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Which of these pickups sound like the 60's?
Fender Original Vintage 50%  50%  [ 3 ]
Basslines SPB-1 33%  33%  [ 2 ]
Antiquity II 17%  17%  [ 1 ]
Total votes : 6
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:32 am
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Brotherdave, thanks for that clarification re the Dunn/SCPB question. I'd seen the picture, but without that caption!

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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:34 am
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Guys what's the best gauge of strings would be comfortable to use?
I was planning on .100 - .45

brotherdave are you familiar of Jamiroquai's former bassist Stuart Zender. I heard he used P-Bass and on the past records it sounded like P-Bass on flats but I'm not quite sure. Some say he uses Warwicks but anyways I'd like to nail that p-bass thump sound..

I think for the pickups Fender Vintage would be the best one?


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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:27 pm
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eyecandy wrote:
Guys what's the best gauge of strings would be comfortable to use?
I was planning on .100 - .45

brotherdave are you familiar of Jamiroquai's former bassist Stuart Zender. I heard he used P-Bass and on the past records it sounded like P-Bass on flats but I'm not quite sure. Some say he uses Warwicks but anyways I'd like to nail that p-bass thump sound..

I think for the pickups Fender Vintage would be the best one?


The “best gauge” is a personal decision, sort of like the decision of whether to play a Precision or a Jazz. As a general rule, lighter gauge strings are better for funk and fusion type things while larger gauge strings better lend themselves to more traditional “old school” heavy tones.

Something medium (45/65/85/105) is a good starting point and a good all-around choice. From there you can go lighter or heavier. Be aware that your instrument may not intonate correctly with a very light gauge string set if it is one of the basses with bridges that allow only very short saddle travel adjustment such as the Fender Deluxe Bridge on USA instruments. I ran into this issue on my 51 RI which has one of these bridges on it.

I have some Jamiroquai so I listened to a few of them. I don’t know when the bass players changed but…
“COSMIC GIRL” sounds like flatwounds
“DO IT LIKE WE USED TO” again sounds like flatwounds.
“RUNAWAY” sounds like stainless roundwounds.
“VIRTUAL INSANITY” sounds like both stainless roundwound AND flatwound bass strings were both used at different times.

I may be wrong but that is just what it sounds like to me. So they were changing up the instruments and sometimes changing up within the song. The basses sound active most of the time too and would almost have to have been an active on “RUNAWAY.”

I was unaware that Warwick made flatwound strings at all.

As for nailing that sound, you’d probably need active electronics. AND be a VERY strong player. These tracks kill. I was giving the Gnarls Barkley project too much credit. Jamiroquai invented the psycho-disco-acid jazz-funk sound long before Gnarls Barkley.

I don’t think that is a P-bass on these recordings. But a SD Quarter Pounder with an active EQ would be way closer than a vintage pup.


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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:04 pm
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brotherdave how about medium lights? like .45-.100
somewhat the Fender 7250ML feels good to me..



as for Jamiroquai's history
Stuart decided to leave Jamiroquai in 1998 before the release of the bands 4th album ‘Synkronized’

Stuart Zender used Warwick for his main bass
and the new bassist Paul Turner uses Fender Jazz bass and Fender p-bass esp on the Abbey Road live..


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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:53 pm
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Fender 7250's is the stock string on about all Fender basses. So yes, that is a good set. They are easy to find and reasonably priced too.

Lighter gauge strings are usually better for funk stuff. But again the problem in using them is that some bridges with a very small amount of saddle travel will not allow a very light gauge to intonate correctly. No way to know until you try them though.

My current rounds are Thomastik-Infeld PowerBass EB344's and I have them on two basses. I use two different sets of flats, Thomastik-Infeld JF344 Jazz Flats and GHS 3050 Precision Flats.

In the USA the Vienna Austria made Thomastik strings (all of them) have nearly doubled in price over the past couple of years due the falling value of the US dollar compared to the Euro. The list price for the Jazz Flats is now over $100 with a street price of $55 or more. That is totally ridiculous! When I run out of my current sets of TI strings I'm probably going back to the Ernie Ball rounds I used to use and stick with the GHS Precision Flats.


