The Pastorius family was electrified to learn in December 2007 that Jaco’s Bass of Doom — the fretless 1962 Fender Jazz Bass that had been stolen from a park bench in Greenwich Village in 1986 — had actually surfaced in a small music store in Manhattan’s east side. Although the instrument had Pastorius’ full name inscribed on the back of the headstock, the shop owner paid a mere $400 to the stranger who walked in off the street after possessing the instrument for over 20 years. Attempts were made through a family representative to recover the long-missing instrument by offering a handsome reward, but the store owner was unwilling to return the instrument, and the Bass of Doom quickly became the epicenter of an extensive legal battle.

Having become friends over the years with bassist David Pastorius (Jaco’s nephew) and Jaco’s eldest son, Johnny, Trujillo only learned of the legal battle surrounding the Bass of Doom from Pastorius’ lifelong friend and fellow bassist, Bob Bobbing, during a meeting about the making of a documentary on Pastorius’ life.

“While visiting Bob at his office in Florida, a call came in from the New York attorneys handling the lawsuit, and later Bob filled me in on all the details,” recalls Trujillo. “My first response was 'What can I do to help?' Not being a collector, I just wanted to right a wrong and help squash the ongoing and costly legal proceedings.”

Trujillo selflessly supported the family by making available to them the funds necessary to resolve the matter. The case was settled in late March in New York, and Johnny and Felix, armed with Pastorius’ original double Anvil touring case, soon traveled there to reclaim their father’s bass.

Although Trujillo currently owns the instrument, the Metallica bassist agreed in writing to relinquish the instrument to the family at any time for the same purchase price. According to Bobbing, the family corporation’s liaison to the law firm of Kilpatrick Stockton, Trujillo additionally made several other warranties in the purchase agreement rider that completely established that he had the best interests of Jaco and of the Pastorius family in mind.

“I’m never going to single-handedly feel like I have the ultimate right to it,” says Trujillo. “I feel like myself and the family share its voice in a way. Ultimately, I think we all agree that we’d like to see this legendary bass in a museum.”

wait why doesnt he just give it to the family - why do you need contracts and riders etc.

The dude was sick.

I can't imagine why anyone would have ever wanted to kick his face in.

Sorry...the facetiousness didn't come through.