My dad was offered the 1959 Jazz bass prototype for £2400 in the mid 80s but turned it down as it was too expensive. That bass is now on reverb for £65,000 what a appreciation.
Well, so, doesn't matter cos my Dad got offered one from 1958, and he said that his would have been better and would have been worth loads more money, and he said that the guitar your Dad got offered was plop because his was better. So there.
Very interesting to me that Darryl Jones said that passive basses have more bark than active. Marcus Miller also claimed that his bass was growlier prior to the addition of an active pre-amp setup. This directly contradicts everything I've heard out of active basses on albums, and whilst playing them. I'll have try a PROPER J-Bass with a PROPER amp setup sometime, then.
same here, I used to play an active ibanez, then I tried a fender jazzbass and that "vocal-bark" you mentioned was exactly what convinced me to switch bass
@@JohnDoe-zq1ho True, the passive pickups are real growlers but the clarity and cut of active pickups, I personally love Seymour Duncan Active Sets, still allow you to get that growl by pumping up your Low Mids to about the same level as the Bass or even a little higher depending on the amp & the room. It sounds ferocious. A new set of Medium Gauge Roundwound Rotosounds and the Seymours together have a brilliant tone not unlike the bottom end of a Rhoades Piano. With Flatwounds it's a bit less biting and frankly lately I've liked it better since I've been playing more Blues and Gospel less Rock & Roll.
I love the tone and its super diverse. Amazing funk instrument and great for other genres. I used it for Punk rock and it was a great complimentary tone, sitting perfectly below the guitars when I played with my fingers.
I love Jazz basses. I've had a new but my favorite was the 1999 American standard. I broke my wrist in 2016 and sold it to fund surgery and then later bought a MIM. I sold that and recently re-bought my old 1999 bass. Can't keep me away!
Dont forget ASTON FAMILYMAN BARRETT!!!. Probably the most heard Jazzbass recordings of all time. All over the world. Then, now and forever. A true genius. Listen to any of Bob recording and be blown away by the basslines. Surreal.
I just bought a jazz bass yesterday I started playing and I just couldn’t put it down It felt to natural slapped to perfect Everything about it was just so clean
I'm a drummer by design, but I absolutely LOVE these history videos! They are so well curated and presented. I love guitars and own several, and its great to know all the nuances and things that make iconic guitars and basses so cool. I'm also very surprised it took Fender so long to offer a fretless Jazz! They probably missed out on a bunch of sales because of their lack of forethought.
Great video. I think these are the sorts or videos that while not getting a million views straight away will be watched for years to come for their informative and to the point delivery, and used as great reference tools when looking for further knowledge about the subject matter. Keep up the great work Keith.
Had MIM Jazz from 2003-2008. Yesterday I jumped back in and bought a Player Jazz. Terrific instrument. I also looked at a Precision, but I couldn't make my fingers go where I wanted. The J-Bass is just so natural to me. I'm really falling in love with the bass again.
I became a bass player in 1975 when I was 15 because my older brother turned me on to Grand Funk Railroad in its power trio days. Mel Schacher was playing wonderful, thunderous bass lines on his Jazz Bass, played through deliberately overdriven West bass amps. I played classical and pop piano for nine years, starting when I was age 6. By that point, I started listening to AM radio and my introduction to the explosion of great rock music that began with the British Invasion began. My earliest influences were the Beatles cartoon show, The Monkees, and Three Dog Night; in particular, Chip Douglas' great bright, melodic lines on his albums with the Monkees. They really stood out because the primitive radios and record players of the time, as well as the recording techniques, made most bass lines difficult to hear clearly. As the technologies improved and bass lines became more prominent I was subconsciously gravitating toward the instrument. But Mel's work hit me square in the forehead and it didn't take me long to figure out that I was meant to be a bass player and make the switch. I've never looked back and am still gigging 47 years later. Thanks, Leo and Mel!!
I got my first Jazz Bass 5 string last month and traded it 2 days later for an Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray. It's awesome that this man has videos on both. He's like the cool teacher you had in High School.
Another great video. There's a wonderful mystique surrounding iconic Fender Jazz and Precision basses which have been played by most of the best electric bass guitar magicians.
About a year and a half ago in October 2019 my mother found a Johnson by Axl Jazz Bass copy in the trash while driving through the neighborhood. Only had 3 strings on it with no knobs on the control pots. A setup (courtesy of my tutor) and some new strings later and it’s become my favorite and so far only bass guitar. Eventually couldn’t boil the old Ernie ball standard roundwound strings anymore which were rough on my fingers anyway, swapped them for Rotosound Flatwounds strings. Pick or fingers, the bass works like magic!!
Watching this video again I am reminded that Herbie Flowers played his Jazz bass when he created the portmanteau bass line for Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side". He used a double bass and his Jazz bass so that he would be paid two player's fees.
As a guitarist I settled on the Jackson Model 6 as the ONLY guitar needed in 1986 as soon as I could get one to England . It had everything in one guitar . I'm in the process of converting to bass for about a year and I have 6 basses and growing . I can't find one bass that sounds like what I know in mind is the perfect tone . I always laughed at people who bought allot of guitars . I'm not laughing anymore , I get it now !!!!
Jaco 👍🏻 Thanks for that Keith. Something I really enjoy about your videos is how you present so respectfully, even handed. Without overdramatizing you still touch deeply upon the humanity behind the instruments and musicians. The Bass of Doom has a whole video worth of story in itself!
That's the truth. In 1978 my then college roommate said, "You need to see this band!" and he took me to see Weather Report with Jaco at the Eastman Theater in Rochester. I never really recovered from the live solo version of Purple Haze Jaco did that night. A separate video may well be in order.
Another excellent video, Keith. You have a way of presenting information that is well-known in an entertaining and satisfying way. Keep up the good work. Thank you again.
One I was disappointed not to see in this or the P-Bass video is the 80s Jazz Bass Special, used by Duff McKagan of GnR. Precision body, Jazz neck, and PJ pickup set.
