JPJ 1969 Individual string foam.

[ET777]

What does John Paul Jones have going on here? This is from the 1969 Denmark concert. Looks like an individual cut piece of foam on each string near the bridge. Anyone know what that is and how he got it to stay on and not fly off? Glue maybe? Ive seen many things stuffed back there but not done like that way before. Here is also a later photo of him with no foam.

 

[ricardol]

1960 Fender Jazz bass with original individual string mutes.
Soon after Leo Fender changed the muting system to installing a piece of rubber foam on the underside of the chrome bridge pickup covers.

 

[ET777]

Aahhh That make sense. Thanks very much. Thats a beautiful bass!

 

[UntitledProject]

Jazz Bass-style Felt bass mutes reproduction 1960 https://reverb.com/item/84840626?ut...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=84840626

In case you are looking for some. There is an aftermarket maker of these felt mutes.

 

[Ostie]

I just stick a piece of foam under the strings and I’ve never had it move at all. I keep an eye out for packing materials and when I see a nice piece of foam I snag it. I also experiment with different density until I find the one that I like.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Looks like an individual cut piece of foam

It’s actually firm / dense felt like the string mutes inside a piano or like a felt pick.

The “springs” holding the felt against the strings is either steel, nickel plated brass, or some alloy of one or the other. They actually press the felt against the strings pretty firmly.

Just a reminder; the electric bass at the time was still more or less regarded as a replacement for the upright bass, so things that made the electric bass sound more like an upright were still around.

 

[lomo]

A few years back I bought a Gruv Gear Fret Wrap thingy to try out. My tryout lasted about 10 minutes and it was exiled to a box of junk, but recently I discovered it's fantastic as an under the strings mute. I like it because it can be placed in about 5 seconds and pulled out in 1, which is handy since I only use it when I'm playing with a pick (about 1 in 8 songs of our set).

FretWraps Pro

The original FretWraps® string muter has a few new tricks up its sleeve: FretWraps® Pro now integrates with our optional Twistune™ for quick and discreet tuning on the fly. Once the tuner is attached, you simply slide the FretWraps® Pro over the nut to start tuning. It also features new premium...

gruvgear.com

 

[Pirate Captain]

It’s actually firm / dense felt like the string mutes inside a piano or like a felt pick.

The “springs” holding the felt against the strings is either steel, nickel plated brass, or some alloy of one or the other. They actually press the felt against the strings pretty firmly.

Just a reminder; the electric bass at the time was still more or less regarded as a replacement for the upright bass, so things that made the electric bass sound more like an upright were still around.

I'm a piano technician...and I bet that the bi-chord wedge damper felts would work really well in this situation...don't think it would save anybody any money unless they had some lying around, or pulled some from a junk piano that weren't to calcified

 

[jasper383]

Electric Bass Mute 101: The “Magic” Sponge

There is a beautiful decay in James Jamerson’s sound. Just listen to the intro of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. With a foam mute und…

feverinthefunkhouse.wordpress.com

Here's an excellent way to make your own foam string damper. One microfiber sponge can make like 50 of them.

 

[frankie5string]

I'm a piano technician...and I bet that the bi-chord wedge damper felts would work really well in this situation...don't think it would save anybody any money unless they had some lying around, or pulled some from a junk piano that weren't to calcified

View attachment 7387869

You know I've always wondered if Fender just ordered a tonne of "tips" from a manufacturer that made those.

 

[jnewmark]

Electric Bass Mute 101: The “Magic” Sponge

There is a beautiful decay in James Jamerson’s sound. Just listen to the intro of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. With a foam mute und…

feverinthefunkhouse.wordpress.com

Here's an excellent way to make your own foam string damper. One microfiber sponge can make like 50 of them.

As far as I have researched, Jamerson used a stock P bass that had the mute glued to under the bridge cover, as all Fender P bases came equipped with, back then. He never took it off. Not saying that sponge thing won't work, but I believe he never used that particular method of muting. I use the old style one myself on my MIJ P bass and with Flats, you get Jamerson tone for days. Now if I could only play as well as he did....

 

[InhumanResource]

I just stick a piece of foam under the strings and I’ve never had it move at all. I keep an eye out for packing materials and when I see a nice piece of foam I snag it. I also experiment with different density until I find the one that I like.

