Author Topic: $45,000 bass.....i don't think so! (Read 1054 times)

terryc · « **Reply #15 on:** September 11, 2009, 03:01:32 AM »

I find it a hard concept to put so much money on an instrument which is just like any other J bass at the time..Jaco would sound like Jaco on any bass, would a cheap korean import bring as much if jaco had played it??
I also have a great suspect of authenticity in these days of fakes, I am not saying this isn't genuine but unless Jaco handed this to someone with a picture of it being done it still is difficult to prove it was his.
Maybe I am being too cynical but it was Jaco who played the notes and not the bass.

(Message edited by TerryC on September 11, 2009)

bigbadbill · « **Reply #16 on:** September 11, 2009, 05:10:27 AM »

If this is the bass I think it is it's fairly well documented. Of course it isn't the smashed and repaired Bass of Doom - I assumed we were all aware of the current lawsuit regarding that. With regards to the Bass of Doom, the current owner (assuming it hasn't yet made it to the Pastorius family)claims that he was given several offers over $75,000, which wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm sure there are collectors who'd pay way over that for Jaco's bass.

I also think that if you look at it as simply a bass guitar, you won't get it. You have to look at it more like owning a famous work of art. How much would somebody pay for a Van Gogh?

olieoliver · « **Reply #17 on:** September 11, 2009, 05:39:48 AM »

I would compare it more to Van Gogh's Easel than his artwork itself.
After all it is just an old Fender, BUT the music Jaco created with it is indeed a work of art!

OO

terryc · « **Reply #18 on:** September 11, 2009, 07:55:12 AM »

olieoliver..totally agree there!

bassilisk · « **Reply #19 on:** September 11, 2009, 08:18:32 PM »

I find it a hard concept to put so much money on an instrument which is just like any other J bass at the time....Maybe I am being too cynical but it was Jaco who played the notes and not the bass.

Items like this are not bought by players - they're bought by people who want to be able to say they have it.

Consider Entwistle's Frankenstein bass. A Fender Precision that was ultimately constructed from 5 different basses. As an item, what would it get? Granted, old parts, some from very desirable units. Still - a vintage parts bass with a '65 body. An all original '65 P in VG cond (no custom color)= $6-$7K and that's being very generous IMO.

It went for 52 THOUSAND pounds at auction. Ox played the notes not the bass, and yet someone wanted to be able to say that when you're listening to Tommy, you're hearing this very bass.

The collectors are a fact of life and us players will never get it (unless of course we hit the MegaBall lottery, in which case I'll be glad to join their ranks). It's no different than owning Micky Mantle's rookie card or Spider Man #1 - It's not about the money, it's just having it.

(Message edited by bassilisk on September 11, 2009)

bigbadbill · « **Reply #20 on:** September 13, 2009, 06:33:31 AM »

Ollie, that is indeed more accurate, but I think Bassilisk's post says it all really.

I have to say as a painter myself, to use the same easel that Van Gogh (or any other great painter) used when painting would give me an incredible sense of history, which I guess is part of the attraction here.

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #21 on:** September 13, 2009, 07:01:52 PM »

Greg, I hope that Bass never ends in a museum. Any Instrument was born to make music and deserves to be played until the end of its days, IMO. It's sad when an Instruments turns into memorabilia and ends at a glass lock in some Hard Rock Cafe or else. Would be like to die twice...

(Message edited by Mario Farufyno on September 13, 2009)

(Message edited by Mario Farufyno on September 13, 2009)

gyonnii · « **Reply #22 on:** September 15, 2009, 08:11:07 AM »

I hear ya Mario, it was not my feeling that it should be in a sporty Bar like the Hard Rock Glass is just a terrible resting place, but rather then be exploited for money I would much rather see it in the Smithsonian where at least people who did come to see it that it would be done respectfully and not just walking by the Hard rock glass which I feel can be a degrading resting place for something that helps use to remember who the player was that did the magic on the instrument

sonicus · « **Reply #23 on:** September 15, 2009, 08:24:48 AM »

I think the Smithsonian would be an honourable port of display for this Bass.

LMiwa · « **Reply #24 on:** September 15, 2009, 10:59:36 AM »

How many of us would want to have an opportunity to play this bass for a while? I know I would!

So why not set up some kind of foundation where musicians (especially talented young ones) have an opportunity to play instruments like these? Lend them to top music schools and let students there actually play them. Maybe make it part of a music history class where they study the artist and his/her music.

While I think the Smithsonian and other quality museums are great places for valuable artifacts, the only thing distinctive about production basses like these are the people that played them. If someone put a cheap copy in the Smithsonian, I certainly wouldn't be able to tell, and neither would 99.99% of the world.

Seeing a replica in the Smithsonian and reading about Jaco would inspire some people. Playing the actual instrument would certainly inspire others. Why not allow both?

Just my opinion...

Loch

sonicus · « **Reply #25 on:** September 15, 2009, 11:11:50 AM »

Good idea Loch!

David Houck · « **Reply #26 on:** September 15, 2009, 11:47:51 AM »

Loch; personally, I would much rather play your bass. But that's just me.

john_judge · « **Reply #27 on:** September 15, 2009, 01:27:28 PM »

I need to ad a thought here to this post
One time a while back I had a thought/daydream of a instrument Mousoleum Where Maybe like musicians would pay admission to honor those who passed and for the up keep .
Their instruments stored incased by sealed glass with a care taker on duty and he polished the instruments and attended to the public and musicians where allowed to play these instruments in private sound proof chambers for 5-15 minutes, this would be wonderful, problem is that some idiot would do something crazy like light Jimmiies guitar on fire and ruin it for everyone, and of course the Typical robbers, it would have to have 24hour security, plus that would be a lot of eggs in one basket, I mean one good quake or disaster and all is gone.

So the visual part would be wonderful, the touching would probably only be allowed by recording artist because of the crazy one's
It's a wonderful thought , it be like walking down the wonder hall of music and the Karma and energy in that hall would be utterly fantastic
But of course on the negative side of the Note, you would have people like Robin trower good guitarist but one day he claimed he got to touch Jimmy Hendrix's guitar after his death and had a dream that he should try to play like Hendrix and went around telling everyone that Jimmy was talking to him telling him to carry on His Legacy,
So my conclusion here is if someone does ever build this, check it out play the instrument, but let Jaco, John, Jimmy, Jerry and the others RIP. Be yourself and let the one's before you be your pilot to your goal's of inspiration

(Message edited by john judge on September 15, 2009)

(Message edited by john judge on September 15, 2009)

sonicus · « **Reply #28 on:** September 15, 2009, 02:04:47 PM »

Hi John how are you ? I can definitely see that your heart is again in a good place regarding this .I really like your last sentence in your post number 174 , I agree!

Wolf____

eligilam · « **Reply #29 on:** September 15, 2009, 02:19:53 PM »

I daresay that even at $45,000, this bass would probably still be a good investment. I would try to get this myself, of course, but all of my money is tied up in Renoit's at the moment.