The Bass Geek

According to Bass Player magazine, the instrument illustrated in this picture is the long-missing “Bass Of Doom,” owned by Jaco Pastorius. The whole story isn’t known yet for what are apparently complicated legal reasons, but more than a few have come out in favor of this being the real thing.

On one hand, I’m sure folks are lining up to look at this like Excalibur plucked straight from the stone, while others are thinking it’s just a tool, and the artist’s hand who wielded it is long gone. In any case, though, I kinda hope that once the hassles are ironed out, it’s still used for music. It may have played an important role in the expansion of the bass guitar as an instrument, but putting it away in a museum (or worse, a private collector’s gallery) would be a shame. Above all, it’s meant to be heard and played.