I play a Rickenbacker now but I still own the first good bass I ever got, an early 2000s Mexican 60s Jazz. It hopped genres with me, it's been on almost every thing I've ever recorded, and it carried me through my first 5 years as a professional musician when I didn't have anything else. It's really beat, and I'm sure the neck is almost shot, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it. I let one of my students use it until she got something good, and it did the same for her as it did for me. I'm not the world's largest Fender fan, but if ever Leo got it right, it was with this one.
I picked up my first Fender Jazz Bass in 1978, I was 20!! Ash body, natural finish, maple neck!! In 2017, I purchased a Fender Jazz American Elite Five String!!! Same style, ash body, etc!!! Loved it so much, I bought another one just like it in last year, (2019)!!! Needless to say, I'm a big fan!!! These basses are legendary for good reason!!!! I absolutely love them!!!
I'd love to see an in-depth history and explanation like this of the Music Man Stingray bass and its recent budget priced variations from Sterling. Thanks for everything you do. I really enjoy learning from your channel.
Hi Tom, That would be interesting. It would be an interesting extension of the Leo Fender story too. I'll see what's out there for research info. Thanks for watching and for the idea. Keith
Timely video. As a 63 year old guitar player who just plays and records in a home studio, I just picked up a MIM Jazz Bass to lay down some bass tracks to my recordings. Now if can only get used to playing it without a pick! Enjoyed this and all your videos Mr 5 watt.
I have something you can try that'll allow you to hold on to your pick. Your three-knob controls can generate a round, thumpy, soft, finger-plucked sound by setting the bias towards the neck pick up, and eliminating most of the bridge and tone levels. Try this if you're curious: Set your top knob at 100%, middle at 25%-50% and bottom pot at 2-5%. Lastly, to soften the punch even further use a String Dampener over your Nut or soft foam under the strings at the Bridge. This will pad your sustain and further mask out the pluck of the pick. Lastly-Lastly, the older the strings the better since new strings are bright and textured. Flatwounds will get you even closer to sounding organic using a pick. I'm really glad to hear you picked up a MIM, I've got a couple and they're rock-solid. Picks sound great on Fender basses! I use Fender Heavy Tri-tipped bass picks, they're Solid-White with Gold branding.
JB has nothing to do with heritage for once. It is A BASS sound that captures life, passion, and a rumbling depth of emotion, that many of us feel when we jump out of joy to music.
Thanks for another excellent vid! In the late 80's as a junior in high school I bought a fretless squire jazz bass (all I could afford). Black w/white pickguard, metal plate around controls, beautiful rosewood fingerboard. It was built surprising well, great sound, and fun to play. Loved it! Broke my heart when I had to sell it 5 years later. To this day I still miss it :(
Portrait of Tracy is a landmark recording in not only bass guitar, but music. Thanks to the Bass of Doom, millions have made beautiful music. RIP Jaco P.S. amazing video and I can’t wait for more
Just as an FYI. I tried out a '66 Jazz in 1966 because it looked prettier than my 1965 Jazz that I had bought from a friend in '66. It had the Mother of Pearl bar markers on the frets along with the white binding on the neck. It also had the Deep U-shape neck, which was terrible to play. Since then, I've seen a number of '66 Jazz that had the same neck as my '65. But after they put that 1966 Jazz back up on the wall, I was really glad I had my '65 with its 60's Slim C-shape neck with 7.25" radius.
At least half of the significant moments of my life happened while I was playing my fender j-bass. I bought it new in 1991. Considering I was getting paid $6.15 an hour, it’s price of $650 was quite an investment. I have never regretted choosing that one particular bass and have never seen a bass that could match it, not at any price, not another from any era. I’m making moon eyes at it as I write this. We’re still in love 30 years later. Haha! ps. It could have sounded like the video said that only the 5-string was available with 22 frets. That wasn’t the case. The 22 fret version (aka “the boner bass”) could be 4 or 5 strings and some years had options of passive or active pickups.
While I've owned a number of upscale custom basses, the Fender Jazz is still my pick. From John Paul Jones to Jaco to Geddy Lee and too many others to mention, it seems like I'm not the only player who who loves their Jazz bass! Great video of the Fender Jazz!
My Jazz bass is broken, and watching your short history videos on the P and J Basses really reinforced my exclusive love for my Jazz Bass... The year and make of my Bass had a design flaw that did not leave enough wood at the first fret where the truss rod comes out, and because of that, has cracked and started to push the block inlay out... because of your videos, and of course Mr. Beato, I reached out to Mr. Onorato, and asked for his advice and help in this matter, and he promptly responded to me... to me!! And gave me some good, sound, and invaluable advice... So just know, the community built around 5WW and Beato's channel with Rhett and Mr. Onorato, us youtube watchers, finally have a decent group of knowledgeable and brilliant musicians and teachers to lean on when we need to... there is no way to thank you guys for all that you do, other than to just say THANK YOU. So... THANK YOU.
15:10 Lakland DJ-5. 1: A 5-string bass with a 3-2 headstock layout, instead of the annoying Fender or MusicMan 4-1 headstock layout. 2: It has a matching headstock. I need this in my life.
I got a ‘74 Jazz Bass, new, when I was 11yrs old. I have had other basses but the Jazz is the most versatile. It can mimic a Rick or a Precision. It can be clean or dirty in tone and still cuts. Sits so well in a mix. The BEST!
I play a 2002 V deluxe Flamed Maple Top it seems it has been discontinued. I had no clue what I was buying back in 2005, but after fourteen years I’m glad I did. I enjoy the quality of your videos, thanks for sharing this knowledge.
Mine turned 20 this year. Perfect fit for my hands. I decided to throw a new set of Rotosounds on it and gave it a nice polish in tribute to this vid. I immensely enjoyed the story, thanks for your work !
