'Shattered'

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 1:03 pm

Some of you forty somethings like me probably remember late sixties singer Sandy Posey's hit 'Shattered'. On one of the channels there seems to be a Rickenbacker six stringer playing a short rhythm riff. Am I correct?
Speaking of the late sixties, what bass guitar was used on most songs recorded by Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck? A Rick with the mute on? A Danelectro? For a while there everybody seemed to be using that very distinctive bass guitar sound. Anyone?

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 1:48 pm

It could have been Joe Osbourne with those guys, he played on many hits during the 60's, but he used a protoype 1960 Jazz bass with a pick, that sounded similar to a Ric. He played with a who's who of 60's bands, there was a good article on him a few years ago in BassPlayer Magazine. He had that trebly sound, like a slap when he picked the bass, he used flatwound strings, but I don't remember if he left the mute cover on or not.
I know that a lot of session players used P basses with picks back then too, and many of them left the mutes on.

squirebass · Post by **squirebass** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 10:43 am

I tend to agree with Bob, if it wasn't Joe, it was probably Carol Kaye or that guy who was first call Fender bassist before Carol came on the scene. Bob, I think I read that Joe Osbourne still has the original set of strings on that 1960 Jazz prototype!

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 5:48 am

I've read that Carol Kay and Jamie Jamerson kept the action on their basses painfully high, for better tone. But Ms. Kay has said after some brutally long Beach Boy sessions she was nearly in tears with pain!

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 2:15 pm

Gene,
There was an article in BassPlayer magazine when the bass player for Harold Melvin and the bluenotes died (I guess he was also a session player) and one of the things he had said was that you bought your flatwounds, put them on your "Fender" bass (no matter what make) put vasoline on them so they wouldn't rust and put the bass in your closet for a year until they were properly thumpy.
Jerry, there is a post in the archives where Mark Arnquist commented on a few famous bass players who had their action very high also. There was also a good article on James Jamerson.

bassman_bob · Post by **bassman_bob** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 9:05 am

I found this thread interesting because when I received Jon Camp's Great White from the now middle-aged man who bought it from Jon in 1984, he told me he had left the string height exactly as it was from Jon. Guys, it was awful ! There was actually a taped over piece of wood under the bridge saddles and the the strings were easily 3/4 inch above the fretboard at the 22nd (yes, 22nd)fret. BUT we all know what history this bass made !

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:10 am

I don't know how anyone can play basses like that. I have a short scale Eko violin bass with extremely high action (not that high though) and it plays ok because it's short scale but if I bring the action up too high on a Ric or other long scale bass it slows me way down. I raise it as high as I can comfortably play, because you get more bottom and it sounds more clear that way but 3/4 of an inch? Was he a weight lifter?
You can really hear the high action punch in some of James Jamersons stuff who I think was unbelievable, I wonder what he would have sounded like with a Ric?

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:58 am

Yeah i agree that basses sound better with higher action. i like to be able to play almost to the highest frets without that annoying "clank" You cant play proper notes that way.

I am amazed how you can walk into a guitar store and see basses with the strings as low as on a guitar. Thats nuts! Bass guitars have longer necks and bigger strings. There is no way you can set a string as large as .105 that low and expect it to play right. I like low action, but low action on a bass is not the same as low action on a guitar.

Also Ricks dont really lend themselves well to high action because the necks are slim. They feel really awkward when the strings are too high. On a chunkier neck, like a P bass,, a real high action is more managable

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:01 am

and yeah James Jamerson was amazing. I could never play that solidly - and with so much punch and accuracy.

Also he apparently played with onky 1 finger......crazy....

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:23 pm

He started on stand up bass, and they play with one finger or with the middle finger reinforcing the index finger, some other famous bassplayer who played on Motown stuff started using two fingers on bass guitar, showed him and he said that is sissy stuff! haha.
His lines were amazing, they held most of the songs together that he played on.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 9:06 am

Incredible how Jon's bass was setup! I can't imagine him playing it like that!

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 9:15 am

maybe he was just messing about with it before he sold it......