Why did Jaco remove the pickguard?

[steubig]

Can you hear the difference between modern and vintage neck plates?

no.

a big whateva.

if you've tried it and it didn't make a difference to you, cool; if you tried and it did make a difference, cool.

for those who didn't try and say bs: that's THEORY.

i tried it with no expectations (didn't have an outcome in mind) and noticed a difference: that's EXPERIENCE.

you can doubt my experience - - whatever. i just think some people are disrespectful.

it's funny how people can be so closed-minded about other people's EXPERIENCES (not beliefs).

 

[panaran]

When you start getting into the nitty gritty of it, sometimes you need the extra little space for comfort and proper playing that a pickguard may be robbing from you. Before I even knew who Jaco was I was taking the pickguard off my jazz bass. I could get my fingers under the strings more and could pop harder. I think Jaco may have removed it for the same reason because he had MASSIVE hands and dug in really hard to achieve his sound.

Exact same thing happened to me. Started playing on a Peavey bass with no PG, then I bought a SX and hated the pickguard.

 

[PrivateHigh]

I wasn't being sarcastic. New Corona plates are twice as thick as the old ones. I'm about to try it on a whim.

no.

a big whateva.

if you've tried it and it didn't make a difference to you, cool; if you tried and it did make a difference, cool.

for those who didn't try and say bs: that's THEORY.

i tried it with no expectations (didn't have an outcome in mind) and noticed a difference: that's EXPERIENCE.

you can doubt my experience - - whatever. i just think some people are disrespectful.

it's funny how people can be so closed-minded about other people's EXPERIENCES (not beliefs).

 

[steubig]

I wasn't being sarcastic. New Corona plates are twice as thick as the old ones. I'm about to try it on a whim.

sorry, took it as a slam. i'm getting a little burned by what i perceive as less-than-open minds about this stuff. my bad.

don't know that i think it would matter, but it wouldn't necessarily surprise me if it did. since i'm using neck-through stuff these days, i'll probably never give that one a go.

 

[sonic assassin]

I always just figured he didn't need it because he didn't use a pick.
Meh.

this.

he didnt need frets either.. so away they went.

he didnt think he needed a case.. so he never had one.

i guess he didnt think a finish was necessary either, cause his was pretty haggard.

 

[godofthunder59]

To get to the other side.

 

[BassXgirl]

To get to the other side.

Aye aye aye! Someone post that forehead smacking pic again.

This joke was funny the first time. The second time it was "ok", the third time it was "yawn", this time....headsmack! Do you giys ever read the threads before posting ?

 

[godofthunder59]

Nope. I wasn't about to sift through 20 pages of Jaco and his pickguard.

 

[pmgleenis]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know why Jaco removed the pickguard from his Jazz. Did it hamper his playing in anyway, or was it just visual?

Thanks

It was just visual. Why cover up a really nice finish? There was just some dolt on Ebay who has a GORGEOUS Warmoth body with brown quilted maple top and he put a pick guard on it and it was a rear routed body. It ruined the body for me. There are some J basses that have square top pick up routs where you have to use a pick guard, but if you have a body with no routing and to pick up rout shaped like the pick up, I see no need for a pick guard unless you have some really wild looking pick guard that you want to make a statement with. I know this first hand as I played with Jaco and played his bass about 100 times.

 

[Fender32]

Nope. I wasn't about to sift through 20 pages of Jaco and his pickguard.

This is my favourite reply in the whole of this (somewhat trivial, but funny) thread. Brutally honest and full of wisdom at the same time.

Hats off to GoT59, I say !

 

[pmgleenis]

It's the same reason why he P-Bass knobs on it, it made it sound better.

IT made no sound difference. He dug the look. Is there really a need to be a wise ass??

 

[doktorfeelgood]

gosh, it's hard not to laugh. All of you are talking about how it gave Jaco a different sound. I really doubt it makes any difference with the sound. Or, for that matter, the playability. I took the pickguard off my squier so it would LOOK different, and I'll bet it's the same with Jaco.

I've heard where Eric Johnson thinks that pickguard screws over-tightened alters his sound... )-(

 

[chanson]

IT made no sound difference. He dug the look. Is there really a need to be a wise ass??

 

[lowend1]

IT made no sound difference. He dug the look. Is there really a need to be a wise ass??

There is ALWAYS a need to be a wise ass. Frankly, I'm amazed that anybody gives a crap as to why he took off the pickguard (personally, I could care less). I guess if somebody posted that Jaco wiped down his bass with dirty underwear, there would be a segment of the world's bass playing population that would also be "bringin' da funk".

 

[BassXgirl]

Nope. I wasn't about to sift through 20 pages of Jaco and his pickguard.

Hey just saying...That joke was on page 1 or 2.
If the thread is too boring to read maybe you shouldn't post in it. Just a thought.

 

[your idol]

i just love how everyones brown eye gets all snug whenever a Jaco discussion comes up. if i was a dead famous bass player i would haunt every person who got upset on a conversation about my pickguard.

 

[woo10]

I've heard where Eric Johnson thinks that pickguard screws over-tightened alters his sound... )-(

Eric Johnson is a nut case. He doesn't use shielded cables because he thinks shielded cables affect his tone in a negative way, so does he like the hum more?
He also claims he can tell if the battery in his OD pedal is a Duracell just by listening to the tone out of the pedal.

I think he probably has better ears than most, including myself, but these claims I honestly find outlandish, YMMV.

 

[lowend1]

i just love how everyones brown eye gets all snug whenever a Jaco discussion comes up. if i was a dead famous bass player i would haunt every person who got upset on a conversation about my pickguard.

It's because the subject is a player whose entire existence has been over-analyzed for ages by the bass playing community. Those who are sick to death of hearing about Jaco (like me) will always contribute our sarcastic .02, while the worshippers and JacoAid drinkers will always treat any post on the subject like some newly discovered Dead Sea Scroll - and naturally be hyper-sensitive. Can we get a sticky that says "No more Jaco threads"? Talk about beating a dead horse!

 

[Jamie_Funk]

It's because the subject is a player whose entire existence has been over-analyzed for ages by the bass playing community. Those who are sick to death of hearing about Jaco (like me) will always contribute our sarcastic .02, while the worshippers and JacoAid drinkers will always treat any post on the subject like some newly discovered Dead Sea Scroll - and naturally be hyper-sensitive. Can we get a sticky that says "No more Jaco threads"? Talk about beating a dead horse!

The most annoying thing about Jaco threads - those of us sick of them cannot help but post in them!

J

 

[lowend1]

The most annoying thing about Jaco threads - those of us sick of them cannot help but post in them!

J

Guilty as charged.