Excellent mini documentary. As a guitarist who has played bass at times in bands and on recordings I always favoured the P Bass, but secretly craved a J Bass. They are a stunning looking and sounding instrument and in more recent times have become my favourite four string. One day I'll own one, but for now I can listen to the miriad of styles and tones recorded on this most beautiful of instruments. I too highly recommend the Jaco documentary. It opened me up to his music and my world is better for it. Thanks again for your work, time and energy.
Your videos are so rich with information for musicians of course but also for non musicians ! I found your video amazing how you keep it moving with important facts and you make each statement meaty. Thank you so very much.
I don't even play bass Keith , but , again , I'm fascinated by this short history. You could do a short history of the microwave and I'd be glued to it haha 😎
I bought my 1995 MIM Jazz bass from a friend for $50 I cleaned it up and replaced the broken pots. I keep it down tuned a half step because I enjoy the fat sound of the medium gauge strings with the rasp of being tuned down. Definitely my favorite bass.
Did you catch that pic of Duane Allman & Jemmott @ 7:04 🤷♂️? I did! You'd have to know the picture because you can't see Duane's face. They were recording with Aretha that day. And he's playing a Fender! Pretty sure this was at Muscle Shoals.
Your video essays are absolutely fantastic. This sort of academia is often missing in popular music history, I'm glad you're taking the mantle. Excellent work.
I find that coming back to your videos is worthwhile piece of time. There's so much to learn, one pass just does not do it. This is my third time through this one. The second time through convinced me to trade in a used Schector P bass for a new MIM Fender Jazz Bass in September. Went from active to passive pick ups and really pleased I did. Still not an expert on bass, but the tone and punch of this Jazz Bass on a a 300W BBC with 250Watt tc electronics head is just the best.
Excellent documentary, the term video seems insufficient. Watching these educational short films, it is quite easy to see how the Fender designs have influenced other instrument manufacturers. ✌❤
FANTASTIC. Very much enjoyed this. Thanks for putting so much effort into telling the J Bass. Just this week, I bought a MIJ Geddy Lee Jazz Signature and I haven't been able to put it down yet. Now I have an even more appreciation for this enamoring instrument :-)
Awesome vidya. Hard to describe how perfect the Jazz Bass is. The sound, the feel, the availability, the simplicity, the versatility. I like having different Fender guitars for different sounds, but I see no need for any other bass than the Jazz. I'd be willing to bet that 99% of all legendary bass players either played or owned one of these things.
Great video! However, you failed to mention Aston "Family Man" Barrett of Bob Marley & the Wailers! I'm pretty sure ALL of the "international" BMW recordings were done on a Jazz Bass :)
Thank you for your best reminder video, being part of Fender as the Indonesian distributor and founder of the product specialist department - your video does ring lots of historical bells. But, sure I still love Fender as the Legend. You've got a subscriber, Sir!
Hi Paul! Glad you found your way here then. Between them the Fender "Short History" vids have now topped over a million views on classic Fender gear....and I have yet to hear from Fender. Ha! Maybe when we break a couple of million it will get above their horizon. Thanks for watching. Welcome to five watt world. Keith
T Sterling I think it’s arguable that the first image that’ll pop into most people’s head when they think of a Jazz bass is Jaco’s mighty “Bass of Doom”. As iconic to Jazz Basses as Clapton’s “Blackie” is to Strats
Here before but...Great again. Lucky enough to see Jaco in '76 with Weather Report. Pretty amazing. This is Winterland. opener, Al DiMeola, Carlos Santana as a guest for the encore. Great. Thanx again.
@ His bass line on "Lowrider" was played between the downbeats (on the "and") and that really influenced both my bass and drum playing. I have used that technique many times to create musical tension.
I would be more than happy to see a short history of the Stingray bass. That is one of the best bass guitars ever made and there are a lot of studio recordings with that instrument on it. Musicman is a great company, and this model of bass definitely deserves some attention.
I had a few requests for that here today. I'll look around and see if I can find enough info for a video. The older stuff seems better researched (bizarrely).
Hi Rino, Dan sent me a pic of one yesterday that he'd built for himself as a test bed for speakers. Tweed with oxblood and a white faceplate. Stunning. I'm sure you'll love yours man. Enjoy. Keith
I hate to come off like an "expert" but the pearl block inlays were introduced in 1966 on the transition Pre-CBS/CBS model Jazz Basses that were comprised of many parts from both before and after the sale to CBS. I have an early 1966 Jazz Bass with a bound neck with block inlays and lollipop tuners and a 1966 date stamped on it but the pickups and control pots have a late 65 date on them. Like it is stated in the video, CBS was trying a lot of different things to see what the public liked. It is always great to find out more history about this incredible instrument, thanks for the video.
I was lucky enough to get a fretless 1989 Japanese jazz bass from an old roommate for free. It’s beat to shit with no pickguard but god does it sound good.
Keith, I’m only just getting around to watching this video and as always, I’m blown away. Your easy, confident style at sharing important musical history is perfect. Great topics told well!
Yes, the SG is coming. I'm likely going to do the Vox AC30 next. I've been playing my AC10C1 for a couple of months and am feeling the Vox history. But then I'll dig into the SG.
My favorite J Bass has got to be Berry Oakley's Tractor bass(I'm an ABB-head so... 😁 Duane being my favorite player ever). Berry Jr has an old sunburst Tractor body he's rebuilding with period correct parts. You can see it in some pics of RBO in 69/70/71 Whoa. That explains why Berry's bass is so different. With him moving his original J Bass pickup even closer to the bridge to fit the Guild Starfire pickup between the Fender neck & bridge pickups, it really gives Tractor that bite that makes it sounds so much like it's own instrument. Just wanna say thanks, Keith. It's because of you and other guitar channels that I finally got the courage up to buy a guitar and learn to play. And now, I absolutely love my guitars and love learning to play and learning history and everything else. So, thank you, Keith! 🙏❤️🎸
"Backward any more". I've never handled the earliest J basses but assume from the literature (yes I read this in a book) that the original tuners turned the opposite way than they do now.
