noelk27

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='335865' date='Nov 24 2008, 10:02 PM']Yeah, after reading this thread it sounds like his trademark was his playing and not his Rick as a lot of people seem to think. I do think he managed to get them all to sound pretty close though (could just be my old ears playing tricks) I used to get people coming up to me and mentioning that while it sounded great i should be using a Rick and not a Jazz.[/quote] As people always say, it's in the hands. Jazz though; now, that's a bass I've never seen him playing.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='335608' date='Nov 24 2008, 04:14 PM']WOW, i was going to start a thread asking about when he switched from playing a Rick. ... I never knew he played an Aria though. Bugger, that complicates things even more.[/quote] Foxton never switched, as such. You'll see him using the trademark black/maple Precision from All Mod Cons onwards, but he also regularly used Rickenbackers (in the Going Underground, Tales From the Riverbank and Precious videos, and on the promotional tour in support of Sound Affects) - and has been mentioned a MusicMan Stingray (some studio shots from the recording sessions for Sound Affects), some Epiphones (in the Start and A Town Called Malice videos, mumerous TV appearances, and on the promotional tour in support of The Gift), as well as an Aria SB1000 (most notably for The Jam's appearance on the first ever The Tube). And, again, we're glossing over the Ibanez Rickenbacker copy (way back on In The City).

[quote name='Geek99' post='334804' date='Nov 23 2008, 12:06 PM']it is a bit 80's looking for my taste I did have an Aria Magna, which was a lovely bass.[/quote] The Magna (MAB) Series debuted in 90, remaining in production until 94. There were some nine models, as well as a few APCS versions - either two or three, I can't quite remember.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='334702' date='Nov 23 2008, 02:22 AM']Weird that. First things you notice about Foxton's style are melodic structure and gnat's-chuff tightness. So if Weller wanted 'feel' and 'loose', why did he work with Foxton for so long? In reality, Foxton carried the songs - listen to the live recordings and Weller's guitar is basically blarting around on blocky chords - all the melody comes from the bass. ...and Foxton doubles (and harmonises) most of the vocals....almost to the extent that Weller's further back in the mix than F. No wonder 'From The Jam' sound...er...[i]right[/i][/quote] Very true - perhaps the legacy of originally being a guitarist. And not forgetting that Foxton took lead vocals on several songs, including singles (three A-sides). Between April 77 and November 82, The Jam recorded and released six albums and nineteen singles (A-sides of nine of which were not included on albums). By today’s standards that’s a remarkable output. Weller was 18 when he signed to Polydor, and his musical development took place in public. By the time of the release of Sound Affects, Weller was disillusioned with the confines of a three piece. He was dissatisfied with the group’s attempts to expand its sound on tracks such as Music For The Last Couple - notably a band co-write - and his influences were moving: encountering the emerging Brit Funk movement and rediscovering Northern Soul. He didn’t believe that either Foxton or Buckler were capable of expanding their playing - being critical of Foxton’s attempts to incorporate slapping techniques, which he felt were mechanical. Indeed, he was particularly critical of both Foxton’s and Buckler’s playing on certain cuts included on The Gift, even going as far as to suggest that the album should be delayed for him to rework these songs. In essence it’s a variation on the old story of musical differences.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='334517' date='Nov 22 2008, 05:38 PM']Bruce using an Epi doing 'Start'. Not a good recording on YT but unmistakably his tone regardless of the fact that I wouldn't have imagined that the Epi was the bass he recorded Start with! [/quote] Totally. Also in the A Town Called Malice video - a cream Epiphone. Think those were "for the image only" moments. In fact, with all the Rickenbacker knowledge abounding on this site, and in this post, does anyone know if the 4000 series Foxton is using in the Precious video is stock? I've always been a bit puzzled by the colour, the mirrored pickguard and, to me, what looks like a non-standard nameplate.

[quote name='Thunderthumbs' post='334440' date='Nov 22 2008, 02:58 PM']Yeah, I remember one of the first live TV appearances....on The Tube (or its replacement) doing "Long Hot Summer" and "The Paris Match" and he played an Aria. I'm sure in an old book I had of them, there's a photo of Weller playing an old violin bass methinks when they were a 4 piece.[/quote] Weller played an Aria Pro II SB1000 and SB900 at different stages with The Style Council. There's also footage of him playing a Fender Jazz. The violin bass is credited as both being a Hofner and a Hoffmann - so, whether it was an original Hofner or a copy, I'm not sure. But it was his main instrument when he was the bass player with The Jam. As for Foxton, it was The Tube where he can be seen using an SB1000.. Apart from the main black/maple Precision he used live and in the studio, he also used a sunburst/rosewood and natural/rosewood Precisions, a large selection of Rickenbacker 4001 and 4003 models, some Epiphone semi-solids, as well as a MusicMan Stingray.

[quote name='simon1964' post='334370' date='Nov 22 2008, 12:55 PM']Did I read soemwhere that when the Jam first formed Weller did indeed play bass, and Foxton guitar? I think they switched intruments someitme before they started to record.[/quote] Yes, the original, settled line-up of The Jam was Steve Brookes, guitar; Bruce Foxton, guitar; Paul Weller, bass; and Rick Buckler, drums. Foxton made the switch to bass and Weller to guitar when Brookes left the band. [quote name='iamthewalrus' post='334384' date='Nov 22 2008, 01:10 PM']Never knew Bruce used a Musicman - any pics anywhere?[/quote] The MusicMan was one of the basses used for the Sound Affects recording sessions - and Foxton also used it at the time of his solo album, Touch Sensitive. I'll do my best to track down some artwork, but the only one I have on my desktop is Foxton using a EBMM Sub.

