What string gauge were originally on a 71 JAzz Bass?

Basgubben · #1 08-18-2010, 06:24 AM

What gauge and type of strings (flats, rounds) were originally mounted on a Jazz Bass 1971?

jasper383 · #2 08-18-2010, 06:32 AM

Fender 850 flats, not sure of the gauge. Probably 45-105 gauge, or somewhere in that ballpark.

Lots of players want the old Fender 850 flats back, the ones that were before the 9050 sets.

king_biscuit · #3 08-18-2010, 07:23 AM

850s are good strings. i have a medium NOS set from the early 80s that I'm going to put on one of my P basses.

markjazzbassist · #4 08-18-2010, 08:47 AM

interesting and good question. what do the fender 850 flats sound closest to? Labella?

king_biscuit · #5 08-18-2010, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

interesting and good question. what do the fender 850 flats sound closest to? Labella?

Not really like La Bellas. The 850s are thumpier once broken in, and don't have that mid bump that the La Bellas have. They are very stiff -- especially the medium gauge -- and the g-string is as fat sounding as the e-string.

FunkMetalBass · #6 08-18-2010, 05:31 PM

I am always amazed to hear of players keeping strings on their basses for 20+ years. I can't imagine playing a bass with 6-month old strings, let alone some with 40x the play time.

markjazzbassist · #7 08-18-2010, 08:46 PM

interesting. i'd love to try some one day, but i love the mid bump of my 760FS labella's and will stick with them.

JTE · #8 08-19-2010, 08:54 AM

I don't recall the exact gauges, but they were closer to a 0.050 to about 0.108. They sounded like Carol Kaye's classic work. She never bought new strings, just got a new Precision. Balanced and stiff when new, nice thump but good definition too.

Folks who keep the same strings aren't going for twang nor bite. Joe Osborn's '60 Jazz bass has had the same set of LaBella flats since shortly after he got the new bass from Fender in 1960. Not at all like the sound Anthony Jackson's after with changing strings every take in the studio, or Squire with changing them every day.

John

markjazzbassist · #9 08-19-2010, 08:10 PM

sorry to derail, but could you point me to a recording where carol's fender 860 tone with fender jazz is most prominent or the "typical sound".

thanks

TimB 619 · #10 08-19-2010, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

sorry to derail, but could you point me to a recording where carol's fender 860 tone with fender jazz is most prominent or the "typical sound".

thanks

Actually, in the 60's, Carol only used a Precision. She felt the jazz had the wrong sound for studio work.

Jerry Scheff used a jazz in the studio at that time, but I don't know if he used Fender strings or not.