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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 6:08 am
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Whoa TI flats are that expensive? *gasp*

It's quite difficult to find flats here at our place.(Philippines)
They only sell d'Addarios, Ernie Ball and Fenders..

I find d'Addarios a bit sloppy.. especially the rounds.. I feel my fingers move and squeak, unlike at the 7250's which has a bit smoother feel for me.. I'm not sure about the Ernie Ball but I might try them out next ^_^



going back to Jamiroquai's history I think after Stuart left the group
(I forgot) Nick Fyffe was the next bass player, who was with the band during the Woodstock performance.


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Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:34 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
zod wrote:
brotherdave,

If I'm reading this correctly, the GHS Precision Flatwound 3050 set is lighter tension than the LaBella 760M. Correct?
How do they compare to the LaBella 760FL set tension-wise? The 760FL are my new favorites, but I like heavier guage D & G strings.
Thanks


Yes the GHS 3050 Precision Flats set is lower tension than the Labella 760M for sure and fret way easier. They feel better because they are smoother too.

The GHS 3050's feel is so smooth it honestly feels like you are playing a solid metal rod. I especially get the rod sensation after playing Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats on my active and then picking up the 51 RI with the GHS 3050's on it. They are the smoothest feeling string I’ve ever used bar none. Absolutely glassy.

I only tried the 760FL set ONCE for a very short time 10 years ago and couldn't wait to get them off and put the 760M's back on. I can't say how the 760FL's compare tension wise to the GHS 3050 Precision Flats because it was really so long ago. I hadn’t ever tried a GHS set other than Boomers until I was shown the GHS Precision set on a friend’s bass.

The GHS 3050 Regulars feel very similar tension wise to a stock set of Fender bass strings in tension. The very light 3025's are a great flat string for funk.

I know the Labella 760FL set was lower tension than the Labella 760M's but sounded thinner to me and had less thud.

The GHS 3050 set actually comes in a couple of gauges designated M3050 and 3050. The M3050’s are 45/65/85/105.

The set I’m using now and like better are the big 3050 ones called REGULAR and are 55/70/90/105. Yeah they are way bigger on the D & G strings.

In comparison the Labella 760M’s are 52/73/95/110. Labella 760FL’s are 43/60/82/104.

As for what the GHS 3050 regulars sound like. They are stainless so they are a little bright but have a real big bottom so you can cut the highs a bunch if you want.

I got the GHS 3050's, put them on, played them not even 5 minutes, and took them off. Entirely way too much tension for my liking, my forearm hurt like a @#$%&* for a while afterwards. Oh well.


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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 10:50 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
If there was such a thing as a Duck Dunn pickup available today, it would probably be the ‘57 Precision Bass Split Single-Coil Pickup used in the American Vintage '57 P-Bass.

Donald Duck Dunn bought two stock 1957 Fender P-basses the same day. One with rosewood neck and one with maple. These were used on most, if not all of his historic recording sessions and even for live appearances. Mr. Dunn loaned one of these '57 P-basses to Bay-Kays bassist James Alexander for the 1967 Otis Redding tour. Redding, four Bar-Kays members, Redding's road manager & the pilot died when the chartered plane crashed into Lake Monona on the way to the Madison, Wisconsin show December 10, 1967. Mr. Dunn's '57 bass was on the Redding charter and never recovered.

Whether it is true or not, I like to think there is a 57 American Vintage Reissue P-bass precisely because of Duck Dunn and a 62 American Vintage RI P-bass only because of James Jamerson. Whether or not that is the real reason for each American Vintage P model that is what I like to think.