@@fivewattworld Oh I understand. Many of the most recent reissues had inverse turning tuners, such as a 1999-2002 Sting PBass and a 2008 Fender Jazz Bass Jaco Pastorius. I had both, and always forgot that these needed to be turned opposite direction from the modern ones, lol Thank you for your message.
'65 was the first year for the lollipop (or paddle) tuners. Paddle tuners were the new item before the binding. Quite a few 65's still show up with paddles. Good series of vids these, am enjoying them. Peace n love.
Hi Kieth...thank you so much for making this J bass history highlights video. I started my path as a musician about 39 years ago on a cheap acoustic guitar. About a decade later, I added bass to my skill set and I bought a Harmony short scale bass (poverty sucks lol 😆). I didn’t like like the feel or tone. My mentor suggested I check out a Fender Jazz Bass. I looked in Sunday’s newspaper classified and found a used, ‘77 MIA Fender Jazz bass for $250. I bought it and fell in love. The tapered neck narrowed to perfection for my wide hands with short fingerers. Sadly it was stolen from the band’s practice space that was in our drummers home; the home was burglarized. My bass, the drummer’s snare and the guitarist’s Mesa MKIIc head and a Frank Zappa autographed kazoo were the only things in the practice room that were taken. My current is a 2008 American Standard Jazz. Love it. I have a 2 question for you. 1) What was the real reason for Fender ditching the stacked controls on the J Bass? 2) You mentioned something about the lollipop tuners from ‘66-67 as not not being able to be turned back (that’s what I think I heard). In what way were they not able to be turned back? As an aside, the stacked controls as originally introduce on the then new bass seem like a no brainer, pragmatic and a reasonably economic (compared to other common methods) means for offering an augmented set of tonal variations over the three control variety. I even converted my 2008 Jazz to this configuration and made a new control plate out of a scrap piece of ebony (I gloss lacquered it after cutting and shaping it to final dimensions) that a buddy of mine found laying around his custom cabinet company’s workshop. The extra hole where the original tone control was on my bass was an eyesore in my estimation.
I didn't read the specific reason for switching the controls. I can tell you from experience on my longhorn Dano that it is sometime easy to grab both controls with your pinky, so maybe it was just practical. That would sound like Leo to me. On the second bit, I understand that the earliest tuners turned "backwards", opposite of what we're used to now. So that change was to make them more like what we have now. But again, I read this in research. I've not handled a pre-'66 jazz or p bass to confirm this. Cool to hear you set yours up that way.
five watt world Apropos the tuning machines, I did not know that. It never occurred to me that anyone would cut the groove on the worm-gear and angle the teeth on the tuning post gear to allow for tightening the strings in a clockwise direction. It might make some sense for any tuning machines mounted on the opposite side of the headstock like on a Stingray or a Gibson (& derivatives, e.g., Epiphone). Maybe I’m just so accustomed to the status quo, I can’t imagine it being any other way and still “feel right”. Lol 😆
My dad was offered the 1959 Jazz bass prototype for £2400 in the mid 80s but turned it down as it was too expensive. That bass is now on reverb for £65,000 what a appreciation.
They basically wanted $7,000 which is a lot. But $65,000 is more!
What a joke
Well, so, doesn't matter cos my Dad got offered one from 1958, and he said that his would have been better and would have been worth loads more money, and he said that the guitar your Dad got offered was plop because his was better. So there.
I’m always learning things I never knew I wanted to know about my favorite bass. Thanks Hypes!!
Sup Rick. Nice to see ya here.
No better endorsement than this!
Hey Rick I have a cover of White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane on my channel, played with my old Jazz bass. Check it out, I think I nailed it!
Rick Beato you're both inspirational members of the UA-cam community.
Rick Beato, what you've done for the music world is just wonderful. Thank you Sincerely.
Mate, your Short History series are top-notch.
Thanks Ed. Thanks for watching.
Agreed, these are Peng. Cheers mate
Definitely :)
For sure!
You must be Aussie
When I got my hands on a Jazz Bass I actually wanted to play it ALL the time because it has a really vocal 'bark' that I loved so much.
Very interesting to me that Darryl Jones said that passive basses have more bark than active. Marcus Miller also claimed that his bass was growlier prior to the addition of an active pre-amp setup. This directly contradicts everything I've heard out of active basses on albums, and whilst playing them. I'll have try a PROPER J-Bass with a PROPER amp setup sometime, then.
same here, I used to play an active ibanez, then I tried a fender jazzbass and that "vocal-bark" you mentioned was exactly what convinced me to switch bass
@@JohnDoe-zq1ho True, the passive pickups are real growlers but the clarity and cut of active pickups, I personally love Seymour Duncan Active Sets, still allow you to get that growl by pumping up your Low Mids to about the same level as the Bass or even a little higher depending on the amp & the room. It sounds ferocious. A new set of Medium Gauge Roundwound Rotosounds and the Seymours together have a brilliant tone not unlike the bottom end of a Rhoades Piano. With Flatwounds it's a bit less biting and frankly lately I've liked it better since I've been playing more Blues and Gospel less Rock & Roll.
I love the tone and its super diverse. Amazing funk instrument and great for other genres. I used it for Punk rock and it was a great complimentary tone, sitting perfectly below the guitars when I played with my fingers.
I love Jazz basses. I've had a new but my favorite was the 1999 American standard. I broke my wrist in 2016 and sold it to fund surgery and then later bought a MIM. I sold that and recently re-bought my old 1999 bass. Can't keep me away!
the jazz bass sound is the funkiest and most aggressive element of our tribal urge to dance, groove and feel whole in humanity ever.
Thanks for having me Keith! Much love to your channel and what you do! 🙏
It was my pleasure. You seem to be a hit with the viewers. Hope they find there way "home" to your channel brother.
Dont forget ASTON FAMILYMAN BARRETT!!!. Probably the most heard Jazzbass recordings of all time. All over the world. Then, now and forever. A true genius. Listen to any of Bob recording and be blown away by the basslines. Surreal.
Excellent addition. Thanks for taking the time to add it here.
I simply cannot get enough of these videos. Please do not stop making them.
