"The bass of Doom"

[keith_h]

For me I would have the same feeling about an Alembic. I have no desire to play Stanley's instruments on an emotional level. You could say Stanley's basses are as important as Jaco's BoD as far as music history, collecting, emotion, etc. goes. As a matter of fact Stanley was and is a much greater influence on me that Jaco.  
 
I also don't bash Fenders. I still own the 76' Jazz Bass that was my main instrument from when I bought it new until I bought my Brown Bass. It remained my main bass even after I had bought my Orion 5 string. I still base requirements for long scale neck dimensions on it's dimensions.  
 
I think the real thing here is some folks feel an emotional connection to Jaco through his bass and others don't. I happen to be in the second group. Neither position is right or wrong it's just the way individuals connect with things in their lives.          
 
Keith
 
(Message edited by keith_h on May 26, 2009)

[pas]

All the horses and all the King's men can never truly put Jaco's bass back together again.

[811952]

John,  
 
No offense intended, and I apologize if it appears otherwise.  In my opinion, the bass of doom would be significantly more valuable to a collector if it were still in pieces as Jaco left it.  Being rebuilt with new materials makes it a different instrument in my mind, but if it speaks to your soul otherwise then who am I to question?  I do believe there is a significant component of PR underlying all of this, but good PR works because it resonates with the target audience in some way, shape or form.
 
John

[cozmik_cowboy]

Any one reading this thread should bring to mind their greatest musical influence/hero and imagine that influence/hero living out the tragedy/genius that Jaco did - imagine the effect that person has had upon you and ask yourself,  
'would I love to hold my heros bass? how special would it be to me?'  
 
Well, John, Townes Van Zandt speaks to me more than just about anyone but the Grateful Dead; he & Robert Hunter are my only nominations for Greatest English-Language Poet of the 20th Century, he was (until his various habits wore it down) a superb guitarist, and his train wreck of a life was at least as tragic as Jaco's.  Would I love to have Townes's guitar?  Yes, absolutely - but because a Gibson J200 is a REALLY nice guitar, not because it was his.  I've also seen video of him playing numerous others, and he sounds like Townes.  Garcia was immediately recognizable as Garcia on Rosebud, or a Travis Bean, or an Alvarez-Yairi dreadnaught, or a borrowed instrument.  A friend of mine, one of the best all-around guitarists ever (who you, alas, have never heard of), used to have a 1953 D-28 that had once belonged to David Bromberg (no slouch himself) - when I played it, I sucked.  I sucked with a better tone, but I sucked.  The mojo, for me anyway, ain't in the instrument.  
 
Peter