David Hood's Traffic Jazz

[iBudd]

Just spent a highly enjoyable hour watching Traffic Live at Santa Monica 72. The whole thing is on YouTube
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocjSc7v83pk[/media]
David Hood's playing here is just great—he slots so seamlessley into the Traffic lineup (they never really had a permanent bassist), never calls attention to himself, just holds it down. Brilliant.
But what on earth is that Jazz he's playing?
Shot including headstock at 00:15:00
Right hand closeup at about 00:38:07 - really can't tell if those are concentric pots... neck pickup cover in bridge pickup cover spot! (good idea actually 'cause then you can change strings) but he's not using it as a thumbrest so why keep it? it wouldn't have muting foam underneath... weird single-ply black pickguard (with removied upper thumberst holes) and odd finish.
That all sounds a bit geeky but I'm really interested. Anyone got any ideas? Hood apprently had a '61 jazz that got stolen during the Traffic era. If this is it it had some serious cosmetic mods!
Anyway he's brilliant, and Traffic are brilliant.

Edited February 11, 2014 by iBudd

[Ou7shined]

Isn't it just a stack pot Fender with the front cover over the bridge (maybe for foam muting)? The pg looks like it's pretty flimsy material - you can see where the thumb-rest was.


edit : Zoiks! You've mentioned most of that already.


It's this sort of playing that puts that "plodding bass lines" thread to bed imho.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Ou7shined

[iBudd]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1392121105' post='2364878']
It's this sort of playing that puts that "plodding bass lines" thread to bed imho.
[/quote]

Agreed! Although Traffic were always pushing the envolope genre-wise. Lots of jazz and soul in there. Lovely stuff to get your teeth into as a bassist.

Edited February 11, 2014 by iBudd

[chris_b]

As far as I recall that Traffic line up was the Muscle Shoals guys. He'd been playing with them for most of the previous 10 years.

Edited February 11, 2014 by chris_b

[iBudd]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1392123206' post='2364935']
As far as I recall that Traffic line up was the Muscle Shoals guys. He'd been playing with them for most of the previous 10 years.
[/quote]

Just David Hood and drummer Roger Hawkins from Muscle Shoals. But they're obviously tight!

Edited February 11, 2014 by iBudd