The basses of Duck Dunn

[bopeuph]

I just came across this article with these pics. Thought you guys might enjoy:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[bopeuph]

Here's the images in the article. The articles on the site about Dunn are very interesting, but here's what you all came to see.

Dunn's 1958 Precision Bass. "I usually held my thumb on the top edge of the pickguard and played with my first two fingers, and I wore the finish down to the wood where my thumb was," Dunn told VG in 2006.

1) Fender Duck Dunn signature bass with serial number 0001. He played this in the film Blues Brothers 2000.
2) Dunn played this '66 Fender Precision onscreen during the Holiday Inn/Murph and the Magitones scene in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. The word "Demo" is stamped on the back of its body and on the original neck, which Dunn later replaced with a Jazz Bass neck. The instrument served as the basis for Dunn's Fender signature model and inspired the later Lakland models.
3) Over the last several years, Dunn mostly played this Lakland signature model. "It has his favorite Labella flatwounds and will remain exactly as is," said Jeff Dunn. "He played it only hours before he passed; it was still in tune when we got it back from Japan, where he played his last show."

4) The prototype Dunn signature model by Lakland.
5) This Gibson Thunderbird was a gift to Dunn from Cliff Williams, bassist for AC/DC.
6) This heavily inlaid custom bass was a gift to Dunn from Steve Cropper. "It's something I know Duck would never buy for himself – he just wasn't into fancy stuff. So I got it for him. I had been looking at a PRS Dragon, which at the time was around $25,000 – just a bit out of my price range (laughs)! But this reminded me of it." Jeff Dunn recalls that his dad often sat with it at home. "It plays great and has an active EQ," he said.
7) Dunn received this Travis Bean in the '70s as a gift from Steve Cropper.

 

[MEKer]

thanks for sharing this---very interesting

 

[chris_b]

Some nice info. Duck Dunn was my first influence on bass.

He is the main guy I think of when things get too complicated and in need of refocusing.

When I think of guys like Duck Dunn and Willie Weeks, the philosophy, it's what you play rather than what you play it on, makes so much more sense.

 

[rockscott]

I got to see him with neil young in 1977 and again in 1978 with crosby,stills&nash!

 

[bopeuph]

He is the main guy I think of when things get too complicated and in need of refocusing.

Same here. Since I've started studying Duck, I've had the most interesting compliment that I've never heard before. More than one bandleader has said that I have recently stopped playing the bass and started playing the song. I never thought that studying a specific bass player would make my bandleaders all philosophical!

 

[Binary1]

Here's the images in the article. The articles on the site about Dunn are very interesting, but here's what you all came to see.

Dunn's 1958 Precision Bass. "I usually held my thumb on the top edge of the pickguard and played with my first two fingers, and I wore the finish down to the wood where my thumb was," Dunn told VG in 2006.

1) Fender Duck Dunn signature bass with serial number 0001. He played this in the film Blues Brothers 2000.
2) Dunn played this '66 Fender Precision onscreen during the Holiday Inn/Murph and the Magitones scene in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. The word "Demo" is stamped on the back of its body and on the original neck, which Dunn later replaced with a Jazz Bass neck. The instrument served as the basis for Dunn's Fender signature model and inspired the later Lakland models.
3) Over the last several years, Dunn mostly played this Lakland signature model. "It has his favorite Labella flatwounds and will remain exactly as is," said Jeff Dunn. "He played it only hours before he passed; it was still in tune when we got it back from Japan, where he played his last show."

4) The prototype Dunn signature model by Lakland.
5) This Gibson Thunderbird was a gift to Dunn from Cliff Williams, bassist for AC/DC.
6) This heavily inlaid custom bass was a gift to Dunn from Steve Cropper. "It's something I know Duck would never buy for himself – he just wasn't into fancy stuff. So I got it for him. I had been looking at a PRS Dragon, which at the time was around $25,000 – just a bit out of my price range (laughs)! But this reminded me of it." Jeff Dunn recalls that his dad often sat with it at home. "It plays great and has an active EQ," he said.
7) Dunn received this Travis Bean in the '70s as a gift from Steve Cropper.

