Jeff Ament's 8 and 12 string basses

love-boat-captainlove-boat-captain Essex. UK Posts: 476
edited July 2013 in The Porch
Can anyone actually confirm what studio recordings Jeff uses his 12 string bass on and what songs he uses his 8 string on specifically?

I know Jeremy is the 12, and just off the top of my head, i'm pretty sure the same goes for Lukin, Leash, Go. But as a bass player myself, I am interested in what songs the 8 string was used to record with, as it sounds very similar to the 12 string, but in the mix it's hard to tell for sure.

Anyone?

PS... Wish he'd record the odd song on PJ albums with these basses, they were such a MASSIVE part of the PJ sound, certainy for the first 2 albums, if not 3 and 4 also.
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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • love-boat-captainlove-boat-captain Essex. UK Posts: 476
    So out of all you hardcore fans, me included, no one knows? Or cares hahaha. There's a first.

    Well, ive always wondered... maybe it's just me.
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  • I'm pretty sure Why Go was recorded using the 12 string - I think I remember Mike saying something to the effect of "It was like having a piano in your face"!

    Don't know about the 8 string though, as you say it would be hard to differentiate. Best guess it to trawl live vids to see when he busts it out and presume the same was done for the studio version?
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  • peacefrompaulpeacefrompaul Posts: 25,293
    The 12 string is prominent in "Jeremy" also used on "Why Go". It's also used on "Leash" The intro is where you hear it distinctly if I'm not mistaken

    As for the 8 string, I'm not entirely sure. He has one but I'm not sure where it is used. Someone must know better than I do.

    Edit: There is some speculation on some other forums I'm reading that the 8 string is used on Jeremy with the 12 added in for harmony. It seems unlikely to me when a 12 would work just as well.
  • love-boat-captainlove-boat-captain Essex. UK Posts: 476
    Yeah, Jeremy is without doubt 12 string bass. As is leash, once, why go, lukin, deep, Go. I'm guessing habit also and blood for sure!
    I found footage of Toronto 1993, playing rearviewmirror with the Hamer 8 string in question. It's the bass that is same shape as the 12 string Hamer, but has the custom paint job. I've seen him play it on rearviewmirror on YouTube quite a few times but not of recent times.
    I listened to rearviewmirror on headphones last night and seems to be an 8 string sounding bass as its very big and ringing but not quite as meaty as as a 12 string sounds.
    I'm also guessing perhaps even flow and a few others off of ten are the eight string.
    London 29-10-96, London 29/30-5-00, London 20-4-06, Reading 27-8-06, London 18-6-07, London 11-8-09, London 18-8-09, London 25-6-10, Berlin 30-6-10 / PJ20 3/4-9-11, Manchester 20-6-12, Amsterdam 26/27-6-12, EV-London 30/31-7-12, EV-Orlando 27-11-12
  • peacefrompaulpeacefrompaul Posts: 25,293
    Yeah, Jeremy is without doubt 12 string bass. As is leash, once, why go, lukin, deep, Go. I'm guessing habit also and blood for sure!
    I found footage of Toronto 1993, playing rearviewmirror with the Hamer 8 string in question. It's the bass that is same shape as the 12 string Hamer, but has the custom paint job. I've seen him play it on rearviewmirror on YouTube quite a few times but not of recent times.
    I listened to rearviewmirror on headphones last night and seems to be an 8 string sounding bass as its very big and ringing but not quite as meaty as as a 12 string sounds.
    I'm also guessing perhaps even flow and a few others off of ten are the eight string.


    Not sure about Even Flow. The Fretless slides are pretty difficult to miss.
  • love-boat-captainlove-boat-captain Essex. UK Posts: 476
    Yeah I'm not sure though, doesn't sound like definitive fretless to me on Even Flow at all, if it is there's something else going on with it. His Fretless bass is clearly on Oceans, Garden, release and Alive too I'm pretty sure. It has a clear smoothness.
    I know we've seen him play even flow with a fretless like on MTV unplugged, but the track don't sound like a fretless bass to me and sounds nothing like those other songs mentioned that you can clearly hear the fretless on. Listen to the chorus and especially the end, on headphones. It's very aggressive and ringing. I'm betting Even Flow is the 8.

    Interesting indeed!
    London 29-10-96, London 29/30-5-00, London 20-4-06, Reading 27-8-06, London 18-6-07, London 11-8-09, London 18-8-09, London 25-6-10, Berlin 30-6-10 / PJ20 3/4-9-11, Manchester 20-6-12, Amsterdam 26/27-6-12, EV-London 30/31-7-12, EV-Orlando 27-11-12
  • alexross42alexross42 Posts: 352
    Can anyone actually confirm what studio recordings Jeff uses his 12 string bass on and what songs he uses his 8 string on specifically?

    I know Jeremy is the 12, and just off the top of my head, i'm pretty sure the same goes for Lukin, Leash, Go. But as a bass player myself, I am interested in what songs the 8 string was used to record with, as it sounds very similar to the 12 string, but in the mix it's hard to tell for sure.

    Anyone?

    PS... Wish he'd record the odd song on PJ albums with these basses, they were such a MASSIVE part of the PJ sound, certainy for the first 2 albums, if not 3 and 4 also.

    If the studio footage from the 10C 'Lightning Bolt' promo is anything to go by it seems that you may well get your wish granted - Jeff is using what looks like the 'classic Jeremy 12-string' in one of the shots - will be interesting to hear how it is used! Just getting me even more pumped for this release! :D
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  • Sorry for the thread resurrection, but I've just bought both 8 and 12 string basses so I'm interested to know about this, so here's my vote.....

    12 string:
    Jeremy
    Why Go (although Ten bass book says it's an 8 string)
    Deep (although Ten bass book says it's a fretless)
    Leash

    8 string:
    State of Love and Trust (very noticable in the bass-only part)
    Rearviewmirror
    Go (I've always wanted to know what the effect was, but it being an 8 string makes sense)
    Blood

    I'm not sure about Lukin or Habit. I found it harder to decipher on those tracks.

    Both Once and Even Flow are mentioned above, but I'm sure they're both fretless.

    If anybody has any more or diagrees with the above, please post.

    Cheers,

    Paddy
  • narnianarnia Posts: 635
    I heard a live "Jeremy" on PJ Radio this week (forget which version), and Eddie does say "that's Jeff Ament on the 12-string bass" when the song ends.
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  • i_lov_iti_lov_it Perth, Western Australia Posts: 4,007
    edited August 2014
    Even Flow is on a Fretless and maybe Once...not sure about Habit and Lukin though.
    Post edited by i_lov_it on
  • mrk2mrk2 Finland Posts: 2,022
    edited August 2014
    2000 - Habit on 12 string link

    2013 - Habit on 4 string link
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  • I also saw an old live clip of Habit being played live on a 12 string. I guess that means it was originally played on a 12, although tt's hard to hear it properly on the album version.

    Don't the liner notes to Ten say something like 'Jeff Ament plays Hamer 8 and 12 string basses'. I'm struggling to hear what song(s) he plays the 8 string on for that album. I suppose it could be some overdubs or anything really.

    Anybody know of any more recent album tracks where Jeff uses an 8 or 12 string?
  • I'm usually in the M&G area but just to add a bit...

    SNL version of Rearview Mirror has an 8 but I've seen it played with 4, too.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFkICEBi8Uw

    Jeremy, Leash, and Why Go are for sure 12. (Live 2003 Jeremy versions are 4, I'm pretty sure. You can hear the difference).
    Evenflow is a fretless.
    Daughter, Nothing As It Seems use a standup.


    Just something to add to the already long list.

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