do you know what kind of bass and strings was playing Lee Sklar in the late 60's and the 70's with James Taylor? do you know if he recorded directly of with an amplifier (in case, what?). thanks, Tito.
I'm not sure about the 60's and 70's, but I know that he uses Dingwall guitars now, if it means anything to you.
I think he was using his old customized Fender, Precision body, two flipped P pickups. Gibson based a signature model on it.
When I saw him live with Carol King, ca 1975 or so, he was using his Jazz bass (with the highly carved body), and and SVT. I understood from a Guitar Player Magazine interview at the time he was using Rotosound RS-66 strings. He later started using a P style body with the pair of EMG Precision PUPs, a P neck shaved down to Jazz bass dimensions, mandolin frets, and last time I read anything he was using GHS strings, primarily Super Steels. "Your Smiling Face" by James Taylor is a Yamaha BB-2000 (I think, whichever one is the neck-thru bass with a single split coil P type PUP). He was one of the first people to use a Steinberger too. Pictures from Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty" include a shot of a Moonstone bass with carved covers over the headstock that looked like eagles heads. Those basses were made with burled wood so they had distinctive grain patterns. He used to use a Peavey pre-amp, power amps and an assortment of cabinets, but he's lateley been endorsing Euphonic Audio stuff. jte
I saw him also in the endorsing section in the Sadowsky site, don't know if he's still using those basses in addiction to his normal gear...great player and great tone anyway
Does anyone know what he used on teh One Man Dog Album? On the sleeve, it looks like a tele type body..
Check out http://www.barefootservants.net/index_flash.htm [press section] - you'll find Leland's gear and http://www.philcollins.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=2087 answers from the man himself
Finally got to ask Leland Sklar about this and he tells me it is a '62 Jazz which he carved up, and that he still has it.
On the 'reunion tour' with James and Carol King that just concluded, he is using that bass again... the old Frankenfender with the dual reverse P pickups that he used on all those old recordings. Still sounds great.
I have a good friend who is a BG singer on the JT/CK tour, I'll ask and see if I can find out what strings he's using.
wondering how a lelan sklar double reverse type array would work with no preamp, am thinking of adding a 2nd rev p array in lieu of the humbucker near the neck on this one