I just bought a jazz bass yesterday
I started playing and I just couldn’t put it down
It felt to natural slapped to perfect
Everything about it was just so clean
Would love to see a history of G&L
I'm a drummer by design, but I absolutely LOVE these history videos! They are so well curated and presented. I love guitars and own several, and its great to know all the nuances and things that make iconic guitars and basses so cool. I'm also very surprised it took Fender so long to offer a fretless Jazz! They probably missed out on a bunch of sales because of their lack of forethought.
Great video. I think these are the sorts or videos that while not getting a million views straight away will be watched for years to come for their informative and to the point delivery, and used as great reference tools when looking for further knowledge about the subject matter.
Keep up the great work Keith.
Had MIM Jazz from 2003-2008. Yesterday I jumped back in and bought a Player Jazz. Terrific instrument. I also looked at a Precision, but I couldn't make my fingers go where I wanted. The J-Bass is just so natural to me. I'm really falling in love with the bass again.
Loved my 68 Jazz bass. Switched from a Gibson EB3 for the sake of studio work. The Jazz Bass, in my opinion, is THE bass guitar for all time.
I became a bass player in 1975 when I was 15 because my older brother turned me on to Grand Funk Railroad in its power trio days. Mel Schacher was playing wonderful, thunderous bass lines on his Jazz Bass, played through deliberately overdriven West bass amps. I played classical and pop piano for nine years, starting when I was age 6. By that point, I started listening to AM radio and my introduction to the explosion of great rock music that began with the British Invasion began. My earliest influences were the Beatles cartoon show, The Monkees, and Three Dog Night; in particular, Chip Douglas' great bright, melodic lines on his albums with the Monkees. They really stood out because the primitive radios and record players of the time, as well as the recording techniques, made most bass lines difficult to hear clearly. As the technologies improved and bass lines became more prominent I was subconsciously gravitating toward the instrument. But Mel's work hit me square in the forehead and it didn't take me long to figure out that I was meant to be a bass player and make the switch. I've never looked back and am still gigging 47 years later. Thanks, Leo and Mel!!
I got my first Jazz Bass 5 string last month and traded it 2 days later for an Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray. It's awesome that this man has videos on both. He's like the cool teacher you had in High School.
Another great video. There's a wonderful mystique surrounding iconic Fender Jazz and Precision basses which have been played by most of the best electric bass guitar magicians.
About a year and a half ago in October 2019 my mother found a Johnson by Axl Jazz Bass copy in the trash while driving through the neighborhood. Only had 3 strings on it with no knobs on the control pots. A setup (courtesy of my tutor) and some new strings later and it’s become my favorite and so far only bass guitar. Eventually couldn’t boil the old Ernie ball standard roundwound strings anymore which were rough on my fingers anyway, swapped them for Rotosound Flatwounds strings. Pick or fingers, the bass works like magic!!
Watching this video again I am reminded that Herbie Flowers played his Jazz bass when he created the portmanteau bass line for Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side". He used a double bass and his Jazz bass so that he would be paid two player's fees.
As a guitarist I settled on the Jackson Model 6 as the ONLY guitar needed in 1986 as soon as I could get one to England . It had everything in one guitar . I'm in the process of converting to bass for about a year and I have 6 basses and growing . I can't find one bass that sounds like what I know in mind is the perfect tone . I always laughed at people who bought allot of guitars . I'm not laughing anymore , I get it now !!!!
Jaco 👍🏻 Thanks for that Keith.
Something I really enjoy about your videos is how you present so respectfully, even handed. Without overdramatizing you still touch deeply upon the humanity behind the instruments and musicians.
The Bass of Doom has a whole video worth of story in itself!
That's the truth. In 1978 my then college roommate said, "You need to see this band!" and he took me to see Weather Report with Jaco at the Eastman Theater in Rochester. I never really recovered from the live solo version of Purple Haze Jaco did that night.
A separate video may well be in order.
Another excellent video, Keith. You have a way of presenting information that is well-known in an entertaining and satisfying way. Keep up the good work. Thank you again.
One I was disappointed not to see in this or the P-Bass video is the 80s Jazz Bass Special, used by Duff McKagan of GnR. Precision body, Jazz neck, and PJ pickup set.
I play a Rickenbacker now but I still own the first good bass I ever got, an early 2000s Mexican 60s Jazz. It hopped genres with me, it's been on almost every thing I've ever recorded, and it carried me through my first 5 years as a professional musician when I didn't have anything else. It's really beat, and I'm sure the neck is almost shot, but I just can't bring myself to get rid of it. I let one of my students use it until she got something good, and it did the same for her as it did for me. I'm not the world's largest Fender fan, but if ever Leo got it right, it was with this one.
Keep up the great work! You’re raising the bar for UA-cam content!
One of my favorite things about your short histories is the celebration of so many superb musicians. Love it!
I can just look at my J bass and fall in love. New strings for Valentine's Day!!!
I picked up my first Fender Jazz Bass in 1978, I was 20!! Ash body, natural finish, maple neck!! In 2017, I purchased a Fender Jazz American Elite Five String!!! Same style, ash body, etc!!! Loved it so much, I bought another one just like it in last year, (2019)!!! Needless to say, I'm a big fan!!! These basses are legendary for good reason!!!! I absolutely love them!!!
I'd love to see an in-depth history and explanation like this of the Music Man Stingray bass and its recent budget priced variations from Sterling. Thanks for everything you do. I really enjoy learning from your channel.
Hi Tom, That would be interesting. It would be an interesting extension of the Leo Fender story too. I'll see what's out there for research info.
Thanks for watching and for the idea.
Keith
five watt world My thoughts exactly. As long as you're taking suggestions, it would be great to see some Rickenbacker content too! 😊
Timely video. As a 63 year old guitar player who just plays and records in a home studio, I just picked up a MIM Jazz Bass to lay down some bass tracks to my recordings. Now if can only get used to playing it without a pick! Enjoyed this and all your videos Mr 5 watt.