Instead of the Labella 760M flats, may I suggest a lower tension alternative yielding practically the same sound without killing your necks? The GHS Precision Flatwound 3050 regular set in .055 to .105 gauge costs less than half what the Labellas cost. I used Labella 760's for about 20 years before finding the GHS Precision Flats when they were recommended by another bassist as a great lower tension alternative to the Jamerson set. I played his bass and he was right. They are a great vintage sounding string and way easier to play. I use them on my 51 RI P-bass.

The B-15 amp sounds killer but is underpowered for anything short of miking live or recording. The original B-15 had no direct output either. Many of the recordings routinely attributed to a B-15, especially at Motown, were actually done direct into the board. Dunn used a B-15 a lot at Stax.

There are several good B-15 emulator programs and pedals. I like 'em but a real deal B-15 is sort of a dinosaur now.


I recently picked up an Ampeg B-200R on the cheap and while I don't have a B-15 to compare I'm told this amp comes close. I know I absolutely love the tone regardless!


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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 11:00 pm
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zod wrote:
brotherdave wrote:
zod wrote:
brotherdave,

If I'm reading this correctly, the GHS Precision Flatwound 3050 set is lighter tension than the LaBella 760M. Correct?
How do they compare to the LaBella 760FL set tension-wise? The 760FL are my new favorites, but I like heavier guage D & G strings.
Thanks


Yes the GHS 3050 Precision Flats set is lower tension than the Labella 760M for sure and fret way easier. They feel better because they are smoother too.

The GHS 3050's feel is so smooth it honestly feels like you are playing a solid metal rod. I especially get the rod sensation after playing Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats on my active and then picking up the 51 RI with the GHS 3050's on it. They are the smoothest feeling string I’ve ever used bar none. Absolutely glassy.

I only tried the 760FL set ONCE for a very short time 10 years ago and couldn't wait to get them off and put the 760M's back on. I can't say how the 760FL's compare tension wise to the GHS 3050 Precision Flats because it was really so long ago. I hadn’t ever tried a GHS set other than Boomers until I was shown the GHS Precision set on a friend’s bass.

The GHS 3050 Regulars feel very similar tension wise to a stock set of Fender bass strings in tension. The very light 3025's are a great flat string for funk.

I know the Labella 760FL set was lower tension than the Labella 760M's but sounded thinner to me and had less thud.

The GHS 3050 set actually comes in a couple of gauges designated M3050 and 3050. The M3050’s are 45/65/85/105.

The set I’m using now and like better are the big 3050 ones called REGULAR and are 55/70/90/105. Yeah they are way bigger on the D & G strings.

In comparison the Labella 760M’s are 52/73/95/110. Labella 760FL’s are 43/60/82/104.

As for what the GHS 3050 regulars sound like. They are stainless so they are a little bright but have a real big bottom so you can cut the highs a bunch if you want.

I got the GHS 3050's, put them on, played them not even 5 minutes, and took them off. Entirely way too much tension for my liking, my forearm hurt like a @#$%&* for a while afterwards. Oh well.


I'm using flats on all my Fender basses these days. (Only my Rickenbackers wear rounds.) The brands and guages are as follows:

Fender CS 59 Precision -- DR Hi-Beam Flats (105-45)
Fender AV 57 Precision -- TI flats (they only come in one guage)
Fender AV 62 Jazz -- LaBella 760FL (104-43)
Fender CIJ 51 Precision -- Fender 9050ML (100-50)
Fender AS Precision 5-string -- TI flats (low B is a biggin -- 136)

The TI flats have the lowest tension. I've decided they sound great on P-basses but Jazz basses sound better with LaBellas (the FL set -- the FS and M sets are much higher tension sets -- too high for me). If you want thump but less tension, the DR flats are a really nice string too (perhaps the same tension as the FL LaBella set).


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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:29 am
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looks like there are a lot of good strings to choose from... but which have the least tension besides t.i and ghs?


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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 7:15 am
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Guys a little follow up question on Donald's Gear..

He collaborated with Fender back then for a Duck Dunn P-Bass? did it have rosewood Jazz neck? and 57's pickups?


