John Paul jones tone anyone?

[My name is Mudd]

SInce this is awake anyway...

...it was not uncommon for him to play songs live with a pick...

...he said that part of the reason for using a pick onstage was to cut thru Bonham's massive kick-tones.

 

[Nick901]

Early 60's Jazz Bass, into a Acoustic 370 amp. (2x15 cab)
Rotosound swing-bass strings.
JPJ also use a early 50's P-Bass, and a Alembic 8-string bass.

I can't recall seeing him use a 370 or any of the 2x15 cabs (106,215,402,406). I've only seen him with the Acoustic 360/361 rig. Perhaps I haven't seen enough LZ YouTube videos.
YouTube - ‪John Paul Jones's Acoustic 360 Bass Amp‬‏

 

[jaywa]

Does anyone know which Zep tunes were recorded with the Alembic 8-string?

Going just by my ears I would have to say "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "Achilles Last Stand" and "Ozone Baby" almost certainly have to be the 8. Also possibly "For Your Life".

I have no way of knowing that for sure though.

 

[Freez]

Boy, I hate to even post to this as I doubt I know much about it, but I have heard some things over the years. I'll start by saying the importance of the members of Zeppelin IMHO are in order:

1. John Bonham
2. John Paul Jones
3. Robert Plant
4. Jimmy Page

I don't know Thunderfunk, Page wrote all those guitar hooks we all remember so well...without him, you would have never heard of Led Zeppelin...gotta have the tunes, man!

 

[My name is Mudd]

Does anyone know which Zep tunes were recorded with the Alembic 8-string?

Link Removed

 

[jaywa]

Awesome, thanks.

 

[fatlad1]

For John Paul Jones bass gear I use this link Link Removed

 

[Kaleb berardi]

I just got a new Ampeg 4x10 cab and an SVT 5 pro head and it sounds great. I play a precision bass, but i was just wondering how does jpj get that tone.. Its bassy but when he needs it its not muddy.. Is that the jazz bass or is the settings on his amp. If u can, give me some settings.. thanks

Hi great question I have a 1960s fender reissue Jazz bass just like the one jpj plays and I find that the amp really doesn't make a whole lot of difference because I also have a fender p bass and even in the same amp they sound compleatly different it's mostly how you play and the bass you have.

 

[chadds]

I've resently been involved in a led Zep thing and this has beeNon my mind.

Not the old round tone but all the different tones on spesific songs like.

Black Dog. Round Wounds,Pick, overdriven 360?svt?

Ocean . Pick or no?

Imigrant song, Grinding svt pick or not?

Heart Breaker. 8string? serious crunch. How?



Funkster Plays in Zep Tribute Mabye he'll chime in.



Aj

Based on your spelling you resented the experience.

 

[chadds]

He used those trapezoid shaped Rickenbacker 2x15 cabs when I saw them do the "Communication Breakdown" first record tour. There were four on stage with Hiwatt heads. He sounded exactly the same. His sound is in his fingers.

They opened for the Who. Kinda blew them away because their material was so bombastic compared to Tommy. Both outstanding musics though.

 

[58kites]

I don't know Thunderfunk, Page wrote all those guitar hooks we all remember so well...without him, you would have never heard of Led Zeppelin...gotta have the tunes, man!

I think the only guy in Led Zeppelin who might have been expendable was Robert Plant.
I would guess some other great blues singer could have done the job (let's say Rusty Day from Cactus).
From the things I've read, Page was the the "sound engineer" that made their records sound the way they do.

 

[My name is Mudd]

I think the only guy in Led Zeppelin who might have been expendable was Robert Plant.

With respect...I disagree; Percy wrote most of the lyrics. If he was just the voice, maybe...but IMO it wouldn't be Led Zeppelin either.

 

[58kites]

I guess I can't disagree a whole lot, but some of the lyrics are pretty close to the original blues songs they were trying to pay massive homage to.
I think that band is a case where the four members made a perfect storm.
But there are times I listen to Plant and find a way to be critical...the other three, not so much.

 

[My name is Mudd]

I can find (admittedly, sometimes minor) fault with each of them at times, and I've been a SERIOUS Zeppelin fan since I was 14. And yes, they have 'borrowed' from those that inspired them a bit too liberally at times, and have had to acknowledge that fact a few times as well. All that said, I completely agree with your perfect storm analogy...they were meant to play together.

 

[stuonbass]

In my limited experience in covering LZ songs, I have discovered the following:

Immigrant Song and Black Dog sound best on my P Bass.

Dazed and Confused sounds best with flats

What is and What Should Never Be and Ramble On sound best on my Jazz Bass.

 

[FunkHead]

Zep sounds pretty great on a RIC with Labella Flats.

 

[cerrem]

For LZ I use a 72 Sunburst P-Bass with rosewood board....
Strings are the Flatwound LaBella original 1954 style... .110 to .052.. aka Jamerson set...
Plug this into a 1969 Ampeg SVT head then into a Ampeg V4B cabinet...
I get compliments from many listeners and other bass players on how close the sound is to LZ ....at least the LZ vibe is their...
I would not use the Roto Flatwounds only because they do not manufacture them the same way they did back in the day....totally different sounding string nowadays...

 

[southpaw723]

Just to contribute something:
You cannot tell me he used rounds

 

[freshbass]

I just got a new Ampeg 4x10 cab and an SVT 5 pro head and it sounds great. I play a precision bass, but i was just wondering how does jpj get that tone.. Its bassy but when he needs it its not muddy.. Is that the jazz bass or is the settings on his amp. If u can, give me some settings.. thanks

It's' most definitely a stock fender jazz bass w/ either Rotosound rounds or TI flats. I can get the same tone w/ either depending on pup/tone setting and some midrange boost around 220 to 300, but I get closest w/ flats. It also has a lot to do w/ how he uses his hands. He sets his action pretty low and plays w/a fairly light right hand but uses a lot fingerboard pressure with his left hand fingers like many of the greats. that's what allows for increased dexterity. JPJ also did a lot of session work in the mid 60's using flats. You can hear his basic tone evolve thru the albums. If you look closely @ 3:20 on these look like Rotosound or TI's w/ the mute on the bass engaged ala Jamerson/Kaye as well, You can pause it and see the mutes pressed up against the strings. Both roto rounds and TI's have the red silk winding beyond the nut. Carol Kaye told me herself she used TI flats and JPJ studied her books way back, and she is very forthcoming w/ info when you study w/ her.

 

[chaosMK]

Old strings through a typical Peavey bass amp would probably do it. Crank to mild overdrive levels.