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How to get a 60s Jazz sound like a 60s Jazz?


Mr Fretbuzz
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Hey guys, I've just bought a Fender 60s Jazz and I'm sticking the covers and finger rest on it to give it a vintage look and I was wondering what strings would be best to give it a 60s sound. What did the guys do back in the day and what strings were available then. What would be a good alternative today?

I've got flats on my P so I'm going for rounds on the jazz.

I'll post up a photo when I get it back at the weekend from the tech who is doing a little work on the neck action.

Also can you access the trussrod screw by just taking the pick guard off or do you need to loosen the neck screws on the back and risk cracking the finish. Tech says the latter which would be a pain.

Edited by Mr Fretbuzz
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[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1384986897' post='2283297']
My idea of a 60's Jazz Bass sound is John Paul Jones and he used flats. I think he had a P-Bass with rounds though...
[/quote]

Actually he used roundwounds but he had mutes on the bridge of his Jazz bass which gave him that flatwound type sound. For a 60's sound I'd put some foam in the bridge cover which will act like the original Fender mutes.

See piccie [url="http://www.12fret.com/wordpress/wp-content/gallery/fender-jazz-bass-1961-cons/fender-jazz-bass-1961-cons-bridge-mutes-1.jpg"]http://www.12fret.co...dge-mutes-1.jpg[/url]

Or if you want to do it the professional way damp with the palm of your hand. Scot shows you how here with a great lesson on how to get a 60's sound [url="http://www.bassguitarvideo.com/bass-lesson-james-jamerson-bass-lines-get-vintage-tone/"]http://www.bassguita...t-vintage-tone/[/url]

Edited by gjones
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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1385033491' post='2283586']
What is a 60's sound for bass?

In the 60's they used flats and rounds, picks and fingers and foam muting or not.

Live anything went... mostly valve amps through underpowered and woolly 4 x 12 cabs.


I don't think there is a 60's bass sound.
[/quote]

Yes, Paul MaCartney desperately wanted to sound like Marcus Miller but it's hard to do that on a Hofner Violin bass plugged into a 15 watt Selmer. :D

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[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1385035789' post='2283621']
Valve amp and big speakers (12"s, 15" or 18") have more effect than all the other stuff, I think.
[/quote]

More of an effect than how you [b][i]play[/i][/b] the bass? :blink: Not sure about that...

Edited by Conan
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[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1385036639' post='2283629']
....More of an effect than how you [b][i]play[/i][/b] the bass?....
[/quote]

That's my point. In the 60's you had Joe Osborne, John Entwistle ans Trevor "Dozy" Davies all playing Jazz basses and sounding worlds apart.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1385037598' post='2283652']
That's my point. In the 60's you had Joe Osborne, John Entwistle ans Trevor "Dozy" Davies all playing Jazz basses and sounding worlds apart.
[/quote]

Yes, you're right Chris - I was just making my boring old point about valve amps instead of DI, effects and transistor amps, that's all. :sorry:

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1385033491' post='2283586']
What is a 60's sound for bass? I don't think there is a 60's bass sound.
[/quote]

You're right of course, but for me it would be stuff like this:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnH187IFsBI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnH187IFsBI[/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C3YG2jvexQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C3YG2jvexQ[/url]

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[quote name='AntLockyer' timestamp='1385044276' post='2283770']
Aren't they all P Basses?
[/quote]

No idea! But yes, the thread is about Jazzes. I was just responding to the idea that there is no such thing as a "sixties bass sound". To me there is, but the sound in my head will obviously differ from that is other's heads. I didn't really think about what type of bass it might be played on...

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The recording techniques of the time were very different. Less compression. The bass more up front. The drums were more open and therefore blended with the bass on another level. And what was played fit the style of the time. You can play John Paul John's bass to a Lady Gaga song and it won't song very "60's."

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Forever searching for that 'Sound'.....Foam Mute.....Old Strings....keep nails short so your playing with a bit of nail and end of fingers to give the sound a slightly more percussive tone....but that's just my view......play with neck pick up full and try find that 'sweet spot' on bridge pick up and your tone control on about 4/5.....try it see what you think.....it gives me a sound I like (sort of) lol.....hope this some use to you.

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The bottom line is that a '60s Jazz can sound like pretty much anything, that's why they're still being played and reissued today.

Good luck finding your sound from it!
:)

Edit: for a 'general' 60's Jazz tone you could try and cop the bass tone on Lenny Kravitz's debut album.
Ok, of course it's not from the 60's but he certainly did his homework and it works a treat for that vibe.

Edited by miles'tone
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