Anyone Believe in "MOJO"

[gzarate85]

I've never ever heard any "other" interpetation of the word.

So I've been wrong all this time. Dammit! Lol.

 

[T-MOST]

So I've been wrong all this time. Dammit! Lol.

I won't say that. But thats just how I've heard it used.

 

[Mr_O'B]

I'm surprised at how many people are taking the interpretation of mojo to be some sort of magical, mystical, whimsical thing.

To me it's none of that. It's just a random "awesome sauce" that the instrument has, for whatever reason. It's completely subjective to the person who's playing it that makes it incredible. And because of that awesome sauce, it feels better, plays better and SOUNDS better.

I used to work at a Mexican food restaurant as a teenager and I remember occasionally, I felt like making an enchilada with just a touch more sauce, just because, and customer would say "man, best enchilada ever". I think the same is true for anything in manufacturing, some kid in the assembly line feels like giving the pickup one more wind just to please one lucky customer. Or maybe the luthier woke up on the right side of the bed and decides to spend just an extra 5min on a particular build (even if it's already to spec). It's those kinds of things that I'm sure amount to Mojo-ness!

As the OP, you described my interpretation perfectly. That's how I interpreted Mojo when Geddy Lee stated it in the video.

 

[nashvillebill]

This part, at least, is proven and known. But it pertains to spruce soundboards, at around 30 years of playing, the cellular structure has "set" and is influenced by those decades of vibration positively. Some luthiers have set up sound chambers to accelerate the process for later use in their acoustic builds.
Other woods are different, cedar soundboards are appreciated for not needing this lengthy play-in time, but the tradeoff is they never attain the sound quality of the spruce.
And of course, a solid P-bass could be made out of aged cheese and still sound good...if it has the mojo...

The "vibrations setting the cellular structure" concept is often tossed about but there are absolutely NO true scientific studies supporting this. This is pseudo-science, not proven by any scientific standard. Though folks make this claim and throw out scientific-sounding babble, it's simple false.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

i will say my early 1957 Precision with single coil had Mojo. i owned it for over 40 years and it tore me up to sell. but everyone who ever played it fell in love and I had hundreds of offers to sell it during its time with me. at least it went to a player.

 

[bearfoot]

The "vibrations setting the cellular structure" concept is often tossed about but there are absolutely NO true scientific studies supporting this. This is pseudo-science, not proven by any scientific standard. Though folks make this claim and throw out scientific-sounding babble, it's simple false.

Why do you people do this? Gravity isn't a proven scientific law either, right? I know what the goddamn scientific method is.

OBSERVATION: soundboards improving after avg 30 years
HYPOTHESIS: playing the instrument regularly somehow improves it
EXPERIENCE: the experiments are happening now
THEORY: not there yet
LAW: not there yet

YOU don't know it's false. You're babbling. I was sharing the hypothesis. Move along....

 

[AndreasR]

Why do you people do this? Gravity isn't a proven scientific law either, right? I know what the goddamn scientific method is.

OBSERVATION: soundboards improving after avg 30 years
HYPOTHESIS: playing the instrument regularly somehow improves it
EXPERIENCE: the experiments are happening now
THEORY: not there yet
LAW: not there yet

YOU don't know it's false. You're babbling. I was sharing the hypothesis. Move along....

Uhh...

Newton's law of universal gravitation.

 

[AndreasR]

Though I guess that has been superceded by another law or theory but...

Eff man, I'm too flabbergasted that you'd compare that to gravity.

 

[smallmouthbass70]

When I think of "mojo", Slash's '59 Les Paul Standard replica guitar used on Appetite For Destruction comes to mind.

 

[mongo2]

HYPOTHESIS: playing the instrument regularly somehow improves it

Your hypothesis should be: playing an instrument regularly somehow changes it.

Whether any change in the wood that may occur over time is due to playing and not simply aging is yet to be proven.

Whether any changes that occur for any reason is an improvement or not is subjective.

 

[nashvillebill]

There's no scientific research--real scientific research--supporting changes to wood at the cellular level due t the vibrations from music. This ranks up there with cable burn-in and other audiophile nonsense. Total horse hockey.

Wood ages, to be sure. That is of course well-studied.

 

[StudioGC]

I didn't think I did. But I purchased a 1976 Musicmaster, which is a pretty cheap bass. Wonky 6 pole pick up etc. I couldn't believe the high prices these basses command online considering their simplicity.

My Musicmaster looked like it was kept in a leaky attic for many years. The original case is very beat up from legit road use and the bass neck had major flaking of the finish on the headstock and some water stains.

Well, I added a Dragonfire humbucker, new pots and refinished the headstock. I also had to to some heating and tweaking of the neck to gat the truss rod to tighten, but all is good now.

Needless to say, this bass really talks to me and I feel it is a keeper...and my number one. It is sooo comfortable to play and sounds fantastic. My 2 other short scales just sold on eBay. That's how much I love this bass....it's got to have mojo. I can feel it....

Here it is in original condition:

 

[Mr_O'B]

I didn't think I did. But I purchased a 1976 Musicmaster, which is a pretty cheap bass. Wonky 6 pole pick up etc. I couldn't believe the high prices these basses command online considering their simplicity.

My Musicmaster looked like it was kept in a leaky attic for many years. The original case is very beat up from legit road use and the bass neck had major flaking of the finish on the headstock and some water stains.

Well, I added a Dragonfire humbucker, new pots and refinished the headstock. I also had to to some heating and tweaking of the neck to gat the truss rod to tighten, but all is good now.

Needless to say, this bass really talks to me and I feel it is a keeper...and my number one. It is sooo comfortable to play and sounds fantastic. My 2 other short scales just sold on eBay. That's how much I love this bass....it's got to have mojo. I can feel it....

Here it is in original condition:
View attachment 723455

Sounds like my definition of MOJO!

 

[nostatic]

I believe in Mojo Jojo - does that count?

 

[Mr_O'B]

I believe in Mojo Jojo - does that count?

It depends?

Does he own a bass, and if so, does he play it with his hands or feet?

 

[nostatic]

well, he's quite the crooner...

 

[Ghastly]

Yes, I do believe in mojo, but I think mojo is more than tone. Mojo is also a vibe, a feeling of confidence, and definitely tone; ...and something else I can't quite describe.

 

[jaybones]

Do I believe that an instrument by itself has mojo? No.

Do I blieve that certain players have mojo? Yes.

Mister Mojo Risin'

 

[neo 7]

Everything on earth resonates at their own frequency. If your bass resonates in the same key as your body, that's mojo.

As far as magic: Where would we be if humans has embraced and studied metaphysics instead of engineering?

 

[howlin]

Mojo? No, Joe.