Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: pauldo on March 18, 2008, 04:45:04 PM
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I am sure plenty here have seen it - the article in Bass Player magazine about Jaco's Bass of Doom being found after 20 years.
Fascinating, intriguing, historical!!! A quick Google search brings up interesting thoughts,,, one that concerns me is that this is BP's April issue - could this be an April Fool's joke?
Am I putting too much thought/ importance on this? :-`
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I've heard from the editor of Bass Player that this is a legit article and that the bass has been authenticated. It's supposedly the real deal.
This bass was one of two that I have always thought were a lost part of recent music history; from a bass player's perspective anyway. The other missing bass being The Funk Machine.
Since the Bass of Doom appears to have been found now one can only hope that somehow The Funk Machine surfaces. Both of those instruments should be in museums or something of that nature.
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I don't agree Brian. I think it should be taken out and played. To me, if it's put into a museum it ceases to be a musical instrument (and let's face it, Jaco would have been Jaco regardless of what instrument he played).
Graeme
(Message edited by jacko on March 19, 2008)
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I thought it was in some vault in japan after it was stolen from Jaco in NY(we are talking about his battered fretless??)
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Yes the battered fretless - which was since rebuilt.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/49628.jpg)
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Be cool to start a thread the lists what basses people would like to see in a bass museum...
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Musical instruments in museums suck. Somebody should play them... I hate that nobody will ever play Dead music from ol Jer's guitars.
Colin
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I know how you feel colin, but I look at it this way:
1) It would be cool as heck to be able to go see Jerrys guitars, phils godfather bass, james jamersons fender, etc...all in the same place.
2) Even if someone were to play jerrys guitars again, it really wouldnt be the same as jerry playing them.
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You can see some of Jerry's guitars in the R&R Hall of Fame. The case they're in is just steps away from the case holding Cipollina's guitar and monster amp rig, which is kind of nice. Wolf gets played occasionally; one pic I've seen is of Jimmy Herring holding it, which is like Johnny Ramone holding Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet.
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Wolf was donated to Phil Lesh's Unbroken Chain Foundation. He has held auctions with the winner able to play Wolf with P&Fs during a sound check. He has also had at least one contest where players could send in a tape and the winner got to play Wolf. Scott Law from this neck of the woods (January '06 COTM - Owl) got to play Wolf at Red Rocks a couple of year's ago. Flax & I saw Barry Sless play Wolf with P&F's at Bimbo's in S.F. a couple of years ago. The interesting thing about the Irwin guitars at the Hall of Fame is that, according to people I've spoken with who have been there, upon close inspection, Irwin's work really isn't all that impressive (& I'm tempering what I've heard). Personnaly, I find Jimmy Herring to be MUCH closer to Garcia than is Johnny Ramone to Dizzy. Of course, the Fat Man was a truly original one of a kind. I miss him very much.
Bill, tgo
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Musical instruments in museums suck. Somebody should play them...
I totally agree when it is anything but an instrument that has a tremendous amount of history and/or meaning. All the collectors of old instruments that horde them and don't play them need to be talked to about the merits of actually playing a nice instrument instead of treating it like a piece of furniture.
In the case of something like Jaco's Bass of Doom or Jamerson's Funk Machine - those instruments have been heard by millions and played on so many classic recordings that it is insane. They are a piece of musical history. It's not like The Beatles who were total guitar whores. If say, George Harrison played the same guitar from the early 60's all the way through to the end of the Beatle's career then there would be someething. As it is they all played tons of different instruments in the studio. About the only Beatle instrument that comes close would be Paul's Hofner - I think he played the same one the whole time they were touring but I may be wrong here (so don't quote me on that!) :-)
Is my point more clear now? I am all for playing vintage instruments. I believe all of them should be played with the exception of very notable ones that have some sort of historic significance. Hendrix's white Woodstock strat for instance. Bootsy's original star bass.
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The ideal would be some sort of interactive museum where people could come in and touch/play the instruments. The down side, of course, is the inevitable deterioration of the instruments. Think how many people might be inspired by five minutes of supervised play time on one of these historical pieces.
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Personnaly, I find Jimmy Herring to be MUCH closer to Garcia than is Johnny Ramone to Dizzy.
Not to venture off topic, but I find it interesting to see that Jimi Herring really is a love him or hate him kind of guy among deadheads. I think Id rather see and hear Wolf being played by Barry Sless than Jimi any day.
I am in the Philadelphia area, so I think the hall of fame is probably a good 8 hours for me. Is it worth the trip??
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I thought this bass was owned by Bakabon Suzuki in Japan?
I remember seen him holding the bass in one of the Bass Player magazine article back in early 90s.
Anyone in Japan can confirm this?
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I hate getting into these comparisons of musicians, but I have to say that the comparison of Jimmy Herring to Johnny Ramone holding Dizzy's trumpet seems very far off the mark to me. Jimmy has a very different feel and sound from Jerry, but he's a great musician who is very versatile and what we get to hear from him in the jam band context is not all of which he's capable. I enjoyed him very much in Phil and Friends and especially in Aquarium Rescue Unit. Given an opportunity to play some jazz, I am sure he could acquit himself with style. I don't think the same could be said of any of the Ramones.
I'll be playing with Barry all next week, so I'll ask him if he can bring Wolf! :-) Although, I have to say that his Scott Walker guitars don't suck.
Edwin
Who is very very very happy to be playing his Series I again!
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Does anyone have a link to the Jaco Bass of Doom article in question here? Can anyone post a copy of it? My subscription lapsed...
And, in my opinion, it should be placed into a museum for all to visit, see, and admire...not played by some ego-starved (and presumably rich and probably trophy-and-attention-seeking) rapscallion!
(the last sentence is proffered somewhat tongue-in-cheek)
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Jimi Herring is a phenomal guitar player, though he was much better w/ Phil than the dead. He has been on Fire w/ Widespread Panic. I think I have seen him play about 40-50 times with various bands, and he is just great. That said, Jerry's guitar playing was so unique when he was healthy and on that it changed me in such wonderful ways. While no one will ever copy his playing, hearing that wonderful music that is the Grateful Dead through his old guitars is cool and should happen regularly.
8-22-93 Eugene, Oregon- Green mohawk and really weirded out. 14 years old.
6-20-94, 6-21-94 Deer Creek- I saw my first and only Morning Dew at the 20th. Defining moment when I got on the bus. Only time I got really close to the band was on the 21st. 4th row, Jerry side. 15 years old.
6-2-95 Deer Creek- My last Dead show. I got tear gas on my clothes and skin, at the time I thought I was in 1968, I loved it. I was also the coolest ???????????? I knew (remember I was a junior in high school). You know our love will Not Fade Away. 16 years old
Colin
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Colin,
thanks for sharing...
...not fade away :}
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Colin,
I drove from Toledo to Terre Haute that day in '95. There were tents along the interstate as far away as just south of Fort Wayne, and I've never seen so much tie-dye!
John