Vintage Basses
On these pages we share vintage photos of musicians with their instruments. If you can identify any of the musicians, please let us know. We are indebted to Guy Mackenzie, Paul Day, John Doyle and Tommy Dunne for their very generous expertise in identifying most of the guitars.
 

Noel Morrison of Sligo's Savoy Swing Seven pictured with his Burns Bison bass c.1963.
 
Two members of Waterford's Atlantic Showband with their Burns Jazz bass c.1964 and Burns Split Sonic guitar c.1963. Do you know their names?
 
Seamus Carew of The Blue Aces with his Candy Apple Red Fender Jazz bass (thanks to Charlie Cheevers)

This is a Fenton-Weill RP1/B bass c.1960-61 played by Sean Hunt of The Clefonaires.
 

A Framus Star semi-solid bass (c.1959-'61) played by Des Kelly in The Capitol Showband.

 
Garret Brown of Demon Duck (1974) and Medium Wave Band (1975) with his 1969 Fender Jazz bass

Cha Taylor (The Works) playing his 1964 Fender Jazz bass in 1974.
 
Dick Close of Ballymena's Cossacks Showband with his Fender Precision bass. (thanks to Billy Swan)
 
Maxie McEvoy of The Strangers playing his Burns Burns Marvin bass c.1964-'65 (thanks to Maxie)

The Zodiacs' bassist played a Burns Artist bass c.1961-'62
 
Torry McGahey of The Freshmen with his sunburst Fender Precision bass (c.1965)
 
Joe Barrett (The Doves) with his Fender   Competition Stripe Mustang bass c.1970-'72.

 
Another Fender Mustang bass - the band is Jed & The Southern Express
 
Brian Woodfull of The Casino Showband off to the USA with his Hofner 500/5 bass c.1960-'61.
A Dallas Tuxedo bass c.1959-'60 played by Jim O'Dwyer of The Black Aces from Kilkenny.
Jim Ruane of The Swingtime Aces with his rare Hopf bass c.1958 (thanks to Jimmy Reilly).

This is a Hofner 500/5 bass c.1960-'61 owned by the bassist in The Royal Viceroy Showband
 
Noel McGann of The Cadets with one of the very few Hofner "violin" basses as used by The Beatles' Paul McCartney. Shift yer head Eileen!
 
Take a close look! Tom Dunphy of The Royal Showband playing his Fender Bass VI with FIVE strings!

This is a Burns Sonic bass (thanks to BigRedX)
 
Pat Hoey (The Drifters) with his rare Fender Telecaster bass.
 
This is a Framus Strato Star 5/156-52 bass c.1963 used by a member of The Slick Six from Cloughjordan, County Tipperary.
Steve Travers of The Miami with his (not vintage!) Groovetools 7-string bass c.2007
 

Poor photo but rare bass! This is a Vox Mark IV (c.1965) played by Bobby Hastings of The Trixons.

 

The Heartbeats' bassist with his Burns Vista Sonic bass (c.1962-'63). If you know his name, please let us know.

 
 

Bassist with Tuam's Olly Maloney Showband - what is it?

 

A Hofner 500/5 c.1960-'61 hollow-bodied bass owned by a member of Dundalk's Young Vikings.

 

 

 
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