John Paul Jones's Bass?

[MusicMan16]

Hey Guys i have been playing bass guitar for a long while, but sadly i dont know anything about bass guitars except knowing how to play them. I was wondering what kind of bass(model)and year Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones had, because I am wanting to buy one at any cost. Pictures would be highly apprechiated
thanks guys
sorry about the bad english

 

[KeithBMI]

...he also bought his first bass guitar, a Dallas solid body electric followed by a Fender Jazz bass.

That was when he was 14... I don't know what year that would be.

...but that would be his first.

Getting a nice '60s or '70s Fender Jazz would be a good idea.

 

[anchorsteam]

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also, if you go to the alembic website there in the custom archive is a triple omega 8-string

 

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Well, I'm missing something for sure, but he first played Fender Jazz Basses...

...and then Alembics...

...including an 8-string, most notably used in "Achilles' Last Stand".

 

[wateroftyne]

I think it was a 63/64 Jazz.

As well as the Alembics, he played a maple-boarded fretless Precision, an EUB and a stipped Telecaster bass.

..as well as loads of others, probably.

 

[WalterBush]

In my band's old rehearsal space, there was a poster with him playing what was clearly a P-bass body with a Jazz pup near the bridge. Oh, the body had a neck on it, too but we couldn't agree if it was a P or J neck.

I also recall an interview where he mentioned getting one of the best bass tones he ever heard from an Alembic fretless.

Funny, on the albums, he always sounded like JPJ

 

[nowhereian]

I'm pretty sure he had a fender bass vi for a while, too.

 

[wateroftyne]

I'm pretty sure he had a fender bass vi for a while, too.

Didn't know that - I've seen pictures of him playing a 'burst Fender Bass V.

I've just read that his J is a '61 (he must have swapped out the electronics for a 3-knob), and the Telecaster may have been a '52 P. Not certain, though.

 

[Sound Chaser]

From the first album through Physical Graffiti he used a 1963 Fender Jazz with a Rosewood fretboard and Rotosound roundwound strings. After that he used a couple of Alembic Series basses, a 4 and an 8 string with his signature body shape. He used those until Zeppelin broke up in 1980.

 

[zazz]

never heard of jpj with a vi...sure you dint mean jack bruce?

anyway ...if you want the classic jpj sound today i would not bother with alembic...its the 1960's jazz bass that was the sound!!

so its a custom closet classic fender jazz bass in sunburst from custom shop....

and an acoustic stack from ebay.....or use the basspod version (not quite the same as the real thing but easier to carry).

 

[bassplayer2106]

I think he's also played/plays Manson basses, made by a company in Devon, England.

 

[arbitrary]

Anyone know the control layout on his Alembic basses?
I tried but could not find.

 

[Rick Turner]

I built that Alembic in the picture for him.

 

[tZer]

I built that Alembic in the picture for him.

In my humble opinion, that means you crafted an instrument for one of Rock and Roll's gods. As if Zeus himself came down from Mount Olympus and said, "I require an instrument to defeat all my enemies and unite all my friends. Can you, luthier, craft such an instrument?"

That is so cool.

 

[Skel]

I built that Alembic in the picture for him.

Man, I'm impressed. That's amazing! Did you meet him?

 

[fenderjazz68]

In my humble opinion, that means you crafted an instrument for one of Rock and Roll's gods. As if Zeus himself came down from Mount Olympus and said, "I require an instrument to defeat all my enemies and unite all my friends. Can you, luthier, craft such an instrument?"

That is so cool.

<Turn on comic guy voice> Best description ever... </voice off>

 

[HeavyDuty]

I'm pretty sure most of his recent basses are by Manson.

 

[DEVILMAN]

@Rick Turner,

Did you actually build the bass upon JPJ's request or did he just so happen to "walk in" & buy it? What were the specs on it, if you could remember? Any pics of you, it, JPJ?

Kudos,
~S~


PS: JPJ was one of my early day influences, still love his work/style/writing...

 

[1zero]

i often see pics of him n a jazz..this is my first time seeing him with an alembic...then again i wasn't ever a real big JPJ fan

 

[MAJOR METAL]

60's Fender Jazz Bass.