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Achieving the JPJ tone

anyonefortennis

anyonefortennis

Supporting Member
Jun 28, 2005
2,422
376
Lincoln, NE
#1
I'm looking for a nice rig to get JPJ-like tone. This is what I have in mind:

Fender 62/75 Jazz RI with D'Addario Chromes Flatwonds
Thunderfunk TFB420/550
Bergantino NV215/425

Do you think this gear (and lots of talent) get me in the neighborhood of Zep II tones.

Would you reccomend the 62 over the 75 Jazz or viceversa?

How about the cabs, 215 or 425?

Thanks folks!
 
#3
Also If you don't have the Zeppelin bass books, GET 'EM. I have found a few mistakes in them, but they are pretty much dead on. Also if you don't know how to read (or feel) note ties well then songs like "good times bad times" will be difficult for you.

But no doubt a jazz with rounds will getcha close. ;)
 
#4
I would go with the 62RI jazz, set up with flats. Jonsey used flats for the early recordings. On some early video's of the band playing songs from the first album, you can see that he still has the mutes installed on his jazz. He did switch to rounds when he used the Alembic bass. In interviews that I have read he describes his finger attack as pretty hard on the strings. Watch the video and notice how he plays, that is where a lot of his tone comes from. He used big cabs, Acoustic 18's with folded horns.
 
#5
Yeah I'd definitely go w/ the 62 and I think your rig idea should get you a nice warm vintage tone while also being a little more versatile for different tones (it is not like you want to lug Acoustic cabs w 18" speakers and folded horns to your gigs, although the Zeppelin tribute band we opened for 2 weeks ago did indeed have the old Acoustic rig!). Just try different strings til you find what works. Oh yeah, don't forget the keyboards, mandolin, taurus pedals, etc. :p
 
#13
usually towards neck or pickups, don't recall him go up to the bridge much/at all.

Though his main Zep bass was the jazz, he also had a '51 tele bass he used in the 70s.

jpj3.jpg
 
#15
The Lurker said:
usually towards neck or pickups, don't recall him go up to the bridge much/at all.

Though his main Zep bass was the jazz, he also had a '51 tele bass he used in the 70s.

jpj3.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe the early P-bass, strung with roundwounds and usually picked, was used for many of the 'raunchy' sounding things on the early albums. "Out on the Tiles" may be one of these (but II'm not 100% certain).

As for the rest of the early stuff, definitely Jazz bass with flats.
 
#16
the dude said:
yah, I can hear that. Is that the only one? From audiophage's post, I thought there would be several...
Click to expand...

On record:

Nobody's Fault but Mine
Ozone Baby on Coda (rarely mentioned, sure sounds like it to me)

He also played the 8 live on some legacy tunes in 77 onward like Black Dog that featured basslines that locked in with the guitar riff. You can always hear the telltale string-rattle on the bootlegs.

If you want to hear a lot of this stuff, pick up his two solo albums that feature almost nothing but octave bass.

He's definitely become the preeminent practitioner of the instrument.
 
#17
Quick question about JPJ: Did he ever use a fretless? I have the DVD and a few CDs, and I could swear I HEAR the fretless, but I can't be sure that I've ever seen it. For example, I'm 90% sure that he uses a fretless on Ramble On, you can hear it in the intro. But due to vid quality and the lack of closeups, I can't tell from the DVD what he uses.
 
#18
MikeyFingers said:
Quick question about JPJ: Did he ever use a fretless? I have the DVD and a few CDs, and I could swear I HEAR the fretless, but I can't be sure that I've ever seen it. For example, I'm 90% sure that he uses a fretless on Ramble On, you can hear it in the intro. But due to vid quality and the lack of closeups, I can't tell from the DVD what he uses.
Click to expand...

On the DVD...check out "In My Time Of Dying", he plays a fretless Precision. And on "Bron Yr Aur Stomp" he plays a weird looking electric upright bass.
 
#19
mos6507 said:
On record:

Nobody's Fault but Mine
Ozone Baby on Coda (rarely mentioned, sure sounds like it to me)

He also played the 8 live on some legacy tunes in 77 onward like Black Dog that featured basslines that locked in with the guitar riff. You can always hear the telltale string-rattle on the bootlegs.

If you want to hear a lot of this stuff, pick up his two solo albums that feature almost nothing but octave bass.

He's definitely become the preeminent practitioner of the instrument.
Click to expand...

Ozone Baby is a good song, great bouncy bass part............
 

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