Andy McClusky (OMD) Jazz Bass

[Roger2611]

Hi all, merry Christmas.

My Christmas project is to build a replica of Andy's famous Jazz Bass, I can see it is a CBS era bass in Grey so I assume it has been painted as I have never come across a grey Jazz before, I have had a look on line and can find a few photos but can find absolutely no information on the bass at all other than it being strung upside down.

Anyone know anything about the bass and its history?

Cheers
Rog

[James Nada]

There's a page on Andy in the Haynes Fender Bass Manual. Of his grey Jazz, it says...

It's a 1973, bought for £165 in Autumn 79.
Originally sunburst with tort plate. He sanded it down and sprayed it battleship grey with car body paint. The original scratch plate was sprayed orange but it's now black (it doesnt explicitly state that it's a replacement plate).
The back pickup is "very nasty and twangy". Strung with roundwound Rotosounds in medium guage.

Edited December 24, 2015 by James Nada

[HowieBass]

I wonder if that grey/orange colour scheme was chosen to match the album cover or vice versa?

Edited December 24, 2015 by HowieBass

[Lynottfan]

Great player of the time, real nice pick sound, liked his voice and the band had some decent tunes, Locomotion was always a fave, liked the groove, Balmer and the Fender bass manual a good starting point for info on this bass that Mr Mc used.

[EssentialTension]

It's strung upside down because Rourke's first bass was a left handed Watkins,which he learned to play without restringing it, despite being right handed.

[HowieBass]

McCluskey not Rourke

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1450999388' post='2937829']
McCluskey not Rourke
[/quote]

I beg your pardon, I have drunk rather a lot of red wine.

[EssentialTension]

It's Christmas, did you know?

[RhysP]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1450999546' post='2937831']
I beg your pardon, I have drunk rather a lot of red wine.
[/quote]

Good man.

[EssentialTension]

Strangely, I can still spell.

[RhysP]

As far as I know the grey colour used on that bass was just grey primer.
I saw OMD on one of their first tours, they were astonishingly loud.

[Number6]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1450999722' post='2937838']
As far as I know the grey colour used on that bass was just grey primer.
I saw OMD on one of their first tours, they were astonishingly loud.
[/quote]

In the vids i've seen the grey is fairly shiny so if it's just primer it may have been polished too?

[4000]

On 24/12/2015 at 23:04, Lynottfan said:

Great player of the time, real nice pick sound, liked his voice and the band had some decent tunes, Locomotion was always a fave, liked the groove, Balmer and the Fender bass manual a good starting point for info on this bass that Mr Mc used.

Horses for courses and all that. He has one of my least favourite voices of all time! I don’t mind Messages, Electricity and Red Frame White Light but can’t bear anything else by them. If I never hear Enola Gay or Joan of Arc again it’ll be too soon.