Jeff Ament

[maxrossell]

I'm just curious as to what people reckon to him, because I don't think I've ever seen him mentioned on here. I know that fans of maybe more technical or solo-oriented bassists might find him to be nothing special, but for me he's a really great bass player, he has a really good groove, a really expressive and interesting way of playing, and he's brought fretless into an area of rock where it doesn't normally get much airtime. Also he's a great musician, he's written some of my favourite tracks by the band.

(He's the bass player out of Pearl Jam, by the way.)

[peted]

I started playing bass at the same time I was listening to the Ten album. So he gets full thumbs up from me!

[eude]

+1 from me.
Jeff's a real bass player's bass player.
One of my big influences from when I was a youngster
He's always pushed boundaries and innovated but not in an in a flashy your face manner, he manages to do all this while providing an incredibly solid foundation for Pearl Jam.
Pearl Jam lost their way a bit in my opinion, but Jeff's playing has always made them fun to listen to regardless.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm really enjoying the last couple of albums, they're writing some pretty awesome "dad" rock now, which is meant to be a compliment.

Cheers,
Eude

[Adrenochrome]

effing awesome! A great player and actually well-appreciated by my generation. We play Rearview Mirror every gig (to avoid the obvious songs) and will hopefully be adding The Fixer very soon.

[Marvin]

Probably overlooked because he's not pushing himself to the front and Pearl Jam are one of those marmite bands, you know you either love them or loathe them.

Personally I've always liked and rated his playing. Really got into WMA and Rats off the second album, always thought his lines gave a great groove on those two. And tone, don't forget the tone.

Edited November 26, 2009 by Marvin

[spinynorman]

I came to Pearl Jam late and have been wondering ever since how I managed to miss them for so long. Love them, some great live stuff too, when it doesn't end in a political rant.

We tried to play Alive, which I guess is one of the really obvious ones. Parts of the bassline I found quite tricky, mainly the timing, but fun to play when you've cracked it, and it's really great driving along under that solo. Unfortunately our singer claimed she couldn't get the vocals. I think she wanted to do Jeremy.

[Beedster]

[quote name='eude' post='665919' date='Nov 26 2009, 09:09 AM']He's always pushed boundaries and innovated but not in an in a flashy your face manner, he manages to do all this while providing an incredibly solid foundation for Pearl Jam.[/quote]

[quote name='Marvin' post='665938' date='Nov 26 2009, 09:26 AM']Probably overlooked because he's not pushing himself to the front and Pearl Jam are one of those marmite bands, you know you either love them or loathe them.[/quote]

+1 to both those

Or is that +2?

C

[Noisyjon]

Another PJ & Jeff Ament fan here.
I love the way he plays and sounds. IMO he's one of the great rock bassists.

ATB, JTB!

Edited November 26, 2009 by jonthebass

[Sean]

Jeff is a great band bassist and brilliant all round muso. He seems to vary songs from time to time live and try new ways of playing old stuff. His sound is perfect for the band and he seems to have a revolving door of about a dozen of so basses but seems to have played a P throughout the new album. I reckon his playing has improved and grown every tour and he seems much tighter with Matt Cameron than he did with any of the other drummers. I've been a huge fan since Vitalogy and listen to nothing but PJ Official bootlegs when at the gym.

[William James Easton]

i am a pearl jam nut and picked up bass mainly beacuase of Jeff. absolute legend for me. can't say enough about him, outstanding live, sometimes flashy and clever sometimes simple. Later stuff is stripped right down.

yes Jeff yes.

[William James Easton]

[quote name='Sean' post='666264' date='Nov 26 2009, 02:31 PM']Jeff is a great band bassist and brilliant all round muso. He seems to vary songs from time to time live and try new ways of playing old stuff. His sound is perfect for the band and he seems to have a revolving door of about a dozen of so basses [b]but seems to have played a P throughout the new album[/b]. I reckon his playing has improved and grown every tour and he seems much tighter with Matt Cameron than he did with any of the other drummers. I've been a huge fan since Vitalogy and listen to nothing but PJ Official bootlegs when at the gym. [/quote]
very true. liner notes to backspacer "Jeff - p bass" or something


oh and....
Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament Bass Gear Rig and Equipment
Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament Bass Gear Rig and Equipment
Jeff Ament is an American rock bassist and, along with Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, one of the founding members of Pearl Jam. Jeff is a renowned bassist, and is particularly notable for his work with the fretless bass, upright bass and twelve-string bass guitar.

Let's look at what gear and equipment has been seen in Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament Bass Rig.






Basses
- vintage Fender Precisions (including a sunburst ’59 once owned by Canned Heat’s Larry Taylor)


- Multiple ’90s Modulus custom Jazz-style basses (iron color, purple, etc...)
- 2000 Modulus custom Silvertone replica
- ’90s fretless Wal Basses - Woodgrain
- ’70s Ovation Magnum
- Azola Acoustic Baby Bass electric upright
- 1966 Gibson ES-330 guitar
- 1990 "Fingerpaint" custom Hamer 8-String bass
- 12 string Hamer natural Acoustic custom Bass (a different Hamer 12 string is pictured below)


- Carruther's Sub-1 upright electric bass brown color
- 1959 Sunburst Fender Jazz Bass


Amps and Cabinets
- 1973 Ampeg SVT I head


- SWR custom 6x10s without horns


- Ampeg SVT-2 PRO head


- Ashdown ABM 500 EVO head


- 1968 Ampeg B-18
- 1970 Acoustic 360 pre-amp
- '96 Ampeg SVP Pro pre-amp
- reissue Ampeg B-15R
- SWR 2x10" cabs (off stage monitor for techs)




Effects and More
- Sony WRR840 wireless receiver
- MXR M-108 10-band EQs


- Fulltone ’70 pedal



- Fulltone Bass-Drive pedals



- Boss reverb/delay
- Furman VU-40 meter
- Brooke Siren AR116 D.I.
- TCM Design '24cx-4' active crossover
- Jester Enterprises Hydra tube splitter
- Avalon DI


- Digitech Bass Whammy pedal
- MXR 117 Flanger


- Sansamp Classic Distortion
- Uptown Flash footcontroller
- Sal Trentino custom 4ch load-box
- DBX 166 compressor




Strings and picks
- Dean Markley SR2000 medium bass strings


- Dean Markley SR2000 medium-light bass strings (fretless only)


- Thomastik "Spirocore" upright bass strings


- Dunlop Tortex 1.0mm picks


[b]
thatks uber pro, now i am an uber nerd.[/b]

Edited November 26, 2009 by William James Easton

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='Marvin' post='665938' date='Nov 26 2009, 09:26 AM']Pearl Jam are one of those marmite bands, you know you either love them or loathe them.[/quote]

I hated grunge at the time although the rock acts it replaced certainly needed to be replaced. As time has gone on I have heard songs that have made me question my views. I'm not a massive rock fan but I surprised myself this year by both buying & enjoying the new Pearl Jam album. I think he's a decent solid player

[RussFM]

I haven't really listened to them since Yield, but The Fixer is a great tune, and their new one is growing on me. Definitely a decent player, but I always listened to Stone more on the early stuff, but I was a teen when I first got into them.

[TheRev]

Another big fan of Jeff's here!

I bought a fretless bass purely because of Jeff's fretless bass parts on Ten and Vs and even ended up in PJ tribute act at one point.

Great player and great fretless tone.

[William James Easton]

[quote name='TheRev' post='667102' date='Nov 27 2009, 09:40 AM']Another big fan of Jeff's here!

I bought a fretless bass purely because of Jeff's fretless bass parts on Ten and Vs and [b]even ended up in [size=3]PJ tribute act at one point[/b][/size]

Great player and great fretless tone.[/quote]

i like you.