I’m sorry, I just got this unpublished photo of John Entwistle of The Who ca. “Who’s Next?” and I couldn’t help myself. Here he’s wielding a Gibson Thunderbird Bass with what appears to be a Fender Precision Bass Neck bolted on. I saw The Who in 1973 and have pictures that I took from that show and he was playing the very same contraption. 
John was one of the most innovative Bassists of all time. I’ve heard it said that The Beatles are dying in what might be considered to be Reverse-Order and the same might be said of The Who. There was, and never will be another rhythm section the likes of Keith Moon and John Entwistle…never. Just try to forget the bass solo in My Generation for one minute and check out “The Real Me” from Quadrophenia. The guy never lost it. There’s a can on that table that says “Long Life”…what the hell is that and why didn’t it work? Are there any more renegade types in rock and roll or are we going to just remain happy with cartoon stereotypes? Hello to Buzz & Seatbelt. Photo by Red Saunders!!!
Thanks Red, where ever you are! Great Picture!
Guitar Safari 
Calling Entwistle and Moon a rhythm section doesn’t quite describe what they did. A bomb factory, maybe?
The geek in me sees that’s a precision neck and not a Jazz Bass neck, good call, the Precision of course is meatier at the nut.
The pickguard makes it almost look like a Fender protoype.
Know why it’s called a Precision Bass? As the first electric bass guitar, it had frets, so the notes could be played precisely. I read somewhere, Peter Guralnick’s Elvis biography, I think, Bill Black saying when that bass was introduced, all the touring players, tired of playing uprights, immediately got one. They didn’t have to tie their instruments to the roof of a car anymore, where weather was often not their friend.
Music used to matter, and it still does, but when music mattered a lot and practically everyone listened was a relatively brief window.
About a week ago I found out where the title to “Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy” came from. They were inter band nicknames.
Meaty=Daltrey (jock)
Beaty=Moon
Big=Entwistle
Bouncy=Townsend on stage
I always thought it was about tits, which it probably was also.
Go here and see The Ox play “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. It’s just him onstage, isolated. There are a bunch of these. Baba O’Reilly, and “My Generation”, as well.
Oh my fucking Christ! That’s amazing and bizarre. It’s hardly decipherable as the same song. Incredible! In all my haste I forgot to credit the Photographer of the great photo featured blog-wise, who’s name is stamped on the back of this beautiful photo of John with libations galore. RED SAUNDERS. The stamp cautions…”May not be……ETC.” These were simpler times indeed. I hope I haven’t abused the image in any manner. Thanks Red!