This works pretty well, I’ve used a foam paintbrush with the handle cut off for this purpose too.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Thud muffins.

 

[Pirate Captain]

You know I've always wondered if Fender just ordered a tonne of "tips" from a manufacturer that made those.

you know...looking at the pic again, I'm 99% sure that IS just unbacked damper felt (they sell it in uncut strips as well and I'm sure some of the early Fender luthiers had piano tech friends...there were a lot more of us around back in those days)

 

[devnulljp]

As far as I have researched, Jamerson used a stock P bass that had the mute glued to under the bridge cover, as all Fender P bases came equipped with, back then. He never took it off. Not saying that sponge thing won't work, but I believe he never used that particular method of muting. I use the old style one myself on my MIJ P bass and with Flats, you get Jamerson tone for days. Now if I could only play as well as he did....

You're right, of course. But Bob Babbitt *did* shove a piece of foam under the strings with the Funk Brothers.
I've seen later pics of him with a mute mechanism under the strings too.

I had a bass with those needlessly fiddly mutes on JPJ's Jazz bass. Prefer a piece of foam, or weatherstrip if you're keeping the bridge cover on.

 

[frankie5string]

You're right, of course. But Bob Babbitt *did* shove a piece of foam under the strings with the Funk Brothers.
I've seen later pics of him with a mute mechanism under the strings too.

I had a bass with those needlessly fiddly mutes on JPJ's Jazz bass. Prefer a piece of foam, or weatherstrip if you're keeping the bridge cover on.

Tonnes of people did used a chunk of foam under the strings by the bridge.
Herbie Flowers did for decades.
Babbitt worked with the Ellio Martina from Bassmute on the adjustable muting kit and used that for a while. In fact, before he died there were plans to introduce a signature bass, and the Bassmute was going to be part of the design. I had one installed on a PJ bass for a long time. Worked like a charm, and gave you mechanical control over how much muting took place (which Babbitt liked):

The BassMute - An innovative muting device for the Bass Player

www.bassmute.com

 

[jnewmark]

You're right, of course. But Bob Babbitt *did* shove a piece of foam under the strings with the Funk Brothers.
I've seen later pics of him with a mute mechanism under the strings too.

I had a bass with those needlessly fiddly mutes on JPJ's Jazz bass. Prefer a piece of foam, or weatherstrip if you're keeping the bridge cover on.

Sure, a lot players do use this method. I've tried it myself but found myself always fiddling with it to get the right amount of mute. I've also noticed some intonation quirks when using it;, having to retune if not in use. I think the under the bridge cover mute always seems to find the sweet spot, and so I never take it off. Just a personal preference, on the P. On a Jazz, I haven't really found a good solution yet, even with the old Fender bridge cover mute. I do have a CS '60 Jazz that came with the individual string mutes, but I never fastened them on the bass. I suppose I should give it a try.

 

[bcbassman]

Those spring loaded Jazz bass felt mutes were very unique to Fender Jazz basses. I don't think anybody copied that mute system bc it was hidden under the F plate bridge cover. The telltale sign of those mutes are the 4 screws or holes, that held the mutes in place.
I think they were overkill even for 1960 flatwounds. Those mutes took out a lot of high end.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

You know I've always wondered if Fender just ordered a tonne of "tips" from a manufacturer that made those.

That sounds exactly like something Leo would do. Like re purposing the floor tiles in the shop for making the clay dot neck position markers.

 

[frankie5string]

Those spring loaded Jazz bass felt mutes were very unique to Fender Jazz basses. I don't think anybody copied that mute system bc it was hidden under the F plate bridge cover. The telltale sign of those mutes are the 4 screws or holes, that held the mutes in place.
I think they were overkill even for 1960 flatwounds. Those mutes took out a lot of high end.

Ric, Burns, and Ampeg all had variations on the theme.
By the time the competition decided to adopt them, many players wanted to be able to turn it off.

Eventually players just started taking them off. Recording methods changed and various bass players have commented that those muting assemblies didn't allow the player to use them for articulation - they were fixed throughout the song (at least). I believe Dave Richmond said he preferred using his palm so he had some control over how the muting worked.

No idea though if those thin metal tangs to hold the mute blocks came from something else, or if they custom fabricated them for the Jazz bass. Eventually, they moved on to the Jaguar mute design because players wanted to be able to toggle it on and off on that guitar.