Vintage Jazz Bass setups, strings? preamp? need help

[nadafarms]

So I just got this mint 1977 jazz bass, maple fingerboard and all original that I paid a pretty penny for.

I'm wondering what yall would recommend for strings and preamps/compressors to get a really good even warm and vintage soul funk sound?

This bass has barely been played ever and the thing is all glossy and cherry looking, but it sounds kinda newer/brighter than other vintage jazzes I've played and owned in the past. It does have new strings and they are a bit too bright/poppy for me.

Now I'm wondering if I should get some flatwound strings because I don't do a lot of slapping and just want to get super warm tubby tone without all the clickity clack of these new strings.

Does anyone have any suggestions for strings? Maybe some kind of flatwound hybrid that still has some brightness to them? Brands?

I really want a good preamp for this too since I'm mostly recording this at home and not gigging much if ever these days. I know I'm certainly not getting it to sound like all the funk bass I hear on records recorded with analog tape and pressed to vinyl... but I really want an old school sound.

Any thoughts or advice would really be helpful, thanks!

 

[mrnasty]

I have a 1965 Jazz Bass that's all original (well ... except for the nut and the three pots). I use Fender flatwounds and usually play it through my 1970s Ampeg B15N, or a solid state amp with the tone controls set at neutral (usually 12 o'clock depending on how the amp's controls seem to work) and a Tech 21 Sans Amp Bass DI with either the manufacturer's "Fat Tube" or "Bassman Amp" settings. Keep in mind that I want a full bassy sound, not a zingy roundwould string sound.

 

[narud]

if you dont want it bright, youre playing the wrong era of old jazz.

 

[5StringBlues]

Are your new strings stainless or nickel? Old nickel strings will help with less zing while stll allowing for some "pop".

 

[newbold]

'vintage soul funk'?

straight to a tube that breaks up, through flats or half rounds...or nickel rounds.

Personally, I'm hooked on tapewound strings.

 

[James Judson]

I play a Jazz Bass similar to yours and narud got it right but EQ will go a long way to taming that zing as will technic. If my finger nails get to long the extra noise drives me crazy as well.

 

[nadafarms]

wow awesome help guys!

the thing is my old bass was a 1977 jazz but it was really worn in and had really old round wounds but sounded really warm. So I'm not worried about the era and could never afford a 60's jazz.. but I'm wondering if old basses sound better if they have been played a lot during their life/aging? I swear it feels weird to me playing a minty old jazz that isn't worn in...

So yeah half rounds sound really appealing because I do want at least some high end. I'm getting really confused on ebay searching for strings can anybody recommend some half rounds, tape wound brands?

thanks a ton

 

[elgranluis]

if you dont want it bright, youre playing the wrong era of old jazz.

exactly what I was thinking. most 70s basses ive encountered dont sound as mellow as the 60s examples, both p and J basses.

Id say if you really want old school, get an ampeg b15n and mic the amp. A 15" driver will color the sound quite a bit.

As for strings, either flats or a very used set of rounds.

 

[narud]

but I'm wondering if old basses sound better if they have been played a lot during their life/aging?

thanks a ton

id be hard pressed to ever buy that. you said it yourself, the other bass had really worn in rounds. if thats the sound you like, im sure someone would be more than happy to give you their funky old strings

i left a set of rotos on my 62 for about 8 years until i realized i didnt like that sound anymore

 

[king_biscuit]

Try a set of nickel coated rounds like EB Slinkys, and let them break in good for a few months. I don't like flats on Jazz basses -- it takes all of the growl away. Also, a good outboard pre might get you what you want. Sadowsky, Aguilar, EBS, and MXR make nice stuff. Some people seem to be digging the Tech 21 stuff too like the VT Experiment with strings and amp/preamp settings, but if you care about the vintage value, don't modify the bass at all!

 

[Jefenator]

Some basses I can't stop tinkering with, but I'm really satisfied with the D'Addario Chrome flats for my Jazz bass. They feel really smooth but they retain a sonic edge that nicely compliments the J-bass' vibe.

