John Paul Jones's Bass?

[soulman969]

Old Zep it was a 60's Jazz Bass just as many others have said.

 

[Ed_in_NE_Ohio]

Bumping to see if anyone has any experience with or owns the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
Being all Mahogany, it must weigh a ton.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

 

[JTE]

I agree that it sounds like flats, but he says it was rounds. It's probably the Acoustic 360 producing that tone.

Way back in the late '70s or early '80s he said in a Guitar Player Magazine ( no bass mags at the time) interview that he used flats until he got the Alembic. Said he realized the bass deserved more than the flats allowed. Of course.a mire recent interview has him saying it was always rounds.

Based on sound and the closeness of the interview to the events, I'm going with his earlier assertion of flats until the Alembic.

John

 

[Rick Turner]

@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...

Built to order.

 

[jazz Bass 74]

Built to order.

Here's an excerpt from the old Guitar Player interview with JPJ discussing his then new Alembic. Rick, when is the stainless steel fingerboard coming out?

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

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

I'm a huge John Paul Jones/Led Zeppelin fan. I know his main bass was a '62 or '63 Fender Jazz Bass. He also played a slab body Fender Precision Bass, and I've even seen a poster of him playing a Fender 5-string from way back in the late 60's or early 70's. His amp choice for live tours early on, and for a good portion of Led Zeppelin's stretch was a pair of Acoustic 360's. He played fingerstyle and on some songs used a pick. He is the absolute Master IMO. Instead of constantly riffing away on their songs, he varied his style, sometimes leaving out notes, and when he did choose to play more notes, he wouldn't lose the groove. I read where he said he never played a song the same way twice. He's a very knowledgeable Musician, plays several instruments, and was one of the UK's top arrangers in their studio scene in the 60's before joining Led Zeppelin.

He said he always used Rotosound Swing Bass round wound strings with Zeppelin, but I'm sure when you listen to their first album through Led Zeppelin III, you'd swear it sounds like he's using flat wound bass strings. I'm guessing the straight sound of his bass was shaped in the recording process in the studio might explain why his Jazz Bass sounded so fat on those early albums.

Listening to JPJ playing his Fender Jazz Bass, Rotosound Swing Bass rounds, and his Acoustic 360's on live recordings, and listening to Jaco Pastorius through essentially the same setup, (although Jaco mainly played a defretted Jazz Bass) really helps me to believe the biggest 'secret' to a player's sound is in their hands, note choices, approach, etc etc, more so than the type of gear they use.

I'm not sure which year JPJ started playing Alembic's, but I've read he used an Alembic 8-string, and loved how it filled in the sound live. These days he uses Manson basses, and plays through SWR amp; I think he uses a guitar amp in his live setup, and somehow splits his signal, putting his low end through the SWR and his highs through the guitar amp.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I've read he used an Alembic 8-string

Captain Pedantic would like to point out that John Paul Jones' triple-omega 8-string was built by Bruce Becvar, who, while he did indeed build basses for Alembic, also built some under his own name. JPJ's is (was?) a Becvar-branded instrument.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Captain Pedantic would like to point out that John Paul Jones' triple-omega 8-string was built by Bruce Becvar, who, while he did indeed build basses for Alembic, also built some under his own name. JPJ's is (was?) a Becvar-branded instrument.

I learned something new today. I never heard of Becvar. I've seen Becvar as a topic on Alembic's Discussion Forum, but never opened the thread.

BTW, whichever bass JPJ was playing on "For Your Life" from the Presence album is one of my all time favorite rock bass tones. So much so, I used it to describe the tone I was wanting when I had Brian Ristola build my 6-string.

Thanks for the reply, Bob, now I'm off to the Alembic site to find out more about Becvar. Take care, Best regards, -A.P.

 

[godofthunder59]

I didn't read the entire thread but he used a Gibson EB1 on the album Led Zeppilin, songs like Dazed and Confused, etc.

 

[jim nolte]

I'm a huge John Paul Jones/Led Zeppelin fan. I know his main bass was a '62 or '63 Fender Jazz Bass. He also played a slab body Fender Precision Bass, and I've even seen a poster of him playing a Fender 5-string from way back in the late 60's or early 70's. His amp choice for live tours early on, and for a good portion of Led Zeppelin's stretch was a pair of Acoustic 360's. He played fingerstyle and on some songs used a pick. He is the absolute Master IMO. Instead of constantly riffing away on their songs, he varied his style, sometimes leaving out notes, and when he did choose to play more notes, he wouldn't lose the groove. I read where he said he never played a song the same way twice. He's a very knowledgeable Musician, plays several instruments, and was one of the UK's top arrangers in their studio scene in the 60's before joining Led Zeppelin.

He said he always used Rotosound Swing Bass round wound strings with Zeppelin, but I'm sure when you listen to their first album through Led Zeppelin III, you'd swear it sounds like he's using flat wound bass strings. I'm guessing the straight sound of his bass was shaped in the recording process in the studio might explain why his Jazz Bass sounded so fat on those early albums.

Listening to JPJ playing his Fender Jazz Bass, Rotosound Swing Bass rounds, and his Acoustic 360's on live recordings, and listening to Jaco Pastorius through essentially the same setup, (although Jaco mainly played a defretted Jazz Bass) really helps me to believe the biggest 'secret' to a player's sound is in their hands, note choices, approach, etc etc, more so than the type of gear they use.

I'm not sure which year JPJ started playing Alembic's, but I've read he used an Alembic 8-string, and loved how it filled in the sound live. These days he uses Manson basses, and plays through SWR amp; I think he uses a guitar amp in his live setup, and somehow splits his signal, putting his low end through the SWR and his highs through the guitar amp.

