Turning a Squier P into a James Jameson P.

[ahbass2500]

Did this with my Player II P Bass.
- Labella 0760M Flats - lighter ones do not sound quite the same
- Seymour Duncan Antiquity II P-Bass Pickup - other 60s P pickups should be fine, but I went with this one
- Bridge cover with foam mute - You can use something like a NordyMute if you do not want to commit to it, but the bridge cover with mute works best

 

[braud357]

do not forget the covers and string mute !! Also, a very dead set of LaBella flats !

 

[J_Bass]

High action (2,8mm at 12th or higher), Labella Jamerson Flats, foam, tone off, hard plucking ahead of the pickup.

Thread 'Fender Precision 1975 - Emulating Jamerson'

Oct 19, 2025

Here is my Fender P 75, with Fender pure vintage 63 pickups and Labella 1954 Jamerson 110-52 strings.

What do you guys think?

• J_Bass
• Replies: 33
• Forum: Basses [BG]

• 

 

[tvbop]

Yep all the above plus let the truss rod right out so the neck resembles a banana then over drive the signal into the power stage. Ive done it and it produces a real tight note definition, thick and juicy with just a hint of distortion.

 

[mambo4]

I love learning to play Jamerson lines
but I never, ever worry about the hardware end of it
except to maybe turn my tone knob down

You can get quite fat and thumpy with technique alone
definitely pluck near the neck heel
pluck with more finger meat, using a "slow" attack so you don't get a snap /clank /pop
turn up the volume and pluck lightly (yes Jamerson was heavy handed but for a thick fat tone this really helps )
mute with both hands

etc...

does it sound precisely like Jamerson? no. Nor will I ever.
does it reasonably approximate it? I think so.

 

[mikeswals]

Very quiet recording but well worth listening to....
This should be a lesson for everyone

One of my faves

 

[andymac]

It's been sort of mentioned prior, but having higher action than most people like contributes to the sound as well. Even with the pickup height adjusted the same, the distance from the fretboard makes the strings behave differently. Not as big a difference as flats and a foam mute, but part of the sound nonetheless.

Agreed! The higher action gives you a change in sound. I don't understand why, but it really does.

Also, if you get those classic Jamerson LaBella flats (I highly recommend), expect to do some setup work to get that honking E string to fit in your nut (and maybe bridge).

 

[Smooth_bass88]

There’s no actual ‘magic’ in Jamerson’s bass. It’s just a simple P bass with an alder body, a rosewood fretboard, flatwound strings, very high action, and chrome pickup covers installed. The trick is pluck in front of the pickup cover. It’s also using correct left hand technique- like that of an upright player.

 

[andare]

Pretty sure he had his tone all the way up, not off.

Most of the tone comes from playing broken in flats right ahead of the pickup using one finger only and muting the strings from above with thick foam under the cover.

Different flats do sound different but I wouldn't sweat it since you're also missing the interface they used at Motown that he overloaded and that gave him that farty tone.

Higher action gives you more volume and no buzz but you don't need to have stupid high action and a twisted neck. That's just dumb.

Absolutely practice playing like him, with one finger, a lot of rakes and open strings. Work up to a good speed.
Nick Campbell can play Darling Dear at speed with one finger. That's really impressive. He's a beast.

 

[H13]

There’s no actual ‘magic’ in Jamerson’s bass. It’s just a simple P bass with an alder body, a rosewood fretboard, flatwound strings, very high action, and chrome pickup covers installed. The trick is pluck in front of the pickup cover. It’s also using correct left hand technique- like that of an upright player.

Yup. This is why I was keen on doing it. My P is currently a bit too modern, I want to vintage it up.

I know Jamerson's bass was nothing magic (Jamerson was the magic) but it's the exact sorta thing I'm looking to get out of my P-Bass. Since his P was a relatively normal P-Bass, it was an easy and achievable goal to set myself up correctly.

...Absolutely NOT an easy and achievable goal to PLAY like him, but at least I'll be set up for it

 

[pbass2]

Don't worry about the pickup. Slap the heaviest Labella flats on you can handle, never change 'em, try a mute down at the bridge. Medium-high-ish action is your friend too for getting that kinda sound.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Yup. This is why I was keen on doing it. My P is currently a bit too modern, I want to vintage it up.