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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:04 pm
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New to this site but wanted thank everyone for the contributions here. The info on Duck Dunn is fascinating! He is one of my main inspirations. I had a chance to play in Memphis, and the trip to the newly-rebuilt STAX site was one of the highlights.

Regarding the old-school tone and vibe, I have found the Seymour Duncan vintage pup to be very nice. I recently picked up one the Road Worn P basses and put the SD pup in and am really happy with the set up, other than the ugly factor of the finish ;) I think the fatter 50's-style neck with the very light weight bodies meshes real nice with the vintage SD pup. I suppose the Fender "Original" series pups would yield similar results.

My wife thinks the RW P bass is U-G-L-Y, but the mojo is undeniable. If Fender released an un-Road Worn P bass with a real nice vintage pup in there, the Duck Dunn fans would love it.

Also, I agree with the sentiment above on Ampeg B-15's - definitely a physical dinosaur if you're gigging at all. I have a Line 6 Pod X3 Live, and the fliptop model is incredible. The way it overdrives and responds to physical nuances is uncanny, as is the case with many of the models.

For strings, I currently have Chromes on the RW P bass. They are working out great so far. Ed Friedland has been saying nice things about the Ernie Ball Group III flats, which are 100's, maybe I'll try those next.

Thanks again for all the info in this thread.


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Post subject: ZODdddd
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:12 am
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Zod, I'll buy that five minute old set of GHS 3050's off you. Just contact me at the email address on the CONTACT page of my site. They'll be pre-cut and make good spares for my '51 RI! Thanks!


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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:06 am
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eyecandy wrote:
Guys a little follow up question on Donald's Gear..

He collaborated with Fender back then for a Duck Dunn P-Bass? did it have rosewood Jazz neck? and 57's pickups?


The Fender Limited Edition Duck Dunn Precision Bass introduced in early 1998 was styled after an early second generation P bass. There was only one configuration with gold anodized pickguard and a vintage style finger rest in Candy Apple Red color which wasn't actually available until '63. It also had Schaller strap locks standard. It had Donald “Duck” Dunn’s decal autograph on the peghead. It did NOT have the 3rd strap button on the back of the headstock which a period correct bass should have had. The following photos are one that has been modified with the addition of bridge and pickup covers which were not stock. LIMITED to 1000 units they had a C shaped maple neck and were made in Japan. They were individually serialized as "xxxx of 1000" on the nifty “Limited Edition” neckplate. The one pictured here is number 0078.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

The official Fender spiel was: "January 29, 1998 -- The Fender Precision Bass has been Donald "Duck" Dunn's bass of choice from his early Stax/Volt sessions to the present day.

Now, Fender presents the Limited Edition Donald "Duck" Dunn Precision Bass®, a replica of the trusty workhorse used by the veteran bassist during his legendary sessions and concerts worldwide with such artists as Muddy Waters, Elvis Presley, Robert Palmer, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Blues Brothers, among others.

The Limited Edition Donald "Duck" Dunn Precision Bass® has an alder body; a 50's shape one-piece maple neck with 20 frets and a 34" scale length; vintage P-Bass® pickup; vintage machine heads; gold anodized pickguard; master volume and tone controls; chrome plated nickel hardware; knurled knobs; Fender/Schaller® Strap Locks; and vintage four post bridge. Comes factory-equipped with genuine Fender strings for optimum tone and performance. "

You can view the offical Fender press release and see a stock photo here:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Events/WNAMM98/Fender/Donald-Duck-Dunn.html


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Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:20 am
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I should have added that most of the Duck Dunn Fender Duck Dunn basses were bought up by collectors. I've only actually seen two in person.

Lakland currently has a Duck Dunn signature bass with a 70's Jazz style white celluloid block inlaid rosewood fretboard and the '57 style P-bass body. Where this came from it seems is that Duck had one of his gold anodized pickguard p-basses modified by putting a Jazz neck on it. He gigged extensively with it in the 90's. You can visit the Lakland website to see one. Not my cup of tea. I hated those block inlaid J-necks.


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