Jigster Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Trawling through some YouTube vids of the mighty Zeppelin today and amazed, even on YT, at the bass tone Jones has. He's playing a jazz in most of the ones I watched from early 70's live shows - anyone idea what sort of rig he was using back then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Acoustic 360s, 4 of them I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigster Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Cheers. Well, great tone - I see the re-issues in the States are somewhere around $4,000! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacker Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 360s and flatwounds, certainly in the late '60s/early '70s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Saw him use an Ampeg stack on that famous TV show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) Judging by Them Crooked Vultures, he hasn't forgotten how to do it. Edited September 8, 2012 by spinynorman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigster Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 Well I've got some flatwounds - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigster Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 Played with a pick also on some it seems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 In the later Zeppelin days ( Prescence - In Through The Out Door) JPJ used some of the first Gallien Krueger bass amps and four and eight string Alembic basses. He retired his 1963 Jazz around this time , claiming it was worn -out. He did indeed play with a pick when it suited him, and he was/is a master of palm- muting and varying his pick-attack . Check out tracks like D'yer Maker and Celebration Day for examples of this technique . The guy is a genius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 JPJ has repeatedly stated he used rounds back in the early days of Zeppelin. I reckon he's mistaken. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Yep I always thought he used flats (read it in an interview once somewhere) but then I got shot down in flames on Talkbass for saying so. Lots of evidence was brought forward by people who say they have met and asked him (which of course could be internet BS) and other interviews he gave say he hated flats and used Roto swingbass 66 roundwound strings and just eqed it that way. He mentioned that when Jimmy used to go off on one, JPJ needed to fill the space up as it was just down to the bass and drums and he found flats too limiting. He also said he'd change them often too so it's not like he was using dead rounds either. but yeah, they always sounded like flats to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 My ears have always said flats, but JPJ says otherwise... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 There's nothing amazing about his tone at all. It's just bass-heavy. You can get that sound from virtually any bass through any amp with any kind of strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 [quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1347126584' post='1797263'] There's nothing amazing about his tone at all. It's just bass-heavy. You can get that sound from virtually any bass through any amp with any kind of strings. [/quote] I kind-of agree. It's a great tone, but there's nothing mystical about it. It's great because of the production - records aren't mixed like this any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1347126773' post='1797268'] I kind-of agree. It's a great tone, but there's nothing mystical about it. It's great because of the production - records aren't mixed like this any more. [/quote] I think it's a classic example of the sound originating in the skill of player, not the equipment. His tone wasn't as up front as say John Entwistle or Chris Squire in the same era, but that rounder tone on the earlier Zeppelin stuff was still a great bass sound and suited the more traditional , R &B- based approach that JPJ had compared to those players. You are quite right that records are mixed differently now .too. They had to find a whole different balance because you couldn't put anywhere near as much bass on vinyl records , for a start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) It's worth mentioning that JPJ varied his sound throughout his Zeppelin career; even on some earlier tracks like the Immigrant Song he uses a much brighter, more raunchy tone ( from memory, I think he had an early 50s' Precision that was definately strung with rounds that he used to record that track, but I could be wrong), and obviously, once he got his Alembics his sound got a lot more modern. Edited September 8, 2012 by Dingus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 He's certainly said in an interview that I've read that he ditched flats before Zeppelin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Not forgetting the fretless P-bass on Bron-Y-Aur stomp. So sexy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 [quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1347134893' post='1797366'] Not forgetting the fretless P-bass on Bron-Y-Aur stomp. So sexy! [/quote] That was an electric upright - he used the fretless P on In My Time Of Dying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 I wondered if you could be right here so I checked up on it but if you google 'jimmy page discusses making Led Zepellin III' (at ledzepellin.org) he goes through all the tracks and for Bron-aur he says JPJ used a large bodied acoustic bass guitar that he had defretted and played it acoustically. Wow I've always thought it was that fretless P (you were right about him using it on 'in my time of dying though) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Has anyone listened to Zooma? there is some killer bass playing, sounds and tunes on that album! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigster Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1347126773' post='1797268'] I kind-of agree. It's a great tone, but there's nothing mystical about it. It's great because of the production - records aren't mixed like this any more. [/quote] This is interesting to me - in what way? Also, it was actually a random live recording of Zep in concert I was referring to originally, not one of their recorded albums - nonetheless, I'm interested in your comment re mixing as it's something I can speak with little authority about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I'm sure you guys have seen this before; shame the quality is a bit off http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMYkl6sE6qU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 saw him years ago on the Zooma tour. sensational player and decent bloke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 [quote name='Jigster' timestamp='1347183540' post='1797667'] This is interesting to me - in what way? Also, it was actually a random live recording of Zep in concert I was referring to originally, not one of their recorded albums - nonetheless, I'm interested in your comment re mixing as it's something I can speak with little authority about! [/quote] Was it a boot? Which one? I'm basically a fan of the 70s rhythm-section-and-up mix. Fat and warm, and everything has room to breathe. You can feel the weight behind the bass. Modern production is generally sparkly and clear, but dense and woefully undynamic. Look at recent Rush stuff, for example. Someone recently pointed me at a new record by... Porcupine Tree, was it? Not a fan of the music, but the sound was incredible. The guy that produced that also did the new Ian Anderson CD and it's equally involving. All IMO, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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