I know Jamerson's bass was nothing magic (Jamerson was the magic) but it's the exact sorta thing I'm looking to get out of my P-Bass. Since his P was a relatively normal P-Bass, it was an easy and achievable goal to set myself up correctly.

...Absolutely NOT an easy and achievable goal to PLAY like him, but at least I'll be set up for it

You pretty much answered your own question in your OP. Just make sure you have the chrome pickup cover installed, and pluck between it and the edge of the fretboard.

 

[Iridescentone]

At the risk of asking a more legitimate question...



Aside from the answer: "Because he's James shagin' Jameson"

How does he do those really quick notes with only one finger?

Or is it a bit of an exaggeration? Like how people say James Hetfield only downpicks, but...he clearly doesn't, otherweise Battery, One, Disposable Heroes and a whole bunch of other stuff wouldn't be possible.

JJ's son claimed he really did just use the "hook".

 

[andare]

You pretty much answered your own question in your OP. Just make sure you have the chrome pickup cover installed, and pluck between it and the edge of the fretboard.

I would say the pickup cover isn't required at all. If anything, it will introduce hum like it does on all of my P basses. It's not necessary for the Jamerson tone unless OP needs to anchor their hand on it in order to pluck in that zone, and Jamerson didn't rest his hand on the cover from what I can see.
I naturally pluck right between the pickups and the fretboard (due to narrow shoulders and long ass forearms) with or without the cover and feel no difference. I anchor my thumb on the pickguard
Jamerson seemed to pluck closer to the cover than the fretboard, and that makes an audible change from my plucking spot, though it's subtle.

The bridge cover is more of a requirement, however, because in order to achieve short sustain on the low strings and longer sustain on the high strings, the foam block should be placed above the strings, not below like everydone does. Something like a Nordymute would also work without the need for the ashtray. If the only option is having the foam under the strings, then cutting the block at a slant will achieve similar results.
If you use the Jamerson Labella set, the E saddle must be adjusted way back to intonate the string, so make sure to angle the foam accordingly, otherwise the E string will be sharp. This is really only possible if you glue the foam to the bridge ashtray.
This is also nuance that is largely unimportant towards the overall tone but hey, everything matters to an extent

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I would say the pickup cover isn't required at all. If anything, it will introduce hum like it does on all of my P basses. It's not necessary for the Jamerson tone unless OP needs to anchor their hand on it in order to pluck in that zone, and Jamerson didn't rest his hand on the cover from what I can see.
I naturally pluck right between the pickups and the fretboard (due to narrow shoulders and long ass forearms) with or without the cover and feel no difference. I anchor my thumb on the pickguard
Jamerson seemed to pluck closer to the cover than the fretboard, and that makes an audible change from my plucking spot, though it's subtle.

The bridge cover is more of a requirement, however, because in order to achieve short sustain on the low strings and longer sustain on the high strings, the foam block should be placed above the strings, not below like everydone does. Something like a Nordymute would also work without the need for the ashtray. If the only option is having the foam under the strings, then cutting the block at a slant will achieve similar results.
If you use the Jamerson Labella set, the E saddle must be adjusted way back to intonate the string, so make sure to angle the foam accordingly, otherwise the E string will be sharp. This is really only possible if you glue the foam to the bridge ashtray.
This is also nuance that is largely unimportant towards the overall tone but hey, everything matters to an extent

I like having the chrome cover over the pickup because it pretty much forces you to play in that zone, assuming all your other basses don’t have it installed. I don’t bother with the cover over the bridge; I stuff a piece of foam under the strings at the bridge and it stays in place just fine. There’s never ever any additional ‘hum’ or ‘noise’ as a result of the pickup cover. That’s my experience anyway

 

[BassHole1]

Turn down the tone to maybe 0-2, and I put a piece of soft foam or packaging styrofoam (usually not the white stuff), about 1/2" thick square and 3-4" across, at the bridge. Flat wound strings, too. And I can pretty much nail his tone and vibe. On 2-3 of my P basses that I use for this type of sound, I have covers only on the bridge (which hide the foam), but I don't like or have PU covers.