Rock’n Me 25: Talking About Western Music - When a Beloved Instrument Returns

Hello! This is Joshua, eager to talk about Western rock music.
It’s been a little while! For the 25th installment of this column, I’m switching things up a bit. If you play an instrument, you’ve probably had to part ways with a beloved instrument at some point—only to later regret it and think, “If only I could get that guitar/bass back...” Today, I’m sharing three such stories.

Episode 1Randy Bachman

First up is the story of Canadian guitarist Randy Bachman (formerly of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive) and his long-lost Gretsch guitar.

In the late 1970s, while staying at a hotel, Randy fell victim to theft. The stolen instrument was a 1957 Gretsch PX6120 Chet Atkins model, a guitar he could never forget. His search for it led him to become one of the world’s top Gretsch collectors, and after more than 40 years of searching, he discovered in 2022 that a Japanese guitarist, Takeshi, had it in his possession. After negotiations, an exchange was arranged: Takeshi agreed to trade the guitar in return for the same model. In July 2022, the swap took place at the Canadian Embassy in Japan, and for the first time in 45 years, Randy was reunited with his beloved instrument. This incredible story made headlines worldwide, including in major Japanese newspapers.

From Randy Bachman’s official website:

■“My girlfriend is back!” - Randy reunites with his stolen guitar after 45 years (Mainichi Shimbun)

How a miraculous Gretsch 6120 connected Takeshi and Randy Bachman (Guitar Magazine)

Randy Bachman has had a long and successful career, but his most famous track is likely “American Woman” from his time with The Guess Who. The song’s gritty, fuzzed-out counter-melody on guitar makes it stand out. That said, many people today are more familiar with Lenny Kravitz’s 1999 cover version.

■ The Guess Who - “American Woman” (1970)

■ Lenny Kravitz - “American Woman” (1999)

Episode 2Joe Perry

Next is the story of Joe Perry, legendary guitarist of Aerosmith, and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

During the late 1970s, when Aerosmith’s golden era had passed, Joe left the band and fell into financial hardship. In need of money, he was forced to sell his prized Les Paul. The guitar eventually ended up in the hands of Eric Johnson, who generously offered to sell it back to Joe for $8,000—a reasonable price considering its value. Unfortunately, Joe’s financial situation at the time didn’t allow him to buy it back.
Years later, in 1984, Joe rejoined Aerosmith, and by 1987, the band had made a major comeback with Permanent Vacation. With his finances restored, he started searching for his old Les Paul again. Eventually, he discovered that Slash from Guns N’ Roses had acquired it. Slash, a huge Aerosmith fan, had seen the guitar on the cover of Live! Bootleg (1978) and had been thrilled to get his hands on it. Because of this, he was reluctant to give it up. After long negotiations, Slash finally agreed to return the guitar as a birthday gift for Joe’s 50th birthday.

BARKS News Article

Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg (via Wikipedia)

Episode 3Joshua (Me!)

The third story... is my own.

Just recently, after nearly 30 years, I was reunited with a bass I once owned! It’s a Seen 5-string bass.
I originally got it in the early 1990s. Though I was primarily a guitarist, I played bass in a band at the time, so I bought this used Seen bass at a music shop in Ochanomizu, Tokyo. For those unfamiliar, Seen is the original brand of Matsushita Kobo, a well-known repair workshop. Most of their instruments were custom-made, and this particular bass was built to the preferences of its previous owner: A super-heavy ash body with black hardware, Harmonic Design pickups, and a Bartolini TCT preamp. I mainly played aggressive pick-style bass with an 8-beat groove, so why was I drawn to a bass suited for fusion? I could barely handle a 4-string bass properly—so why did I go for a 5-string? The recklessness of youth is a scary thing.
Ironically, after spending a fortune on it, I barely used it in the band. Instead, I mostly played a cheap Fernandes bass borrowed from our vocalist. Eventually, when the band broke up, I sold the Seen bass about 30 years ago—without even remembering which shop I took it to.
Fast forward to September last year. While casually browsing Mercari (a Japanese online marketplace), I spotted a bass that looked oddly familiar.

At first, I thought, “Could it be just another Seen bass with the same specs?” But as I scrolled through the images, I knew—this was my bass. How did I know for sure? Because on the back of the body, there was a sticker of Kawauso-kun (otter character)! I had put that sticker on myself all those years ago! The wear on the headstock and pickup fence was also identical to what I remembered. In an instant, the feel of that bass from decades ago came flooding back.

“Does a bass sound better after 30 years?” I’m sure many people are curious about this. So, let me give you the answer... Nope! It was laughably unchanged. If you were expecting something magical like “it gained a vintage character,” “the body resonates better,” or “the pickups have aged beautifully,” I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. The biggest change was that the frets had worn down quite a bit. But everything else—the feel, the tension, the string-to-string volume balance, the dead spots, and the overall resonance—was exactly the same as I remembered. I bought this bass again just to find out the answer to this question. But now that I know... I’m seriously torn. Should I keep it as it is? Modify it and make it truly my own? Or should I let it go once more and gamble on another reunion 10 years from now...?

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