• 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.

NBD - Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass

shadven

shadven

Twang-tastic Bass Player and Song Writer
Supporting Member
Dec 30, 2009
3,102
10,704
Tampa, FL
Disclosures
I rock, therefore I am.
#1
I couldn't resist, so I bought a Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass. It was owned by Justin Meldal-Johnsen (he included a note and a bunch of NIN picks). It was a good deal for an early 1990's Jerry Jones... no added cost for provenance. It came with a hard shell case and it was actually in perfect tune right out of the case, even though it made the trip from CA. It certainly isn't my main player, but it's a totally usable great sounding bass. Super light with a nice thumpy, woody tone. I will be putting some flats on it. It is the perfect super light bedroom wall hanger -noodling bass.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7950.jpeg
    IMG_7950.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 30
  • IMG_7952.jpeg
    IMG_7952.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 27
  • IMG_7951.jpeg
    IMG_7951.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 24
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: rok51, mikewalker, Verne Andru and 46 others
#8
shadven said:
It is the perfect super light bedroom wall hanger -noodling bass.
Click to expand...
I've owned one for about 20 years, and it has seen lots of action in the studio--they record so great. They sound waaaay bigger than they look and have a real "sit in the mix" just right quality. Producers I've worked with loved mine and would specifically ask me to bring it!
 
  • Like
Reactions: shadven, bassfran, ErikP.Bass and 1 other person
#12
shadven said:
I couldn't resist, so I bought a Jerry Jones Longhorn Bass. It was owned by Justin Meldal-Johnsen (he included a note and a bunch of NIN picks). It was a good deal for an early 1990's Jerry Jones... no added cost for provenance. It came with a hard shell case and it was actually in perfect tune right out of the case, even though it made the trip from CA. It certainly isn't my main player, but it's a totally usable great sounding bass. Super light with a nice thumpy, woody tone. I will be putting some flats on it. It is the perfect super light bedroom wall hanger -noodling bass.
Click to expand...
Huge congrats, @shadven! I had a copper burst JJ longhorn back in the late 90's. In fact, I might have purchased it from Jerry Jones himself while in Nashville. But that was many brain cells ago. :smug:
Jerry Jones Longhorn _1024.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: shadven, urkel3000, SJLee and 3 others
#13
The Newer Danos sound good, really good, but the JJ's are just next-level. AFAIK he hand-wound the pickups himself, and the build quality is boutique-level (at least mine is!). Mine is one of the "Neptune" versions with the adjustable saddles and slightly different body shape (he had to change it for a while for legal reasons but then was able to change it back). I always maintained that for recording you often want some kind of cool shorty hollow option, and in lieu of something like a Hofner I've always just brought this along with my regular full-scale basses and it never disappoints. In fact it can sound totally huge in a track, not "quirky" at all. The only downside of this JJ version is there's no tone control--just vol and pickup selector(bridge, both parallel, both series, neck). It's a pretty bright bass so I had a push/pull pot installed in the volume that cuts the highs (not sure what the tech did, I just said make it like a passive P tone knob rolled off). Labella flats on this baby, but I've used it with roundwounds a few times and it becomes a totally different beast.
100% keeper for sure.
IMG_9028.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pet Sounds, Verne Andru, shadven and 7 others
#16
Very cool!
I have a JJ Neptune 6 bass #1184 - actually a bari tic-tac guitar my brother gave me 20 years ago.
I've never used it 'cept to mess around witrh now and then at home. Has some kind of roundwounds on it that are more like brass piano strings.
I'm at loggerheads with what to do with it. :atoz: I lend it out to my guitar buddies and they like it. A lot of my bass buddies play Dan Longhorns out and LOVE 'em! The JJ and Dans almost seem and feel like toys to me -- but whaddo I know?

JJ 6 copy.JPG

I'd sell it, but it's a gift from my lil' bro, so I dunno. A shame it's not played more. Yes, he put the the stickers on it - 'lil punk. From research very interesting history!
Congrats on your score!! ENJOY!! :bassist: :hyper:☮️
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: shadven, ErikP.Bass, 2saddleslab and 1 other person
#17
ryco said:
Very cool!
I have a JJ Neptune 6 bass #1184 - actually a bari tic-tac guitar my brother gave me 20 years ago.
I've never used it 'cept to mess around witrh now and then at home. Has some kind of roundwounds on it that are more like brass piano strings.
I'm at loggerheads with what to do with it. :atoz: I lend it out to my guitar buddies and they like it. A lot of my bass buddies play Dan Longhorns out and LOVE 'em! The JJ and Dans almost seem and feel like toys to me -- but whaddo I know?

View attachment 7412087
I'd sell it, but it's a gift from my lil' bro, so I dunno. A shame it's not played more. Yes, he put the the stickers on it - 'lil punk. From research very interesting history!
Congrats on your score!! ENJOY!! :bassist: :hyper:☮️
Click to expand...
I'd keep it! Baris are super cool to have, and JJ's are no longer made. I'd rather have that one than any currently available one out there now. If you're recording use it to double a bass part, do some cool spaghetti western vibes, whatever. Super versatile.
 
#19
pbass2 said:
I've owned one for about 20 years, and it has seen lots of action in the studio--they record so great. They sound waaaay bigger than they look and have a real "sit in the mix" just right quality. Producers I've worked with loved mine and would specifically ask me to bring it!
Click to expand...
I will be bringing it along when I record. P-Bass, J-Bass, Longhorn!
 
  • Like
Reactions: bassfran and pbass2

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back