James Jamerson mysterie box.

[Muziekschuur]

On youtube on my feed a short about James Jamerson appeared.
It's kind of a riddle. It shows James Jamerson with a box on the input of his bass. The question rises. What box did he use.

Here is the video:

 

[brianrost]

It’s a wireless transmitter.

 

[Pirate Captain]

 

[Sharko]

Not a riddle at all. Asked and answered many times. This pic is cropped, zoom out and you’ll find this is in the book Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, the caption identified this as a wireless unit, and the receiver is sitting atop the piano.

 

[mikeswals]

Wireless transmitter.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I'm a little shocked that wireless was even a thing that early. I didnt see or hear of them until the late 70s. No idea they were around in the 60s, or that Jamerson would have been an early adaptor.

 

[mikecd1]

There was a thread last week and it was confirmed about the wireless transmitter. It is mentioned in the book "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"

 

[oranje]

A predecessor to Danny Gatton's infamous Dingus box perhaps?

 

[LordRyan]

VOX had a wireless microphone system called the VOX Radio Microphone In their ads as far back as 1964. I had a VOX catalog from around 1967 which listed a wireless system.

article

The history of the Vox AC100, 1963-1970. Pictures of surviving amps, from the Vox AC80/100 to the final iteration of the AC100 Mk 2; schematics; material on components, suppliers and manufacture. Images of bands using the amp on stage and in the studio

www.voxac100.org.uk

 

[antfarm]

Could be a Wolfbox.

Wolfbox - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Wolfbox is the name for the original passive DI unit, direct box, or DI as invented in the late 1950s by Dr. Edward Wolfrum, PhD, alumnus engineer of Motown, Golden World Records, Terra-Shirma Studios, Metro-Audio Capstan Roller Remote recording, and United Sound Systems in Detroit, Michigan. Used by James Jamerson, Dennis Coffey, Bob Babbit and other The Funk Brothers, the Wolfbox was a key component in the 1960s and 1970s sound of recorded music in the Motown/Detroit scene.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I’m just here to say that if anyone out there DOESN’T have the Standing in the Shadows of Motown book, please stop what you are doing and order it. That is all.

 

[micguy]

That was a special box, made by the Motown Engineers, that was used to inject mojo into an instrument. The first couple of sessions he played there, it was obvious James was a complete hack, and those tracks never saw the light of day, but after that procedure....magic.

 

[devnulljp]

Stupid clickbait YT video -- no, it hasn't been bugging bass nerds for years. It's a wireless transmitter.

 

[mikecd1]

Stupid clickbait YT video -- no, it hasn't been bugging bass nerds for years. It's a wireless transmitter.

View attachment 7370409

whoop, there it is!

 

[Wood and Wire]

Stupid clickbait YT video -- no, it hasn't been bugging bass nerds for years. It's a wireless transmitter.

View attachment 7370409

"The box with the antenna on top of the piano is the receiver. "

...and doubles as an electric fan.


That's a really impressive, useful wireless range, of about 3 feet, before the output cable then had to run across / behind / under the stage, to his B-15 amp - and pray the maraca player doesn't trip over it, and unplug it.

I

 

[Muziekschuur]

I allways thought a long bass cable was to lure in groupies.... You know... for a backstage party.... If I see a nice girl and ask her.... do you wanna see my wireless....

That conversation won't go that well now would it....