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The Real James Jamerson Amp

#23
TheRealKong said:
Thanks for this information! Real interesting.

But I think, the most of James Jamersons sound came from his bass guitar and his finger(s).

Jamerson soundet alway like Jamerson, no matter what amp or preamp he used.
Click to expand...

In the spirit of Yogi Berra you could say that bass tone is 90% technique and the other half is equipment.
 
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#24
Slightly off topic - someone posted a link to a very good analysis of a tune that seems to have both James Jamerson and Carol Kaye playing on (different parts) of it. I can't find it, and would love to go back and bookmark it.
Anyone remember that?
 
#27
TheRealKong said:
But I think, the most of James Jamersons sound came from his bass guitar and his finger(s).
Click to expand...

Most definitely. Here's another snippet from that thread:

"In any case, I will again reiterate what Bob said earlier. With players like Jamison and Babbitt it was easy to get a good bass sound with a good quality direct box with lots of IRON in the transformer. It simply reproduced what they did."
 
#28
His tone came more from his hands, which were very strong, his index-finger attack method and the high action on his bass, which allowed his percussive attack technique but without fret racket.
 
#29
billfitzmaurice said:
The boards of the early 1960s bore no resemblance to those of today. True recording boards only existed as custom made items; what most studios used were boards originally intended for radio broadcast. The reason for a rig like the McLean 5 channel DI was that boards didn't have enough channels to go around. Basically it was a sub-mixer, and using it was the equivalent of going direct; ie., no speaker, no mic.
Click to expand...

Ah! Well, I didn't step foot into a studio until the 80's so I was completely ignorant. And I think many people who hear "direct into the board" are in the same boat. It conjures up images of a bass with a cable running into a channel on the mixer.

It's probably more helpful to say he was recorded "direct" vs. "direct into the board". Most folks assume a "direct" bass track is run through some external gear (preamp, EQ, compressor) that may give it some color and drive.
 
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#31
I had read that each guitarist and Jamerson used the meters on the tube interface to determine how much "mush" (overdrive) they were adding to their own individual sound. I used to have a very good close up of that "head" and you could read the notes and lettering on it giving instructions on how they were to use it. I still haven't been able to find that photo... :(
 
#33
Thank you for taking the time to post the detailed info on this Dan. Tired of all these armchair cynics too;(.

Great insight into the master's studio tone, and like somebody else mentioned, there are always new members on here, and people who may even just be discovering the likes of Jamerson for the first time and are keen to learn and research. Not everyone is born with omnipotent knowledge as some folks on here seem eager to prove to us in an ongoing fashion.;p. It just comes off as insecurity on the part of these members. Can only imagine what they are like to gig with! Yikes! Isn't this a place to share and grow as musicians?

Perhaps some of us should exercise a little more courtesy towards those who take time to share knowledge. Thanks again for this Dan!
 
#35
Great stuff! Thanks Dan.

Just to further clarify, going direct typically means plugging into the board as opposed to using and amp and with a mic(s) on the speaker. As others have pointed out, no telling what's in the signal path between the bass and the tape machine or what post processing was added that resulted in final sound. Also, many consoles and their channel strips add some color to the sound even if EQ is set flat.
 
#36
Britbonic said:
Also, many consoles and their channel strips add some color to the sound even if EQ is set flat.
Click to expand...
Today most effects are added in mixdown, with everything recorded totally dry. You can always add effects, you can't remove them. That's a vastly different situation than existed 50 years ago. For instance, Buddy Holly had a technician flip the pickup switch on his Strat so he could go from rhythm to lead without missing a beat. Les Paul was double and triple tracking back then, but it wasn't an option in most studios.
 
#37
Thanks for the post, it certainly is a part of the puzzle. Who knows where Jamerson set his instrument's volume? Maybe he did push it a little bit on purpose.

I have also read that the limiter and especially the Poultec EQ were also ingredients in the sound, but obviously the majority of it came straight from his heart, head, and hands. Like it always does.
 
#38
HolmeBass said:
I have also read that the limiter and especially the Poultec EQ were also ingredients in the sound
Click to expand...
George Martin was sent to the US in the 60s to snoop around studios and find out what US producers were using that gave them a sound that the British couldn't duplicate. It was the Fairchild compressor. Today they fetch upwards of $30k. When the first SS compressors came along many studios tossed their Fairchilds into the trash. :bawl:
 
#39
Britbonic said:
Great stuff! Thanks Dan.

Just to further clarify, going direct typically means plugging into the board as opposed to using and amp and with a mic(s) on the speaker. As others have pointed out, no telling what's in the signal path between the bass and the tape machine or what post processing was added that resulted in final sound. Also, many consoles and their channel strips add some color to the sound even if EQ is set flat.
Click to expand...

Right, I get that. I do session work regularly. What threw me was the constant use of the phrase direct "into the board". I hear "direct" and "DI" all the time, and I associate that with the use of possibly several pieces of tone-altering gear between the bass and the tape (Pro Tools). But the verbage used to describe the Motown method led me to believe something else was going on.
 

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