Is that his jazz bass or his P bass. It doesn't sound like a jazz to me. Their is a couple other tracks where it sounds gnarly as hell too. Any idea?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
JPJ Led Zeppelin BBC sessions "Heartbreaker" tone?
- Thread starter ampegfuzz
- Start date
This version, right?
http://youtu.be/xq_sCDYCGwU
Must be his '52 Precision. Fantastic sound and not too different from studio recordings like "Black Dog", "The Ocean" or "Houses Of The Holy".
Here's Chris Glen playing a similar old Precision through Acoustic amps and cabs (370/371, JPJ used 360/361). Not too different from JPJ's sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-nosdSTqEE
Just took a listen to refresh my memory. Definitely a very growly tone. Absolutely sounds like some fresh Rotosounds and a P. Even if it was the Jazz, maybe Jonesy was just playing around with some settings on his amp for that show? The second disc is very uncharacteristic of JPJ's "regular" tone. IMO he had a very growly, almost trebly tone for the second disc of that album... just did some googling... Heartbreaker is on disc 2, all of which was recorded April 1 1971 at the Paris Theatre in London.
Great album, my only complaint about this album is that I prefer when JPJ would play bass (ex: RAH 1970) on Somethin' Else and not piano.
Great album, my only complaint about this album is that I prefer when JPJ would play bass (ex: RAH 1970) on Somethin' Else and not piano.
Sounds like a P bass with rotosound rounds. Unless JPJ was using the front pickup on the jazz but sounds too wooly like a P bass. Maybe JPJ was inspired by The Who's use of the P + rotos during live shows? I was never a big fan of JPJ bass tone when he was using his jazz. Sounded like it was always tone off or with flats? Immigrant Song and Black Dog were different tho because of that P bass. Sounded killer but I was more inspired by Jimmy Page when I first heard Led Zep in my early teens as I started as a guitar player that became a bass player later because my best friend when I was 17 was already a great guitar player. Jimmy Page still inspires me even as a bass player because of his persona and feel playing style/tone.
Last edited:
