| Author | Message | ||
| willie
Member Username: willie Post Number: 73 Registered: 11-2003 |
I was discussing the Live Aid (1985) concert with the girl I went with and mentioned that I thought I had heard that John Entwistle's main bass had failed due to a battery installed wrong and that he had to switch to a back up. My question is first is that true and second what type of electronics were in the bass. I thought it was a series 2. But I was wondering since a series 2 needs the remote power supply can it also run on batteries contained in the bass, perhaps just in mono? I was hoping someone could tell me if this actually happened and what type of electronics were in his bass and about the battery verses power supply on a series 2 bass Thanks Willie | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 648 Registered: 6-2002 |
Here are pictures of John Entwistle's Basses when they were being auctioned off shortly after his death.    They appear to have Series I electronics. I have no knowledge about any problem he might have had, but in a live setting, I suppose anything's possible. | ||
| hieronymous
Intermediate Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 162 Registered: 1-2005 |
I thought I read somewhere that there was a problem with the power supply, but I really don't remember exactly. Didn't he switch basses, still have the problem, and then finally get it working? The thing that bugged me the most about the broadcast was the stupid VJs blabbering away trying to fill up the space and then still talking even though the band had started to play! | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 1131 Registered: 12-2002 |
John's alembic had an electrical problem before a Gig & as punishment to the bass he retired to the hardrock cafe wall of fame.......ive been looking all over for that thread but cant find it but it's a true story. | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 649 Registered: 6-2002 |
It couldn't have been any of these Basses if that were the case. These at auction sold for quite a fortune. They were in the possession of his estate. I really dig that Macassar Ebony Flying V! | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 610 Registered: 12-2004 |
Rami, Needs more ebony.  Bradley | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1008 Registered: 10-2003 |
I spoke with John very briefly about why he quit playing Alembics in '94 or '95, and he said it was all about switching from wood to graphite for stability. Not a word about one of them failing (which I hadn't known about until a couple of years ago on this board). John | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 1009 Registered: 10-2003 |
Also, Mica refers to a Series I with master volume as a Series 1-1/2, so I guess that top one would be a Series 1-3/4 and the other two would be Series 1-1/2 basses, wood notwithstanding.. ;) | ||
| dfung60
Advanced Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 245 Registered: 5-2002 |
The quote that's being cited here is from "Bass Culture-The John Entwistle Bass Collection", p 112. The quote is from the page facing the photo of the most famous Exploiter, also shown in the first auction picture above. It reads: "Alembic took two years to make the three basses for me. The other 4-string is in a Hard Rock somewhere. I sold it as its punishment for going wrong at the beginning of Live Aid". If you haven't got this book (still available at Amazon.com), you should definitely get it. It's not clear exactly which "three basses" he's talking about in this quote as there are nine Alembics in the chapter. I believe there are probably three 4-string cone-head Spyder/Exploiters - at least two wood-necked ones and one with a Modulus neck as well. There's also a split-headstock 4-string and a cone-head 8-string Exploiter. I'm fairly sure that there's a graphite-necked 8-string Exploiter as well. I visited Alembic when Jason Newsted was in Metallica and they were at their peak (the Black album). Alembic was just finishing a gigantic 10-string Series bass for him, with a super-quilted maple top that was dyed black because all their stage gear that year was either black or white. It even had black chrome hardware and black abalone inlay. If I remember correctly, Mica mentioned that Newsted was trying to have a bigger Alembic collection than John Entwistle, and this meant he needed something like 34 instruments. I've got Bass Culture and the Entwistle auction catalog as well and even though they are filled with amazing basses, there are a lot of pictures of him with other Alembics over the years as well. A friend of mine had a picture of this exiled Exploiter from the London Hard Rock, must have been in the mid 90s. Leland Sklar's double-neck Moonstone "Flying Turkey" bass (the one on the inside jacket of Jackson Brown's "Running on Empty" album, but who ever sees album art any more?) was also there at the same time. David Fung | ||
| jacko
Senior Member Username: jacko Post Number: 1136 Registered: 10-2002 |
Taken from From the August 1989 Guitar Player.. "Although [John] was happy with the bright, clear tone of the Alembics, and assortment of inconveniences ultimately forced him to move away from the instruments after more than a decade. “Unfortunately, the basses were very sensitive to the climate changes on our tour schedules, and I’d spend as long as a half-hour before every gig making adjustments. Also, I grew tired of the bloody 5-pin Cannon jack and transformer box I had to use with them. What finally put me off was when we did Live Aid. Right before we were to play, my main bass went dead because I’d accidentally crossed some wires while changing the battery. I ran for the backup bass but couldn’t tune it because there were no transformers backstage. At that point we were introduced, and I barely managed to get back onstage in time to start ‘My Generation.’ If you listen closely to the video, you can hear me tuning the D string as we go. I just about got it in tune in time for the bass solo. I sold the main bass to the Hard Rock Cafe — that was its punishment.” There's alot more about John's basses here Graeme | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 650 Registered: 6-2002 |
At least he didn't do a "Pete Townsend" move on it. Personally, I would have just had it fixed. Rami | ||
| willie
Member Username: willie Post Number: 74 Registered: 11-2003 |
Thanks everyone. I knew this was the place to get the answers I was looking for. Willie | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 656 Registered: 7-2003 |
Guys, to bring some light in here: the original Spyder, John then No.1, was the bass that failed at Live Aid and indeed John sold this particular one out of frustration to the HRC. This bass was for several years displayed at the HRC in Berlin and after the enormous sums the other two Spyders brought at the auction the HRC shipped No.1 to the States, displayed besides the Peter Cook Thunderbolt bass at the Orlando vault. As to the different Spyders, there have been three 4strings produced to my knowledge: No.1 is now with the HRC No.2 was smashed during a gig No.3 was auctioned at Sothebys and is now in the hands of a prominent musician V-heads to my knowledge only one, auctioned off at Sothebys, owned nowadays by the same prominent musician Mica once said in an old post that there was an eight string with a V-peghead. Don´t know about this, have never seen it nor any info in old interviews... Cone peghead 8strings: 2, maybe three. One with a wooden neck, one with a graphite neck but I think that there was another one. Curious where there 8strings are today. John has sold and auctioned off many instruments over the years, many to be seen in old auction catalogues. Oliver (Spyderman)   | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 1135 Registered: 12-2002 |
Question:...where is No.2 (the smashed one) did it get tossed/repaired? what it a accident? what ever became of it?.....& please don't tell me it suffered a PETE TOWNSEND SMASH! (Message edited by keavin on April 24, 2007) | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 657 Registered: 7-2003 |
Keavin, really don´t know. You can read about it in old interviews but nothing further. BUT: it could be that I am allowed to meet the Who backstage this year during their Germany gig. This possibly beeing arranged by the longtime WHO and JE guitar tech. If I have the chance I will have a long list of questions to ask him.... Oliver (Spyderman) | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 609 Registered: 4-2005 |
Oliver, what is the white bass in the middle of the photo you posted? that is wild! drr | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 658 Registered: 7-2003 |
David, this is the Peter Cook Lightning Bolt bass. Buildt by english luthier Peter Cook after Johns idea on the cover of Who by Numbers. Currently beeing re-buildt by Ed Roman for the John Entwistle Foundation. Below pic of the original bass, courtesy RSG. Oliver (Spyderman)  | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 611 Registered: 4-2005 |
Thanks, Oliver. Cool bass. I really dig the headstock! |
