Both of these bass guitars were gifts!

1964 Vox Phantom IV

Picture taken when we played that club way-up-north of Houston--Sean Walters was doing sound for us at these gigs which Jimmy Jones scored us a regular gig for us.  (Anybody remember the name of the spot?)

Li'l Screamin' Kenny bestowed upon me this guitar for Christmas one year. 

I used to see him play it when he was Dr. Rockit's and Jerry Lightfoot's bass player--he used to hook a string around his foot to help stabilize the odd balance of it. 

When he switched to lead guitar with his own band, he laid this Baby on me! Nice! 

At one point, Link Wray's bassist approached me to sell it to him.  We had a few interesting telephone conversations, but I did not sell.  Shared the story with him about when I first heard Link Wray play at The Cellar Door in D.C. (c.'78) and afterwards, when I went up to LW in a mad fan-adoration-frenzy and exclaimed, "I don't have a pen and paper for an autograph so would you just rip my shirt?" 

I'll never forget the way LW laughed and looked at me.  I could have been in a Hollywood movie at that moment...

1969 Gibson EBO

Switched to this Beaut when I wanted a lighter weight on my shoulder.  A shorter-scale as well with a nice sound, one of my ex-es found it at a garage sale in '99 for me!

I wasn't that impressed with it at first, but really love it now.

Photo by my former upstairs neighbor, Laura Seeburg (where are you, My Friend??!!!) c.'04, The Kerry Irish Pub

Recently* I dreamed that Allen Toussaint was in my apartment when I returned home.  He owned the building and was collecting rent from a previous tenant.  I wrote a check to him immediately for $3,450.00. 

When he left I thought to myself, now he knows I play bass ... 

*c. 2014