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James Jamerson actually played roundwound strings (!)

#73
pbassrules said:
That's a really cheap shot against a bass playing legend who is still alive, and actively teaching and playing bass into her 80's ... grow up.
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Thanks for resurrecting a year old thread to set me straight. FYI, I've studied with Carol off and on for years and have played with a guy that played with Jamerson. You've heard of jokes and sarcasm? The type of thing nobody in this thread but you called me out on?

Have a blessed day....
 
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#80
Though this string is old I thought I would add a comment to it. I have done a lot of research into Jamerson over the last 6 months. If he were alive today I would travel to see him just to talk about bass playing with him. Though he was never credited with much until after his death this man was the father of modern bass. He was that guy who was given the electric bass and asked to "see if this can go anywhere" kind of thing. Until he put efforts into it the electric bass had not caught on like Fender wanted it to. His friend Horace Ruth convinced him to try a 57 Fender Precision and as we say the rest is history. From that point on the music that was cranked out from Motown was some of the best music ever created. After Motown left for LosAngeles Jamerson's style of playing was not requested often due to his reluctance to switch to round wound strings and change his style to go along with what producers were looking to put out. He thus lost favor with record companies. Though the producers were looking for something different imagine what music might have looked like if they had let him put his input into music of the 70's and 80's they were producing?? He played with what is known today as the 1954 LaBella flat wound strings. The .052-.110 set. They claim his bass neck may have been warped though it never affected his playing. With the amount of tension that set puts on a neck he may not have adjusted his neck relief much and just played it with whatever the relief was. They say he never took good care of his instruments and had amazing hand strength so changes to the neck that might effect others may never have been an issue for him? He was also said to have worked during the day in the studio and at night in various clubs to make ends meet. His time for caring and adjusting his bass may have been slim so he just let it slide. I have flat wounds on several of my basses. I never change those strings. I do however take excellent care of my instruments and will clean the strings and always wipe my basses down before putting them away after playing. I adjust neck relief as the seasons change so my action is always the same. I find once a set of flats are broke in they sound good or should I say I don't see any noticeable change in their tone for me needs. I don't play anywhere as much as Jamerson so that might be a mute point. I also own 23 basses and interchange between them often.
 
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