Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

obviously wrong!

That's a cool site!

Yes, I use Rotosound Flats on my Jazz and it sounds just like JPJ

When asked about strings, he said in a relatively recent interview in a UK magazine that he used rounds all the way through Zeppelin...

Not likely IMHO. I think his memory is fading a bit like Maccas with time. The very early Fender Zeppelin bass tones scream flatwounds. Although he did switch later with the Alembic, and the more high end stuff he started using in 1975. He's used rounds ever since then I believe.

I saw them in the summer of 1969 at the Boston Tea Party and They used Rickenbacker Transonics, I'm not sure if he used them although I think he did. He used Jazz basses. No way could you get the sound he got on the early albums with RW's. His sound got brighter a few years later when everyone else was switching to them. He was technically excellent along with having a great sound and playing pleasing memorable lines. I don't think people realize just how good he was until they start to try to play some of those old lines, very complicated and fast but sound deceptively easy which is the mark of a great player.
360's sounded good in big rooms, they're like playing through PA scoops, they throw the sound, up close they sound very anemic.

Anybody got a pic of him with a 4005? I remember seeing one years ago.

I have a photo of Jones playing a 4005 from the late 60's. Grainy but it's there. Don't now how to post here.

Seen footage of him using Orange as well. Pretty sure he used swing bass. In fact I remember a Roto ad with him. Listen to Houses of the Holy (the track) and The Crunge and you'll hear roundwounds.

A really crummy pic, but probably the only one:



The 4005's pickguard can be clearly seen.

I have a feeling that's the King's Theatre in Edinburgh!!

The Kings did have big gold curtains.

I'm sure he switched to Rots somewhere during the early 70's as many bass players did, you can hear it on their later albums. In 1969-70 when they did their first two classic albums 99.9% of bass players were still using flatwounds, I never even knew they existed until 1972.

Bob,
I know, same here! I used Roto black tapewound on my first bass and RS77 flats thereafter That was until I lent the bass to an older guy and it came back with rounds on it and that was that.

Early stuff probably is flats, but the BBC session from '71 sure sounds like roundwounds to me.

I don't even remember what kind I used to buy, either Fender or Gibsons. Long shiny things.