EssentialTension

I'd go fretless and then tell them to eff off as I drove into the sunset (and into another band) in my 4x4 and trailer.

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1439741206' post='2845385'] All the rock bands I grew up listening to said Led Zep was their main influence. I doubt The Beatles influenced Jimmy Page and co. [/quote] [quote]I was reading a book about Led Zeppelin’s fourth album called “When the Levee Breaks. Their 8 song fourth album became the biggest and baddest from beginning to end of all rock albums. And the interesting thing is that James Taylor’s “Something In the Way She Moves” may be connected to “Stairway To Heaven” via “Something” by the Beatles. Also, Zeppelin was inspired by a Fleetwood Mac song called “Oh, Well,” that “Black Dog” is derived from. In addition, “Rock and Roll” is close in spirit to another Fleetwood Mac song of the time, though the name escapes me. Back to the story: John Bonham had run into George Harrison at a party just before Zeppelin was getting ready to do the album at Hedley Grange, a former orphanage located on the coast of south England. Harrison told Bonham that his band was great, but they had no ballads. So Bonham went back to Jimmy Page and told him about Harrison’s comment. At this time, the band had been at their cottage in Wales called Bron-y-Ur (golden breast in Welsh) in the mystical Black Mountains. Robert Plant had been steeping himself in the Celtic mythology to mine for material for the new album, and was coming up with the lyrics for Stairway To Heaven, and other classics that refer to the days of Merlin and King Arthur in allusion and other artistic devices. So Jimmy Page began tinkering with a riff loosely based on the single note descending in “Something,” though he sped up the tempo of the beat. And “Something” is in C major, whereas “Stairway” is in Am. So the next time you hear either song, there’s that descending note. [url="http://jamesfortunephotography.com/tag/stairway-to-heaven-john-bonham/"]Source[/url] [/quote]

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1439736339' post='2845317'] ... It's hard to see in the picture, but the thumbrest screws may be above the E string, either way in 69 they should be below the G string. That ain't the original guard. [/quote] Well spotted, the thumbrest screw holes are clearly above the E string on my screen. Whatever else it is, that is an unlikely 1969 pickguard.

I don't know when black pickguards first became available but I belive 1960s custom colours commonly had white pickguards.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1439719947' post='2845160'] With that amount of "mojo" does it really matter what colour the bass is? ;-) Plus it looks dark blue on both my computers. [/quote] A very fair point.

Under the pickguard looks dark grey more than dark green.

One more ... [url="http://www.furious.com/perfect/buddyholly.html"]How John Lennon Learned to Stop Worrying and Love His Inner Geek[/url]

... there's loads of this stuff, so while we are at it ... [url="http://www.aaronkrerowicz.com/beatles-blog/the-influence-of-carl-perkins-on-the-beatles"]The Influence of Carl Perkins on the Beatles[/url]

[media]http://youtu.be/Ub_Ndas3Fgw[/media]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1439676271' post='2844975'] Well yeah, I knew at an early age John and Paul were influenced by Buddy. But to what degree? Do any of you real historians have any examples or references? [/quote] Try this to get you started ... [url="http://www.aaronkrerowicz.com/beatles-blog/the-influence-of-buddy-holly-on-the-beatles"]The Influence of Buddy Holly on the Beatles[/url]

Looking at the pics and the video at the Bass Direct site, there does appear to me a very dark but olivish green to the finish. I've no idea what custom colour that would be unless it's the yellowing of the clear coat over black or something similar.

Sherwood Green Metallic at the top right corner ...

Car version of Sherwood Green ...

On my computer the OP's bass doesn't look green at all.

Sherwood Green was the darkest green among the Fender custom colours ...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1439593532' post='2844330'] I still don't get why most younger musicians have no use or sense of history. And if your not young like over 60, then I really don't get it. [/quote] Oh dear. You are the one who doesn't get it. You really do need to get out more and meet more young people. Particularly those very many young musicians who are listening to The Beatles but also to an absolutely massive array of world music of all genres that has become so easily available via the internet. Maybe you are only interested in rock, unlike The Beatles who were into all kinds of music, but that just proves how narrow minded you are.

I remember having a pair of 4x12" Marshall columns just as in the pic. Also a pair of Elgen 4x12" too.

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1439575889' post='2844161'] How about this then http://canarywharf.com/residential/ [/quote] Whoever named that place was never in Birmingham in the 1970s.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1439566718' post='2844045'] The hands of a pianist have very distinctive but separate roles. [/quote] Yes, as a bassist I have never been interfered with by the right hand of a piano player.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439570789' post='2844098'] Oh, and it weighed a ton as well [/quote] That's the main thing.

I've never heard 'Park Drive' and 'snob' in the same sentence before.

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1439567608' post='2844057'] Marlboro? Pah! Boys stuff! - we used to use the silver paper from this: [/quote] In actual fact, in Birmingham, it was the silver paper from a packet of Park Drive but I couldn't find a pic with the silver paper.

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1439565062' post='2844012'] I gigged and HH VS100 through and ex reggae sound system 18" bass bin made from what felt like paving slabs '79-81. Can you imagine the awesome tone? [/quote] Similarly I had HH VS100 plus VS100 Slave and two 15" Electrovoice PA bins. It was crap but, most importantly, it was heavy.

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439563460' post='2843975'] Amateur effort Dave, heavy duty tin foil would take far more current [/quote] I think you'll find that's only used in the slow-blo version.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1439561396' post='2843940'] I was under the impression in the early days Manzarek used some sort of combo organ, used his feet I believe [/quote] I believe he commonly played a Fender Rhodes Bass Piano with his left hand. You can see it at 2.23 in the clip above. But bassists were used in the studio.