Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

On display in Denmark Street


Happy Jack
 Share

Recommended Posts

P-bass previously owned by Sid Vicious.

I went in and queried the provenance, but they seemed pretty damned sure about it.

What does it look like?

Imagine a teenage punk's bedroom roughly three years after his Mum refused to clean it any more.

Now visualise that as a P-bass.

There - now you've got it!

:)

Edited by Happy Jack
Link to comment
Share on other sites

White with black p/g and maple neck?
There’s an iconic pic (in fact so iconic I can’t find it!) from the American tour of him on stage after some member of the audience had decked him right on the nose. Blood all down his front, all over the bass, but he’s still sneering that defiant “Sid” sneer.
Rather like Hendrix’s flambéed Strat, it would probably be worth ten times as much with the bloodstains.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Shaggy' post='311272' date='Oct 21 2008, 01:17 PM']Rather like Hendrix’s flambéed Strat, it would probably be worth ten times as much with the bloodstains.[/quote]
Hendrix's Strat was refinished and is or was owned by Frank Zappa's son, IIRC.

Is that right?

Cheers

Mark

Edit -- Er, nearly [url="http://petersenmuseum.com/default.cfm?DocID=502&ArticleID=12"]see here[/url] It was restored.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Shaggy' post='311272' date='Oct 21 2008, 01:17 PM']White with black p/g and maple neck?
There’s an iconic pic (in fact so iconic I can’t find it!) from the American tour of him on stage after some member of the audience had decked him right on the nose. Blood all down his front, all over the bass, but he’s still sneering that defiant “Sid” sneer.
Rather like Hendrix’s flambéed Strat, it would probably be worth ten times as much with the bloodstains.[/quote]
like this?

[attachment=15052:sid_vicious.jpg]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='311011' date='Oct 21 2008, 08:58 AM']P-bass previously owned by Sid Vicious.

I went in and queried the provenance, but they seemed pretty damned sure about it.

What does it look like?[/quote]

I spotted this last week - I think 'totally f##ked' describes it quite well - didn't look playable to me and the controls looked completely knackered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just ref an earlier point, Sid's usual bass was the Olympic white Fender P with a rosewood neck, as per Clarky's pic. I'm not aware of him using one with a maple neck.

And ref that bass in the window. I saw a supposed Sid owned bass hung up in one of the stores on Denmark St a couple of months back, I guess this is the same one. It had little paint left on it, but was obvioulsy not Olympic White to start with. Again, I am not aware of seeing any Sid pics with a non-white P bass.

Also, the pickguard on the one in the store was all broken around the jack socket and had been selotaped up. The tape could not have been more than a year or so old. We all know how it discolours to a deep amber and the stickiness goes too! So I doubt that repair would have been done by his hand (not that there was a claim about that).

All in all, I find it very dubious. As I recall, his hapless mother sold on his iconic white P bass many years ago. Where is it now???

M.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Marky L' post='311391' date='Oct 21 2008, 04:03 PM']All in all, I find it very dubious. As I recall, his hapless mother sold on his iconic white P bass many years ago. Where is it now???[/quote]

It would appear that it's now with Steve Jones.

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatounian_images/2058497571/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatounian_images/2058497571/[/url]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Musky' post='311440' date='Oct 21 2008, 05:02 PM']It would appear that it's now with Steve Jones.

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatounian_images/2058497571/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/hatounian_images/2058497571/[/url][/quote]
the bass in that pic looks in great nick - Sid obviously was very fastidious in wiping the blood and spit off his bass!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Waldo' post='311405' date='Oct 21 2008, 04:29 PM']Just noticed that it's in a shop on Denmark street and will therefore no doubt be an overpriced peice of junk.[/quote]+1 ... and probably not as described either.

I've never seen any pic of Sid playing a sunburst P-Bass (it wouldn't have been 'punk'), and if he did it probably wouldn't be in that poor condition - he hardly had long enough :). The white one that Steve Jones has now has obviously been cleaned up, but even so those 70s Fender 'Thick Skin' finishes are pretty bombproof and don't show minor knocks much at all. Sid's bass had a big dent in the front above the bridge, but it's covered by Steve Jones' arm in the pic so you can't see it. I think it is the same bass though, the pattern of 'brightness' of the neck dots is the same, which would be difficult to fake.