I have something you can try that'll allow you to hold on to your pick. Your three-knob controls can generate a round, thumpy, soft, finger-plucked sound by setting the bias towards the neck pick up, and eliminating most of the bridge and tone levels.
Try this if you're curious: Set your top knob at 100%, middle at 25%-50% and bottom pot at 2-5%.
Lastly, to soften the punch even further use a String Dampener over your Nut or soft foam under the strings at the Bridge. This will pad your sustain and further mask out the pluck of the pick.
Lastly-Lastly, the older the strings the better since new strings are bright and textured. Flatwounds will get you even closer to sounding organic using a pick.
I'm really glad to hear you picked up a MIM, I've got a couple and they're rock-solid.
Picks sound great on Fender basses! I use Fender Heavy Tri-tipped bass picks, they're Solid-White with Gold branding.
JB has nothing to do with heritage for once. It is A BASS sound that captures life, passion, and a rumbling depth of emotion, that many of us feel when we jump out of joy to music.
Thanks for another excellent vid! In the late 80's as a junior in high school I bought a fretless squire jazz bass (all I could afford). Black w/white pickguard, metal plate around controls, beautiful rosewood fingerboard. It was built surprising well, great sound, and fun to play. Loved it! Broke my heart when I had to sell it 5 years later. To this day I still miss it :(
Once again, you've NAILED it!!
A fantastic history lesson.
Thank you!!
Portrait of Tracy is a landmark recording in not only bass guitar, but music. Thanks to the Bass of Doom, millions have made beautiful music. RIP Jaco
P.S. amazing video and I can’t wait for more
Just as an FYI. I tried out a '66 Jazz in 1966 because it looked prettier than my 1965 Jazz that I had bought from a friend in '66. It had the Mother of Pearl bar markers on the frets along with the white binding on the neck. It also had the Deep U-shape neck, which was terrible to play. Since then, I've seen a number of '66 Jazz that had the same neck as my '65. But after they put that 1966 Jazz back up on the wall, I was really glad I had my '65 with its 60's Slim C-shape neck with 7.25" radius.
I'd like to thank you. I'm a slide heavy guitarist with a huge appreciation of my friends on the deep end.
At least half of the significant moments of my life happened while I was playing my fender j-bass. I bought it new in 1991. Considering I was getting paid $6.15 an hour, it’s price of $650 was quite an investment. I have never regretted choosing that one particular bass and have never seen a bass that could match it, not at any price, not another from any era.
I’m making moon eyes at it as I write this. We’re still in love 30 years later. Haha!
ps. It could have sounded like the video said that only the 5-string was available with 22 frets. That wasn’t the case. The 22 fret version (aka “the boner bass”) could be 4 or 5 strings and some years had options of passive or active pickups.
I really loved your video on the Precision bass. I'm really happy that you made one for the Jazz bass too!
While I've owned a number of upscale custom basses, the Fender Jazz is still my pick.
From John Paul Jones to Jaco to Geddy Lee and too many others to mention, it seems like I'm not the only player who who loves their Jazz bass!
Great video of the Fender Jazz!
*cries in noel redding*
My Jazz bass is broken, and watching your short history videos on the P and J Basses really reinforced my exclusive love for my Jazz Bass... The year and make of my Bass had a design flaw that did not leave enough wood at the first fret where the truss rod comes out, and because of that, has cracked and started to push the block inlay out... because of your videos, and of course Mr. Beato, I reached out to Mr. Onorato, and asked for his advice and help in this matter, and he promptly responded to me... to me!! And gave me some good, sound, and invaluable advice... So just know, the community built around 5WW and Beato's channel with Rhett and Mr. Onorato, us youtube watchers, finally have a decent group of knowledgeable and brilliant musicians and teachers to lean on when we need to... there is no way to thank you guys for all that you do, other than to just say THANK YOU. So... THANK YOU.
Thanks Brad!
15:10 Lakland DJ-5.
1: A 5-string bass with a 3-2 headstock layout, instead of the annoying Fender or MusicMan 4-1 headstock layout.
2: It has a matching headstock.
I need this in my life.
"Need" is such a slippery word. :)
The only real bass is made 4+0
I got a ‘74 Jazz Bass, new, when I was 11yrs old. I have had other basses but the Jazz is the most versatile. It can mimic a Rick or a Precision. It can be clean or dirty in tone and still cuts. Sits so well in a mix. The BEST!
I play a 2002 V deluxe Flamed Maple Top it seems it has been discontinued. I had no clue what I was buying back in 2005, but after fourteen years I’m glad I did.
I enjoy the quality of your videos, thanks for sharing this knowledge.
Mine turned 20 this year. Perfect fit for my hands. I decided to throw a new set of Rotosounds on it and gave it a nice polish in tribute to this vid. I immensely enjoyed the story, thanks for your work !
this is the most beautiful electric bass ever created
Thank you Keith. Your presentation is FANTASTIC!!! SOOTHING and ADDICTIVE.
I would love one day to see a short history of the Rickenbacker 4000 series bases -- Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, Lemmy, McCartney and so many others.
Excellent mini documentary. As a guitarist who has played bass at times in bands and on recordings I always favoured the P Bass, but secretly craved a J Bass. They are a stunning looking and sounding instrument and in more recent times have become my favourite four string. One day I'll own one, but for now I can listen to the miriad of styles and tones recorded on this most beautiful of instruments. I too highly recommend the Jaco documentary. It opened me up to his music and my world is better for it. Thanks again for your work, time and energy.
could you imagine if Jaco and Jimi Hendrix got on the same stage 🤩
and Tonny Williams on drums !
@@ohrid59mk76 Just nasty!!!!
It did happen, that's what killed the dinosaurs
But both played different music
@@landothegreatest666 It’s also what wiped out the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima
I consider myself an expert on this kind of stuff but I always learn some stuff from your excellent videos.
"Ok, remember we're dealing with Jazz Bassists here, so it has to be a simple name."
