The Fender Jazz Bass: A Short History
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2019
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*Much to my dismay it seems one of the photos used in the video was copyrighted and was used without the photographer's permission. I would never knowingly use someone's work without permission. So I apologize. The photo at 13:05 was created by well known photographer Lindy Pollard (fineartamerica.com/profiles/l....
It's a great photo and he's generously given me permission to use it here in exchange for this credit. Thank you Lindy.
The three books that made this videos research possible are linked below. These are Amazon links and we get a small "consideration" from Amazon to help support the channel when you use them to make a purchase. Thanks in advance.
I also highly recommend:
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"Jaco: The Film"
Amazon rental:
amzn.to/3mkzBvy
DVD from Amazon
amzn.to/3mhviRx
"The Fender Bass: An Illustrated History" by J.W. Black and Albert Molinaro
amzn.to/2LLVl2L
"The Bass Book" by Tony Bacon and Barry Moorhouse
amzn.to/2AdoyhB
"How the Fender Bass Changed the World" by Jim Roberts
amzn.to/35qxHm6
This is our short history video of the Fender Jazz Bass. Since this is a "short history" this is in no way meant to be a guide for collectors, we just try to hit the major portions in the development of the instrument.
I'd like to thank Anthony Muthuraja for composing and performing the J bass music used in the video. I find his J bass driven channel of lessons and philosophy insightful and inspiring. You can find him here:
/ blah5314
www.anthonymuthurajah.com/
And finally I'd like to thank Dave Onorato for his always sage contributions to the script. Dave is the fact checking little brother I always wished I had.
And I'd like to than Perry McMannis for expertly saving me with his editing of another huge script.
Thanks for watching. And thanks for being a part of the five watt world.
Keith
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
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.
the jazz bass sound is the funkiest and most aggressive element of our tribal urge to dance, groove and feel whole in humanity ever.
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!
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.
Would love to see a history of G&L
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.
"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)
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 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
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.
I simply cannot get enough of these videos. Please do not stop making them.
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'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.
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.
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.
Your short histories are perfect.
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'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! 😊
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
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 !!!!
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.
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.
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*
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!!
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!
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
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.
The video I've been waiting for! Thank you for covering guitars and basses on this channel!
Once again, you've NAILED it!!
A fantastic history lesson.
Thank you!!
this is the most beautiful electric bass ever created
Here I am again, 2 years later. I watched this again and noticed that Aston "Family Man" Barrett and Robbie Shakespeare were not mentioned. They helped set the standard of flatwound-stringed J-Bass for '70s reggae bassists.
Since I last responded to this video, I have preferentially switched to a short scale bass (Squier Jaguar SS), but I still appreciate the J-Bass.
I consider myself an expert on this kind of stuff but I always learn some stuff from your excellent videos.
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.
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.
I love this video and your other short history ones so much! I'd be glad to see such a video on the Fender Mustang Bass! Keep up the great work!
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 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.
5:14 That is one hot looking stacked J bass
Fantastic video as always Keith!!! I absolutely love the long and rich history behind each piece of gear that you review.... Rock on Keith!!! 😎👍🤘🎸
What a great presentation. Thank you for producing and posting this.
This is becoming my favorite guitar channel.
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.
I love your videos. You go over everything in a way everyone can understand. Good choice on the bass backing track!
Just found this channel and I'm really enjoying it, thanks for the effort you put into these videos! Adding this to my essential viewing list, along with Rick Beato and Rhett Shull.
I played one for 40 years and have no intention of switching
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 😎
Excellent again, great material, beautifully presented, awesome voice tone. Thanks for the documentary. An instant UA-cam classic.
I really loved your video on the Precision bass. I'm really happy that you made one for the Jazz bass too!
Supertramp's Roger Hodgson started with bass and used a Jazz, later Doug Thomson as well
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.
Keith, you' re making history with these videos! Unbelievably informative.
Another great history lesson Keith. Top notch content as always and thanks for building the 5 watt world. Keep it going, really got something here. Support from your P.A. friend 👍
Billy Cox played a Fender
Jazz Bass during the
Band Of Gypys period.
This is nice.
Request: Thunderbird and EB Series, please?
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
Great video and history lesson. Your videos are one of the best things on You Tube. They are always very informative and very well done. One of my favorite You Tube channels. Kudos.
what about a brief history of the nderrated P/J bass?
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).
Thank you Keith. Your presentation is FANTASTIC!!! SOOTHING and ADDICTIVE.
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.
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. ✌❤
Can you do the Jazzmaster and Jaguar next?
Thank you for creating this excellent piece, Keith. Best to you.
Thanks Rick. Best to you and yours as well.
Keith
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 :(
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.
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 :)
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.
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.
"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.
i LOVE MY jb and nothing will ever touch that.
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
Great vids! Love the series. One of my favourite channels on UA-cam.
But for me, the Precision is still the bass I want to play.
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.
Always been my favorite bass hands down
Always enjoy your channel. Look forward to more videos
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.
21 fret?
You were on to that quickly. 👍🏻
I love these videos!! I hope there are many more to come.
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.
"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
@@giovannibortoluzzi1384 It was originally a finger rest, so there.
Another most entertaining and informative episode, Keith. Keep them coming.
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.
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 :-)
Fantastic stuff , thanks Keith , your videos are top notch 👌
Another great video Keith... Keep them coming and thanks for your excellent work...
What a great start to the day, a new five watt world history! Awesome work as always, Keith. Like the others, this'll be up for at least two or three viewings at my place. Cheers!
Another fascinating edition, Keith. Your YT channel is pure delight! Thank you for investing so much research into making those extremely informative videos. All the best!
Michal! Thanks man. Hope things are well with you in the great white north.
@@fivewattworld Not too shabby, thank you for the shout-out! I cannot wait to show your latest bass-related instalments - he's starting to learn playing the instrument. I think he's going to love this kind of stuff! Thank you!
Another great history video! I’m a Fender Bass junkie since 64! Thanks for sharing!
Excellent follow-up to the P bass video. Thanks and keep 'em coming!
Such a great video. Makes me love my Jazz basses even more!