In the early 1970’s, Jaco Pastorious purchased a 1962 Fender Jazz Bass for $90. Because of its distinctive growl he called the instrument the “Bass of Doom.”
This guitar has become legendary for a number of reasons and has somewhat taken on a life of its own. First and foremost it belonged to Jaco. Some of his most notable music was made with this instrument. He often carried it without a case and left it places unattended for days at a time. Some say the bass was fret-less when he purchased it. Joco claimed he removed the frets with a butter knife, sealed the fretboard with Plastic Wood and applied several coats of Petite’s Poly-Poxy. During an argument, he smashed it into more than 15 pieces, had it rebuilt only to have it stolen from a park bench in New York City’s Central Park.
Tragically, Jaco died in 1987 at the age of 36 and never saw the bass after losing/leaving it in the park. For years the bass was missing before turning up in a New York City music store. Thanks to Metalica’s Bassist Robert Trujillo, the instrument is now in the hands of Jaco’s children. For more on the story, click here.
Recent Comments