Trevor Bolder and the Spiders from Mars

[RickC]

Trevor was with Wishbone Ash for a spell too I think. Anybody got any deets?

/rick

 

[bearfoot]

What struck me about that album was that there wasn't any real deep, low end. It was all very aggressive mids. I'll bet Trevor never hit the E string on any of those songs. I used to cover a few of them. Fun songs to play.

They are great fun to play. I have the full score for Ziggy Stardust and studied his playing a good bit, he definitely uses the low E, no question there, but quite sparingly.
He's right up there with McCartney in my influences, and the sideburns...perhaps best left in the 70's....

I realize this is a necro thread, but at least I used the search!

 

[Jaco Taco]

I'm a big Bowie fan and Bolder was one of the most creative bassists he ever had. Also, what a perfect name for a bassist! Trevor Bolder!

 

[Fab Superlative]

With Bowie's passing, I was just reminiscing about Trevor.

Here is a link to a rare interview with Trevor, from 2003.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Aladinsane1969]

Thanks for all the info. Are you sure that the EB3 he played was the long scale version? I couldn't verify that information anywhere. I did find a picture and a description of the bass from the auction that sold the bass, but I can't tell if it's a the short scale or long scale version of the EB3.
View attachment 1382320

"Lot 120: David Bowie / Trevor Bolder / Ziggy Stardust - Spiders From Mars, Gibson EB3 Bass Guitar
Description: The Gibson EB3 guitar owned and played by Trevor Bolder whilst a member of David Bowie's band The Spiders From Mars, serial number 956416. Used when playing with Bowie on his The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars albums and tours. Bolder can be clearly seen playing the guitar in the 1983 film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - The Motion Picture."

I've never undunderstood this. I've watched the movie countless times, and his bass is cherry, not black. I've never found a picture of him with a black one either — always cherry.

 

[Aladinsane1969]

Cherry

 

[HighD]

and man! a long-scale EB-3 is the dream, right?
I wonder why no one has ever made more of such a thing.
I'd love an EB-3, but if you want to tune down at all it's just useless.

I was told by a mentor that he and others had intonation problems with the long scale. I cannot recall why. I'll have to look him up and ask.

I have a short scale EB-3 I absolutely love. I did a lot of restoration work to keep it from going to the guitar graveyard. It is missing the mute and the bridge is a badass which is really an upgrade. I rebuilt the varitone switch and it works great. It does have a broken neck that is a great repair. It has a valute, a brass nut a neck-through maple stripe, and maple binding on the edges of the fretboard. It is refretted and refinished. The first person to do it removed the serial number. It's not mint by any means. I am thinking of having it looked up at Gibson so I can have them assign and stamp the appropriate serial number on it. Maybe that's going overboard. IDK?