Customshop "Hank Marvin" Precision Bass

[abstamaria]

Hi Des,

Wow, that's new to me. Good to know (I learn something all the time o this site, which is what makes it so wonderful). And from such autrhritative, first-hand sources. Thank you, and have a good 2010!

Andy
Manila

[abstamaria]

Des,

I was curious why I never noticed the "ashtray" in period videos of the Shadows, so watched them again more carefully. The reason is that Jet's hand covers the critical area most of the time. However, there are brief moments when one can catch the shine of the ashtray, so it is there. There are photos of Jet on the Internet too, including a fairly recent one which shows the ashtray firmly in place, and, more importantly, this period one (which I hope is not copyrighted - if it is, let me know and I will delete!).

Thank you again for pointing out this bit of trivia. Now I can win bets with the local Shadows buffs.

Andy

[abstamaria]

I was browsing through this old thread and saw the picture of Jet Harris in the preceding post. Having gone through many of Jet Harris's recent photos these last few weeks since his passing, it was almost a surprise to see him so young. I almost forget that the Shadows tunes I like to play come from so long ago.

[George Geddes]

I think this shot from the set of 'The Young Ones' is rather good of Jet and shows the bass well too!

Shads_Cliff.jpg

(487.94 KiB) Downloaded 9265 times

George

[RUSSET]

Good shots of the all Red set of rosewood board '60s Strats too, with the virtually Straight trem arms.

Tony.

[abstamaria]

George,

That is a wonderful shot. It will also settle many arguments. I attended a jamming session the other night, and one of the lead guitarists there was telling me what Hank's tremolo arm looked like in the very early 60s. It sounded very complicated, the way he described it, and of course looked nothing like the straight tremolo arms shown here. Thank you.

Andres

[JimN]

George,

That is a wonderful shot. It will also settle many arguments. I attended a jamming session the other night, and one of the lead guitarists there was telling me what Hank's tremolo arm looked like in the very early 60s. It sounded very complicated, the way he described it, and of course looked nothing like the straight tremolo arms shown here. Thank you.

Andres

In that period, most Stratocaster tremolo arms were of the straighter shape: a slight bend toward the bass side from about half-way along, but almost no upwards "hook" and with the arm rising away from the body of the guitar at a more or less constant angle. The earliest trem arms were not as nice (in my opinion), with their quick, low, bend on leaving the trem block and a further upward angle from half-way along.

But not all the tremolo arms of the era were like that. Look at the arm on Bruce's red Strat at:

http://shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=20&image_id=532

JN

[Iain Purdon]

Watch this again and it's clear that Jet did not use the ashtray!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY-rPDwzM9M

[des mcneill]

Watch this again and it's clear that Jet did not use the ashtray!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY-rPDwzM9M

Hi Iain,
The quality of the vid is not very good so I will not argue the point too strongly,but I think I see a glimpse of the pickup cover(ashtray),- something is gleaming and it is not the pickup as it was black. Furthermore,when I saw the Shads live about 1961 the ashtray was there and also in numerous vids and 'photos.- indeed I do not recall ever noticing it's absence. If this is the case I am sure someone on this site would have the evidence but even then I think it would be the exception rather than the rule.
Des.

[George Geddes]

That's the sunburst P bass in the video - not the red one...

George