John Paul Jones & Flatwounds

[mikeswals]

I don't know at which point he switched, but if you have ever watched the movie "The Song Remains The Same", which was touring footage from about 73 to 75. You can see many camera angles pan across the bass and the flatwounds glean in the stage lighting. Flats just have that gleen.

 

[JohnnyGuest]

JPJ used a pick on the aggressive riff songs, like Black Dog. He frickin' hammers the strings too, if anyone can make flats sound bright, I'm sure he could. But...well here:
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and

John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) Bass Lesson (Part 1) - YouTube

The 2nd one especially, he's talking about how he used to do it, pretty cool!

 

[pbass2]

I'd be VERY hard pressed to believe the first two albums weren't flats.

 

[bluesblaster]

I run flats on my jazz basses (TI's and DTF's)and I do use a pick on some stuff, but no matter how hard I hit the strings they dont sound like RW's. I use sunbeams on my P and it is definitly a more aggresive grindy sound that the flats just wont get. This is just my experience, results may vary in someone elses case.

 

[jrfrond]

I think he may have forgotten as well. Flats have a characteristic punch, a non-linear decay that rounds don't have. Some of his more prominent early bass lines DEFINITELY sound like flats. There's also the possibility that he used the string mutes on the J-Bass, which would also screw up the decay of roundwounds enough to sound like flats.

 

[2400]

JPJ used a pick on the aggressive riff songs, like Black Dog. He frickin' hammers the strings too, if anyone can make flats sound bright, I'm sure he could. But...well here:
Invalid Link Removed

and

John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) Bass Lesson (Part 1) - YouTube

The 2nd one especially, he's talking about how he used to do it, pretty cool!

Thanks for those video's, I enjoyed them!

 

[kcole4001]

JPJ used a pick on the aggressive riff songs, like Black Dog. He frickin' hammers the strings too, if anyone can make flats sound bright, I'm sure he could. But...well here:
Invalid Link Removed

and

John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) Bass Lesson (Part 1) - YouTube

The 2nd one especially, he's talking about how he used to do it, pretty cool!

Brilliant!

It puts into words all the little things many of us picked up from years of listening.
"If you can't think of a reason to play a note, don't play it"

One of the greats!

 

[JohnnyGuest]

Definitely, JPJ is a treasure of rock history. I'm thankful he led a clean life so he could be around nowadays, to share the knowledge he's smashed into his head over the years.

If you haven't yet, check out Them Crooked Vultures. JPJ on bass and lap/steel/bass(you gotta see it to understand it) and keys, and some serious rockers in there with him.

 

[KoalaBass]

Well, Black Dog was recorded with his old Fender P bass, that has ever been strung with rounds, but on the pictures/films of led zepp in the early/mid 70's, you can clearly see they're flats... rounds dont shine the same way...

 

[Lonesomedave]

hey guys...

my understanding was at least SOME of the time he used Rotosound 99's (roundwound piano strings, with the bare core over the bridge)

i only say that because i read it somewhere a few years ago. as a result of reading that, my son decided to try some out, and they are now his favorite roundwound strings.

really a great string and great sustain.

 

[mikeswals]

There's also the possibility that he used the string mutes on the J-Bass, which would also screw up the decay of roundwounds enough to sound like flats.

You know, there is an early Zep pic in one of the older Bass Guitar Magazines I have, and JPJ jammin on his Jazz, and it has the mutes installed.

 

[spiltcoil]

I think that as an endorser at the time of the interview, he's full of crap.

 

[Sam Farnon]

Old ass thread I know; but I remember using an Acoustic 360 amp with a similar jazz bass, fitted with Elixer Stainless Steel roundwounds, with the bass on full and treble on half, both pickups on full and the tone rolled off, it sounded exactly like the bass tone from Ramble on o.o which sounds like a P bass with flats and a mute, like James Jamersons setup

 

[Axtman]

I recently saw the Becoming Led Zepplin movie. It looks like JPJ had the string mutes on his 1962 Jazz bass, but later on, he removed them.

 

[Pier_]

there's a topic here on Talkbass in which users analyzed the live videos with close-ups on the bass and some pictures from the 70's, and it seems that he used the stock Fender flatwound, probably the 55-105 set there came stock in those days.
long silk over the saddles at the bridge, no silk at the headstock.

that's what most "vintage" player used without changing them, and what came stock on Fender basses up until 1983 (in the last years, probably mid 70's if I'm not wrong, they used the lighter gauge), when they dismissed flats and ashtrays and the basses came stock with rounds.

on his Jazz Bass he used them, also in the mid 70's, looking at live videos.

on other basses he used roundwounds, probably the Rotosound RS66, that were a standard for british musicians.