That Smell Bass Cover

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TJH3113

“That Smell” by Lynyrd Skynyrd off their “Street Survivors” album which came out in 1977 and featured the late, great Leon Wilkeson on bass.

I pretty much started out playing Skynyrd songs in my first band but, looking back, they were the songs that you could get away with skimping on the bass-lines - Gimme Three Steps, Needle and the Spoon, Sweet Home Alabama, and Freebird. Only now, after learning a couple other songs like, You Got That Right, What’s Your Name, and this one, do I have a much greater appreciation for what they did musically, both as a band and, more specifically, what Leon did as a bass player.

One of the cool things about having a big-shot brother-in-law in the vintage guitar business is that, once and a while, he’ll get his hands dirty with a vintage bass. And, when he does, he’ll sometimes let me check them out. He loaned me the old Hofner a few years back with which I did a couple of Beatles covers. And a few months ago, it was the ’59 Precision. I did an Elvis Costello cover (Alison) and a few sound sample clips with that one. This one is an all original 1966 Fender Jazz Bass in Olympic White with a matching head-stock. It’s unbelievable how much a matching head-stock will add to the value of the bass. It also has the pick-up and bridge covers in a drawstring bag in the case compartment which is a rarity in itself. The bass came with black, Guild tape-wound strings on it and, by the look of the frets, which are absolutely pristine, I don’t think this bass has ever seen a set of round wounds on it…until now, that is. I did a couple of quick covers with it yesterday morning and now I just want to get it out of my house. It’s making me nervous.