I suppose it's possible it's one he owned from before the Pistols (and if already secondhand, maybe that would explain the condition), but I would want to see really convincing proof. It would be very easy to take a beaten-up punk-looking P-Bass of roughly the right age that was going to cost too much to put right as a normal playable instrument, and market it as 'ex-Sid' instead... at several times the price.

Edited by Thunderhead
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Thunderhead' post='311494' date='Oct 21 2008, 06:58 PM']+1 ... and probably not as described either.

I've never seen any pic of Sid playing a sunburst P-Bass (it wouldn't have been 'punk'), and if he did it probably wouldn't be in that poor condition - he hardly had long enough :). The white one that Steve Jones has now has obviously been cleaned up, but even so those 70s Fender 'Thick Skin' finishes are pretty bombproof and don't show minor knocks much at all. Sid's bass had a big dent in the front above the bridge, but it's covered by Steve Jones' arm in the pic so you can't see it. I think it is the same bass though, the pattern of 'brightness' of the neck dots is the same, which would be difficult to fake.

I suppose it's possible it's one he owned from before the Pistols (and if already secondhand, maybe that would explain the condition), but I would want to see really convincing proof. It would be very easy to take a beaten-up punk-looking P-Bass of roughly the right age that was going to cost too much to put right as a normal playable instrument, and market it as 'ex-Sid' instead... at several times the price.[/quote]

Yeah, you can see the dents on this pic. The one Jones has has the thumb rest and the screw holes for a bridge cover too. It's that lovely yellow colour now, but if this bass has been covered up since Sid last used it, would Olympic White have discoloured like that? Also the Rosewood neck just looks a bit pale to me, but that could just be lighting in the pic.

Sid did little if any bass playing before the Pistols. He failed to get Lemmy to even teach him, who claimed it was impossible!


[attachment=15062:Sid_SexPistols.jpg]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its Owned by the guy that owns Music ground...(and Half of Denmark st)...in Leeds..Ive played it..the 'Sid' Bass...its a bit f***ed....And dosent work..I dont think you can get a sound out of it,I picked it up,under watchful eyes about 6-7 years ago...

Its a P-Bass thats mashed up,but its not THEE Sid Bass (Black/White)...But why would you want to have or be proud of an instrument thats be owned by someone that COULD NOT and did NOT Play on the records of the band he was part of.

Edited by ARGH
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='ARGH' post='311580' date='Oct 21 2008, 09:18 PM']Its Owned by the guy that owns Music ground...(and Half of Denmark st)...in Leeds..Ive played it..the 'Sid' Bass...its a bit f***ed....And dosent work..I dont think you can get a sound out of it,I picked it up,under watchful eyes about 6-7 years ago...

Its a P-Bass thats mashed up,but its not THEE Sid Bass (Black/White)...But why would you want to have or be proud of an instrument thats be owned by someone that COULD NOT and did NOT Play on the records of the band he was part of.[/quote]


Yep - that's the one & he told me he wanted £20,000 for it! Seriously.
:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

[quote name='misrule' post='311289' date='Oct 21 2008, 12:38 PM']Hendrix's Strat was refinished and is or was owned by Frank Zappa's son, IIRC.

Is that right?

Cheers

Mark

Edit -- Er, nearly [url="http://petersenmuseum.com/default.cfm?DocID=502&ArticleID=12"]see here[/url] It was restored.[/quote]
i think there was another one of hendrixs' scortched strats sold a few months a go but it never sold for a great deal,but i think the provinance of the other being hendrixs' then being rebuilt and played by frank zappa then owned by dweezle is were the value comes from,i knew some one who had a hendrix zimmer acoustic,there used to be a music shop in brum who was trying to sell a see thro gibson sg as geezer butlers one he used on vol4 and the tour.didnt sid also use a silver p bass too?

Edited by thunderider
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...