Bootsy Collins’ Historic James Brown-Era Jazz Bass Surfaces for Auction

Boosty Collins may be most associated with his psychedelic Star Bass, but that’s not the instrument that launched his career. When he joined James Brown’s band in 1970, he was playing a $29 Silvertone guitar he modified with bass strings. The Godfather of Soul wasn’t having it.

“He loved my playing but he was really done with that guitar,” Collins told Premier Guitar. “The color of it was beat and at that time Fender was the main thing on the market. Everybody had to play a Fender—either a P bass or a Jazz bass. I wanted one for the longest time, but I couldn’t afford it. He dogged me out about my little bass, man, like, ‘You can’t come up here on my stage anymore with that thing.’ He wound up getting me a Fender Jazz bass.”

Now, that piece of funk history is going on sale through Heritage Auctions.

“This 1969 Fender Jazz Bass represents a cornerstone in the history of funk and soul music, directly connected to James Brown, the ‘Godfather of Soul,’ and Bootsy Collins, whose revolutionary bass work helped define the sound of 1970s funk,” they write. “Bootsy’s playing on James Brown’s landmark recordings-including ‘Sex Machine,’ ‘Super Bad,’ ‘Give It Up or Turnit A Loose,’ ‘Soul Power,’ ‘Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved,’ and ‘Talking Loud and Saying Nothing’-reshaped modern rhythm music.”

As if that’s not cool enough, the bass stayed with Brown’s band after Collins left in 1972 and was used by Fred Thomas, who recorded on hits like “Hot Pants,” “Make it Funky,” and “Papa Don’t Take No Mess.” It’s during this time that the bass took on a new look.

“Originally finished in Sunburst, the bass was reportedly covered in red and black psychedelic contact paper during the band’s disco-era stage period to match the group’s costumes,” Heritage shares. “The material later deteriorated, and the body was stripped to natural wood, which remains visible today. Notably, the lower horn features two strap button holes, a modification Bootsy Collins himself confirmed as unique to his early James Brown bass.”

The consignor of the bass received it in 1977 in one of the most old-school music business stories ever told. Brown abandoned his band and crew after a 1977 concert in Miami, after which the consignor provided lodging and transportation for the stranded musicians. The road manager then gave the bass in exchange for their help.

The auction runs through December 5th. At the time of writing this, the current bid is only $5,250. Check out the Heritage Auctions website for more details and to read the accounts of the bass’s history.