Louis Johnson basses and bass mods

[Muziekschuur]

Louis Johnson is a bass player like I have never seen before or after.
He was famous for the use of his Musicman Stingray he got from Leo Fender.
But what were his basses? And what bass was his favorite?

 

[Watchootognbout]

We all know that he used a MusicMan StingRay.
Well "Looking Out for #1" shows Louis with a P-Bass.

"Right On Time" shows him with an Alembic bass.

And I know that he helped create the "Trekker/Bunker" brand bass.
TREKER: Trekker Louis Johnson Model Electric Free Shipping

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

The last concert Louis did he was playing an all black Fender Precision with rosewood fingerboard .

Regardless of what he played , Louis always sounded like Thunder Thumbs Louis Johnson .
He is one of my favorites and by watching him I've learned that it really is the player not the bass.

 

[Muziekschuur]

He allso used a red Yamaha.

 

[Muziekschuur]

 

[Muziekschuur]

 

[Muziekschuur]

 

[Muziekschuur]

 

[Muziekschuur]

His Gibson Ripper

 

[Altitude]

He also used a red Yamaha.

Yamaha BB series basses in the 80s were amazing funk basses. They had a natural compression and a nasal tone that really worked well. I had a BB1600 for 25 years.

 

[mikeswals]

Many basses came and went, but clearly the natural 76 StingRay he kept using for nearly 40 years was his favorite.

 

[grrg63]

 

[ferdinandstrat]

The reason I actually know who this guy is:

 

[inanimate_carb]

In his first instructional video, Louis mentions that his Stingray pictured above had some mods done to the pickups and electronics that likely weren't duplicated in production models. IIRC, he mentioned a bass boost or something like that. I met him a few times after shows and I always meant to ask him about this, but I always forgot - I've never seen him play that Stingray live but I'm sure many others have over the years.

He still sounded like LJ on any bass, though. He gets the most attention for the slap thing but he was a marvelous fingerstyle player as well.

 

[Kukulkan61]

Doesnt matter what Bass he was using,it was his thumbs doing all the magic..aka Thunder Thumbs...

 

[electracoyote]

Doesnt matter what Bass he was using,it was his thumbs doing all the magic..aka Thunder Thumbs...

True.

He's a perfect example of a player who gets his hands on a bass (and clearly almost any kind of bass) and doesn't come up with a bunch of excuses why he can't play it. Sets it up and strings it his way, and he's off to the races along with his signature sound, the product of his technique.

I try to emulate players like this. Much respect.

That being said, I do understand why he often gravitated back to the 'Ray, and he's the main reason I acquired one.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Louis Johnson became primarily a Stingray and Sabre player around 1978. If you listen to the early stuff he did with Quincy Jones and the first Brothers Johnson album, you can tell it is a P-bass, probably with flats.

Right On Time (Strawberry Letter #23) was an Alembic. On Blam! and Light Up the Night, is where he goes to a Stingray or Sabre all of the time. I think most of his session work after 1978 was on a Music Man too, although I might have read that Michael Jackson preferred his Yamaha on some tracks.

 

[Muziekschuur]

What Sabre.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Louis in concert September 2013.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

What Sabre.

Louis Johnson used a Sabre on Stomp according to sources I no longer remember.