 

[stingray69]

I have an SX jazz bass w/70's spacing & Narud is right - 70's spacing tends to be bright & growly by nature but I have found that rolling back the treble/tone knob & seeking out strings that focus the emphasis more on the low end or growlier side of things whichever you looking for (I like Rotosound 66's for this, flats could work just as well) can help tame some of that. Over-wound pickups (I'm sure you'd want to keep the originals of course) might help tame the treble as well. Don't know if this type of tone is what you had in mind, but here is me goofing around with rolled-back highs & Rotosound 66's. http://www.zshare.net/audio/72472492dd89025b/

 

[smoothoperator]

I play mostly funk soul and R&B. For Motown stuff I prefer La Bella 760FL flatwounds on my 70's precision. For 70's funk I use La Bella Deep Talkin 760QM quarter rounds on a Fender American Jazz. They are the perfect strings for me, feel and tone wise. They've got great lows, almost like flatwounds but with enough highs and mids for funk.

 

[Dennis Kong]

if you dont want it bright, youre playing the wrong era of old jazz.

The late 70's rear pickup is closer to bridge than '60s
ones by about 1/2 inch? or so.
Giving you a brighter sound.

What kind of amp & speaker combo are you using?
A GK or any transistor amp will also emphasize the "brighter" as compared to a
tube amp.
I use a Mesa 400 with KT88's for funk & R&B,
or ( Sunn 2000 S if I playing just blues gig.)

I mainly use a '77 almost all stock except for the nut. (for the blues & R&B gigs).
And it is pretty beat up looking and looks like has been played a lot- too !
But it sounds great! ( I bought that way.)

You ' ll notice some of Jaco's basses are pretty worn looking too.
Been played a lot!

the nut was broken so I had it replaced with a bone one.
The plastic one has very little reasonce compared to the bone.
Also had Bad ass ll on it but did not like the increased tension and height & angle of strings on neck-
So I took it off. . a trade off.
That also gives a brighter and punchier sound on the top end I 've noticed.

I bought it for that funk/ slap/ R&B/ or Mid range sound like Jaco.

in fact I like it more than my Marcus Miller 5 ! (with stock preamp.)
It has more tonal range in mids & highs than my MM 5.
Would not recommend a preamp- as the bass
sounds great already.

You are supposed get the sounds from your hands..
not the preamp.

I learned this I tried out one of Jaco's stock '61
basses many years ago.
Could not even come close.. on His bass too!

Otherwise trying rolling both pickups back a bit -
this will take the edge off the top end.
That what I do for ballads.


When I tried a several jazz basses at the Marin Guitar show- '61,62, 64, 67- they are mellower sounding than
mine- because of the rear pickup placement & rosewood
fingerboard.

I use light gauge DR high beams- for a brighter sound
my taste - with Mesa 400.

but would suggest Black nylon tapes similar to what
Bobby Vega uses.
He's one the funk masters of the 60's jazz bass sound.
Check him out on Bass channel.

 

[Frank Orlando]

I have an all original 75. It's one of the last 70's with a 4 bolt neck made in January of 75 with all 74 electronics. I have broken-in Chrome flats (.100-.045). Neck volume on 7, bridge on 6, tone on 5. Play over the bridge pickup with your fingers. I use a Fender Bassman amp with this bass. Amp set flat. Use the amp to control the volume. Adjust to taste.

 

[Bluesbob]

Flatwound strings (I like the TI Jazz flats and there are lots of others) have plenty of upper mids and treble frequencies. They just don't have the "zing" of rounds. If you want a "warm and vintage" tone, start there. And flats still have plenty of that Jazz-bass "growl" if you want it. An old set of nickle wound rounds can work of course, but by the time they have broken in (lost the "zing"), you may be experiencing intonation problems.
Next is a pre-amp with tubes - very important - which is why more than one person stated this already. I'm not talking "hybrid" either, where the tube is just used as a glorified compression circuit. You need the input of the pre to go directly to the grid of a pre-amp tube (ala newbold).
Here's a great way to EQ a Jazz: Start with both volume knobs all the way up, and set your (tube) pre-amp controls the way you think it sounds best. To increase the treble, roll off the neck pup a little. To increase the bass, roll off the bridge pup. Simple, but it works. Thanks to 4mal for that bit of advice, which is something I always did without thinking, but seems not to be as intuitive as I thought.
Don't worry too much about the position of the pup - you can't change it, so you'll have to EQ around it. But with flats, tubes and the right EQ your jazz will have that warm soul funkiness you want.
And since you went out and got yourself a nice old bass, now you have to make sure everything else in the chain is up to par. Good luck!