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MOTOWN SOUND

#21
Nice thread, except for the capital letter yelling. ;) I've never done this, but I've read people advocating the use of a foam mute to get more of a duller thump.

In the video, does he mess up at 0:29? There is a leading tone that just seems overemphasized. I'm not fault finding, but it's nice to know everyone is human :o
 
#24
G&l leo said:
I HAVE AN SB2 G&L IT HAS NO TONE CONTROL ONLY VOLUMES......IS THERE NOT A PEDAL THAT DOES ALL THIS FOR YOU?
Click to expand...

I think in the long run you are a lot better off learning how to get a certain tone you want without resorting to a pedal. You'll learn a lot more about your equipment and what frequencies help you get where you want to go.

I owned a SB-2 for a while. When I bought it there was a set of round wounds on it that were as dead as a string can get, but with the hot G&L pickups, it had one of the best thump tones . I didn't want to change them because it was so fun to play motown type stuff with them on. When I put on a fresh set of rounds I did lose a lot of it. Your flat wound strings will definately help you. Since the SB-2 doesn't have a tone control and those pickups cover a huge tone spectrum, you will have to play around with cutting some higher frequencies a bit. Like from high/mids on up. Experiment. And be sure to try this with the bridge pickup off.
 
#25
Use flats or dead strings with high action. Pluck with index finger, well in front of the pup close to the finger board. Mute notes with your left hand to shorten duration. Foam mute in bridge is optional. Pedal not required. Jamerson's sound wasn't all low end. It was kinda skanky rude. Check it out on the solo track(s) on the Standing in the Shadows of Motown CD. Also, Jamerson didn't play bass on I Want You Back. That was Wilton Felder from the Crusaders. Similar set up though...
 
#26
Yeeaaah---that James Jamerson clip was a nice trip back. I remember listening to R&B of the mid sixties (around the time I started playing bass) and thinking what complex stuff they did---certainly more interesting and innovative than what was going on with other forms of pop music. Jazz and R&B were where the real bassists were. That is who the great bassists of the 60's rock scene were listening to and taking inspiration from.
 
#29
G&l leo said:
I HAVE AN SB2 G&L IT HAS NO TONE CONTROL ONLY VOLUMES......IS THERE NOT A PEDAL THAT DOES ALL THIS FOR YOU?
Click to expand...

And there is a key on your keyboard that is called "Caps Lock." When you don't use it for everything you get all kinds of benefits - more readable posts, people actually respond positively to you, they don't think you are yelling (or possibly an idiot). Try it some time.

Dan K.
 
#34
Get a Precision with flats. Play it through a 15" speaker with dark EQ settings.

Jamerson's bass was recorded direct out of an Ampeg B-15. In fact, based on what I've read, the majority of studio recordings were done this way through the mid '70s.

The few times I've tried to get this tone and succeeded, NOBODY got it. I tried to get sort of a flat tone to imitate David LaBruyere of John Mayer's band and the engineer spent all his time trying to rid the bass tone of that characteristic.
 
#35
Heh, I've watched that youtube clip about once a week for the past three months. I cannot supply an adjective for his playing from 2:20 to 2:50.

Off topic, but anyone agree that the bass in this video is NOT the '62 funk machine?
 
#36
The best way (and I know from experience) is a P with REALLY worn flats..when I got my Glaub it had a set of very old and worn TI flats and BOY did it have the Motown jo.....lots'o'thump

I loved it for a while, but decided I needed rounds for more "general" playing...

as for the post directly above, I was thinkin' the same thing (not THE Funk Machine) .....great video!!!!
 
#37
sproing said:
Heh, I've watched that youtube clip about once a week for the past three months. I cannot supply an adjective for his playing from 2:20 to 2:50.

Off topic, but anyone agree that the bass in this video is NOT the '62 funk machine?
Click to expand...

That clip is unbelievable. I don't think this is the 'funk machine' either. Look at the difference in the banding on the burst near the upper horn...

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muso_james_jamerson01.jpg
 
#38
I had an SB2 for a while (nice bass BTW). Flats, bridge pickup off, neck pickup on 3/4. Play finger style a little bit in front of that neck pickup and you will be there in no time. I'd start with a flat EQ and make small adjustments until you find the sound you're looking for. Don't crank the lows of the highs too much -- the magic is in the mids.
 
#39
sturmvogel said:
Yeeaaah---that James Jamerson clip was a nice trip back. I remember listening to R&B of the mid sixties (around the time I started playing bass) and thinking what complex stuff they did---certainly more interesting and innovative than what was going on with other forms of pop music. Jazz and R&B were where the real bassists were. That is who the great bassists of the 60's rock scene were listening to and taking inspiration from.
Click to expand...

Doo Wop said:
And Jamerson did not play through his amp on all those great motown hits. His bass as well as the guitars were sent direct to the console.
Click to expand...

I think what these posts are getting close to, is the fact that the 'Motown sound' doesn't come from effects or EQ, but rather from a feel and style influenced by Jazz/R&B/Gospel and great musicianship from players who at the time were vastly under-rated!
 

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