1982 JV Jazz Bass

I remember walking into L&M in Vancouver when it was located on 4th Ave. just east of Burrard street. Back then the joke went, "What separates the fruits from the nuts in Vancouver? The Burrard Street Bridge. I wasn't really looking for a bass I was just out and about one fine spring afternoon. I saw the new bass sitting on a guitar stand so I picked it up and started playing her. I was blown away the feel and look of a 62 Jazz bass but without the price tag. And back then they were cheap compared to now.
I must have played the bass a good hour while chatting to one of the guys behind the counter, without plugging her in. He finally said, do you want to plug her in? I said OK, but when I did I was extremely disappointed. The bass sounded and responded better acoustically than she did electronically. But, I knew it was a pickup thing and they can be changed, so I bought her.

Some time later I ran into Dave Videl, a Vancouver guitarist/keyboard player who also did some fine repair work. Dave told me for $60 a piece he'd rewind an old pair of 1965 Jazz Bass pickups and install them. I said OK. He said swing by Sunday afternoon.
So the next Sunday I traveled up to Dave's house which was south Van, I think between Main and Cambie. There he had all the gear to add more windings to the pickups them dip them into wax then installed them. All the following week I was playing at The Savoy Club located right across from the Gassy Jack statue in Gastown, downtown Vancouver BC. Dave came by Monday night and said he liked what he heard but bring the bass by to his place tuesday afternoon for an adjustment. then for the next three days he'd listen to me play live then readjust the windings on the pickups the next day.
then on Thursday night after the first set he said, "That's it don't every touch them." And to this day some 27-years later I never have.
"Thanks Dave."

PS: I'll get to the Fret less neck and other body parts another time.

They say a Man is Nothing Without a Face.

"I say a man is nothing without a BASS."

You can pick your friends but, you'd better not pick your brothers bass.

The electric bass entered our parents home by way of my brother Don. Somewhere in the late 60's. Don had picked up a Gibson Supro bass in some 'swap, deal, trade ya' type of thing. When Don went swapping it was be best to take quick inventory of all you possessed in your domain. (Just a word to the wise) Can't remember what he paid or traded for the Gibson Supro but I was fascinated by the beast from the day it arrived. It had a large round bottomed body shape, with a fake leather pad on the back which would rest against the players body. The body was finished in clear wood with one pickup and a very bottom dweller tone to it. But, the major drawback to that bass was, that it was a "Gibson."
*Now, we won't bother being snobby about what bass is the best, but, it is best to clear the air early and that is to say; "Their are FENDER basses and all the other basses that came after it."
Enuf said!

The Gibson bass Don brought home was a short scale. That means an average Fender Jazz or Precision Bass is a 34" string scale, from nut at head stock to bridge. The Gibson Supro was of the 30 to 32-inch range, much too short for a growing lad like myself. But I attempted and began my life time of noodleing on it.

You may be asking yourself; What happened to the Gibson Supro bass?
Alas, it was ripped off, stolen, in a break in at the first apartment I had when I was 18-years old. Although I knew the fellow who broke in, and fought him in the parking lot of the Dominion Plaza, the bass was never retrieved.

In the end nobody cried for Surpo Bass.

No Time In The Present

Since every journey starts with a step, ever new blog must start with a stoop. To be regarded as anything worth its salt in words blogs need to stoop to a level least attainable to all, or at least to a few.
My first attempt at blogging was the much heralded Harpoville Post. I ran the Post for a year straight to sharpen my writing stills and prove it could be done. It was all directed towards Canadian PM Harper by changing his name to Harpo....... get it?
It was fun and good time was had by me and a few loyal readers.
Now, I've decided to try my luck at another blog posting but keeping my one true inspirational love music in the for front. I hoping by doing this I'll always return to the one consistent in my life that being music but primarily the BASS.

I've been playing electric bass for a lot longer than I haven't and the upright bass only about 20-years. I can to the BIG bass later in life when I had a home I'd be proud to carry one into. Since then I replaced my original German plywood upright for a carved 7/8" and I also play electric upright bass.

So in this blog I will attempt to marry blogging with bassdom.
Let's see what comes out.