As Phuture, Jones, Earl Smith Jr. (known as "Spanky"), and Herbert Jackson began to experiment, but were not satisfied with any of the basslines they developed. Jones heard a friend's track; inspired by his bassline he created, he discovered that it had been developed using a Roland TB-303, a bass synth designed to provide an automatic bass accompaniment for solo guitarists. Jones recalled that Spanky had found the TB-303 at a second-hand shop for about $40, while Spanky recollected that he his initial search for the machine had no result until he found it second-hand for $200, which he "[spent his] last dime on." Following the purchase of the equipment, the group began experimenting on their first tracks.
