Jimmy Johnson gear info...

trevcda · #1 10-02-2007, 07:13 PM

I've had lots of influences over the years but one of the perenial favorites has been Jimmy Johnson, most notably when playing with James Taylor. I just love that sound he gets with Taylor. I know he was at the forefront of the five string revolution but I know little else about the gear he is typically running. His bass has always got several cables coming out of it, but I don't think it's MIDI or 13 pin but I don't know. Does anyone have a link to this information? Thanks for the help!

bassman10096 · #2 10-02-2007, 09:23 PM

I don't claim to be an authority on JJ - just a fan. I've never known him to play anything other than a longscale Alembic Series 2. Look around the Alembic Club site for much more info (he has some serious fans over there). Here's a recent link with the bass I've always seen him playing http://alembic.com/club/messages/393...tml?1191291284.

bassbrad · #3 10-03-2007, 05:30 PM

Those old Alembics have a huge appetite for power and use an external power supply connected thru a 7 pin cannon jack.
Jimmy was indeed behind the contemporary lo B 5 string electric bass originally built by Alembic. He got the idea from his father, an upright bassist and piano technician, who told him that many orchestral bassists added a fifth lower string to their basses rather than using a detuner of which there are several types. Getting Alembic to build the bass was one thing but he (and Anthony Jackson) battled for years with string companies to develop a proper strings for extended tunings.
For amplification he has always used professional PA type gear. I have seen him use a Yamaha professional bass rig several times with Allan Holdsworth and I think he is using a Meyer Audio rig with JT.

trevcda · #4 10-30-2007, 01:32 AM

Just updating my thread: I was lucky enough to catch JJ with James Taylor tonight (just got home) and it appears now that he is relying soley on "ears". I didn't see any cabs on stage for bass at all. There was a smallish rack that had at least a tuner in it, but other than that nothing. As usual the whole group was amazing.