The Last Bass Outpost

It's not exactly Jamerson nailed to a T, but gets you in the neighborhood - if anything, a more modern/hihfi version of that tone:  Triumph with flats, tone position 3 into any 60s era Ampex tube preamp.  This is how most Motown bass was recorded; even when micing JJs B15 an Ampex preamp was always in the chain, and they definately add a certain character. JJ did also went through DI - the Ampex and a P with deadish flats were the only constants to his (recorded) tone in terms of gear.

Actually Jamerson's bass was usually recorded direct. He had an Ampeg B-12 as a studio monitor, but the bass you hear on the recordings was DI. And likely through a tube compressor. The Ampeg B-15 as part of his tone is a myth, but he did use one for live gigs.

Much of the Motown bass is brighter than most people expect too, when you hear it soloed. Jamerson clearly either had more foam rubber under the strings to deaden them, or his action was kind of high, making the stock mute's foam press down on the strings more.

Here's Jamerson's soloed DI track on What's Going On



Heard it through the Grapevine



Reach Out



Here's a mix I did of soloed Motown bass lines. (no Jamerson)



I Want You Back (Wilton Felder), Brick House (Ron LaPread), Let's Get It On (Wilton Felder)

Nylon saddles???

My late 60's EB-2DC had nylon saddles (two-point Tip-O-Matic bridge).

Of course, there's no arguing with Leo's original layout either. 

Back then they liked to get the treble strings brighter and the bass string deeper. You can see the same thing with the way they angled the Strat and Tele lead pickups. But times have changed, and even they sound better angled the other way.

Leo also liked things really, really bright.

"At Gibson.com, we simply can’t get enough of that cascading cannon-style drum sound, and little competes with a flawlessly executed, funky slap-and-pop bassline."

Well, that sure explains Jack and Meg White. 

Plus, Meg White is an awful drummer!

It says "NO PRICE RESERVE" but is starting at $4,999,99? That sounds like a price reserve to me. 

What's so rare about a beat up EB-0 with a P bass pickup on it? 

I'd buy it for $150.

i have a Plush Royal Bass. i've had it since 2000. i love it. 4 6L6's. and Telefunken preamp tubes!

Are those Guild humbuckers in that Ripper? I bet that sounds nice and thick!

making a suck circuit:

might try one of these:

they measure 5/8" by 1.25" by 1 5/8" and are 1.5 Henry rated. it is the closest thing i could find available to an original Gibby choke and i don't know how it would fit in the Rivoli. the round bobbin type chokes are available from Curtis Novak or SGD Lutherie (?) who is a member here.

these chokes are available from Nebraska Surplus listed under power chokes light duty. (CPW) MQA-13

Hey, thats's good to know.

Is the original choke still under that plastic cover under the bridge?

I had an EB-2DC. I removed the baritone switch and wired in a 6 position rotary and a Varitone circuit. It was far more useful than the bass remover circuit.

Again, just one opinion, but I haven't heard anything from Markbass that I like. Even if they eventually make something I might like, no way I'd buy it because Guitar Center is their US distributor. I stopped shopping there because they didn't want to let me try out a bass unless it was through any of their Markbass amps and cabs. Second time that happened within a month, that was it. Can't try out a bass through gear you're familiar with? Forget it.

I don't like Guitar Center, but here in NJ you can plug any bass into any amp they have on the floor. Last time I was there (two weeks ago) I didn't even see too many Markbass amps.

The big problem though is in the busy stores the basses are so messed up that you can't even try them out. The strings are a mile high, the knobs are falling off and the pots are lose, etc.

After reading these rave reviews on the Markbass stuff when it first came out, I really wanted to check it out, but there was no distributor until GC got them. Then I tried a few out and though "OK, I don't see what the fuss is about". They were nice and clean and all, if not a little thin and dry sounding. I like my Trace better.    Jeff Berlin got a nice tone out of his when I saw him a couple of times.  But I'd still take a Markbass over an Ampeg.