And I'm going to guess from my own experience playing Swing Bass 66 Rotosounds on my old Jazz for 10 yrs. or so that because they tend to die an early death tone wise compared to other SS roundwounds that would contribute to it sounding more like flatwounds than what we normally associate with rounwounds. Don't know if modern Rotos still sound that way, haven't used them for many years.but back in the late '60s and early '70s when I was using them they lost their twang pretty quickly. Saw Led Zep in 1969, their first US tour as headliners at the Winterland. Blew the roof off of the place, he played his Jazz the whole show. Page was still using his Telecaster going through a Rickenbacker amp with a weird ass looking triangle shaped speaker bottom. Heavy use of the Theramin made it sound like we were all in a cave or something, amazing show! The SF hippies didn't know what hit them!! Jim

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

And I'm going to guess from my own experience playing Swing Bass 66 Rotosounds on my old Jazz for 10 yrs. or so that because they tend to die an early death tone wise compared to other SS roundwounds that would contribute to it sounding more like flatwounds than what we normally associate with rounwounds. Don't know if modern Rotos still sound that way, haven't used them for many years.but back in the late '60s and early '70s when I was using them they lost their twang pretty quickly. Saw Led Zep in 1969, their first US tour as headliners at the Winterland. Blew the roof off of the place, he played his Jazz the whole show. Page was still using his Telecaster going through a Rickenbacker amp with a weird ass looking triangle shaped speaker bottom. Heavy use of the Theramin made it sound like we were all in a cave or something, amazing show! The SF hippies didn't know what hit them!! Jim

Man! I wish I could've been there! I remember I was like in 4th grade, 1972 I think, and they came to Salt Lake City. I begged my older brother to go, but you know how that worked out. I never had the good fortune of seeing Zeppelin live. John Bonham died when I was 11th grade, and I fully intended to be there if they had came through Salt Lake City, then Bonzo passed away. I remember being wiped out by that, Bonham is still my all time favorite Rock drummer.

I haven't used Rotos in years either; probably since the early 80's, but I remember the same as you experienced, they lost that piano-type zing pretty fast.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I didn't read the entire thread but he used a Gibson EB1 on the album Led Zeppilin, songs like Dazed and Confused, etc.

I never knew that, but I completely believe his used an EB-1 on Dazed and Confused by the tone he had.

 

[godofthunder59]

He didn't like it much. Don't quote me but I think he said it sounded like a rubber band.

 

[JIO]

I didn't read the entire thread but he used a Gibson EB1 on the album Led Zeppilin, songs like Dazed and Confused, etc.

It's mentioned there, but is mistakenly regarded as a '48 or '50. The EB-1 was first produced in '53.

 

[Rayjay]

I didn't read the entire thread but he used a Gibson EB1 on the album Led Zeppilin, songs like Dazed and Confused, etc.

I don't want to get too involved here, but I don't think so...he used the jazz (w/ Roto flats and a foam mute) for LZ I and II. He experimented with the Gibson on LZ III, I believe, for songs like Immigrant Song, and live he used the slab P with rounds for that tone (on certain songs). The jazz was the main bass until the Alembics came in 76-77.

 

[godofthunder59]

I can't be arsed, it's documented. Look it up.

 

[winterburn69]

I learned something new today. I never heard of Becvar. I've seen Becvar as a topic on Alembic's Discussion Forum, but never opened the thread.

BTW, whichever bass JPJ was playing on "For Your Life" from the Presence album is one of my all time favorite rock bass tones. So much so, I used it to describe the tone I was wanting when I had Brian Ristola build my 6-string.

Thanks for the reply, Bob, now I'm off to the Alembic site to find out more about Becvar. Take care, Best regards, -A.P.

I believe For Your Life was the Hagstrom 8-string. He didn't have the Becvar 8-string when a Presence was recorded so he used the Hagstrom for Achilles Last Stand and other stuff.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I believe For Your Life was the Hagstrom 8-string. He didn't have the Becvar 8-string when a Presence was recorded so he used the Hagstrom for Achilles Last Stand and other stuff.

Wow! I've never noticed the octave effect from the Hagstrom on For Your Life, and I can't tell you how many thousands of times I've enjoyed listening to it. Next time I listen to it, I'll pay a lot more attention. I can tell he's using a pick. What a killer tone!

Achilles Last Stand, there's another masterpiece! I definitely knew he was using the 8-string on that one. The entire Presence album is a monster. Probably my "Stranded on a Desert Island and can only have One Led Zeppelin album to listen to" album.

IIRC, I read in "Hammer of the Gods" that Presence was rehearsed and recorded in a rather short time. Those guys were so freakin' good!

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I don't want to get too involved here, but I don't think so...he used the jazz (w/ Roto flats and a foam mute) for LZ I and II. He experimented with the Gibson on LZ III, I believe, for songs like Immigrant Song, and live he used the slab P with rounds for that tone (on certain songs). The jazz was the main bass until the Alembics came in 76-77.

Learned another thing new, great thread! It never even crossed my mind that JPJ used a foam mute on his Jazz Bass on I & II. That would explain that mellow tone on "What is and What Should Never Be" and "The Lemon Song". Thanks for the info!

 

[Rayjay]

My band just started covering In My Time Of Dying. Looking into it I discovered not only did he use a maple (factory?) fretless (70s?) P bass, but he also drops the A string down a step so he can get those lines in like an open G slide guitar. That song was a beast to play in standard, when I used the real tuning it got 500% easier instantly!!