While the tone of the bass and Pastorius’ expert knowledge of the instrument are of mythical proportions themselves, what’s really fascinating about this instrument is the tale of how it disappeared for more than 20 years, only to be brought home to Pastorius’ family by none other than Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. Hailing from 1962, the Sunburst Bass of Doom was supposedly defretted by Pastorius with a butter knife upon purchasing it for $90 in the early ’70s, filling the fret slots with plastic wood and applying multiple coats of Poly Poxy to cover up the gouges he created from his home job.ĭespite his unprofessional guitar tech work, Pastorius’ playing on the Bass of Doom was nothing short of genius, utilising its narrow neck and round-sounding bridge pickup to hone in his signature playing style heard on recordings by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, and Weather Report.
Renowned as being one of the most famous basses in the world, the story behing Pastorius’ number one instrument is almost as complex and mysterious as Pastorius himself. This bass remained Pastorius’ number one bass throughout his adolescence, playing it throughout his tenures with early groups The Woodchucks and the Las Olas Brass Band.ġ962 FENDER JAZZ BASS – ‘THE BASS OF DOOM’ BASS GUITARSĪfter his double bass became warped from the humidity of his home state of Florida, a 15-year-old Pastorius saved up for months to afford a brand new 1966 fretted Fender Jazz Bass, complete with block inlays and a bound fretboard. In this week’s Gear Rundown, we take a look at the iconic instruments behind Pastorius’ tone in celebration of one of the all time greats.
#Chords the chicken jaco pastorius full
In his youth, Pastorius was an in-demand session player, cutting his teeth with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell before unleashing his full talent unto the world with a six-year stint in jazz-fusion all-stars Weather Report, where he notably performed on their classic rendition of ‘Birdland’ before leaving to enjoy a prosperous solo career.ĭespite his relatively brief career, Pastorius’ influence can’t be understated – his use of harmonics, lyrical bass solos, effects and smooth, fretless runs set the standard for modern electric bass playing. Born in Florida in 1951, Pastorius began playing double bass after losing the ability to play drums following a wrist injury, before turning to the dark side – or going electric – as a teenager.
Words by Will Brewster Deep diving into the gear of one of the bass guitar's all time greats.įew artists have been as monumental to the direction of electric bass guitar than Jaco Pastorius.