and also 4/59 neck date.
Tort was introduced in early 1960. 3TSB, slab rosewood, and gold = mid to late '59.
Have seen numerous late '59s with tort - even with three different screw patterns: 10, 11 and 13 hole. Have certainly seen more '59s with tort/slab combo than gold guard/slab combo. Have never seen any early '60 with gold guard.
Interesting to look at, but I play all the basses I own. This is obviously a collectible that will be owned by an eclectic (and wealthy) individual or some type of museum, & likely never played again, which is kind of a shame, but it's the society in which we live.
It seems strange that an old Fender bass is at its absolute peak value when closest to 100% original, but a significantly modified old Fender bass can be worth much more if it was used / owned by a legendary player & played on classic hit songs, HOWEVER, the mods must have been made by the legendary player / owner or the mods kill the value.
Nobody buys an all original '66 Guild Starfire in 2023, rips out all the electronics, and replaces them with new pickups and a combination of nine different switches & pots, but a lot of folks would jump at an opportunity to own the highly modified one Jack Cassady played with Jefferson Airplane that was used on White Rabbit. It would probably be much more valuable than a 100% original version.
So, mods are a negative unless done by a famous player, which makes them a positive? I suppose it's not the mods that devalue a bass, it's the person doing the mods.
It seems strange that an old Fender bass is at its absolute peak value when closest to 100% original, but a significantly modified old Fender bass can be worth much more if it was used / owned by a legendary player & played on classic hit songs, HOWEVER, the mods must have been made by the legendary player / owner or the mods kill the value.
Nobody buys an all original '66 Guild Starfire in 2023, rips out all the electronics, and replaces them with new pickups and a combination of nine different switches & pots, but a lot of folks would jump at an opportunity to own the highly modified one Jack Cassady played with Jefferson Airplane that was used on White Rabbit. It would probably be much more valuable than a 100% original version.
So, mods are a negative unless done by a famous player, which makes them a positive? I suppose it's not the mods that devalue a bass, it's the person doing the mods.
Yes indeed. I should say that by 1960, there was no more gold. Or if there was, it would be the rarest of the rare. There was a transition period for sure where the late '59s would be gold or tort. For example, parts made and pencil marked in very late '59 would get a tort guard if assembled in 1960.
Though it seems the '59 that played most of those hits was entirely stock save the tug bar having been relocated. Still, Tommy did a lot of recording in other studios and that stuff was probably done on his '66 (though the pics of him playing what is likely that bass, it is still in stock shape so one can assume the mods were done relatively late as they look like late 70's-early 80's mods and he passed in '82).
It will be interesting to see what this bass actually brings, if it meets the starting bid.
100% positively an aftermarket pickguard, bridge, and pickups; can't see the decal clearly because the images are too low res. I do believe that has a round lam board, and pearloid dots which is right for a '66.
I believe it is a '66 modified.
I bet sounds like this
:
I believe it is a '66 modified.
I bet sounds like this
:
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Then there is a chance my original 62 P with mods my by a legendary musician (me!
) has a chance...
By the way Jack used a modified Jazz on the first three albums. That would include White Rabbit on the studio album version...
"FlyGuitars So when you first joined Jefferson Airplane you were using Fender basses?
Jack Casady Yeah the first three albums are recorded with a Fender Jazz bass, and I customised that by adding a P pickup right butted up against the neck. So in essence I had on the very bassy end of the speaking length of the string an offset P pickup and then two bar pickups of the Jazz bass."
Jack Casady talks about his mid-sixties modified Fender Jazz basses >> FlyGuitars
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He's on motion picture film at Atlantic Studios in NYC circa 1967 playing a White P-Bass with a tort guard and rosewood board.
On most of the still photos online comes from a session where Tommy is playing guitar.
The auction is a bit vague considering the price.
"Zero" people in his family were at any of his famous sessions to see which bass he was actually playing.
Buyer beware.
I'd love to see the footage. I must have seen a screen grab or similar as I recall it being a white P with Aretha - but as a still. Heard that was a studio bass but who knows...
Regardless of what bass(es) he was playing, he remains one of my absolute favorite players.
And, yes, caveat emptor.
Still cool but 100% NOT the bass with Elvis.
Thanks Dynacord!
The film clips also show Carolyn Franklin showing Aretha and CO how to play "Ain't No Way". Everyone is reacting positively and Tom Dowd is humming imaginary horn parts.
It's getting pumped Tommy Cogbill's 1966 P-Bass Up For Auction
I'm really split - don't want to see something like this misrepresented and would like to see the family get as much as they reasonably can.
I'm really split - don't want to see something like this misrepresented and would like to see the family get as much as they reasonably can.
Then there is a chance my original 62 P with mods my by a legendary musician (me!
View attachment 5104946 View attachment 5104948
By the way Jack used a modified Jazz on the first three albums. That would include White Rabbit on the studio album version...
"FlyGuitars So when you first joined Jefferson Airplane you were using Fender basses?
Jack Casady Yeah the first three albums are recorded with a Fender Jazz bass, and I customised that by adding a P pickup right butted up against the neck. So in essence I had on the very bassy end of the speaking length of the string an offset P pickup and then two bar pickups of the Jazz bass."
Jack Casady talks about his mid-sixties modified Fender Jazz basses >> FlyGuitars
I really had no idea and didn't research what Jack played on recordings, I had just seen a lot of pics of Jack with a VERY highly modified Guild Starfire with all kinds of added knobs & switches. I'm sure it would be more valuable than a stock Starfire just because of who did the mods.
Maybe I should have used Phil Lesh's Alembic….
Attachments
That was Jack's backup bass that he used after the main one was stolen. Here's Rick Turner with the original after it was recovered:
Anyway, I agree - both would be worth more than a stock example given the history (both what they've been played on and who did the work).
Both heavy Alembic modified Guilds.
Here's Jack's true full Alembic.
Jack Casady and the first Alembic bass >> FlyGuitars
Both heavy Alembic modified Guilds.
Here's Jack's true full Alembic.
View attachment 5105108
Jack Casady and the first Alembic bass >> FlyGuitars
I liked it when he simplified
