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Jaco sounding bass

G

geoffkhan

May 30, 2004
1,668
2
Bay Area, California, USA
www.gregjazz.com
#1
Hi guys,

For a sample library project, I am in need of a bass that sounds as close and authentic to Jaco's bass of doom sound as possible.

I would invest in the Fender Custom Shop Jaco Relic bass, but I wanted to know if there are more cost-efficient ways of getting an authentic Jaco tone. Fender also has the less expensive Jaco signature bass, but I'm not convinced at its authenticity (I guess it has different pickups, and no epoxy fretboard).

There are probably some individuals out there who are quite good at making custom relic basses, too.

I would really appreciate your advice on this matter! I just need the bass for about a week, and then I would sell it probably. I don't know anybody who already owns such a bass, unfortunately, otherwise I would just borrow it.
 
#2
It might be more efficient to get a hold of used fretless jazz bass and epoxy the finger board yourself. Add some Rotosound stainless steel strings and you're done. You don't neccessarily need epoxy to get his sound, too.

Don't forget to ride the bridge pickup. It also helps to study his hands and cop his technique. I modeled my technique alot after his, and it makes playing Jaco-esque things a lot easier.
 
#6
Yeah, I think just about anybody who knows Jaco but doesn't follow fretless electric players in general will automatically think "Jaco" when they hear fretless electric.

Hell, I play one and the above describes me pretty much. I mostly listen to stuff with acoustic bass. Jaco's my main electric bass influence. So guess whose stuff I cop the most, hmm?
 
#8
Hi guys, thanks for the input.

Jaco used some pretty specific pickups and electronics in his bass. Modern jazz basses don't sound the same as a '62 (or whatever year his bass was, I forget) vintage Fender jazz with his customizations.

This is for a sample library project, so the closest I can get to Jaco's bass will give me the best advertising, not to mention sound like his bass.

Jaco can sound like Jaco on any bass, I know. I've heard him play some pretty random basses and still sound recognizable. However, the bass tone itself still sounds different.
 
#12
geoffkhan said:
This is true. However, I am sampling Jaco's BASS, not Jaco himself.

What will get me the closest to Jaco's Bass of Doom?
Click to expand...

I guess the closest thing would be the super duper expensive Fender Jaco Model but others have already posted viable options. Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you meant Jaco's sound, meaning the sound of the instrument and player combined.
 
#14
nobody seems to understand the topic..you want the bass itself to sound like jacos bass itself, his fingers aside..

the squire jaco model is seriously not bad. i diddnt believe it for the longest time untill i picked one up in guitar center. really blew me away. if the custom shop jaco relic is a 9/10, this thing was a 7.5/10. the ebanol (black plastic) fingerboard actually sounds very epoxy-ish.

ive also heard of people getting them for $200 at guitar center..

i think that bass will be closer to the sound than if you were to defret, or get a fretless, mexican/whatever jazz bass. as mentioned earlier, a 62 jazz bass is way differnt from a modern jazz bass..
 
#15
groooooove said:
nobody seems to understand the topic..you want the bass itself to sound like jacos bass itself, his fingers aside..

the squire jaco model is seriously not bad. i diddnt believe it for the longest time untill i picked one up in guitar center. really blew me away. if the custom shop jaco relic is a 9/10, this thing was a 7.5/10. the ebanol (black plastic) fingerboard actually sounds very epoxy-ish.

ive also heard of people getting them for $200 at guitar center..

i think that bass will be closer to the sound than if you were to defret, or get a fretless, mexican/whatever jazz bass. as mentioned earlier, a 62 jazz bass is way differnt from a modern jazz bass..
Click to expand...

i think groooooove is referring to the squier vintage modified jazz fretless
 
#16
groooooove said:
nobody seems to understand the topic..you want the bass itself to sound like jacos bass itself, his fingers aside..
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head. Thanks for the clarification!

This is for a sample library, meaning people will be either sequencing bass parts to use with the sampled Jaco bass, or playing it in live. Whether they're playing things that even sound like stuff Jaco would play is not my concern--the point is to capture a bass tone as close to Jaco's Bass of Doom as possible.

groooooove said:
the squire jaco model is seriously not bad. i diddnt believe it for the longest time untill i picked one up in guitar center. really blew me away. if the custom shop jaco relic is a 9/10, this thing was a 7.5/10. the ebanol (black plastic) fingerboard actually sounds very epoxy-ish.

ive also heard of people getting them for $200 at guitar center..

i think that bass will be closer to the sound than if you were to defret, or get a fretless, mexican/whatever jazz bass. as mentioned earlier, a 62 jazz bass is way differnt from a modern jazz bass..
Click to expand...

Thanks, I checked out some sound samples of the Squire Vintage Modified Jazz Bass, and it sounds promising.

I have defretted basses before, but I'm not looking to spend a lot of time on a project bass.
 
#17
+1 on the Fretless Squier, theyre ggggreat. I recently heard a very convincing tone online that was supposed to be a Fender Geddy Lee bass with an Aguilar Tone Hammer, and they show you how to get the sound. Its on Aguilar's site. Yeah, its Fretted, Jaco didnt always play that fretless, he played the fretted jazz about as much or more.
 
#18
Vetchking Here

Played the clip....... Yep, Jaco and his killer hands. Jaco's brain, etc.

Get a "acoustic" 360......... Add that to the mix and you got something.........

Jaco didn't have the wrong amp.............. LOL
 
#19
theaterbass29 said:
+1 on the Fretless Squier, theyre ggggreat. I recently heard a very convincing tone online that was supposed to be a Fender Geddy Lee bass with an Aguilar Tone Hammer, and they show you how to get the sound. Its on Aguilar's site. Yeah, its Fretted, Jaco didnt always play that fretless, he played the fretted jazz about as much or more.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, the audio clip sounds great. Yeah, the Squire looks surprisingly good--especially for a Squire bass. And it's a lot less of an investment than the fender custom shop relic or the fender jaco signature (which apparently is unfortunately not simply a non-distressed version of the relic, but has other differences).

Vetchking said:
Get a "acoustic" 360......... Add that to the mix and you got something.........

Jaco didn't have the wrong amp.............. LOL
Click to expand...

Yeah, Jaco would use two of those and put a delay on one of them. I guess he'd also go through the PA as well as his bass amp. But that's all pertaining to his live show setup--when he was in the studio he'd just go direct in.
 

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