My New Beauty...

Fig. I - The most underrated bass ever: The Squire Vintage Modified Jazz Bass. This beast taught me what it was to love.

Fig. II - My dream bass: The Geddy Lee Signature Jazz Bass. (drool)

 

So, several crazy events aligned to have great fortune land in my lap. They go in this order (roughly):

1. Joined Maybe Foreign as "4 String Master Extraordinaire"

2. Jon wanted his sweet 70's Vintage Squire Jazz Bass back.

3. Music Showcase happened to have, in stock, the bass of my dreams for about 4 years running.

4. I found a rather large surplus in my school book money fund.

Let me explain. I love Fender basses. In particular, old Fender basses. In even closer detail, vintage Jazz Basses. I totally fell in love with the Squire that Jon bought (I almost bought it myself the week before, but seeing the look on Jon's face when he saw it told me that it was to be his). Great neck action, sweet pickups and a solidly beautiful finish (see fig. I). What more could you ask for?

A while ago I started to develop a crush on the Geddy Lee Jazz Bass (see fig. II). Black body. Black binding and block fret board markers. Ultra thin Maple neck and fingerboard. Sweet U.S. pickups. Fat upgraded 'Baddass II' (seriously, that's the name) bridge. I played one several times at Sam Ash and was fully engrossed. But, alas, at the time, when I actually had money, I couldn't justify the price (at the time about $900) for a bass, given that I mainly played guitar at the time.

So, the past couple of years I have been playing Jon's Squire happily. The other day, however, Jon asked for it back, which is totally reasonable. I have to admit that at first I was a little shocked. I guess I had grown so attached to that particular bass that it seemed like my prowess playing the bass was a product of that one instrument; like the Squire was the secret to my skills. Little strange, huh?

It was then that I had a very, very, very rare zen-like moment. It was time I got my own personal magic bass. Like fate, I wondered to Music Showcase to check out what they had. And there it was. A Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, just chillin'. Asking price: $799. A steal! The MSRP on that thing these days is like around $1200 or so, with Sam Ash asking $999. I immediately set to plotting.

To make a long story short, I came up with a plan where I could parlay two quarters of book store money into one Geddy Lee Jazz Bass. Thus, I ran the idea past Alicia, we went to Music Showcase, she lent her approval to the plan, and history was made. I came home but then had to go to school before I was able to set it up. That was really frustrating.

I finally got home and spent about two hours getting the bass exactly like I like it: low action, high pickups, huge tone. I can't believe I own this bass. It's absolutely perfect. It's so perfect that I have to go play it to believe it. So that's what I'm gonna do.