A Tribute to Jaco Pastorius

Yesterday would have marked the 60th birthday of bass great Jaco Pastorius. The man was an inspiration not only to bass players, but to musicians in general. His approach to the instrument was truly one of a kind. He proved that the bass could singularly provide rhythm as well as melodic support within a song and not be overbearing. Every note, slide and chord that he played on his numerous recordings was played with a level of panache and soulfulness that had rarely been heard before. We celebrate the life of Jaco and what he contributed to the music industry and to the world.

Here is a clip of Youtuber Les July performing an awesome tribute to Jaco. Be sure to check out Les' Youtube channel @ http://www.youtube.com/lesjuly




The bass Les is playing is a Fender Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass. Surprisingly this bass sells for less than $300! It comes standard with 2 Duncan Designed Single Coil JB pickups, which give the bass a terrific tone. Right now, American Musical Supply is offering this bass for $274.99 with a $25 instant rebate. In my eyes this is a steal for such a good sounding bass. Click the image below for more information.


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Fender American Deluxe Jazz Electric Bass

 As any Fender Jazz owner(myself included) knows, this instrument is a musical 'chameleon'. Not many instruments fit so well into so many different genres of music. The J-Bass is as much at home in an Alt-Metal band as it is in a laid back Smooth Jazz situation. The balanced and powerful, yet subtle and soulful tone of these instruments falls into any mix so perfectly and deliver the goods so well that one is often tempted to ask him/her self if any other bass is needed in their arsenal.


The latest model in the ubiquitous line of instruments from state-side manufacturer Fender brings with it a few brand new and very welcome bells and whistles:

• N3 Noiseless Pickups - these offer increased headroom and tighter low end response
• An Active/Passive toggle switch
• A new Passive mode tone control(VERY NICE!)

Fender was even gracious enough to supply flat-head screws for the battery compartment, so that if a screwdriver is not readily available in an emergency, a pick or some other flat utensil may be used to swap out a dead battery. HUGE plus in my opinion! Other enhancements include rolled fingerboard edges, a genuine bone nut and  a Stealth A String retainer.

Fender has once again succeeded in making a truly incredible Bass even better. List price for this instrument starts at $2249(click the picture below to see models available starting from $1699 courtesy of our affiliate partner) . Yes, Fender has raised the stakes for these fine instruments as a result of today's economy, but the new features combined with the ever-consistent build quality justifies the price hike.

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Hartke HyDrive 210C Bass Guitar Combo Amplifier

The new Hartke HyDrive bass amplification line really packs a punch. This particular model uses two 10-inch HyDrive neodymium hybrid cone drivers to push 250 watts of power. Add to that a laundry list of ins and outs and you have one heck of an amp for $569!