molan Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I recently got a '75 J Reissue in PX and have been playing it a lot for the past week. This is the first Fender I've owned since my original Musicmaster back in '79 (which I traded for a synth in the '80's - what a mug eh?). I often just sit at my PC & play random music to try & learn the parts & jam along to things. Having spent a fair bit of time doing just this today I've noticed that the sound I'm getting from the J is way closer to a whole string of original songs than any of my other basses. I've been mostly playing funk & soul stuff from 70's & '80's. I wonder if this is this simply because [i]every[/i] pro recording bassist from that era is using a J in the studio, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 That's the main thing I loved about that bass Barrie, hooked up through my Mac it really did give out that classic tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I think the Fender sound is a versatile one. It's pretty well known that you weren't even allowed in certain studios in NY and LA without a Fender bass back during the golden age of session musicianship. I'd still say that the P-Bass was probably used to cut more records back then, with Louis Johnson, Bernard Edwards and Freddie Washington playing them almost exclusively on all the records they played on. But there is something about a Jazz bass that just can't be beaten... such a rounded sound, everything you need about a bass just under your fingers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I have loved the J tone since I heard it....P tone I am also now in love with after using it for a long time. Thick, thuddy. I love the J growl and the bridge pickup on its own. Classic. Forget all the active parts...for me passive Fender is where its at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 i love my jazz bass (1987 MIJ btw) but i only ever use the neck pickup, never the bridge. to my ears it's a much fuller sound. but each to their own of course !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='liamcapleton' post='513467' date='Jun 14 2009, 06:07 PM']with Louis Johnson, Bernard Edwards and Freddie Washington playing them almost exclusively on all the records they played on.[/quote] I know Louis Johnson used a precision in the early days, But i thought he and Bernard Edwards were Musicman guys for the most. Might be wrong, and usually i am. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='lowdown' post='513511' date='Jun 14 2009, 07:12 PM']I know Louis Johnson used a precision in the early days, But i thought he and Bernard Edwards were Musicman guys for the most. Might be wrong, and usually i am. Garry[/quote] No, you're right I was going to mention that! Louis did move over to Musicmans, but in conjunction with his P-Basses as well, especially on a lot of Michael Jackson and George Benson stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='liamcapleton' post='513515' date='Jun 14 2009, 07:14 PM']No, you're right I was going to mention that! Louis did move over to Musicmans, but in conjunction with his P-Basses as well, especially on a lot of Michael Jackson and George Benson stuff.[/quote] Hi guys Louis johnson used a p bass early on, and had input in the development of the musicman stingray which he used on pretty much everything he did,(although i believe he used yamaha for a while) he shared bass duties on the micheal jackson records with bobby watson (from the band rufus) who used a 62 precision (on "rock with you") also he did the george benson stuff, as well as abraham laboriel who used either a p bass or a goya panther (very similar sound to a p). as far as i know bernard edwards used both musicman and BC rich eagle basses (both now owned by duran durans john taylor), but in those days as you correctly point out a precision was a session requirement, you cant beat a good jazz bass though!!! i love em!! al the best - lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='lee650' post='513652' date='Jun 14 2009, 10:34 PM']Hi guys Louis johnson used a p bass early on, and had input in the development of the musicman stingray which he used on pretty much everything he did,(although i believe he used yamaha for a while) he shared bass duties on the micheal jackson records with bobby watson (from the band rufus) who used a 62 precision (on "rock with you") also he did the george benson stuff, as well as abraham laboriel who used either a p bass or a goya panther (very similar sound to a p). as far as i know bernard edwards used both musicman and BC rich eagle basses (both now owned by duran durans john taylor), but in those days as you correctly point out a precision was a session requirement, you cant beat a good jazz bass though!!! i love em!! al the best - lee[/quote] Yeh, I've seen clips of Louis Johnson playing Yamahas. Sounded great! Concerning Bernard Edwards, he did use Stingrays a lot, but I found this out about him from Marcus Miller's website: [quote]Yeah, Bernard was a friend of mine. We would run into each other in studios, in the street. He would give me advice about a lot of things. He told me not to move to LA (I didn't listen :-) I remember, around 1978, I saw Bernard on a Chic album cover with a BC Rich bass. It was white with this unusally shaped body. Anyway, the song "Good Times" was on this album and I thought it sounded so good, I ran out and bought a white BC Rich. I got it home and started playing Good Times...I'm saying to myself, "This don't sound like the record........." I met Bernard shortly after and told him I bought the BC Rich but couldn't get that cool sound. He said, "Man I didn't play a BC Rich on that album. I played my Fender Precision!" I said, "But you have the BC Rich on the album cover." He said, "Yeah, well the BC Rich looks good, so I take pictures with it!" God rest his soul......[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJTee Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) [quote name='liamcapleton' post='513749' date='Jun 15 2009, 12:04 AM']Yeh, I've seen clips of Louis Johnson playing Yamahas. Sounded great! Concerning Bernard Edwards, he did use Stingrays a lot, but I found this out about him from Marcus Miller's website:[/quote] I think maybe the passage of time has lead to Marcus getting in a muddle! I really can't believe it was a P-bass on Good Times - from the sound if it, it HAS to be his Stringray with the old unchanged strings on it. It just doesn't sound like a precision to me. Listening to Chic stuff, I would say that the early singles (Dance, Dance, Dance and Everybody Dance) from the first album were played with a P-Bass, with all the stuff on the later albums C'est Chic (Le Freak, etc.) and Risque (Good Times, etc.) being played on a Stingray. Edited June 15, 2009 by JJTee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) [quote name='JJTee' post='514113' date='Jun 15 2009, 01:05 PM']I think maybe the passage of time has lead to Marcus getting in a muddle! I really can't believe it was a P-bass on Good Times - from the sound if it, it HAS to be his Stringray with the old unchanged strings on it. It just doesn't sound like a precision to me. Listening to Chic stuff, I would say that the early singles (Dance, Dance, Dance and Everybody Dance) from the first album were played with a P-Bass, with all the stuff on the later albums C'est Chic (Le Freak, etc.) and Risque (Good Times, etc.) being played on a Stingray.[/quote] It's definitely a Stingray on Good Times and most definitely a Precision on Rappers Delight, that might be the source of the confusion. Edited June 15, 2009 by Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 It's been a while since I listened to Good Times, but it does sound just like a Stingray. Odd that MM would get mixed up. And apparently, after some research, all the old stuff, i.e. 'Dance, Dance, Dance', was a Fender Jazz! Puzzling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='liamcapleton' post='514272' date='Jun 15 2009, 03:13 PM']It's been a while since I listened to Good Times, but it does sound just like a Stingray. Odd that MM would get mixed up. And apparently, after some research, all the old stuff, i.e. 'Dance, Dance, Dance', was a Fender Jazz! Puzzling [/quote] I only just recently noticed it recently when it came on the radio in my friends car. The bass itself sounded alot duller than when compared to Good Times, and the only bass that can sound persistently dull on anything it's recorded on is a Precision. Well if anything I guess the best way to describe the MM tone is a meaty jazz bass, it must've been what appealed to Bernard enough for him to switch to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='ahpook' post='513500' date='Jun 14 2009, 05:59 PM']i love my jazz bass (1987 MIJ btw) but i only ever use the neck pickup, never the bridge. to my ears it's a much fuller sound. but each to their own of course !![/quote] Weird ain't it. I love the bridge pick up with the tone rolled back for that Chic sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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