Too many basses?

[TBird1958]

Dan,

Great story about your bass, very cool that it's with you! 

[Basshappi]

Thanks guys, it really is an amazing bit of Karma. For some strange cosmic reason it seems as though that bass and I were meant to be together (cue cheesy 50's sci-fi theremin music)

[Pilgrim]

I think you're right.  GREAT story and a nice find.

[Highlander]

Well worth the typing, Dan... well worth the typing...

I presume you played a rightie RD in a reverse position - any pics of you playing - there has been some curiosity about a "reverse" RD some time back - my RD is still in the shed...

Was there ever a lefty RD...?

[Basshappi]

No, Gibson never made the RD (or many other basses for that matter) lefty.

There is an old high school newspaper photo of me with my band in which the bottom horn can be seen but no other pics, and I don't have a scan of that one.

As great as the RD was/is it was always one of those kinds of basses that are so ugly they look cool, believe me, upsidedown they lose the "cool".

[chromium]

Always nice to hear about a reunion like that when it comes to stories of theft.  Wish that would more often be the case!

Are you still in Tucson?  I used to frequent Rainbow, Guitars Etc, and the Chicago Store downtown when I lived there.  Is that place still around?  I remember wandering around upstairs there, and there were dusty piles of old gear, effects, etc...  This was in the early 90s.  I'd dig something out of a pile, and take it down to the owner and he'd always throw out some astronomical price...  At that time those old pedals weren't worth very much, but now...  well hopefully he made out pretty good on that stash!

[jumbodbassman]

great story Dan...thanks i neededthat.    helps with my weak holiday spirit this year

[jumbodbassman]

I think I'm suffering from too many basses.  Here's the current list:

1963 Precision
2000 MIM Jazz
Epiphone Jack Casady gold top
No-name (Possibly Lotus) P/J Fretless with tapewounds
1970's Univox hollowbody (short-scale)
1964 Gibson EB-0 (short scale)
Rogue VB-100 'Beatle Bass" (short scale)
Gretsch G2202 Electromatic Jr. Jet (short scale)
Squier Bronco bass (short scale)
'63 Danelectro Re-Issue, Surf Green
Aria Diamond (Hi-Flyer) Mosrite copy (short scale)
Applause (Ovation) AE-40 acoustic-electric (short scale)

And today I added a Schecter C-4, the only active bass in the group.  I honestly can't play all the instruments I have, but they all have their own appeal.  I've decided that since I'm moving from surf music into rock, I can sell the Danelectro and the Aria Musrite copy; at least they'll pay for the Schecter.

I have a tendency to be a collector, but I think that it would help me to spend more time playing the same - or similar - instruments just to eliminate one variable while I play.  I have a tendency to miss chord changes, and if fewer things are distracting me, it may help.



Anyone in a similar situation?

CHANGING BASSES IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN CHANGING/ADDING WIVES.

I find that only if i change to a very different feeling bass that it will take a few minutes to get confortable especially if it is a song i have some vocals parts in as i tend to not look down so a d may become an oops e on a long tbird type bass..  I make sure i never change before a big vocal tune..

[Basshappi]

Chromium - I can tell that you have actually been in the Chicago Store! It hasn't changed though I haven't been in there in almost a decade. http://www.chicagomusicstore.com/history.html
Appearently they are "organizing" the store, I might have to wander in for old times sake.

Rainbow Guitars is still there though they moved down the block a bit to a larger location. Thsy are probably the best equpped store in town after GC, not the little shop they used to be.
http://www.rainbowguitars.com/

[drbassman]

Hey Dan, great story!  You are blessed for sure.  I can just imagine how you felt when you saw that!

[Freuds_Cat]

Cool story Dan.

My Jazz bass has a kind of shorter story than that.

We were doing a gig at a pup in the northern area of Adelaide one night when I was about 17 or 18 years old and I had just rolled up for sound check with the guitarist in his van. We went inside and waited no more than 10 mins while the crew finished of their setup. We went out to grab my bass and the guitarists combo and guitars. (Spare bass and bass rig were in the truck). As I opened the pub door and looked outside I noticed that Shauns van was sitting about a car length back from where it was parked, blocking an aisle. Then I noticed that the old Holden station wagon next to the van had the back open and so did the van. Putting 2 and 2 together I started to run towards the cars As I did so a guy jumped into the old Holden and got her started and started to drive off.
I got there just in time to jump on the bonnet (Hood) of the Holden. Holding onto the wiper with my right hand I was screamin at the guy and swinging my left arm through the driverside window at him. He managed to back the car up a few meters and move fwd about 2 car lengths before a car entering the car park acidently blocked him off. Shaun cam running up as the guy slid accross the bench seat and jumped out the passenger side door and ran off with me after him at full pelt.

He got away. Probably a good thing for me as I had turned rabid. (one of the very few times in my life)   

It seems he was unable to break the steering lock on the van so had had to move the gear into an older car that was easy to break into and steal. This delay is almost certainly what saved us from losing our instruments. A 67 Les Paul and a 74 Jazz bass and a Musicman 115RP EV combo.

All three items are still in our possesion, regularly played and treasured.