Who was the bass player who put styrofoam (sp?) Under the strings?

[flareaga]

To make it sound more thumpy? He only used one finger and got the nickname the "hook" or something. I just can't remember his name. Thanks.

[Bassic83]

Jamerson?

[Lazylion]

Jamerson was "The Hook", but I doubt he used styrofoam. More likely foam rubber. It increases the decay of a note, and muffles the high end, giving a more upright-like sound. I do the same thing with my country band on the oldies - Patsy Cline and the like. Modern electric tone doesn't fit those tunes as well.

[ron mexico]

I think Bob Babbit used to do it as well.

[Cristo]

Lots of people do it. Styrofoam is too hard, you need something spongy, like a sponge, or soft foam, or rolled cloth.

Jamerson called his finger "the hook," and the foam was part of the bridge cover that was originally included on Fender basses early on.

[BassLand]

The practice of muting the strings goes back to the original Precision Bass Fender in the 1950's. It was an attempt to mimic the upright bass sound that was the model for what a bass sounded like prior to the P-Bass. The original foam mute was under the bridge cover that came with the original Fender basses (both P & J). That is why the covers were still on Jamerson's 1962 and earlier 1958 Precisions. The practice of removing them was not until the late 1960's. They still came stock on Fenders until the early 1970's . They are known collectively as Fender "Ashtrays".

[flareaga]

Thanks, I'd let to get one of these oldies....