Not a Hamer, but a bass from the heyday of B.C. Rich.
My late brother's '81 Eagle Bass in splendid Blueburst.
A few months ago, Jay murkat restored my brother's '76 P-Bass back to original condition.
This bass, however, needs no such attention. It is as it was the day that it was delivered. Nothing has been changed, aside from strings, of course.
When my big brother, Joey, ordered this bass, everyone was certain he had lost his mind.
"950 Dollars for a BASS?!"
I have to admit, even I didn't get it. This was 1980, after all. $950 was a lot of money for a 19 year old kid to spend on anything that didn't have 4 wheels and an engine.
But order it he did, and used it and the aforementioned P-Bass exclusively for as long as he would play the instrument.
He would never own another bass.
The Eagle is in "Museum Status," as he used to put it, and that's where it will remain.
Honestly, I'm conflicted about this.
I've always held a little animosity toward museums. like the Hard Rock Cafes and R&R Hall of Fame (even though I would highly recommend the latter to anyone considering visiting there), because these guitars will never play again.
Not unlike a flightless or song-less bird (get it? Eagle references), here is a fine instrument which will very rarely, if ever, see the light of day again, much less get played.
But, I know as sure as I'm sitting here it's what my brother would have wanted, so in the case it stays.
I wanted to document the condition of the bass for insurance purposes, so I thought I would share the photos with you all. Who knows when you'll see another one like this in this condition again?
The (dust, tarnished frets and dead strings will remain and they are.
That's the way he left it.
It's funny how a smell can bring you back, and usually before you're prepared for it, if that's even possible, but when I cracked open the case, there was a feeling of nostalgia, familiarity and even comfort that billowed out of it.
I'd know that smell 50 years from now.
But enough of my yackin'!
My late brother's '81 Eagle Bass in splendid Blueburst.
A few months ago, Jay murkat restored my brother's '76 P-Bass back to original condition.
This bass, however, needs no such attention. It is as it was the day that it was delivered. Nothing has been changed, aside from strings, of course.
When my big brother, Joey, ordered this bass, everyone was certain he had lost his mind.
"950 Dollars for a BASS?!"
I have to admit, even I didn't get it. This was 1980, after all. $950 was a lot of money for a 19 year old kid to spend on anything that didn't have 4 wheels and an engine.
But order it he did, and used it and the aforementioned P-Bass exclusively for as long as he would play the instrument.
He would never own another bass.
The Eagle is in "Museum Status," as he used to put it, and that's where it will remain.
Honestly, I'm conflicted about this.
I've always held a little animosity toward museums. like the Hard Rock Cafes and R&R Hall of Fame (even though I would highly recommend the latter to anyone considering visiting there), because these guitars will never play again.
Not unlike a flightless or song-less bird (get it? Eagle references), here is a fine instrument which will very rarely, if ever, see the light of day again, much less get played.
But, I know as sure as I'm sitting here it's what my brother would have wanted, so in the case it stays.
I wanted to document the condition of the bass for insurance purposes, so I thought I would share the photos with you all. Who knows when you'll see another one like this in this condition again?
The (dust, tarnished frets and dead strings will remain and they are.
That's the way he left it.
It's funny how a smell can bring you back, and usually before you're prepared for it, if that's even possible, but when I cracked open the case, there was a feeling of nostalgia, familiarity and even comfort that billowed out of it.
I'd know that smell 50 years from now.
But enough of my yackin'!
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