Richard Sinclair's modified Jazz Bass

[Pekka]

I've always liked Richard Sinclair's singing and bass playing and his signature tone has always been a Jazz Bass with emphasis on the bridge pickup. However on Hatfild And The North's second album "The Rotters' Club" his tone is different (but equally tasty) and it bothered me for years (I'm serious!). The bass sounds a bit like a P-bass or a Ric with bridge pickup on.

Well, it seems he had removed the Jazz pickups and had installed a Gibson EB bridge pickup between the original locations. I asked Neil Murray on Facebook if he could give me any info since Neil and Richard played some gigs together when Neil was in Gilgamesh in 1973 and he said that Richard liked the sound of his P-bass that had an EB-3 bridge PU installed (near the bridge). 

He later reinstalled the Jazz pickups and went back to his old sound (during his stint with Camel also removed the frets).

[Chris P.]

I love Neil as a person and as a bass player.

[Pekka]

I love Neil as a person and as a bass player.

I don't know him personally but he always has time to answer my questions about how he ended up on John Martyn's "One World" album and how he modded his Tele -necked P-bass and etc. etc. He also adds some more interesting details I never even thought about asking.

A great memory and down to earth personality plus a fantastic bass player.

[Alanko]

What are the other pickups on Richard's bass in that first photo? Or are the simply raised covers to hide the stock routes?

John Greaves of Henry Cow/National Health and another Canterburyite, played another modified Jazz bass, as seen here:

[Pekka]

What are the other pickups on Richard's bass in that first photo? Or are the simply raised covers to hide the stock routes?

Covers indeed, the bass has only the EB pickup.

John Greaves of Henry Cow/National Health and another Canterburyite, played another modified Jazz bass, as seen here:

One of my fav National Health tracks and the last performance of that line-up- Dave Stewart had already left the band but agreed to do the TV show. The others struggled to play the piece (composed by Stewart) and John Greaves seems a bit tipsy. Dave was not amused.