Ha! Almost jazz drummer like humor. :)
@@fivewattworld What's the difference between an English Horn and an Oboe? An English Horn burns about 20 minutes longer. Nyuck!
(Symphonic Orchestra or Wind Ensemble Humor)
Your videos are so rich with information for musicians of course but also for non musicians ! I found your video amazing how you keep it moving with important facts and you make each statement meaty. Thank you so very much.
Thanks man!
I don't even play bass Keith , but , again , I'm fascinated by this short history. You could do a short history of the microwave and I'd be glued to it haha 😎
I bought my 1995 MIM Jazz bass from a friend for $50 I cleaned it up and replaced the broken pots. I keep it down tuned a half step because I enjoy the fat sound of the medium gauge strings with the rasp of being tuned down. Definitely my favorite bass.
So Bootsy Collins played for James Brown... it is these tidbits that make this series so much fun 😃
Did you catch that pic of Duane Allman & Jemmott @ 7:04 🤷♂️? I did! You'd have to know the picture because you can't see Duane's face. They were recording with Aretha that day. And he's playing a Fender! Pretty sure this was at Muscle Shoals.
Your video essays are absolutely fantastic. This sort of academia is often missing in popular music history, I'm glad you're taking the mantle. Excellent work.
This is becoming my favorite guitar channel.
Tracy Pew of the birthday party was my inspiration in getting my first jazz bass. I’ve had three, currently have a 78 Fullerton that can’t be beat!
Supertramp's Roger Hodgson started with bass and used a Jazz, later Doug Thomson as well
I find that coming back to your videos is worthwhile piece of time. There's so much to learn, one pass just does not do it. This is my third time through this one. The second time through convinced me to trade in a used Schector P bass for a new MIM Fender Jazz Bass in September. Went from active to passive pick ups and really pleased I did. Still not an expert on bass, but the tone and punch of this Jazz Bass on a a 300W BBC with 250Watt tc electronics head is just the best.
Excellent documentary, the term video seems insufficient. Watching these educational short films, it is quite easy to see how the Fender designs have influenced other instrument manufacturers. ✌❤
FANTASTIC. Very much enjoyed this. Thanks for putting so much effort into telling the J Bass. Just this week, I bought a MIJ Geddy Lee Jazz Signature and I haven't been able to put it down yet. Now I have an even more appreciation for this enamoring instrument :-)
I played one for 40 years and have no intention of switching
Awesome vidya.
Hard to describe how perfect the Jazz Bass is. The sound, the feel, the availability, the simplicity, the versatility.
I like having different Fender guitars for different sounds, but I see no need for any other bass than the Jazz. I'd be willing to bet that 99% of all legendary bass players either played or owned one of these things.
This is nice.
Request: Thunderbird and EB Series, please?
Another great history video! I’m a Fender Bass junkie since 64! Thanks for sharing!
Great video! However, you failed to mention Aston "Family Man" Barrett of Bob Marley & the Wailers! I'm pretty sure ALL of the "international" BMW recordings were done on a Jazz Bass :)
Thanks! Time for a new, deep dive into Jaco’s extraordinary music and playing.
what about a brief history of the nderrated P/J bass?
Excellent again, great material, beautifully presented, awesome voice tone. Thanks for the documentary. An instant UA-cam classic.
Billy Cox played a Fender
Jazz Bass during the
Band Of Gypys period.
Thank you for your best reminder video, being part of Fender as the Indonesian distributor and founder of the product specialist department - your video does ring lots of historical bells. But, sure I still love Fender as the Legend. You've got a subscriber, Sir!
Hi Paul! Glad you found your way here then. Between them the Fender "Short History" vids have now topped over a million views on classic Fender gear....and I have yet to hear from Fender. Ha! Maybe when we break a couple of million it will get above their horizon.
Thanks for watching. Welcome to five watt world.
Keith
That devolved from History of J Bas to History of Jaco Pastorius
T Sterling I think it’s arguable that the first image that’ll pop into most people’s head when they think of a Jazz bass is Jaco’s mighty “Bass of Doom”. As iconic to Jazz Basses as Clapton’s “Blackie” is to Strats
I've been saving for a few years to get the jaco tribute bass fender made a while back. The bass of doom IS the iconic jazz bass for sure.
Here before but...Great again.
Lucky enough to see Jaco in '76 with Weather Report. Pretty amazing. This is Winterland.
opener, Al DiMeola, Carlos Santana as a guest for the encore. Great.
Thanx again.
5:14 That is one hot looking stacked J bass
Another favorite of mine on the Jazz was (and is) B.B. Dickerson of War. His line on "The Cisco Kid" really brought out the J-bass's individual sound.
@ His bass line on "Lowrider" was played between the downbeats (on the "and") and that really influenced both my bass and drum playing. I have used that technique many times to create musical tension.
I would be more than happy to see a short history of the Stingray bass. That is one of the best bass guitars ever made and there are a lot of studio recordings with that instrument on it. Musicman is a great company, and this model of bass definitely deserves some attention.
I had a few requests for that here today. I'll look around and see if I can find enough info for a video. The older stuff seems better researched (bizarrely).
Amazing video as always! Please never stop making videos!
Well "never" is a long time Jasper, but I'll certainly try to keep doing them for "a while". ;)
Thanks for watching man. I learn a ton making these.
My Lefty Fender Japan Jazz Bass will be buried with me when I die.
In fact, my bass was even featured in the anime, K-ON!, where the character Mio Akiyama played one...she named it Erizabasu.
@@ShikataGaNai100 Ah, I see that you too are a man of culture.
Thanks for your hard work Kieth! I am ordering my Big Verb this month, and I would not have if it wasn't for you. Blessings to you and your family!
Hi Rino,
Dan sent me a pic of one yesterday that he'd built for himself as a test bed for speakers. Tweed with oxblood and a white faceplate. Stunning. I'm sure you'll love yours man. Enjoy.
Keith
Can you do the Jazzmaster and Jaguar next?