[quote name='simon1964' post='334351' date='Nov 22 2008, 12:16 PM']Incidentally, it always surprises me that Foxton doesn't get a writing credit on songs like Town Called Malice, Tube Station, Eton Rifles etc. Those songs are, in essence, the bassline.[/quote] With respect to the material up to, and including, Setting Sons, this is a reasonable point - and was the subject of litigation brought by Foxton and Buckler, an action that was settled out of court. For Sound Affects and The Gift, Weller recorded writing demos, where he would play all the parts. It's interesting to compare the different playing approaches of Foxton and Weller on the few commercially available tracks that both recorded bass parts for, and when you realise that Weller's frustration with Foxton's playing concerned feel and looseness. Also, listening to the very early Style Council singles highlights that Weller was a good bass player in his own right - which, given that Foxton was a guitarist before converting to bass with The Jam, makes you wonder if they wouldn't have been happier switching instruments.

[quote name='markdavid' post='334218' date='Nov 22 2008, 01:45 AM']Ive been offered one for £100 , its the Aria Libra LLB-DLX , I take it thats the deluxe model?[/quote] Yes, it is. And for one that's in solid condition, with no issues, that's a reasonable price. If I was you though, I'd still do a little haggling.

[quote name='acidbass' post='334222' date='Nov 22 2008, 02:47 AM']I believe he also used an Ibanez 4001 copy for some of their stuff?[/quote] The bass he was using before the band were signed, and for some of the work on the debut album, In The City - he's pictured with it on the back cover. My understanding he mainly used Rickenbacker or Fender until he picked up the MusicMan before recording Sound Affects and the Aria before recording The Gift - although studio photographs from the time suggest he was never far from the black/maple Precision. The last live performance The Jam gave, he used the Aria - which was his main bass during his solo career.

In addition an Aria Pro II SB1000, a MusicMan Stingray and a maple neck, fretless Fender Precision, also featured on his work with The Jam.

These were nothing special. Aria Pro II were producing the Libra (LBB Series) at the same time as the CTB Series and PRB Series, making the LLB 88-89. All three of these lines went out of production late 89. There were three models in the LLB Series - Standard, Deluxe and Custom. I should have the printed catalogue somewhere, to remind myself as to specifications. To be honest - from memory - there were better APII models from the mid and late 80s. The LLB Series suffers a bit based on it's very 80s styling. (Personally I don't like the hair metal inspired headstock.) What’s a very good price?

[quote name='Telebass' post='332662' date='Nov 19 2008, 09:45 PM']Precisely. The catalogues are not reliable guides as to what colours were available. Matching headstocks could be had on anything during the 60s, but to special order only. Production custom colour Precisions with matching H/S are very unusual...[/quote] Thank you for the selective quotation from, and loose, but inaccurate, interpretation of, my posting. Had it been my intention to refer to the printed publication media utilised by Fender across the decade referenced, and I employed language inaccurately, I possibly would have referred to "catalogues". As my intention was to refer to the "list" of models produced, or released, by Fender across the decade referenced the usage was, correctly, employed. Maybe you were confused by the duality of English language? And perhaps, before attempting selective quotation in future you will take into account sentence context, and refrain from misrepresenting other people’s statements. I would also refer you to the text of the original post, where, at no point, does the author state his question is specific to either production or custom models. In this context, as you yourself concede, the information detailed by my posting is correct, and was stated specifically to assuage the impression given, in the post therein quoted, that the item in question was, most likely, fake - although I suspect a statement genuinely made to stress the doctrine of caveat emptor.

Fender also did this finish on the Coronado. Edit: Add some details and dates.

[quote name='Beedster' post='331822' date='Nov 18 2008, 09:14 PM']Which, roughly translated, means that whatever you've been offered is 99% chance fake [/quote] Well, every bass model in the Fender catalogue over the 60s received colour co-ordinated headstocks- Jazz, Telecaster, Bass V, Bass VI, Mustang, Coronado, and Precision. Undoubtedly more common on some of the other models- particularly the Bass VI and Mustang- and more common on the Jazz than the Precision, but certainly available. Now, competition stripes, that's an entirely different matter.

My guitarist owns a Strat in a similar finish. The Strat, of course, has an awful white pickguard and lace sensors. And over 40 photos! Were eBay having an "all the photos you can post for free" day?

Couple of old Destroy / John Richmond, 32”, black, leather belts- removed the buckles and slit a hole either end. The extra 2” of material folded back to secure the buckle came in useful for length, as did the strap guide for decoration. But the buckles went in the garbage.

[quote name='funkygreega' post='329892' date='Nov 15 2008, 09:41 PM']Does anybody know whether they do make acoustic basses ...[/quote] Acoustic, as opposed to hollowbody. They did. In very small quantities. The basses are fantastic. But they don't make any these days.

Go for it. '81, in the space of one week bought a Schecter precision style and a Fender Precision Special. In all honesty thought the Schecter was streets better than the Fender. Don't regret letting the Fender go, but miss that Schecter. The modern stuff isn't a patch on the one you're looking at.