Sutcliff's bass

jojo99 · Post by **jojo99** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 8:32 pm

I was just checking out the bonus features on the "Backbeat" DVD, and there's an interview with Astrid, and she says Stu gave his Hofner to Klaus Voorman when he quit the group. Is this common knowledge, and does he still own the bass? I remember reading somewhere that McCartney originally asked Stu for it but he declined.
I guess that'd make sense since McCartney was a bit of a bully to him from all accounts.

qmoder · Post by **qmoder** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 9:58 pm

Since the two of them had a fist fight I was'nt surprized when Stu did'nt give him the bass.

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:30 pm

Jo, Klaus had the bass all those years and he and Astrid sold it in the late '80's for about $4500. The same year the guy that bought it put it for sale at Sotheby's and it sold for around $18000(a shame that Astrid didn't get that money). The Hard Rock Cafe bought it and I saw it in Boston and also London. I don't know if they still own it but I've got a feeling they sold it. Anybody seen it at a HRC lately? That bass is priceless as far as I'm concerned. It was the real one as the serial number in the bass matches the serial number on the Hessy's receipt.

jojo99 · Post by **jojo99** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:21 pm

Wow..any details on that original sale? I can understand why Astrid and Klaus wouldn't have wanted to sell it in on a publicised auction, out of respect for Stu, but I wonder if they felt betrayed by the person they sold it to, since I seriously doubt they lacked the smarts to get top dollar for it if that was what they were after, considering neither has ever flat-out "sold out" their story for megabucks, like so many Beatle associates have done.

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:45 pm

His full name was Stuart Ferguson Victor Sutcliffe
... now THERE's a piece of trivia that would stump some hardcore Beatlemaniacs.

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:11 pm

Kent, love that picture. That's the bass as it looked when Klaus and Astrid sold it. The Hard Rock Cafe bought it like this and then added another original style pick-up and had a black pickguard made for it. Of course black is not correct but I guess they didn't know that. I would imagine Astrid and Klaus felt a little ripped off when they found out it was sold for $14000 more in the same year. I didn't know all of this was going on or I would have taken out a loan and bought it for over $18000. Since it is a Beatle guitar and there are many pictures of it from the early days I think it's at least a $500,000 guitar. If I owned it I wouldn't sell it though. I'd be playing Love Me Tender on it everday!

karl_teten · Post by **karl_teten** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:30 pm

Isn't Stu's bass now in the Seattle Experience Museum?

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:53 am

What color was the real pickguard ... a tortoise-shell?

brammy · Post by **brammy** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:42 pm

Poor 'ole Stu... he couldn't even afford a real guitar strap.

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:08 pm

Yes, the original pickguard was the tortoise-shell type just like on Lennon and Harrison's Club 40's. That strap is the same style that came on Gallotone Champions(Lennon's first guitar). You'd think Hessy's could have thrown in a leather strap with the deal....... but, there were no strap buttons on those old Hofners.

12stringbassist · Post by **12stringbassist** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:34 am

Hi,

The Sutcliffe bass was definitely in the London HRC until very recently. It was at the rear upstairs of the seating area. I hope they got it out when they had the fire.

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 4:00 pm

Thanks Ian. Did you see it there recently? You would think we would have heard if that historic bass burned. But, I don't think the HRC realizes they've got the real thing as they own so many guitars that mean nothing. I first saw Stu's bass in the Boston HRC. The first time I saw it in London I reached up and turned the volume knob, it was that close. Then they put it above the entrance door and it was very dusty and the neck had pulled loose. It deserves a much better home than that.

jojo99 · Post by **jojo99** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 5:17 pm

Way to go, Larry... everyone had been extremely careful to preserve Stu's knob settings as he last set them until YOU showed up! LOL
The very fact that a fire would occur at a HRC seems mighty fishy to me.... an insurance scam no-brainer...

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:37 pm

Talk about a thin neck on that thing! Wow.

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:13 pm

JoJoseph, sorry, I should have never messed with Stu's knobs! It was a thrill just to touch that bass though. Like I said before, it is the real one as the serial number on the label inside the body matches the serial number from the original receipt from Hessy's. Ian, any more word on where that bass could be at the present time? Anybody?? I've been asking everybody with connections and nobody seems to know.