I hate to come off like an "expert" but the pearl block inlays were introduced in 1966 on the transition Pre-CBS/CBS model Jazz Basses that were comprised of many parts from both before and after the sale to CBS. I have an early 1966 Jazz Bass with a bound neck with block inlays and lollipop tuners and a 1966 date stamped on it but the pickups and control pots have a late 65 date on them. Like it is stated in the video, CBS was trying a lot of different things to see what the public liked. It is always great to find out more history about this incredible instrument, thanks for the video.
I was lucky enough to get a fretless 1989 Japanese jazz bass from an old roommate for free. It’s beat to shit with no pickguard but god does it sound good.
Keith, I’m only just getting around to watching this video and as always, I’m blown away. Your easy, confident style at sharing important musical history is perfect. Great topics told well!
Thanks Keith
But for me, the Precision is still the bass I want to play.
You are the man !! Nothing better than the five watt world!!!!!!!’
interesting stuff man. is an SG video coming? i'd watch that in a heartbeat
Seconded
Yes, the SG is coming. I'm likely going to do the Vox AC30 next. I've been playing my AC10C1 for a couple of months and am feeling the Vox history. But then I'll dig into the SG.
Fantastic stuff , thanks Keith , your videos are top notch 👌
i LOVE MY jb and nothing will ever touch that.
My favorite J Bass has got to be Berry Oakley's Tractor bass(I'm an ABB-head so... 😁 Duane being my favorite player ever). Berry Jr has an old sunburst Tractor body he's rebuilding with period correct parts. You can see it in some pics of RBO in 69/70/71
Whoa. That explains why Berry's bass is so different. With him moving his original J Bass pickup even closer to the bridge to fit the Guild Starfire pickup between the Fender neck & bridge pickups, it really gives Tractor that bite that makes it sounds so much like it's own instrument.
Just wanna say thanks, Keith. It's because of you and other guitar channels that I finally got the courage up to buy a guitar and learn to play. And now, I absolutely love my guitars and love learning to play and learning history and everything else. So, thank you, Keith! 🙏❤️🎸
"also meant that these tuners did not turned back anymore". I did not understood this part.
"Backward any more". I've never handled the earliest J basses but assume from the literature (yes I read this in a book) that the original tuners turned the opposite way than they do now.
@@fivewattworld Oh I understand. Many of the most recent reissues had inverse turning tuners, such as a 1999-2002 Sting PBass and a 2008 Fender Jazz Bass Jaco Pastorius. I had both, and always forgot that these needed to be turned opposite direction from the modern ones, lol Thank you for your message.
'65 was the first year for the lollipop (or paddle) tuners. Paddle tuners were the new item before the binding. Quite a few 65's still show up with paddles. Good series of vids these, am enjoying them. Peace n love.
Hi McK, not according to Tony Bacon but then Fender did very few turns on a dime.
BTW for Rush's YYZ its pronounced "why why zed" eh.
Depends, but I guess I should make an effort for Canada!
Canada thanks you.
But only with the superior American pronunciation does the "ABC Song" rhyme.
The video I've been waiting for! Thank you for covering guitars and basses on this channel!
21 fret?
You were on to that quickly. 👍🏻
Thank you for creating this excellent piece, Keith. Best to you.
Thanks Rick. Best to you and yours as well.
Keith
"Leo Fender assumed that players would pluck the strings with their thumb, or play with a pick."
That's right, Davie504, a PICK. CHECKMATE.
Lol , that finger rest gets on the way when you SLAPP. Remove it NOW
Good evening. Keith. I found your information to be unquestionably rich. Congratulations! Save the Jazz Bass. RS-Porto Alegre-Brazil. Thank you!
Hi Kieth...thank you so much for making this J bass history highlights video. I started my path as a musician about 39 years ago on a cheap acoustic guitar. About a decade later, I added bass to my skill set and I bought a Harmony short scale bass (poverty sucks lol 😆). I didn’t like like the feel or tone. My mentor suggested I check out a Fender Jazz Bass. I looked in Sunday’s newspaper classified and found a used, ‘77 MIA Fender Jazz bass for $250. I bought it and fell in love. The tapered neck narrowed to perfection for my wide hands with short fingerers. Sadly it was stolen from the band’s practice space that was in our drummers home; the home was burglarized. My bass, the drummer’s snare and the guitarist’s Mesa MKIIc head and a Frank Zappa autographed kazoo were the only things in the practice room that were taken. My current is a 2008 American Standard Jazz. Love it.
I have a 2 question for you.
1) What was the real reason for Fender ditching the stacked controls on the J Bass?
2) You mentioned something about the lollipop tuners from ‘66-67 as not not being able to be turned back (that’s what I think I heard). In what way were they not able to be turned back?
As an aside, the stacked controls as originally introduce on the then new bass seem like a no brainer, pragmatic and a reasonably economic (compared to other common methods) means for offering an augmented set of tonal variations over the three control variety. I even converted my 2008 Jazz to this configuration and made a new control plate out of a scrap piece of ebony (I gloss lacquered it after cutting and shaping it to final dimensions) that a buddy of mine found laying around his custom cabinet company’s workshop. The extra hole where the original tone control was on my bass was an eyesore in my estimation.
I didn't read the specific reason for switching the controls. I can tell you from experience on my longhorn Dano that it is sometime easy to grab both controls with your pinky, so maybe it was just practical. That would sound like Leo to me.
On the second bit, I understand that the earliest tuners turned "backwards", opposite of what we're used to now. So that change was to make them more like what we have now. But again, I read this in research. I've not handled a pre-'66 jazz or p bass to confirm this.
Cool to hear you set yours up that way.
five watt world Apropos the tuning machines, I did not know that. It never occurred to me that anyone would cut the groove on the worm-gear and angle the teeth on the tuning post gear to allow for tightening the strings in a clockwise direction.
It might make some sense for any tuning machines mounted on the opposite side of the headstock like on a Stingray or a Gibson (& derivatives, e.g., Epiphone).
Maybe I’m just so accustomed to the status quo, I can’t imagine it being any other way and still “feel right”. Lol 😆