About the 1958 Precision, this is fascinating:

"Dunn had retired the bass for fear some sort of misfortune would befall it at a gig or on the road – but there were exceptions. "Neil Young did persuade him to take it on tour, as Neil promised the techs would look after it," said Jeff. The instrument was actually his second Precision; in old photos, he is seen with one with a rosewood fretboard. "That one, the story goes, went down in the plane crash with Otis Redding, as dad had loaned it to Otis' bassist.""

 

[bopeuph]

"That one, the story goes, went down in the plane crash with Otis Redding, as dad had loaned it to Otis' bassist.""

Funny thing, is there's now speculation that the bass may not have been on the plane, and might have been with someone else when Otis was flying. It's a very cool detail to find in my research.

 

[Binary1]

Funny thing, is there's now speculation that the bass may not have been on the plane, and might have been with someone else when Otis was flying. It's a very cool detail to find in my research.

If you get to the bottom of it, lemme know. I'd love to find out!

 

[jasper383]

That 58 P has some kind of spacer behind the bridge. My guess is it's to get the fat la bella .110 E string to intonate properly.

 

[jasper383]

I wish I had friends who would gift me Travis beans and gibsons!

 

[wateroftyne]

I got to see him with neil young in 1977 and again in 1978 with crosby,stills&nash!

I don't think Duck was on these tours..?

 

[RED J]

Same here. Since I've started studying Duck, I've had the most interesting compliment that I've never heard before. More than one bandleader has said that I have recently stopped playing the bass and started playing the song. I never thought that studying a specific bass player would make my bandleaders all philosophical!

Duck was the king of the pocket and one of my bass heroes.
When I play just the right notes in just the right places and leave just the right spaces that's my bass intoxication zone. It just feels so right.

 

[wmhill]

Here's one of his basses- at the rock & roll hall of fame

 

[radioripster]

Cool to see those basses.

I was aware of Duck Dunn when I was younger. I had the Stax/Volt 45s from Booker T., but he really didn't stand out in my young bass mind until I heard "The Shape You're In" from Eric Clapton's Money And Cigarettes record. What a fun tune to play on the bass. After that, I was a bit more keen to hear more of his stuff and to pay attention.

I have that big Stax/Volt box set with tons of some of the best stuff that a lot of probably never heard or have forgotten about.

Years ago, I ran across a video of a live Booker T & The MGs gig and saw Duck Dunn playing a '59 slab board P bass with the gold aluminum pickguard and I thought that was the best looking and coolest P bass I've ever seen.

Around 1986 or so, I found one of those pickguards at a little hole in the wall - small town music store and had to have it..and I did.

Back then I had a '66 P bass, but the sunburst wasn't the same and then I found a nice '71 P bass and noticed that the sunburst was closer in appearance to a late '50s P. Off came the tortoise pickguard and on with the gold...bam!..that was it!

Close enough for me.

I still have that pickguard and it's currently on my fretless - a sunburst '73 P.

It still has that look that I love and from time to time it makes me think about Duck Dunn.

yep...

"rr"

 

[RED J]

Here's one of his basses- at the rock & roll hall of fame

Yes ! I wanted to know why a 51 style was left out.

 

[wmhill]

this is my "tribute" to him (the basses are a tad outta my price range )

 

[jjmuckluckjr]

Geezer, Geddy and JPJ may have gotten me started on bass. But it was Duck Dunn that kept me playing longer. That Blues Brother's album changed my outlook, like those Chess records had for English bands 20+ years prior. He was there for the rise of rock and roll and played over 50 years, never losing his distinctive style. From all accounts a true gentleman that was a great band mate and a lot of fun to be around. Cool basses.

 

[Real 57 Precision]

It was just recently discovered that Duck's P-Bass - thought to be a 1958 -
is in reality a 1959. Neck date of April 1959. His son removed the neck
about a month ago.

 

[P. Aaron]

All those beautiful basses played so many good notes. Thanks for sharing.



Not too spam too much here but, if you like Booker T & The MG's, the audio & video and the performances here are top drawer stuff: Amazon.com: Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967: Various Artists: Movies & TV