Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I always thought the reason Paulie and some others played kinda high was because the amps back then couldn't push the lows, and recorders couldn't reproduce the lows. Then it just became the British Invasion/Power Pop kinda sound.

IIRC Jamerson did not play an electric until 1961, when he bought a new Precision.

I've never been a Motown fan, it's not guitar-based music. IMO it's certainly popular music but not rock. Jamerson's influence on rock bass was indirect.

Doug is right, the switch was well underway by 1964, especially in surf & hot rod bands (Surfin' Bird immediately comes to mind ) But the real innovation started with the British Invasion.

I've always thought the same thing, with those old amps, the boomy high notes were a lot louder than the lows and those hollow body basses also put out nice boomy highs. I still like that sound and think it is a skill and a style of playing that a lot of players nowadays can't do, or know nothing about.
And yeah I guess maybe it was underway, you guys are right, but the Brits certainly cemented the electric bass.

"...the Brits certainly cemented the electric bass."

Especially after everyone heard Entwistle's solo in the Who's "My Generation" and went "Uh-oh, better head to the music store for that new fangled electrical bass gee-tar!"

Yeah, and I bet that was a P bass with flatwounds, with pick

In the BP interview with John Entwistle he states that he was breaking strings all the time and went through several Danelectro's. Nobody had bass strings so everytime he broke one he bought a new Dano. When the Dano's were all gone he took a stacked knob Jazz, with flats, and that is what is on the studio version.

Bob-- I've seen pix of Entwistle during the "Live at Leeds" performance and he's playing a Precision. However, it's very possible he's playing a stack-knob Jazz on the studio recording as Steve Berndt indicates in his post. Regardless, he sounds damn good.

WHO came first? The studio version or "Live At Leeds"?
Jeff- no sarcasm intended. LOL just could not resist.
And yes when I saw him play "My Generation" live for the first time it was on a P-Bass. Completely threw my "personal opinions" of what bass made what sound right out the window.
Then again, as if it ever really needs repeating.
Put bass guitar X in Bass Player Y's hands and he/she still sounds like Bass Player Y.

Any interview with JE I've ever read on the subject of "My Generation" goes as Steve says. John says he liked Duane Eddy's twang, and could get that tone on a Dano Longhorn. He broke a string during recording and the shop didn't carry the lightguage, short scale strings required for the Dano. So he bought a new one. Repeat for a total of three Longhorns. He finally gave up and used a Jazz with flats.

I played P bass for a lot of years, you can get a pretty bright sound with them if you work at it, especially with a pick, and the Jazz makes sense for that sound. Still give me a Ric anyday. Imagine what that would have sounded like with a nice 4001 with flats? Or his 4005?

Depending on the song I had a '67 P-bass that gave up some serious brightness, with a pick, Gretsch Heavys, but not what the '61 J could. Always wondered about the song "Happy Jack" too.... 4001, 4005, P, J? Most positively flats though.

How about Boris The Spider?

'Hold your group together, use RotoSound strings!'
I love Boris The Spider. My favorite Who album is The Who Sell Out. I remember buying it at Daytons Department Store in Minneapolis when it came out in '67 I believe. That cover is amazing and really shocking/amusing for it's time. Great stuff.

I saw him do it with his own band in a little tiny club in worcester Ma. a few years ago. What a concert! Had all his stadium stuff in the club, they tripped the circut breakers 4 times, right in the middle of his solo one time. I saw him again in a little club the next night in Providence RI. They sounded much better in Worcester, they learned a lesson form the night before I think, they only had half of the amps, which cut down on the sonic excitement of the night before, it was a little more tame, but at least they didn't trip any breakers.

In an old interview I read jut recently with Mr. Entwistle regarding the early sessions, he mentions playing (his quote) " a very early and rare Fender Telecaster bass, like a Precision without the shavings and with the straight pu".

The photos that accompanied the interview, show the backside of an early P bass. Perhaps this is the bass on "My Generation" (to my ears it sounds like it especially the desending run at the end of the second verse of the solo).

He also mentions using Herco Heavy picks, LaBella flats and VOX Super-Beatle amps for the final version of "My Generation".

It is worth mentioning this interview was conducted in 1967.