The spirit of Damon Runyan is slightly with me this morning.....
So, I'm hanging out in a nice pawnshop in downtown Pagosa Springs, which is a nice little town if you're not too into urban settings. I'm helping my friend Gimpy Bob hunt for a stereo receiver to replace his kaput one, since of course this little town of 2,000 has no joint where a guy can buy a new stereo on a Saturday, or mostly any other day, for that matter.
Now, Gimpy Bob is a nice guy, and seein' as how I do the stereo stuff, we are very pleased when we find a not very old Sony receiver that will do just what he needs.
I am hanging out by the counter while Bob does the credit card tap dance with the shop owner, when my wife has a moment of insanity.
"Wow, that's a pretty bass" she sez.
And since I am always a thoughtful and supportive husband, I sez "What bass is that?".....................
My lovely wife points to a blue metallic object on the guitar rack. I am struck by the attractive appearance of this bass, but notice that it is not of the Fender persuasion even though it's jazz-shaped. But upon a bit of handling and plucking, I decide that this proposition is both more than somewhat good-looking, and nicely playable. More examination shows that it's a very recent G&L JB Tribute, with at least one Seymour Duncan pickup added, and a maple neck that's only 1.5 inches at the nut. This is indeed a very fast neck with satin finish, pleasant to the hand. The proprietor clues me in that there's a nice hard case with the original hex wrenches and, a new guitar cable, strap and basic clip-on tuner.
So at this point, I decide that if my wife finds this bass to be so attractive, it should come home with us. I find myself doing the credit card tap dance with the proprietor, and carry this new axe out to the car. Sometimes lack of planning does not prevent finding a new bass.
Labella low tension flats are ordered and should arrive this weekend.