AboutSebastian SH Expertise I know about specific trivia: who wrote each song credited to the band, who sings where, who plays what, the kind of instruments they used, which songs were more complex, vocal ranges from Freddie, Roger and Brian, and the veracity of certain long-run rumours.
Experience I've collaborated in several websites regarding those areas and I'm in touch with some of the top Queen experts. I've communicated via online with Brian May and David Richards as well.
Expert: Sebastian SH Date: 12/16/2007 Subject: JOHN'S BASS
Question I want to ask, what is the bass John's using in the Breakthru, and Princes of the Universe?<- also what exactly Brian's guitar is in that video, and can you state all other bass John ever used ( live, videos, mime and recordings ),
Answer Hello Ayda
John mimes with a bespoke bass made for him by Roger Giffin (a very popular American bass maker). Whether he ever used it in the studio is unknown. Brian's miming with a Washburn Flyving V, which is probably not his (he did own a Gibson Flying V though).
John mostly used Fender Precisions, off which he had several:
- A 1967 model and a 1968 model, both used interchangeably live and in the studio from almost all tours from 1972 to 1986. They were sunburst, then natural and in 1986 one of them was painted black.
- A 1955 model he bought during Jazz rehearsals in Dallas. He used it occasionally in Jazz tour, Live Killers, Crazy Tour and probably The Game, as well as the 'Back Chat' video (but not recordings of that song).
- A fretless type he played during '39 ('Races' tour onwards) and 'My Melancholy Blues'. He stopped using it when those two songs were dropped from the setlist.
- A Special model given to him by the Fender factory in LA. He recorded 'Under Pressure' with it and used it for live performances of that song.
- An Elite 1 (in red colour), used in some concerts (e.g. Knebworth Park), some mimed performances (Montreux '84), some recordings (e.g. 'One Vision') and some videos (e.g. 'Headlong'). He played it during 'Radio Ga Ga' at the Tribute too.
Non-Fender's:
- A Rickenbacker 4001 he had during the early days (including when he auditioned for Queen). He did some early recordings with it (e.g. 'Night Comes Down'), and replaced it after summer '72 by the Fender's.
- A Musicman Stingray he bought in the first nights of the American 'Races' tour in January 1977. He kept using it during the rest of the tour and then occasionally in some videos (e.g. 'Champions') as well as recordings and live performances of both 'Bites the Dust' and 'Back Chat', except at the Magic tour, where he played 'Bites the Dust' with one of the Fender's.
- Warwick Buzzard: Used it in some videos (e.g. 'Friends Will Be Friends').
- Giffin: The one I mentioned before.
- Kramer DMZ: Videos ('Play the Game', 'Las Palabras de Amor'), and as back-up for some tours in early 80's.
