Anyone ever see this Fender?

[gweimer]

I came across this video, and was noticing the pickups and placement on Roy Wood's bass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=i-dZEV5whPg

[Hörnisse]

Very odd placement!  It does sound good though!

[ilan]

Weird. OTOH it lets him balance the E+A strings against the D+G, I guess. No way to tell if the bass in the vid is the one we actually hear, right?

[Pekka]

Weird. OTOH it lets him balance the E+A strings against the D+G, I guess. No way to tell if the bass in the vid is the one we actually hear, right?

I believe it is. Some tracks on "Message From The Country" where Roy plays all the bass tracks sound like the signal was split between the pickups and panned accross the stereo spectrum.
On this track the bass sounds also like it's double tracked. Roy and The Move were also one of the pioneers of dropped-D tuning.





Here's the bass in live action:

[Bionic-Joe]

I think his tone comes from playing through a guitar amp. Rick Price, the bass Player for the Move and Wizzard told me that Roy would have him plug his Precision into a guitar amp..either a Marshall or a WEM or whatever was around....so the tone is a Fender bass through a Guitar amp. Period.
Where do you think Tom Peterskin got his ideas from???

[Pekka]

I think his tone comes from playing through a guitar amp. Rick Price, the bass Player for the Move and Wizzard told me that Roy would have him plug his Precision into a guitar amp..either a Marshall or a WEM or whatever was around....so the tone is a Fender bass through a Guitar amp. Period.

Yes, The Move had a great bass sound with Ace Kefford, Trevor Burton, Rick Price or Roy playing it. The tone is a bit different on "Message From The Country" compared to "Shazam" for example. Could you ask Rick if he knows anything about that particular modded Jazz Bass Roy had or has since Roy doesn't give anything away?

Where do you think Tom Peterskin got his ideas from???

Maybe Tom knows that bass too? Could you ask him?

[eb2]

The Minister is wonderful bass stuff.  I always thought it was Jeff Lynne for some reason. There are BBC vids of them playing from that period where he is using a red Jazz. 

The Move always had great bass tone, and did roundwound bass better than anyone else at that point.

[Pekka]

The Minister is wonderful bass stuff.  I always thought it was Jeff Lynne for some reason. There are BBC vids of them playing from that period where he is using a red Jazz. 

The Move always had great bass tone, and did roundwound bass better than anyone else at that point.

It's Lynne's song but Roy played the bass (or basses).

Here's Rick Price playing a regular Jazz Bass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hpNEpb1OWg&feature=related

"Feel Too Good" from "Looking On" sounds like it was played on that Jazz Bass (Rick or Roy playing). Jeff Lynne plays the drums!

[mc2NY]

Ahhhh....One of my favorite album covers of all time..."Looking On."  Simple, yet great.

[Bionic-Joe]

Sorry, NO CHANCE IN HELL of me EVER speaking to Tom Petersson again...He's too much of a rock star to return my calls. I could try him at home but I don't want to "bother" him. And Rick Price...he's had a few of his close friends pass away the last time I spoke with him so I haven't spoken with him in a while.

[Pekka]

I was only half-serious when I suggested it Baz...
Anyway, since Tom isn't the subject of this thread let's not bring him up again.


Here's Roy and Rick miming "Forever", a slightly Beach Boys -sounding track. That bass again. Thankfully without Jimmy Savile's introduction...


Jeff also got to play it. Sounds great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7xTurH6oLk&NR=1&feature=endscreen



If ELO gave Roy that much grey hair no wonder he quit so soon.

[Big_Stu]

Along with Tony Iommi, & Slade & later Geezer Butler; Roy Wood was one of the UK midlands musicians who were early clients of John Birch. I read a long time ago that it was he who did that pickup alteration on Roy's instructions. JB also made him a Strat shaped mandolin and a spade shaped guitar.

[Dave W]

.... a spade shaped guitar.

That looks like Howard Molson's new shovel!