VINTAGE VAULT
TIM MULLALLY
All you need is… Bass!
With no offense to our six-string friends, it’s
really time to let the electric bass and its players get a moment in the sun. We bass players
learned long ago that it’s the carefully crafted
bassline that makes listeners’ heads, feet, hips
and glorious backsides move. It is our choice of
notes and rhythmic placement that will provide
the solid foundation and substance for all of
the “icing” on the cake.
We also learned that it was our simple
choice of tools that gets the job done. The
tools of choice in the past, and today, are
a well-worn early ‘60s Fender P or J bass
played through an Ampeg B- 15 or SVT rig.
This has been the standard for decades.
Just go back and listen to all the work of
James, Joe, Jaco, Rocco, Chuck, Anthony,
and Bootsy. Almost all of that fantastic work
was made through the use of these tools.
And this work still holds strong today.
The Gibson bass pictured on the top of the
pile is an unknown model, but it’s clearly a
blast from the past. This bass has a 3-piece
maple body and neck. The
ebony fingerboard also adds
to its character. We’re not
sure if this was a prototype,
or how many of these were
built. It does sport the
normal ‘70s serial number
system and the “Made in
USA” stamp on the back of
the headstock.
Sure is a strange one indeed!
