A couple of days ago, it was announced that Primus bassist/singer Les Claypool would be auctioning off a rare prototype of his Pachyderm bass to benefit his two-year-old nephew, Matthew. Claypool’s nephew is suffering from a rare form of infant leukemia and is undergoing bone marrow treatment. With the medical costs rising, Claypool is putting his bass up for auction on eBay to help pay for Matthew’s treatment.

The final prototype of Les Claypool’s custom Pachyderm bass still has five days left before the auction ends, with the top bid currently sitting at over $22,000. Although the auction, which ends on Aug. 15, has only just begun, the huge response to Claypool’s charitable cause already prompted the legendary musician to write a ‘thank you’ letter.

Claypool writes:

Hey all,

After watching the Bass for Baby Matthew auction shoot up to nearly $20,000 in one day, I was prompted to reach out and thank some people who helped us launch this thing. While writing and email to a fine fellow from Bass Player
Magazine, who ran a piece on their website, I came to this conclusion:

Only part of this auction is about the money. My brother needs all the financial help he can get but more than anything he needs uplifting elements in his life. Matthew’s situation is so fragile that every week is another roller coaster ride. Unfortunately recent news on Matthew has been not so good and having this auction gives my Bro something exciting to help distract him from the ebb and flow of the emotional tide that comes with watching his toddler son struggle.

Also, I think the more we are aware of this new wave of infant leukemia, the more we all become conscious of our environment and what we choose to expose ourselves to. It REALLY warms my heart and brings a tear to my eye to witness all these folks rallying around this boy via this instrument.

Yesterday was an emotional day for all of us. I’m sure the last 30 minutes of this auction next week will be like watching the Niners (he’s a big SF fan) win the Superbowl for my brother and his family.

Keep watching,

Les

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