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Paul Jackson Sound (Herbie Hancock)

lijazz

lijazz

Dec 5, 2008
389
54
Isle of Long, New York
#1
Does anyone know what bass/strings/amp setup, etc. Paul Jackson used on the 70s Herbie Hancock recordings? I was listening to Mr. Hands (1980 release) and was really digging Paul's sound on that album (well 4 of the 6 songs anyway, other two songs were Ron Carter and Jaco). Sounds like a P Bass w/ flats, but I am guessing.

Thanks.
 
#3
I know he played a 70's P-bass with a maple fingerboard on the Headhunters album. CLASSIC funk tone. The maple neck seems to give a "spank" to the sound. Also I know he uses D'addario XL rounds now - not that helpful I know - but I'd love to know what strings he was on then too.
 
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#4
That was a standard P-base. Later in the 90´s he recorded with Mike Clark - The funk stops here. On the cover you can see a bit of his bass. On his last Funk album (which in my opinion sucks) you can see many details on the cover. There has been a lot of customizing been done.

Best albums: Flood /Hancock and V.S.O.P (2cd set, 2 funk tracks worth buying it!)

I use a Fender 75 Jazz reissue USA with a mesa boogie walkabout and had the honour to play with one of Jaco´s former drummers. We played some kind of Headhunters grooves and in combination with Fender standard strings and a Mesa Boogie Walkabout amp it sounded pretty much like what you´re looking for.

Once I had Tim Lefebvres base in my hand, a 77 P bass with the same kind of feel and sound as the 75 J reissue. There is definitive a difference to the standard Jazz in feel and sound.

I think about doing some myspace stuff. I´ll let you know as soon as it´s on. Fortunately I recorded the sessions :hyper:

Do you know Fela Kuti with Ginger baker live - also a nice P sound.

There is also a headhunters album featuring Jaco - live. Still - I would go for Paul Jackson.

And the new Headhunters stuff with T.M. Stevens :spit::rollno:
I told Mike Clark that he should buy T.M. a P bass. He was playing Cort and Warwick :hiding:
That sounded crap!!

May the funk be with you:hyper:
 
#5
narud said:
i think i read an article with him years ago where he said he used half wound strings. by then, he was also using that tele bass with hi-a pickups in it. paul's only on shiftless shuffle though. maybe your diggin' the p basses played by byron miller and freddie washington?
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I didn't know that that BM and FW were on that albumn. Thanks for the info. At any rate, whomever is on the 4 tracks I speak of sounds great. Great 70s bass tones.
 
#12
narud said:
youre not missing anything. as much of a genius jaco was, he didnt have anywhere near the amount of funk paul jackson has and those tunes suffer quite a bit.
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Jaco was amazing. But he wasn't very funky and didn't really swing either. If anything I think he had great feel for latin music. I can't think of any funk bands or straightahead bands that want somebody who plays like Jaco.

W
 
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#13
Hi guys,

finally I made a myspace page. I once had the chance to play with the former Jaco drummer Tommy Borocz (1986) during a session in september. It took me a drink (or two) to get on stage (I´m an amateur) but when he was playing I had to take a go for it. We did some kind of Old school funk.:hyper:

Please listen to it and leave comments!

Link Removed

It´s the Tim & Tommy Funk groove and the Funky Sax tune. 75 reissue Jazz USA with Mesa Boogie Walkabout amp.

I played with a lot of drummers but the way he listens and reacts to the actual playing was a lot of fun. The guitarist is also great. I wished for more soloing but you know how singers are. They sometimes don´t stop!

What do we learn - Paul Jackson sounds better with... Mike Clark :)
 
#14
Wilbyman said:
Jaco was amazing. But he wasn't very funky and didn't really swing either. If anything I think he had great feel for latin music. I can't think of any funk bands or straightahead bands that want somebody who plays like Jaco.

W
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Man, you need to listen to the right Jaco recordings. One of the most swinging and funkiest players ever. Different than Paul Jackson, both super great.
Hancock's 4 A.M., Jaco + Mike Clarke, one of the most amazing tracks ever. Try to play a groove like that, never one bar the same but always always in the groove. Listen to the 1st bar of Herbie's solo, that pickup (or absence of) is unbeatable.
 
#15
As in another post, where it is on here I can't quite remember....I saw The Headhunters with Return To Forever opening,(!) at Carnegie Hall, circa the first HH album. The show was pretty amazing. Paul Jackson had a mocha brown Fender P-bass with a maple neck. NOT a tele bass. I'm a total gearhead, and that's the bass he seemed to favor during the era. He was playin' through a Fender Bassman amp, pretty lightweight next to the Acoustic 370 Stanley used in the prior set. I love his playing, especially on the Thrust album, which might be inmho the funkiest album ever made!
 
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#17
Bruce Lindfield said:
This thread is kind of funny - in that Paul Jackson has played several different basses - I remember seeing him play a Neuser - but he always sounds like him and nobody else!!

I think his career shows how the player is more important than the gear! :)
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well we are talking sound not style right? you can hear the difference in tone between the headhunters album and secrets just a few years later. secrets and the headuhunters album, survival of the fittest, have the spongier sound. kind of similar to the basses hes using now with musicman pickups.
 
#19
If you look at Paul in the 70´s with his P bass there was the right sound/feeling. Now on his last records I don´t like his sound that much. The P fits his playing style best.

There is a Hancock Japan live recording featuring Marcus Miller. Playing Headhunter tunes. Very different...very good :smug:

But if you listen to the last Headhunters live double Cd... T.M. Stevens just don´t have the right sound. His time is tight, his ideas are good but it´s way to metallic. Mike complained in Vienna that T.M. is way to loud - and they have played many gigs before... In the US. they play with George Porter now. I´d like to see him. Great bass player.

On one Gov´t Mule CD/DVD they have a bunch of bass players - Paul Jackson and George Porter too! :bassist:

Donald Duck Dunn has that typical P bass sound. Sweet home chicago is a classic tune. Check out Blues Brothers live in Montreux - great rhythm section stuff!
 
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