A compilation of basses played by Randy Meisner throughout his career. Listed alphabetically.
FENDER
Fender Jazz
The earliest photos of Randy playing bass show him playing a Fender Jazz
In the photos below, Randy is playing the same Fender Jazz twenty-four years apart (note the scratches above the pickguard).
He is playing a different Fender Jazz below with a maple fingerboard and block inlays.
Randy had this black Fender Jazz custom-made to be more lightweight.
Fender Precision
1959 Gold Fender Precision
Randy purchased this bass in the mid-late-60s and it became his go-to bass for the next several years.
Photo: Cindy Dakin
In 1971, he added an anti-war sticker to the left of the pickguard. It read: “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” The sticker was given to him by a friend of his cousin, Tony Meininger.
Mike Douglas Show, April 1, 1971
In 2014, Randy’s gold Fender was displayed in the Grammy museum during their exhibit: The Sounds Of Laurel Canyon: 1965-1977.
Below: A selection of other Fender Precisions played by Randy.
Poco, Amsterdam, Oct. 24, 1989
Photo ©Peter Van Leeuwen
Amsterdam, June 22, 1993
Photo: Peter Van Leeuwen
Fender Telecaster
Randy played this bass during the Eagles’ tour of New Zealand, Australia and Japan in 1976.
Photo © Vincent Barker
GIBSON
GIBSON EB-0
Epiphone Viola Bass
(manufactured by Gibson)
HAGSTROM
Red Hagstrom
Randy played two different red Hagstroms. The instrument on the left has a white plate over the knobs and switches.
Black Hagstrom
HOFNER
VIOLIN BASS
Photo: Jennifer Meisner
MOSRITE
In 2003, Randy recalled that when he was with his ’60s band The Poor, he traded his Mosrite bass for a Hofner:
“I’d very unwisely traded my Mosrite bass for a Hofner violin bass because it ‘looked cooler’…big mistake!…what a horrible instrument, respect to Paul McCartney for being able to play it at all!“
I couldn’t locate a photo of Randy playing a Mosrite.
MUSIC MAN STINGRAY
Manufactured in 1976, Randy played this bass with the distinctive oval pickguard throughout the Fall leg of the Eagles’ 1976 tour.
PEAVEY
Peavey Foundation
Photo: Cary Park
RICKENBACKER
Rickenbacker 4001
For most of the Eagles’ 1977 Hotel California tour, Randy played a mapleglo Rickenbacker 4001.
Rickenbacker 3001
Randy tuning and playing what appears to be a white Rickenbacker 3001, during a soundcheck at the Capital Centre in Largo, MD, March 21st, 1977.
Wow! This is a lot of work! Thank You Jessica for putting in the time to give us such a great article! 🌹
I appreciate it, Gwen! Thank you!
Great work. Nice to see all the basses Randy has played. Just a quick note – the Gibson “SG” model bass is actually called an EB-3 (if it had two pickups). Made famous by the late, great legend Jack Bruce during his time playing with Cream in the 1960s. There was also a single pickup version called the EB-0.
Hi Manny,
Thanks so much for this information. Could it be an EB-0? The image of Randy playing the bass came from some footage and it’s only shown for a few seconds, plus it’s very dark. But I can only make out one pickup near the head. I don’t see another one unless I’m mistaking it for the bridge.
Here is the footage. The closeup of Randy’s bass is at 1:44.
https://videos.files.wordpress.com/gxKwZ0Dz/rick-nelson-im-walkin-live-late-sixties-9dmgsgbbl_y-480p-1660348812449.mp4
I appreciate your help!
EBO
That’s what I’m thinking.
Also, an EB-3 has more knobs (additional Tone & Volume, + rotary pickup selector switch), and those would be visible even in these limited images. So, another vote for EB-O.
In general, the thing that stuck me is the variety of basses Randy used. Many bass players settle on one and stick with it. It looks like Randy was always searching for something different.
Hi,
Thanks for commenting.
Randy did switch around a lot, especially in the ’70s. However, he seemed to always go back to Fenders, especially Fender Precisions. He also had one Fender Jazz that he played for about 30 years (or longer).
I agree, EB-0. You can see when Randy moves his hand up slightly there is no pickup by the bridge, there is only the one pickup by the neck.
Thanks Manny for catching that error and for all your help!
Jessica
Do you know if Randy used his Rickenbacker bass on the actual “Hotel California” album sessions or if he just used it for the tour?
I know that he likely used his Fender Precision Bass on the first two albums and the black-and-red Hagstrom on “On the Border” and “One of These Nights”, but I’m not sure about his primary bass for the “Hotel California” sessions.
My guess is that he probably didn’t use it for the recording sessions since Hotel California was recorded and released in 1976 and we don’t see Randy with the Rickenbacker until March 1977.
Thanks for your help, Jessica.
Speaking of the Rickenbacker, an intriguing coincidence is that Randy used three basses that are associated with Sir Paul Рnot just the Rickenbacker, but also the H̦fner 500/1 and the Fender Jazz Bass (Paul used it on much of the White Album).
Thank you Jessica for all the work you put into this!
Nice to see that Randy has the same kind of basses i prefer to play on, the Fender Precision (my to-go bass), Fender Jazz and Musicman Stingray. The Rickenbackers where always a kind off out of reach for me, they are so hard to find and a bit too expensive for me. I have had a Epiphone Violin bass and funny to read that Randy also didn’t like playing his Hofner Violin bass!
Yeah, he didn’t like that Hofner. Thanks, Franck. Great to hear from another bassist.
Thank you Jessica for all your work putting this together! I was curious about his using a Rickenbacker Bass. Do you know if he liked playing it or if he liked the sound of it for certain songs? As was mentioned by Franck, I have always wanted a Rick but it has always been out of my price range. I love the way they look, however.
Hi Michael,
I’m not sure what Randy thought of playing the Rickenbacker. As far as I know, he only played it during the Hotel California tour in 1977.
Magnifique !
love !
André
When I saw them on the ’77 tour there was a box clamped to Randy’s mike stand – you see it in a lot of the photos from that tour.
Anyone got any idea what it is ?
In some photos you can see that it has a knob. It may have been a volume knob for his microphone or his monitor.