Nina Simone bass?

[Stjofön Big]

So, I got my eyes on this here video. Nina Simone singing Four women. Thing is, this bass player's got a bass I don't recognise. Any one know what the piece is? You'll see it quite clear from 2.52.

[Dave W]

I can't recall seeing one like that before.

[uwe]

Fender Jaguar shapish or a Jazz Bass with too large a pg ... It sure looks like something a luthier migh have made for him, not pawn shoppish or self-experimental.

[66Atlas]

Reminds me of some Italian or Soviet instruments Ive seen. Whatever it is it's kinda cool.

[gearHed289]

I was thinking Soviet as well.

[uwe]

The bass from the Cold - shudder the thought!

[Pilgrim]

I was thinking Italian, like Mondial.

[Dave W]

I was thinking Italian, like Mondial.

Or Italian like a '60s Eko. They had a few off-the-wall designs.

[uwe]

True.

[ilan]

Teisco Del Rey EB-200 with a custom pickguard. The giant neck side markers are the dead giveaway, and then there's the body shape, pickups etc. down to that button on the bridge cover.

EDIT: wait - at 4:35 you can see a 4 inline headstock. The Teisco was 2+2. Damn, I thought I nailed it.

Maybe someone moved two tuners? The Teisco 2+2 headstock is fender-shaped and can accommodate 4 inline.

[ilan]

Another bass with those large side position markers. Teisco Audition-branded.

Maybe the Nina Simone bass is a Teisco EB-200 with a Teisco Audition neck? I'm pretty sure the body in the video is EB200.

[Stjofön Big]

As far as I've found out, it might be Clint Houston who's playing the bass. The jazz bassist played with Nina Simone in -69. He passed away at the age of almost 54 in -00. What can one say? Smart bass lines! But his bass.... well, maybe it's the Teisco Del Rey EB-200. Sure looks the part. Anyone here tried one out?

[Dave W]

No, I don't think it's a Teisco.

[Alanko]

I've screenshotted the bass for posterity:



It is an odd bass, with that large pickguard that doesn't cover a whole lot of the treble side of the body. If anything it reminds me of a Framus design:



Whereas the small boxy chrome bridge cover, chrome pickups and side-inlays on the neck match this Kay 5922:




The bass in the video doesn't seem to have a lower cutaway at all, simply a rounding away of the wood. The clownburst finish says 'Japan' to me.

[Alanko]

I think the bass might be a Lafayette bass, like this one:



The one I've posted here is missing a knob and the bridge cover.

This is a more complete example: