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Post subject: Re: Jaco Artist Bass doesn't sound like Jaco...
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:07 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:22 am
Posts: 789
It's amazing to me that nobody pointed out that the video I posted WAS Jaco playing through a different rig and it still sounds like him.

Here's another thing to ponder. We don't know what Jaco's jazz bass sounded like brand new. Wear the pick ups, and finish, play a couple of thousand gigs at high volume and wait 20 years and see if it sounds the same. Expecting a brand new instrument to sound like an old one is an unrealistic expectation. I read about someone trying to recreate a Stradivarius Violin using exact measurements including an exact chemical match for the lacquer and it didn't sound the same. The thing is that we don't know what a Stradivarius sounded like 200 years ago. We have a limited understanding of aging on an instrument's tone. Combine that with the body of the player and how it responds to vibrations emphasizing some and absorbing others that is what gives musicians unique tone. You can spend hundreds of dollars trying to sound like somebody else but it won't work when you have all of these factors working together.

It all breaks down to what sounds good to you and your individual make up.

C/S,
Rev J


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Post subject: Re: Jaco Artist Bass doesn't sound like Jaco...
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:28 am
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 pm
Posts: 1480
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
I just checked out the video for the first time & yes that's Jaco playing bass & you're so right with regard to how did his bass sound brand new? & I believe he bought his bass used so he wouldn't even know & you have to wonder what Jaco's Bass sounded like after he smashed it & it was glued together? ( actually there's a video you can find on You Tube where Jaco's Bass of Doom had just been found & is being passed around in a room with Will Lee, Victor Wooten & others each taking a turn on it).... I've even noticed that my own Fender basses that were each bought new now have a warmer broken in feel & the more I use them over the years the better they sound to me, & one more thing I use a SWR rig & I've found it easy to get a some what similar Jaco tone if I want it ............. remember,.... Steve W Rabe worked for Acoustic Amps back in the 70's & he also did some work as a tech for Jaco.....He also later founded & started SWR Sound corporation........that's now owned by Fender .........I remember back in the late 70's when I was starting out, Ampeg , Acoustic & Fender were the go to Amps for bass players ( & still are today) Acoustic disappeared for a decade or so but in the last few years is making somewhat of a come back..& finally we haven't really talked about the position of the right hand,...Jaco played over & sometimes behind the bridge pickup near the bridge...Ironically my right hand plays in the same spot.....I think it sounds tighter plucking in this area..


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Post subject: Re: Jaco Artist Bass doesn't sound like Jaco...
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:57 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:22 am
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I've seen that video. I believe it is this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp1L-Vw0Ems

It's too bad the audio quality on the clip sucks. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if Fender just took a 62 Jazz reissue, put a fretless fingerboard on it, and replaced the electronics with post 62 ones. That's pretty much what Jaco did.

I also believe that Jaco changed his plucking hand positioning depending on the song. On ballady stuff like Continuum and tunes where he just played walking bass he usually plucked up by the neck. Then stuff like Birdland was on fretted bass.

C/S,
Rev J


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Post subject: Re: Jaco Artist Bass doesn't sound like Jaco...
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:08 pm
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:01 am
Posts: 2842
James Coderre wrote:
8:30 Live is a great Album, I believe Jaco used Acoustic360 & Acoustic 361 amps during his Weather Report days http://acoustic.homeunix.net/twiki/bin/ ... eamp360usa
http://acoustic.homeunix.net/twiki/bin/ ... inet361usa

& later used Harke canbinets in the 1980's(not sure what amp Head he used during this period). I have both the Jaco Fretless & Geddy Lee Jazz bass, I love 'em both as is & wouldn't change a thing on them.


Jaco prob used whatever he could in the eighties. I've noticed the Acoustics in a couple 80's videos- Japan I think. Some of the later bootleg type CD's I have a.k.a the NY CD's - they sound like he's playing thru just whatever was avaiable. Of course the sound quality of those later CD's is not close to good IMO.


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